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    <title>Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)</title>
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    <atom:link href="https://trid.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=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" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
    <image>
      <title>Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)</title>
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      <link>https://trid.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>LIFT: Interpretable truck driving risk prediction with literature-informed fine-tuned LLMs</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2670002</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This study proposes an interpretable prediction framework with literature-informed fine-tuned (LIFT) LLMs for truck driving risk prediction. The framework integrates an LLM-driven Inference Core that predicts and explains truck driving risk, a Literature Processing Pipeline that filters and summarizes domain-specific literature into a literature knowledge base, and a Result Evaluator that evaluates the prediction performance as well as the interpretability of the LIFT LLM. After fine-tuning on a real-world truck driving risk dataset, the LIFT LLM achieved accurate risk prediction, outperforming benchmark models by 26.7% in recall and 10.1% in F1-score. Furthermore, guided by the literature knowledge base automatically constructed from 299 domain papers, the LIFT LLM produced variable importance ranking consistent with that derived from the benchmark model, while demonstrating robustness in interpretation results to various data sampling conditions. The LIFT LLM also identified potential risky scenarios by detecting key combination of variables in truck driving risk, which were verified by PERMANOVA tests. Finally, we demonstrated the contribution of the literature knowledge base and the fine-tuning process in the interpretability of the LIFT LLM, and discussed the potential of the LIFT LLM in data-driven safety research.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 09:40:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2670002</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Effect of Particle Shape on the Load-Bearing Capacity of Pebble Aggregates</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2624114</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The arrester bed on a truck escape ramp is critical for ensuring vehicle safety in cases of brake failure by using the friction between tires and aggregate particles to slow the vehicle down. However, the diverse shapes and unpredictable distribution of these particles challenge traditional modeling and testing methods, affecting the accuracy of arrester bed load-bearing capacity assessments in such scenarios. This study presents an innovative approach for modeling diverse pebble shapes utilizing the discrete-element method (DEM) and leverages microparameter calibration techniques to replicate the physical behaviors of actual pebble particles with high precision, facilitating the creation of accurate three-dimensional models. Through meticulous calibration of essential microparameters, such as friction parameters via open-top box compression tests, this research ensures an exceptional correlation between the simulation models and actual conditions. Based on the built DEM model, this study provided detailed insights into the load-bearing characteristics of pebble aggregates under compression, emphasizing the distinct behavior of spherical, rod-shaped, and ellipsoidal particles from both macroscopic and microscopic perspectives. The compression analysis revealed distinct load-bearing patterns among particle shapes. During the steady growth phase, the downward movement of particles increased contact forces, particularly normal forces, with spherical particles generating the highest values due to their larger volume. In the rapid growth phase, continued descent led to amplified forces from reduced spacing and increased contact points. Spherical particles maintained a uniform force distribution. In contrast, rod-shaped particles exhibited limited movement and higher vertical force chains, whereas ellipsoidal particles showed intermediate behavior, resulting in varied force transmission and impacting overall structural stability. Insights gained from this study offer valuable contributions to the design and utilization.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:20:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2624114</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Intelligent Speed Assistance in Fleet Management</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2693729</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This report presents lessons derived from the experiences of 13 fleets and six stakeholders in deploying active intelligent speed assistance (ISA) in commercial fleets. Largely, fleets with active ISA found that ISA can meaningfully reduce speeding and associated safety risks and even promote cost savings. The two main motivations cited by fleets engaged in this study were safety, for drivers and other road users, and financial considerations, such as reducing speeding violations and improving safety scores that can influence insurance costs. Across fleets with active ISA, speeding and related violations declined, and most reported downstream safety benefits such as fewer hard-braking events or potentially longer following distances. Several fleets also noted improved scores from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program as speed violations diminished and roadside inspections decreased. Indirect financial benefits were reported through reduced incident and maintenance costs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:55:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2693729</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Highway Investigation Report: Multivehicle Collision and Postcrash Fire on Interstate 70, Etna, Ohio, November 14, 2023</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2604574</link>
