The Application of Smart Phone, Weight-Mile Truck Data to Support Freight-Modeling, Performance Measures and Planning

Oregon is one of the few states that currently charge a commercial truck weight-mile tax (WMT). The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has developed a data-collection system - Truck and Road Use Electronics (TRUE) - to simplify WMT collection. The TRUE system includes a smart phone application that collects and records Global Positioning System (GPS) data. The TRUE data have enormous advantages over GPS data used in previous research due to the level of geographic detail and the potential to also integrate trip origin and destination, vehicle class, and commodity-type data. This research evaluates the accuracy of the TRUE data and demonstrates its use for significant ODOT ancillary applications. Specifically, ancillary applications that address ODOT freight modeling, performance measures, and planning needs are explored. The use of the data for highly accurate trip-generation rates and mobility performance measures is demonstrated. In addition, it is shown that the TRUE data have strong potential to be used for safety, accessibility and connectivity, system condition and environmental stewardship performance measures. The potential use of the TRUE data for emissions estimates that take into account truck-type details, truck weight and detailed speed profiles is considered. Results indicate that TRUE data, integrated with ODOT weigh-in-motion (WIM) data, will greatly improve the accuracy of emission estimates at the project and regional level. This research confirms the potential use of the TRUE data for significant ancillary applications and demonstrates the regional value of the TRUE data to enhance existing freight modeling, performance measures and planning.

• Record URL:
  http://ppms.trec.pdx.edu/media/project_files/OTREC-RR-13-10%20Final.pdf
• Summary URL:
  http://nitc.trec.pdx.edu/research/project/504
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Portland State University

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, P.O. Box 751
  Portland, OR  United States  97207-0751

  Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium

  P.O. Box 751
  301A Engineering Building
  Portland, OR  United States  97207

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Bell, Katherine E
  • Figliozzi, Miguel A
• Publication Date: 2013-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 102p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Commercial vehicle operations; Data collection; Freight transportation; Global Positioning System; Performance measurement; Planning; Smartphones; Weigh in motion
• Geographic Terms: Oregon
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Freight Transportation; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01492448
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: OTREC-RR-13-10
• Files: UTC, TRIS, RITA, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 6 2013 1:18PM