Oversize/Overweight Vehicle Research Priorities

In Texas, several bills have been enacted during past legislative sessions calling for additional information regarding the infrastructure impacts of oversize/overweight (OS/OW) vehicles. The result has been a substantial number of studies that have investigated the impacts of OS/OW vehicle. In order to determine next steps in OS/OW research, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) initiated a study to assess the issues associated with OS/OW trucks. As an initial step in this assessment, TTI conducted a review of the existing literature and hosted a one-day industry forum with industry representatives and stakeholders to review the following: (1) Issues associated with OS/OW trucks; (2) Feasibility of various infrastructure, operational, and funding strategies; and (3) Research needs (what issues or aspects have been neglected), as well as the priority of the future research needs. The highest priority research (as identified by four of the five discussion groups) is a review of the rationale and enforcement of size and weight regulations in Texas, as well as the documentation of the restrictions imposed on OS/OW loads. Other priority research needs (as identified by three of the five discussion groups) were: research on the use of innovative technology and systems to enhance enforcement; a quantification of the benefits to the Texas economy associated with OS/OW loads; and a quantification of the cost of higher design standards (more resilient roads) to accommodate OS/OW loads. This document summarizes the salient findings of the literature review and provides additional information about the format of the Oversize/Overweight Vehicle Industry Forum, the participants, insights obtained, and the research priorities identified during the discussions.

• Record URL:
  http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/PRC-14-10-F.pdf
• Summary URL:
  http://tti.tamu.edu/publications/catalog/record/?id=41674
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas A&M Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System
  3135 TAMU
  College Station, TX  United States  77843-3135
• Authors:
  • Prozzi, Jolanda
  • Wimsatt, Andrew
  • Mukhopadhyay, Anol
  • Fernando, Emmanuel
  • Newcomb, David
  • Middleton, Dan
  • Walewski, John
• Publication Date: 2014-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 50p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Infrastructure; Literature reviews; Oversize loads; Overweight loads; Research; Stakeholders; Trucking
• Geographic Terms: Texas
• Subject Areas: Highways; Motor Carriers; Planning and Forecasting; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01599881
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: PRC 14-10-F
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 23 2016 9:48AM