      <description><![CDATA[​​On Tuesday, November 14, 2023, about 8:47 a.m. eastern standard time, a combination vehicle, operated by Mid-State Systems Inc., was traveling west in the right lane of Interstate 70 near Etna, Ohio. As the combination vehicle approached a traffic queue that had formed due to an earlier minor crash, the driver did not slow and crashed into the rear of the traffic queue. The resulting chain-reaction collision and postcrash fire involved five vehicles, including two passenger vehicles, a motorcoach, and a second combination vehicle. Immediately before the crash, the combination vehicle was traveling about 72 mph, and the other four vehicles were traveling between 3 and 15 mph. As a result of the crash, 6 occupants were fatally injured, 4 were seriously injured, and 37 sustained minor injuries. Fifteen occupants were uninjured. Safety issues identified in this investigation include inadequate guidance for traffic incident management to reduce the incidence of secondary crashes, driver inattention and lack of standards for collision avoidance technology for heavy vehicles, and inadequate standards for postcrash fire protection on motorcoaches and insufficient school district processes for chartering motorcoach transportation. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issues new safety recommendations to the Federal Highway Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Ohio Department of Transportation, American Trucking Associations, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, American Bus Association, United Motorcoach Association, Amalgamated Transit Union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Transport Workers Union of America, and Tuscarawas Valley Local School District. The NTSB also reiterates two recommendations to NHTSA and classifies one of these recommendations.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 16:31:50 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2604574</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>TRB’s Freight Systems Group Drives Truck Parking Solutions</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2554115</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Transportation Research Board (TRB) Freight Systems Group held a joint session at the 2025 TRB Annual Meeting. The Group was composed of members from several standing committees including Intermodal Freight Transportation, Trucking Industry Research, Freight Transportation Planning and Logistics, Urban Freight Transportation, and Agriculture and Food Transportation. The Group discussed nontraditional solutions to meet the demand for truck parking and developed future research topics to explore. One clear outcome of the joint truck parking session was the need to address this issue as one holistic, cross-cutting effort.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 08:47:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2554115</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Repealing the Federal Excise Tax on New Truck Equipment: Impacts and Opportunities for Industry Safety and Operations</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2548674</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In the U.S., there is a federal excise tax (FET), introduced in 1917, imposed on the sale of new heavy-duty truck equipment. The truck FET rate is 12%, for a MY 2024 truck retailing at approximately $170,000, the truck FET would be more than $20,000. This report assesses the use of Truck FET for raising revenue and explores possible outcomes from repealing Truck FET. The report begins with an overview of truck FET, truck FET contribution to the Highway Trust Fund, and trends in truck sales and FET revenue. Next the environmental and safety impacts of repealing FET are examined. Finally, recommendations for alternate revenue sources, such as user charges based on vehicle miles traveled (VMT), registration fees, and fuel tax increases, are discussed.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 27 May 2025 09:30:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2548674</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Integrating Large Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety into State Freight and Safety Planning




</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2558373</link>
      <description><![CDATA[According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2022, crash rates in the United States involving large trucks increased 25 percent from 2009 to 2021. Given their size and weight, large-truck crashes can result in closure of one or more lanes of a highway, particularly for rollovers or cargo spills. Large-truck crashes also have the potential to damage pavements, bridges, and other infrastructures. 

Large commercial motor vehicles include heavy-duty tractor-trailers and heavy equipment such as dump trucks. Data collection and reporting related to large commercial truck crashes and safety are the responsibility of federal and state agencies, diffusing the “ownership” of commercial truck safety among largely unrelated agencies. However, state department of transportation (DOT) officials often do not reach out to agencies with these responsibilities, such as the FMCSA or the state’s highway patrol agency, in their freight and highway safety planning processes. Plans developed from these planning processes are not informed by the data collected and managed by these agencies. The lack of agency coordination means that the infrastructure needed to support large commercial trucks are not fully considered in state highway and freight planning processes. Thus, infrastructure such as truck parking and emergency escape ramps may not be prioritized in highway safety and freight plans and funding programs. 

Research is needed to identify integrated approaches that consider large commercial motor vehicle safety in highway freight and safety planning processes and plans. 

