The U.S. Department of Transportation's

Western Uniformity Scenario Analysis

A Regional Truck Size and
Weight Scenario Requested by the
Western Governors' Association

List of Tables

Table ES-1 Forecasts of 2010 Base Case and Scenario Traffic Under Scenario Assumptions
Table ES-2 Forecasts of 2010 Base Case VMT by Vehicle Configuration and Western Uniformity VMT Impact for 13 Analyzed States
Table ES-3 Change in LCV Use by Shipment Type
Table ES-4 Infrastructure Costs Attributable to the Western Uniformity Scenario
Table ES-5 Energy and Environmental Impacts of Western Uniformity Scenario
Table ES-6 Annual Shipper Cost Savings from Western Uniformity Scenario
Table II-1 Miles by Functional System
Table II-2 Rural and Urban Mileage by State
Table II-3 Operation of Vehicles Subject to the ISTEA Freeze Maximum Size and Weight Limits for 13 Analyzed States
Table II-4 Base Year and Forecast Commercial Vehicle Travel
Table II-5 Domestic Tons (millions) by Mode for Base and Forecast Years
Table II-6 Current Maximum Weight and Length for Scenario States
Table III-1 2010 VMT by Highway Type
Table III-2 Low Cube 2010 LCV VMT by Commodity Group and Flow Type
Table III-3 Total VMT for Base Case and Western Uniformity, Low-Cube Case
Table III-4 High Cube 2010 LCV VMT by Commodity Group and Flow Type
Table III-5 Total VMT for Base Case and Western Uniformity, High-Cube Case
Table III-6 Annual Transportation Cost Savings for Truck Shipments
Table IV-1 Net Tons per ESAL -Study Configurations at Key Weights
Table IV-2 Scenario Pavement Impacts
Table V-1 Numbers of Bridges on Various Systems by State
Table V-2 Base Case and Uniformity Vehicles
Table V-3 Analysis of the Base Case Trucks on the Interstate and National Network Highway Systems
Table V-4 Base Case Cost Associated with Full Replacement and Less than Full Replacement for Eight Different Overstress Thresholds
Table V-5 Analysis of the Uniformity Scenario Trucks on the Interstate and National Network Highway Systems
Table V-6 Western Uniformity Scenario Cost Associated with Full Replacement and Less than Full Replacement for Eight Different Overstress Thresholds
Table V-7 Analysis of Additional Overstressed Bridges on Interstate and National Nework Systems
Table V-8 Incremental Cost Differences between Base Case and Western Uniformity Scenario with Full Replacement and Less than Full Replacement for Eight Different Overstress Thresholds
Table VI-1 Dimensions of Base Case Vehicles
Table VI-2 Offtracking Characteristics
Table VI-3 Current Access Provisions
Table VI-4 Scenario Roadway Geometric Impacts
Table VII-1 List of Analyzed Vehicles
Table VII-2 Overall Fatal Crash Rates of Single- and Double- Trailers
Table VII-3 Fatal Accident Rates of Tractor-Semitrailers and Doubles by Operating Environment
Table VII-4 Truck Crashes by Severity Class
Table VII-5 Base Crash Rates
Table VII-6 Collision Rates on the LCV Sub-Network by Vehicle Type
Table VII-7 Summary of Truck Crash Rates
Table VII-8 Travel and Fatal Crashes for Scenario States 1995-1999
Table VII-9 Fatal Involvement Rates for Scenario States 1995-1999
Table VII-10 Fatal Involvement Rates for the Scenario States 1995-1999
Table VIII-1 Horsepower Requirements Select Weight-to-Horsepower Ratios and Gross Vehicle Weights
Table VIII-2 Truck Passenger Car Equivalents
Table VIII-3 Percent of Congested Travel for 13 Analyzed States, Year 2000
Table VIII-4 Western Uniformity Scenario Traffic Impacts
Table IX-1 Miles per Gallon by Truck Configuration and Weight
Table IX-2 Noise Passenger Car Equivalents for Trucks
Table IX-3 Energy and Environment Impacts for 13 Analyzed States
Table X-1 Industry and Railroad Cost Elasticities
Table X-2 Railroad Cost Studies
Table X-3 Base Case Revenues, Freight Service Expense, Contribution, and ROI
Table X-4 Low-Cube Case Lost Revenue, Freight Service Expense, Contribution
Table X-5 Low-Cube Case Ton-Miles, Freight Service Expense, Revenues from Operation, Contribution, and ROI
Table X-6 High-Cube Case Lost Revenue, Freight Service Expense, Contribution
Table X-7 High-Cube Case Ton-Miles, Freight Service Expense, Revenues from Operations, Contribution, and ROI
Table A-1 Ratios of Moments of Selected Trucks Relative to the HS20 Vehicle
Table A-2 Ratio of Total Load Moments of the Study Vehicles to the HS20 Design Vehicle

