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U.S. Department of Transportation
Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Study
Report No. 1
Activity V: Task D
Identify and Evaluate State Versus Federal Role
in TS&W Regulations
March, 1995
Prepared by
Alan Clayton
Phil Blow
Ben Ritchey
The primary objectives of the U.S. Department of Transportation's
Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight (TS&W) Study are to:
o assess the potential economic, safety, and environmental
impacts of changing existing TS&W limits; and
o identify opportunities to increase the efficiency of
freight transportation while preserving safety and highway
infrastructure.
Reports which have been completed for the TS&W Study, to date,
include the following:
(1) Synthesis of Truck Size and Weight Studies and Issues
(2) Analysis of the Truck Inventory and Use Survey from the
Truck Size and Weight Perspective for Trucks with
Five-Axles or More
For more information, call Jim March, FHWA, 202-366-9233,
202-366-7696 (FAX), or e:mail: jim.march@fhwa.dot.gov
This document was prepared for use in the U.S. Department of
Transportation's Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Study. The
views expressed are those of the author(s) and are not
necessarily those of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ES-1
1.0 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
1.1 Purpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
1.2 Study Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
1.3 Federal TS&W Regulation Development. . . . . . . . .3
1.4 Previous Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
1.5 New Pressures and New Opportunities. . . . . . . . .9
2.0 Current TS&W Laws and Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.1 TS&W Regulations and Trucking. . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2 State and Local Law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3 U.S. Federal Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.4 Canadian and Mexican Laws. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.0 The Policy Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.1 Policy Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.2 Highway Investment and Pricing Considerations. . . 16
3.3 Enforcement and Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.4 Policy Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.0 Current Knowledge of Policy Issues. . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.1 Pavement and Bridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.2 Roadway Geometry and Traffic . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.3 Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
4.4 Permits, Pricing, and Enforcement. . . . . . . . . 34
4.5 Truck Costs and Logistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
4.6 Truck Travel and Mode Share. . . . . . . . . . . . 44
4.7 Environment and Energy Conservation. . . . . . . . 47
5.0 Knowledge Gaps and Research Needs . . . . . . . . . . . 50
5.1 Pavement and Bridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
5.2 Roadway Geometry and Traffic . . . . . . . . . . . 51
5.3 Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
5.4 Permits, Pricing, and Enforcement. . . . . . . . . 52
5.5 Truck Costs and Logistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
5.6 Truck Travel and Mode Share. . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Executive Summary
This is the Summary Report of Phase I of the Comprehensive Truck
Size and Weight (TS&W)Study announced by the Federal Highway
Administrator in June 1994. It summarizes 13 working papers
prepared during Phase I. The study is to be completed in three
phases:
Phase I--Synthesis of TS&W Studies and Issues--assessed past
policy studies and technical research. Technical knowledge about
relationships between TS&W policy controls and relevant
evaluation and decision criteria was synthesized. State and
Federal TS&W regulations were summarized. Research needs for
later phases were identified. Thirteen working papers were
prepared examining the regulations and TS&W policy controls and:
truck accidents, vehicle stability and control, pavements,
bridges, roadway geometry, traffic operations, truck costs,
shipper logistics costs, truck travel and mode share,
enforcement, environment, energy, permits and pricing mechanisms.
Based on a review of the information, FHWA has identified
several policy and technical issues for consideration in Phases
II and III of the study. No policy conclusions were drawn in
Phase I and none are discussed in this report. Consideration of
policy options is being done in the later phases. This interim
report is being issued at this time to gather wide input from
both the public and private sectors on the issues of importance
to this study.
Phase II--a Preliminary Option Analysis--will evaluate specific
policy options using existing databases and analytical tools
(completion summer 1995).
Phase III--an Extended Impact Analysis--will expand the scope and
depth of the policy analysis of PHASE II using new databases and
analytical capabilities becoming available in late 1995 with
projected completion by the end of 1996.
Based on a review of many policy and technical studies done over
the last 10 to 15 years, the following are among the most
important issues summarized in this Phase I report:
o There has been no significant change in Federal TS&W law
since 1982 except for the 1991 freeze of State provisions
for longer combination vehicles (LCV). There have been many
changes in factors interrelated with TS&W laws over the past
20 years. These include growth in freight traffic, changes
in freight characteristics and origin-destination patterns,
global economics and trade, containerization and
intermodalism, economic deregulation, enhanced safety
programs, and truck equipment.
o New questions about Federal TS&W law related to the National
Highway System (NHS), North American trade harmonization,
and retention of the 1991 freeze of State LCV provisions
should be addressed in Phases II and III.
o There are a myriad of different TS&W regulations affecting
U.S. trucking emanating from local, State and Federal
Governments. Many reflect considerations such as
differences in economic and industrial activities, freight
movements, infrastructure design characteristics and status,
traffic densities, mode options and engineering
philosophies. The importance of State TS&W regulations
cannot be over-stated since they govern trucking on the vast
majority of U.S. road mileage.
o Federal law now regulates trucks by specifying basic TS&W
standards and excepting certain situations from those
standards by grandfather right and provision for special
permits. Thus, current Federal regulations state that the
gross vehicle weight limit of a truck is 80,000 pounds on
Interstate highways, but allow trucks to carry international
containers at more than 80,000 pounds, an exception to the
standard.
o Performance-standards regulation offers an alternative
approach. Specifications are madeas to acceptable
performance measures--in terms such as stability, turning,
or acceleration--with these measures then becoming the basis
of regulation either directly or indirectlysurrogate
measures. The performance-standard approach has been
successfully applied tosubstantial components of trucking in
Canada. While there is a growing technical interestin this
method, there is also debate about details and about
enforceability.
o Consideration should be given to the enforceability of
policy options. Enforcement of theexisting relatively
simple regulations has proven difficult for many
jurisdictions.
o Developments in domestic containerization will effect new
demands on TS&W limits. The intermodal implications of TS&W
policy options also need further study.
o The results of this study will provide a base of knowledge
that can be used for the ongoing trilateral consultations on
vehicle weights and dimensions required by the North
American Free trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Chapter 5 identifies several research topics that will be
important to carry out during Phases II and II to more
definitively resolve TS&W policy options.