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to develop a guide for the integration of commercial motor vehicle safety into state freight and safety planning processes.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 29 May 2025 12:59:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2558373</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>The relationships between financial performance and driver compensation and safety outcomes in the trucking industry: a systematic review</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2519038</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Heavy trucks largely contribute to road fatalities and injuries with most of the severely injured and killed being road users other than heavy truck occupants. Research has shown that the causes of truck crashes have economic roots, including high levels of competition creating economic pressure that could increase the likelihood of carriers reducing safety investments and adopting payment practices that encourage truck drivers to drive faster and longer than legally required. With a large body of research on safety policies and payment practices in the heavy trucking industry, there is a strong need to comprehensively understand the relationships between economic pressure in terms of truck company financial performance and driver compensation, and safety outcomes and the factors influencing the relationships. This paper presents a systematic review of the literature to address this important gap in the literature. The review identified 43 English-language articles published between 1988 and 2024. There is a general consensus in these articles that paying truck drivers based on the amount of work performed is associated with poorer safety outcomes than paying them based on the amount of time worked. In contrast, higher pay levels and payments for non-driving tasks positively influence safety outcomes. Regarding truck company financial performance, most of the studies reported a positive influence on safety outcomes. This review highlights the strengths and limitations of the methodologies of existing studies and proposes areas for future research.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2025 13:25:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2519038</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Modelling of truck logistics provider based on attitude of truck operators and drivers: mixed method approach</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2479838</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Current transportation problems are challenging. Service qualities and policies of third-party logistics derive from the executives or the directors' visions, from which all concepts originate without any driver's participation. This study aims to build the transport indicators generated from visions of the operators consisting of controllers and drivers. This research uses mixed methods research including qualitative and quantitative analysis. For the qualitative analysis, the interviews were conducted by transport controllers. The questionnaires were used with truck drivers for quantitative analysis. Regarding the results from the quantitative method, this study illustrated that the components of operation consist of four factors including safety, revenue, transport, and policy. The results indicated that these factors are statistically significant. This study can be used as a guideline to provide improved policies for organisations within the public and private sectors that are involved in truck transportation.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:08:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2479838</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>The Road Freight Transport And The Need Of Safe And Secure Truck Parking Areas</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2493188</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Freight transport by road is by far the most important inland freight mode in almost all countries worldwide. Increasing attention is paid to ameliorate working conditions of truck drivers, primarily their safety and security. The European Union (EU) has recently set up standards for safe and secure truck parking areas (SSTPAs), mainly to host compulsory break/rests that drivers should take in compliance with existing regulations on maximum driving times. This paper proposes a quantitative methodology to assess the need for SSTPAs in Italy. A road network supply model is implemented to calculate rest locations for each origin-destination pair, and a demand analysis is carried out to prioritize investments for SSTPAs. Both national and international road freight transport are considered. Relevant policy implications and research perspectives are presented.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:08:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2493188</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Safety evaluation for regulation changes on commercial vehicle operation using multilevel Bayesian methods</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2463849</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Truck-involved crashes cause serious social and economic losses, and the crash severity is higher compared to ordinary vehicles. Driver fatigue is a major crash causation, especially have a larger impact on truck drivers. Therefore, mandating a truck rest-break is one of the road safety management strategies for reducing both truck-involved crash frequency and severity. This paper analyses the change in safety performance according to the revision of the truck rest-break time on highways. Because spatial heterogeneity and homogeneity should be considered to estimate safety effects precisely after executing crash countermeasures, this study estimates the safety effect after the revision of the Trucking Transport Business Act, by developing a model based on the Multilevel Full-Bayes before and after the study. The safety performance function was developed in different section units and distributions, and the crash modification factor was calculated for the most suitable model. As a result of the analysis, the performance of the Multilevel Bayesian Poisson-gamma model was the highest, and it was found that there was a crash reduction effect after the revision of the truck break time. The results of this study can be referred to when preparing measures for road safety regulations.