List of Figures

Figure II-1 Analysis States
Figure II-2 Comparison of Longer Combination Vehicles with Conventional Trucks
Figure II-3 Base Case Federal Truck Size and Weight Limits
Figure II-4 Current Use of Scenario Vehicles
Figure II-5 Current LCV Gross Vehicle Weights
Figure II-6 Current LCV Lengths
Figure II-7 Vehicles Operating in the Western Study States
Figure II-8 Longer Combination Vehicle State Permit and Route Restrictions
Figure II-9 Rocky Mountain Doubles Base Case Network
Figure II-10 Turopike Doubles Base Case Network
Figure II-11 Triples Base Case Network
Figure II-12 The ISTEA Longer Combination Vehicle Freeze
Figure II-13 Western Uniformity Scenario
Figure II-14 Rocky Mountain Double Western Uniformity Scenario Network
Figure II-15 Turnpike Doubles Western Uniformity Scenario Network
Figure II-16 Triples Western Uniformity Scenario Network
Figure III-1 Development of Motor Carrier Market Rates
Figure III-2 Likely Truck Configuration Impacts of the Western Uniformity Scenario
Figure III-3 Impact of Western Uniformity Scenario on VMT by Different Vehicles, Low-Cube Case
Figure III-4 Impact of Western Uniformity Scenario on VMT by Different Vehicles, High-Cube Case
Figure VI-1 Low-Speed Offtracking
Figure VI-2 High-Speed Offtracking
Figure VII-1 Illustration of Rollover Initiation
Figure VII-2 Static Rollover Threshold Current Vehicles and Scenario Vehicles
Figure VII-3 Major Types of Converter Dollies
Figure VII-4 Rearward Amplification: Current and Scenario Vehicles
Figure VII-5 Load Transfer Ratio Current and Scenario Vehicles
Figure VIII-1 Truck Volumes, Estimated Congested Segments - 1998
Figure VIII-2 Truck Volumes, Estimated Congested Segments - 2020
Figure X-1 Decreasing Cost Industry

**List of Acronyms**
AAR	Association of American Railroads
AASHTO	American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
BASIC	Bridge Analysis and Structural Improvement Software
BFB	Bridge Formula B
BNSF	Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company
CSX
CTS&W Study	Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Study
CWS	Carload Waybill Sample
DOT	U.S. Department of Transportation
EPA	Environmental Protection Agency
FAF	Freight Analytical Framework
FAF	Freight Analysis Framework
FHWA	Federal Highway Administration
FSE	Freight Service Expense
GVW	Gross Vehicle Weight
HCA Study	Highway Cost Allocation Study
ITIC	Intermodal Transportation and Inventory Costing model
LCV	Longer Combination Vehicle
MPG	Miles per Gallon
MPH	Miles per Hour
NAPCOM	National Pavement Cost Model
NBI	National Bridge Inventory
NN	National Network for Large Trucks
RMD	Rocky Mountain Double
ROI	Return On Investment
STB	Surface Transportation Board
TPD	Turnpike Double
TS&W	Truck Size and Weight
UP	Union Pacific Railroad Company
U.S.	United States of America
WASHTO	Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
WGA	Western Governors' Association

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The U.S. Department of Transportation's

Western Uniformity Scenario Analysis

A Regional Truck Size and Weight Scenario Requested by the Western Governors' Association

Table of Contents

List of Tables

List of Figures

A Regional Truck Size and
Weight Scenario Requested by the
Western Governors' Association