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[Download PDF Version] TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Office of
Research and Technology (R&T) conducted two stakeholder forums in the fall
of 2004, as part of its ongoing effort to solicit stakeholders' input on the key
factors affecting commercial vehicle safety and to identify new research
initiatives that stakeholders believe FMCSA should conduct in order to improve
commercial vehicle safety. The forums were held on: - November 17, 2004 - Crystal City, Virginia; and
- November 30, 2004 - Phoenix, Arizona.
The sessions were attended by more than 110 stakeholders, representing motor
carriers, safety advocates, academia, state enforcement agencies, insurance
companies, the medical community, and vendors/consultants. The stakeholders recommended approximately 150 specific research projects for
FMCSA's consideration. The recommendations were garnered through facilitated
break-out sessions. One break-out session at each forum focused on driver and
carrier issues; a second break-out session focused on vehicle and environmental
issues. The context for the breakout sessions was set at the beginning of each
listening session through a kickoff address by FMCSA's senior management (John
Hill, FMCSA Chief Safety Officer in Crystal City; and Warren Hoemann, FMCSA
Deputy Administrator in Phoenix), a presentation of the preliminary findings
from FMCSA's Large Truck Crash Causation Study, and an overview of the new
R&T five-year strategic plan. This summary documents the stakeholders' recommendations captured
during the forums. The recommendations are organized into five areas, including:
Driver-Related Research Recommendations
Stakeholders at both forums suggested that driver-related research should
remain a priority for FMCSA. Due to the importance of the issue and the
stakeholders' acute interest in driver-related research, nearly half of the
listening session recommendations address driver-related issues. The
stakeholders' recommendations focused on eight key areas. These areas include: - Age - Documenting the safety impact of an aging commercial driver
population;
- Compensation/Work Environment - Analyzing the impact of compensation
models and work environments on commercial drivers;
- Driver Licensing - Researching the impact of differing state
implementations of the commercial driver license (CDL) regulations, the need
for equipment-specific CDL endorsements, and the differing standards for
interstate and intrastate commercial drivers;
- Driver Management - Investigating new means to improve the monitoring of
commercial drivers at their time of hiring and throughout their driving
careers;
- Medical Qualifications/Health/Fitness - Analyzing the sufficiency of
current medical standards, developing new medical standards as appropriate,
strengthening the medical examination process, and documenting the long-term
health impacts of driving a commercial vehicle;
- Noncommercial Drivers - Researching alternate means to educate
noncommercial drivers who are perceived to be a key cause of commercial
vehicle crashes, documenting the public's perception of the trucking industry,
and its willingness to pay increased consumer prices to support a safer
trucking industry;
- Operations - Investigating specific operational issues (e.g., route
familiarity, route hazards, construction, vehicle weight) that may impact
commercial vehicle safety; and
- Training - Developing new training courses and evaluating the
effectiveness of existing training courses/methods. This is viewed as a key
component to improving safety.
Table 1 summarizes the stakeholders' specific research recommendations
related to commercial and noncommercial drivers. Table 1. Driver-Related Research Recommendations| Recommended Research Focus | Specific Research Recommendation |
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| Age | - Study the impact that age has on a commercial driver's performance
- Investigate the safety impact of older drivers entering commercial
driving as a second career
- Investigate the impact of driving experience and determine if
experience offsets any deterioration of skills by older commercial
drivers
| | Compensation/Work Environment | - Analyze the safety impact of different commercial driver
compensation models
- If appropriate, research/identify a new compensation model for
commercial drivers that promotes and rewards the safe operation of
commercial vehicles
- Analyze safety impact of work/life balance (e.g., Is working
weekends more dangerous? Do drivers about to return home operate less
safely in order to expedite their return?)