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:27:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2463849</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Safe Truck Mobility for North Dakota Winter Roads</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2475179</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Winter storms significantly increase crash risk and disrupt travel, especially under extreme conditions. Gusty winds, heavy moisture, and low temperatures can quickly make travel dangerous in the Northern Plains. This study was aimed at understanding winter truck crashes, given the prominence of commercial vehicle travel in the region’s economy. Truck mobility was studied in the Safe System context with an investigation into North Dakota’s primary east-west traffic corridor along Interstate 94. Analysis of 594 truck-involved crashes among 2,105 crashes during winter months over a five-year period revealed key crash features and contributing factors. Case study analysis highlighted the sequence and nature of truck-involved crashes during a severe winter storm that involved interstate closure. In addition, a peer state interview exercise gathered insight into winter road management processes, enforcement practices, road closure decisions, education programs, and communication practices. The literature review provided context for winter storm safe mobility challenges and strategies to mitigate crash risk and travel disruptions. Proactive planning, policy, and resource deployment were crucial to minimizing impacts to the traveling public. Strategies aimed at safe truck winter mobility were key to managing road closures and travel recovery. A study limitation focused on one state’s corridor in the winter crash record analysis. The study framework and recommendations may be informative to other states that prioritize commercial vehicle safe mobility during severe winter seasons and dangerous winter storm events.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:45:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2475179</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Risk Assessment Method for Hazmat Transportation Routing on Freeways</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2475451</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This paper presents a method for assessing the risks associated with hazmat transportation routing on freeways, primarily focusing on evaluating safety levels. The approach is structured around four key steps. First, the authors establish a comprehensive risk assessment index system encompassing five critical criteria: road condition, long tunnel condition, extra-large bridge condition, traffic environment characteristics, and accident consequence expansion factors. Second, the authors propose a practical grading standard for these indicators, employing a hybrid approach that combines both qualitative and quantitative methods. Third, the authors introduce a multi-level fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model. This model incorporates a combined weighting method, which integrates both subjective and objective aspects, utilizing the analytic hierarchy process and the entropy method. Finally, the authors demonstrate the feasibility and accuracy of the developed model through an engineering case study in real-world scenarios.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:44:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2475451</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Truck Parking Study: Unveiling the Parking Space Density and Truck Volume Relationship – Phase II</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2464345</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Regulated by the Hours-of-Service law, truckers must find places to rest during their duty hours periodically for the sake of safety. Without an adequate parking spot, truckers often park at illegal locations or violate the rules for mandated resting hours. The truck parking capacity should ensure availability of parking space by considering traffic peak times, network topology, and drivers' preferred driving hours. The objective of this study is to continue Phase I by studying the relation between truck volume and parking space density in a simulation environment. The truck space availability issue is essentially one between volume and density subject to boundary conditions. In phase I, the team developed a computer simulation program to numerically show the relationship between volume, driving behavior, and parking capacity need.  This study models the parking demand density along the highway and discusses the location decision of the parking areas. Several closed form formulas of estimating truck parking density are developed based on the renewal process. The formulas are further improved by considering road end effect, network effect and different probability distribution of driving and resting. The study uses data from the Florida Department of Transportation to illustrate the use and implications of the proposed models. The authors hope the results may facilitate the understanding and solution of the truck parking issues for this major mode of freight transportation.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 17 Dec 2024 17:09:08 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2464345</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Human factors affecting truck – vulnerable road user safety: a scoping review</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2444707</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Truck collisions with vulnerable road users (VRUs) are infrequent, but often severe or fatal. While research has investigated factors contributing to safety and collisions, a synthesis of human-related contributors remains missing. This scoping review follows PRISMA guidelines to synthesise studies on the effects of human factors on truck-VRU safety. With a focus on human factors related to pedestrians, cyclists, and truck drivers, five scientific databases were searched and 3,414 records were screened. Twenty-four articles met the inclusion criteria. Most were published after 2015, indicating a limited but growing focus on human factors affecting truck-VRU safety. Half of the studies analysed police collision reports, while others used qualitative data collection methods, like questionnaires and focus groups, or human subject experiments. Compared to passenger-vehicle literature, notably fewer behavioural studies were identified, highlighting a need for further behavioural human factors studies of truck-VRU interactions. Sociodemographic and vision-related factors were most frequently investigated and found to significantly affect collision occurrence and severity. Driving and cycling experience and training, and road user distractions were examined less, albeit being important. This review bridges a literature gap by focusing on human characteristics, states, decisions, and errors affecting truck-VRU safety, offering insights for road-user-centred mitigation strategies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 06 Nov 2024 09:19:22 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2444707</guid>
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