FMCSA Issues 2006 Annual Motor Carrier Efficiency Study Report to Congress

(The SAFETEA-LU set aside funding to examine the application of wireless technology to improve the safety and efficiency of trucking operations in the U.S. The FMCSA was assigned responsibility for administering this program and has divided its work into two phases.)

Phase I

Phase I of the study, which was initiated in September 2006 and concluded in January 2008, consisted of a series of tasks to: (1) identify inefficiencies in freight transportation and (2) evaluate safety and productivity improvements made possible through wireless technologies.

Inefficiency analysis. The preliminary Phase I findings include the following significant industry inefficiencies (partial list):

Equipment/Asset Utilization, Underutilization:

Detention/Demurrage Time (waiting at the shipper, waiting at the receiver; waiting at inspection facilities);

Empty/Non-revenue Miles (empty trailer miles, empty straight truck miles; bobtail miles (for tractors); equipment misallocation;

Lack of 24/7 Operations - Shipper or receiver hours of operation, union rules, non-team driver operations, hours-of-service regulations.

Lack of Optimized Routing - Poor routing, scheduling, out-of-route miles.

Unauthorized Equipment Use - Use of truck or tractor-trailer by driver to haul cargo for payment outside of employment/lease/for-hire contract; use of trailers and containers for unauthorized cargo storage.

Data/Information Entry and Exchange:

More than one-fourth of motor carriers surveyed in 2005 use only paper documents to account for their shipments and exchange shipment data with supply chain partners.

Inefficiencies may be further introduced into the manifest, shipping and receiving, and billing processes by multiple data entry points for the same data, inaccurate initial data entry, and inaccurate, lost or delayed paper documentation.

(Other inefficiencies included fuel economy and fuel waste; loss and theft; and safety and maintenance.)

Wireless technology solutions. Phase I of the report also evaluates safety and productivity improvements made possible through wireless technologies. Among the technologies summarized are: RFID, digital cellular, WLAN/Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11x), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16), Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1), Satellite, Ultra- Wideband (UWB) (IEEE 802.15.3), Free Space Optics (FSO)/Infrared (IrDA), two-way Radio, and Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4). Two examples from its summary include:

RFID. In the motor carrier environment, RFID technology can be applied to: weight station bypass programs, port operations, international border crossing systems, asset management and tracking, security, wireless keys, and cargo/container security. RFID's advantages include that it is readable from varying distances, angles, and through certain materials; is environmentally robust; has unique object identification and authentication, and has potential for real time tracking. Its disadvantages include range limitations and the fact that private or facility based infrastructure is required.

Satellite. In the motor carrier environment satellite technology can be applied to Global Positioning System (GPS), satellite telephone systems, fleet management and monitoring systems. Its advantages are remote and global availability and higher data rates than older satellite technologies. Its disadvantages are cost of systems, equipment; latency; and potential terrain interference.

Phase II

Phase II of the study will consist of one or more pilot demonstrations wherein promising wireless technologies will be deployed under realistic operating conditions.

During this period, industry and government partners will assess the degree to which the solutions improve safety and operations consistent with the program objectives.

(The 2007 annual report will detail the actions taken to complete the FMCSA's project and the appropriate findings, conclusions, and recommendations.)

FMCSA, "The 2006 Annual Motor Carrier Efficiency Study Report to Congress" (March 2008) available at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/research-technology/report/The-2006-Annual-Motor-Carrier-Study-Report.pdf