| | Driver Licensing | - Investigate the safety impact of differing state regulations/state
interpretations of Federal regulations (e.g., state implementation of
CDL tests/standards)
- Analyze the safety impact of states' implementations of graduated
CDLs
- Analyze whether airbrakes should require an additional CDL
endorsement
- Investigate the safety performance of intrastate drivers, especially
seasonal and farm drivers
- Identify the means to make commercial driving a more appealing job
option to younger job seekers
- Research whether "high-risk" interstate drivers often become
intrastate drivers in order to be subject to fewer regulations
| | Driver Management | - Identify skills/performance-based measures to evaluate a commercial
driver's proficiency/performance at the time of recertification
- Analyze the employment history of "high-risk" drivers and determine
if they remain in the industry after being dismissed from a company for
performance reasons
- Review the driver history checks conducted at the point of hiring,
and (if necessary) streamline and improve the process
| | Driver Management (continued) | - Quantify the safety impact of driver turnover for a carrier
- Develop on-board driver monitoring systems to observe driver
complacency (e.g., failing to properly check mirrors, being distracted
in the cab)
| | Medical Qualifications/Health/Fitness | - Review existing medical criteria for a commercial driver's license
and ensure that they sufficiently address an individual's ability to
operate a commercial vehicle
- Develop a methodology to identify commercial drivers that are high
risk for medical-related issues
- Identify prescription and over-the-counter medications that are most
likely to increase a commercial driver's risk of being involved in a
crash
- Research drug interactions and assess the potential impact on a
commercial driver's ability to operate a commercial vehicle
- Research the safety impact/risk of commercial drivers afflicted with
kidney disease
- Study the benefits of developing a clearinghouse for commercial
driver medical information from all relevant sources (e.g., FMCSA,
National Transportation Safety Board, American Medical Association)
- Research the safety impact of states' exemptions to medical
standards for commercial drivers (e.g., allowing drivers with certain
types of diabetes to operate commercial vehicles)
- Identify the most common health/medical conditions affecting the
commercial driver population
- Develop an information system to track the health condition/medical
status of drivers
- Investigate the long-term health impacts of being a commercial
driver
- Develop tests to identify commercial drivers more susceptible to
fatigue and recommend appropriate countermeasures (e.g., rescheduling,
medication)
- Analyze whether commercial drivers are best suited for a particular
type of driving (e.g., regularly scheduled day shift driving) based on
specific medical criteria (e.g., susceptibility to fatigue, age)
| | Medical Qualifications/Health/Fitness
(continued) | - Develop sleep apnea guidelines, including a means to certify that
drivers are being treated for sleep apnea and are safe to return to duty
for motor carriers, commercial drivers, and medical professionals
- Evaluate existing state models for reporting drug and alcohol
positive tests and revoking CDLs based on test results
- Evaluate the safety impact of driver health/wellness programs
- Develop physical fitness standards for commercial drivers
- Assess the safety impact of non-licensed doctors conducting CDL
medical exams
- Identify best practices in delivering updated and accurate medical
qualification information to medical examiners and carriers
- Evaluate the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on
commercial vehicle safety
| | Noncommercial Drivers | - Analyze the public's perception of commercial drivers and determine
if an outreach campaign would improve public perception/safety
- Analyze the economic impact and consumers' willingness to pay
increased prices to accommodate the costs associated with making the
necessary changes to improve commercial vehicle safety
- Investigate "best practices" for outreach to noncommercial drivers
- Analyze the effectiveness of disseminating information about driving
around commercial vehicles through medical professionals
- Investigate the costs, benefits, and feasibility of using
alternative delivery mechanisms (i.e., movie trailers, videos in
departments of motor vehicles waiting areas, and trailer-side
advertising) to communicate safety lessons to noncommercial vehicle
drivers
- Evaluate programs that provide noncommercial drivers an opportunity
to observe the operation of commercial vehicles (e.g., State of
Washington's "Step Up and Ride" program)
| | Operations | - Research the varying regulations related to drivers operating
commercial vehicles enacted by FMCSA and Federal Transit Administration
- Analyze the safety impact of a commercial driver's familiarity with
his/her route
- Analyze the safety impact of operating a commercial vehicle in
potentially dangerous environments (e.g., congestion, mountains)
- Research the safety impact of nighttime construction and reduced
lane widths on commercial vehicles
- Study the safety performance of commercial vehicles weighing between
10,000 pounds and 26,000 pounds
| | Training | - Identify "best practices" (e.g., incentives, enhanced monitoring,
training) to modify a commercial driver's behavior/safety performance
- Identify technology/vehicle-based methods for evaluating a
commercial driver's performance/driving personality (e.g., hard-braking
may be indicative of aggressive driving or of following too closely)
- Research the best training methods/media (e.g., simulators,
self-paced training) for specific types of commercial drivers (e.g.,
older versus younger drivers, experienced versus new drivers, male
versus female drivers)
- Identify performance-based measures/metrics that can be used to
evaluate the effectiveness of a commercial driver training program
- Assess the safety impact of ongoing and formalized training programs
- Develop training course to teach commercial drivers situational
awareness (e.g., proper way to conduct a pre-trip inspection, driving on
