The American Trucking Associations has announced a research agenda it hopes will be seen as more credible instead of self-serving to trucking interests.

The Board of Directors of the American Transportation Research Institute, the newly created research institute of the American Trucking Associations, approved and released the institute's 2002-03 research agenda.
"For the first time, we have relied on the expertise of external experts to create, approve and recommend adoption of our research agenda," said ATRI Board Chairman Michael W. Wickham of Roadway Express.
ATRI's independent Research Advisory Committee, created earlier this year, is made up of government officials, independent scientists, labor union officials and academics, working with the industry's leading carriers and suppliers.
"This new process will enhance the credibility of the research we conduct," Wickham said. "We're no longer doing research which might be viewed as self-serving or biased. We want our results and the policies stemming from them to be based on sound science."
"Of particular significance is agreement within the trucking industry that our highest priority research projects should be those dealing with and understanding the relationship between fatigue and impairment in transportation operations," said ATA President and CEO William Canary, also vice chairman of the ATRI Board. "We need to focus our resources and efforts on conducting and promoting credible research aimed at reducing fatigue and optimizing alertness in over-the-road operations."
Among other priority ATRI research projects:

• Understanding Truck Crash Causation by Configuration

• Safety Technology and Return on Investment

• Privacy Standards for Incident and Event Data Recorders

• Practical Strategies for Managing Operator Fatigue

• Cost Modeling of EPA Regulations

• Managing Alertness to Minimize Fatigue in a 24 by 7 Environment

• Analysis of Environmental and Fuel-Saving Benefits Associated with Higher Productivity Vehicle Configurations

• Case-Crossover Pilot Study of Truck Collisions

• Improved Safety in Highway Work Zones

• The Effectiveness of Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement in Reducing Truck-Involved Crashes