Freight Operations  

What is it?

Commercial Vehicles Operations (CVO) refers to the cooperative effort between the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), States, motor carriers, and other transportation stakeholders. These groups collaborate to develop, test, and deploy technologies that aim to enhance the safety and efficiency of commercial trucking operations.

ITS/CVO technologies include:

• Safety Information Exchange
  
• Electronic Clearance
  
• Electronic Credentialing
  
• Hazardous Material Incident Response
  
• International Border Electronic Clearance
  
• Administrative Processes
  
• Onboard Safety Monitoring

Key Results

As ITS programs have expanded over the past decade, ITS/CVO technologies have likewise attained varying levels of implementation. More and more trucking companies and academic research facilities alike are recognizing the time and cost savings afforded by these technologies. Although ITS/CVO programs and technologies are neither at work in nor uniform throughout every state, there have been increasing efforts to encourage interoperability between state CVO systems (i.e. especially in electronic clearance systems).

Safety Information Exchange, Electronic Clearance, and Electronic Credentialing are now in various stages of deployment across the U.S.; user acceptance is high as these technologies offer them more efficient data management and vehicle maintenance systems. Border clearance and onboard safety projects have been slightly slower in their deployment, although the continued testing of more efficient clearance systems and improved vehicle monitoring devices, respectively, have shown direct time and safety benefits to users. The U.S. DOT has of late focused their Hazardous Materials Incident Response Program on security issues (i.e. increased security at loading docks), but with the advent of SafeStat safety analysis system, the safety status of more motor carriers nationwide are now better monitored.

Benefits

• Safety Information Exchange, Electronic Clearance, Electronic Credentialing, and Administrative Processes systems save time and administrative costs by automating the traditionally manual procedures of vehicle screening and inspections. Additionally, non-compliant carriers can be more frequently inspected, thus enhancing roadway safety.
• Hazardous Material (HazMat) Incident Response allows for vehicle inspections to be more focused on high-risk carriers; due to vehicle location technologies, emergency response teams can more easily locate and respond to those HazMat accidents that do occur.
• International Border Electronic Clearance decreases waiting times at borders; inspectors can focus on non-compliant vehicles and more effectively prevent the transport of illegal goods.
• Onboard Safety Monitoring automatically alerts drivers of deficiencies in their vehicle’s performance, thus ensuring greater roadway safety and maintenance when needed rather than when overdue and more costly; driver monitoring technologies can help increase fleet productivity and safety by identifying periods of peak driver fatigue and suggesting strategies of respite.

Implementation Barriers

• For widespread implementation, Safety Information Exchange, Electronic Clearance, and Electronic Credentialing systems would require more standardized credentialing rules and data management software among the states. Some drivers are also concerned that tracking devices used in electronic clearance systems violate their privacy.
• Border Clearance systems can run most efficiently under successful collaborations between neighboring countries.
• Onboard Safety Monitoring devices can be more widely deployed once more trucking companies recognize the safety benefits and invest in safety development programs.

Where is it Implemented?

Across the U.S.