congested roadways) in order to improve safety and security
- Analyze the safety performance of commercial drivers that are
trained by schools versus those trained via other means (e.g., military,
carriers)
- Evaluate the safety benefits of carrier-based certification/driver
recognition programs
| | Training (continued) | - Evaluate the suitability of video training, currently used by the
Federal Transit Administration, for training commercial drivers
- Analyze the costs and benefits associated with training commercial
drivers using simulators
- Research the impact of developing standard personality (e.g.,
aggressiveness) testing for commercial drivers
- Evaluate current training programs for commercial driver trainers to
ensure that the trainers' background and experience are sufficient and
that the appropriate skills are being tested
- Develop training course related to cargo/load securement and its
impact on safety/operational performance
- Develop training course/module that makes safety more
"understandable" to commercial drivers
- Research the cost/benefits associated with live skid pad training
for commercial drivers
- Research the benefits of in-cab training versus classroom-based
training
- Analyze the safety impact of exempting drivers from the required CDL
road test
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Vehicle-Related Research Recommendations There was a great deal of interest and discussion at this year's forums
regarding vehicle-related factors, and the range of proposed research topics was
much more diverse than in past years. Stakeholders focused their discussions on
improving and simplifying the design of commercial vehicles and ensuring that
commercial vehicles are operated safely. Based on the stakeholders' discussion,
recommendations in the vehicle-related area are organized into two areas: - Design - Researching how to limit driver information overload,
investigating the safety performance of equipment, and studying the redesign
of commercial vehicles and its components to improve safety; and
- Operations - Documenting the safest operating conditions/environment for
commercial vehicles, researching the commercial drivers' understanding of
their vehicles, and investigating how to integrate new applications into
existing on-board technologies.
Table 2 summarizes the stakeholders' specific recommendations related to
commercial vehicles. Table 2. Vehicle-Related Research Recommendations| Recommended Research Focus | Specific Research Recommendation |
|---|
| Design | - Conduct human factors research to assess the current design of
commercial vehicle dashboards, reduce the likelihood of information
overload, and enhance the display of information to the driver
- Evaluate the Federal Aviation Administration's "Crew Resource
Management" program to identify potential cross-over with commercial
driver information overload
- Investigate the safety impact of deploying Automatic Intervention
Systems to assume control of a commercial vehicle when
necessary/appropriate
- Analyze the performance of replacement parts versus original
equipment. Develop appropriate standards for replacement parts, if
necessary
- Research the means to eliminate the blind spot on the right-front
corner of a commercial vehicle
- Support the development of fault tolerant brake systems that will
compensate for an abnormal occurrence (e.g., failure of one brake, cargo
movement in a tank truck)
- Investigate safety devices on both passenger and commercial vehicles
to reduce the number of commercial vehicles rear-ended in crashes
- Investigate whether manufacturers need to know the likely operating
speed of a commercial vehicle before effectively designing a brake
system for the vehicle
- Analyze whether tire spray from commercial vehicle tractors without
mud flaps poses a safety risk to other vehicles and identify
countermeasures to issue, if appropriate
- Evaluate safety impact of aerodynamic trailers
- Analyze the potential safety benefits of lowering a tanker truck's
center of gravity
- Conduct a safety analysis of vehicle configurations (e.g., dump
truck, garbage truck) by roadway type (e.g., urban, rural, congested)
- Consider safety impacts when developing new energy efficient
commercial vehicles
- Research what a redesigned commercial vehicle would look like if it
was designed to focus exclusively on safety
| | Operations | - Determine what is the safest operational speed for commercial motor
vehicles to operate under varying operational scenarios/configurations
- Evaluate feasibility of developing a standard pre-trip checklist for
commercial vehicles, similar to those used for airplanes
- Analyze the safety impact of commercial drivers who are unfamiliar
with the vehicles/configurations that they operate from day-to-day
- Analyze the safety performance of vehicles equipped with different
braking systems
- Analyze costs/benefits of a Canadian permitting system for longer
combination commercial vehicles
- Analyze the safety impact of over-the-road equipment (i.e.,
trailers) being used as storage equipment and being allowed to sit for
extended periods of time
- Research a means to identify the specific parts currently installed
on a vehicle for maintenance and enforcement purposes
- Investigate whether commercial drivers understand how their
vehicle's systems interact (e.g., ABS, automatic transmission) and how
to operate the vehicle properly with these systems on-board
- Integrate electronic screening systems with existing satellite
communication systems
- Integrate electronic on-board recorders with existing communication
and monitoring systems
- Investigate the operational benefits of interoperable transponders
and support the interoperability of electronic screening systems
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Carrier-Related Research Recommendations Stakeholder discussions related to carriers continued to focus on addressing
the role of shippers in commercial vehicle safety and providing "best practice"
information to the carrier community. This year's discussions also addressed the
carrier community's concerns about conducting safety research/analysis for fear
that the results could be used against them in a legal proceeding.
