Research Initiative Points to Benefits of Wireless Roadside Inspections

The National Transportation Research Center concluded its Trusted Truck initiative last week with a demonstration in Knoxville, Tenn.

The initiative, a multi-year research partnership sponsored by the National Transportation Research Center, with Volvo Trucks North America, Volvo Technology North America and the University of Tennessee as partners, revealed an effective model for implementing wireless roadside inspections.

The Trusted Truck initiative began in 2004, evaluating technology and processes to allow trucks deemed safe and "trusted" to bypass inspection stations, freeing inspectors to focus on trucks whose condition has not been validated.

Congressman James Oberstar of Minnesota, chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. House of Representatives, joined Congressman John J. Duncan, Jr., ranking member of the Highway and Transit Subcommittee, and officials from the trucking industry to see the demonstration.

"Trusted Truck wireless roadside inspections would provide greater efficiencies to both the public and private sector," said Jan Hellaker, vice president, business development and government programs for Volvo Technology North America. "Carriers that have a strong commitment to maintenance and safety can expect to see immediate savings in time and fuel costs. At the same time, the highway inspection stations can have a greater impact by focusing on trucks whose condition is unknown."

Under the latest version of the system evaluated in the effort, when a vehicle is registered as a Trusted Truck, its credentials are sent wirelessly to roadside inspectors, confirming that the driver, tractor, trailer and cargo meet all appropriate Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requirements for safe cargo transportation.

When monitoring systems show a healthy vehicle and up-to-date credentials, the driver is signaled to proceed past the inspection station without stopping. The system also serves as an early-warning system, sending a message to the fleet if a part or function is degrading and could become a safety concern.

On the other hand, if any problems are flagged, the truck is instructed to proceed to the upcoming inspection station and enters the inspection queue as usual.

In development of the system, the Trusted Trucks team had to address real-world challenges.

"First, we developed the Trusted Truck technology to be used with any fleet management system," said Tom Richter, Volvo Technology's principal investigator for Trusted Truck. "By developing the system to work with technology that is already available and already in-use by many fleets across the U.S., we've largely overcome the cost and compatibility barrier."

Volvo Link, for example, is an integrated onboard communications system that is standard equipment on all Volvo trucks sold in North America. With Volvo Link, drivers and fleet managers are able to communicate, and the operational condition of the truck can be remotely monitored and assessed. Volvo Link or other fleet management systems could tie in to the Trusted Truck system with a software addition.

Secondly, Trusted Truck uses existing wireless technology, enabling it to be put into service quickly. The system can also work with other Intelligent Transportation Systems initiatives that are planned or in development.

All vehicle data is encrypted and sent to a non-government, third-party Trusted Truck Management Center (TTMC), which gives the driver the go/no-go signal.

"The goal is to encourage fleets to leverage their commitment to good maintenance into significant savings in efficiency and fuel costs - not to create an additional reporting mechanism," said Hellaker.

The research partners hope to see a public-private partnership come together for a large-scale pilot project involving one or more large fleets operating on a high-volume interstate.