Recommendations in the carrier area are organized around the following areas: - Incentives - Identifying means to encourage carriers to adopt proven
safety technologies;
- Legal - Studying a carrier's liability in analyzing its internal safety
data;
- Operations - Researching how to improve the carrier's safety performance,
analyzing the impact of outsourced logistics on commercial vehicle safety, and
enhancing the current enforcement programs;
- Outreach - Identifying improved means of providing information regarding
regulations and "best practices" to motor carriers; and
- Shippers/Shared Liability - Investigating how best to address the
shippers' role in commercial vehicle safety.
Table 3 summarizes the stakeholders' carrier-related research recommendations. Table 3. Carrier-Related Research Recommendations| Recommended Research Focus | Specific Research Recommendation |
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| Incentives | - Analyze the most effective means to encourage carriers' adoption of
proven safety technologies (e.g., exemption from Federal excise tax, tax
credits for conducting internal safety-related research activities,
exemptions from inspections and/or compliance reviews)
- Coordinate with the insurance industry to determine the feasibility
of offering reduced insurance rates for carriers that deploy proven
safety technologies
- Coordinate with the insurance industry to identify the type of
evaluation data that would be required to make a safety technology
qualify for a reduced rate
- Provide cost/benefit data related to adoption of safety technology
to motor carriers
- Develop and disseminate a motor carrier business case illustrating
the economic and productivity benefits of operating safely
| | Legal | - Study whether legal safeguards need to be enacted to ensure that
carriers cannot be held liable for data collected during an internal
safety study
| | Operations | - Analyze the safety impact of outsourcing and using third-party
carriers to carry freight
- Identify the "best practice" from carriers in other countries
- Identify the "best" motor carrier regulations from other countries
- Analyze the safety impact of increasing the fee for a hazardous
material (HM) endorsement for a CDL, which may result in experienced and
qualified drivers opting not to retain their HM endorsement
- Analyze the security impact of using third-party/outsourced
resources to haul freight
- Identify and disseminate the "best practices" related to
security-related issues (e.g., security plans, driver alertness
training)
- Analyze the effectiveness/applicability of implementing a program
similar to OSHA's Voluntary Protection Plan (VPP), which reduces the
number of regulatory interactions for enrolled/safe participants
- Identify safety impacts of fleet-based maximum speed limits for
commercial vehicles
- Analyze the safety impact and economic feasibility of carriers
employing safety surcharges for operating in higher-risk (e.g.,
congested) areas
| | Outreach | - Identify carrier-based "best practices" for driver hiring criteria,
driver management, maintenance, work life balance, in-vehicle tools,
compensation)
- Develop an outreach program focused on what a carrier needs to do to
be safe and compliant.
- Review state "best practices" for interacting with motor carriers
and supporting their compliance with regulations (e.g., Missouri's "How
to Survive a Compliance Review," California's Industry Education
Program)
- Review safety impact of requiring new entrants to pass a safety
audit prior to being given final operating authority
| | Shippers/Shared Liability | - Analyze safety impact of "hold harmless" agreements (which push all
responsibility for a shipment to the carrier) on commercial vehicle
safety
- Investigate the costs, benefits and feasibility of shared liability
for carriers, shippers, and commercial drivers
- Identify and disseminate the "best practices" for addressing
shipper-related issues that affect commercial vehicle safety
- Quantitatively analyze the safety impact of pressure to accept loads
with unreasonable delivery schedules
- Analyze FMCSA's authority regarding the regulation of shippers that
load/secure cargo. If necessary, petition Congress for authorization to
regulate these entities
- Evaluate the Federal government's regulation of shipments via
commercial airlines to identify parallels that may assist FMCSA regulate
shippers of interstate freight via truck
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Environment-Related Research Recommendations Stakeholders indicated that the relationship between environmental factors
and commercial vehicle safety was an area in need of additional FMCSA research.
Discussions in this area focused on improved delivery of roadway condition
information to motor carriers and commercial drivers, as well as the rest areas.
Recommendations in this area are organized around the following areas: - Design - Ensuring that the design of the nation's roadways support the
safe operation of commercial vehicles;
- Operations - Identifying the best means for delivering real-time roadway
condition information to commercial vehicle operators; and
- Rest Areas - Analyzing the sufficiency of the nation's rest areas,
identifying alternate means of providing rest areas for commercial drivers,
and investigating the impact of state and local statutes on commercial
vehicles' use of rest areas.
Table 4 summarizes the stakeholders' recommendations related to environmental
factors. Table 4. Environment-Related Research Recommendations| Recommended Research Focus | Specific Research Recommendation |
|---|
| Design | - Analyze the safety impact of national roadway and signage design
standards (e.g., height of street signs, which are typically in a
commercial driver's line of sight) on commercial vehicle safety
- Develop a national database to capture the location of roadway
crashes
- Analyze costs/benefits and deployment models for truck- only lanes
- Investigate traffic control systems that consider approaching
commercial vehicles in its decision to cycle the lights from green to
yellow, which may cause the vehicle to stop abruptly
| | Operations | - Identify best means to communicate roadway conditions (e.g.,
moisture, temperature) to commercial drivers and carriers
- Identify "best practices" for notifying over-dimensional permitting
authorities of construction/work zones, which may impact the routing of
commercial vehicles
- Conduct a cost/benefit analysis of fixed versus virtual weigh
stations
| | Rest Areas | - Determine whether the nation's rest area capacity is sufficient to
accommodate commercial vehicles today and the future, given the recent
rest area closings due to state budget constraints
- Analyze alternate rest area designs (i.e., parking strips used in
Wyoming)
- Analyze which scenario is safest for commercial drivers: a) park on
a roadway shoulder to obtain necessary rest when rest areas are full, or
b) driving until the driver can find a legal place to park and rest
- Coordinate response to issues related to rest areas among FMCSA,
FHWA, and state DOTs
- Investigate the use of currently available satellite imaging
services to analyze the capacity of rest areas
- Investigate the safety impact of state/local limits on parking and
idling time in a rest area
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Organizational Recommendations Participants in the 2004 R&T Stakeholder Forums also recommended a series
of organizational improvements for FMCSA. These recommendations were designed to
make FMCSA a more effective agency and to improve commercial vehicle safety. The
specific recommendations in this area include: - Streamlining the FMCSA website to make it easier to navigate, as well as
updating the information more often;
- Creating a "What do I need to do to comply" application (i.e., wizard) for
motor carriers on the FMCSA website to help carriers navigate Federal and state
regulations;
- Providing more "hands-on"/operational experience for FMCSA staff, such as
"ride-alongs" in commercial vehicles or requiring them to qualify for a CDL;
- Analyzing the benefits of FMCSA becoming more of an "advocate" for the motor
carrier and motor coach industries, similar to FAA advocating for civil
aviation;
- Analyzing the costs/benefits and feasibility of FMCSA endorsing products and
stating that they meet Federal regulations/guidelines;
- Enhancing the dissemination of information related to results from safety
technology evaluations;
- Organizing an industry advisory panel, similar to the Federal Railroad
Administration's Rail Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC);
- Ensuring security-based regulations do not adversely affect commercial
vehicle safety;
- Providing safety data (e.g., safety and cost/benefits) to Congress in
advance of legislation being drafted, in an attempt to frame/scope new
legislation before it becomes law;
- Analyzing the impact of different reporting/accuracy rates for state safety
data on a carrier's SafeStat score;
- Analyzing the lack of "at fault" crash data in the SafeStat algorithm on a
carrier's SafeStat score; and
- Supporting the development of collaborative industry initiatives (e.g., a
safety consortium for small carriers) and/or act as a broker to foster sharing
of resources within industry (e.g., sharing resources to purchase simulators,
carriers allowing vehicles from other firms to use their parking lots).
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