Context for Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Activity in 2020 Forecast of Future Directions in Truck Safety and Security

摘要

Future research and technology needs for commercial motor vehicle enforcement are discussed within the context of the increasing emphasis on freight operations associated with multimodal, global, and supply chain management. Research is needed to exploit the application of current and future technologies capable of overcoming constraints associated with the continuation of traditional, labor-intensive enforcement methods, methods that significantly limit the spatial and temporal elements of enforcement effectiveness and capacity. Just as FHWA has recognized that it cannot build its way out of the growing congestion problem, neither can motor carrier enforcement hope to become more effective simply by adding more officers. CMV enforcement capabilities need to keep pace with technology-based modes of operation under development by the trucking industry. Commercial vehicle operations will become increasingly information-driven, and enforcement must be able to operate fully within such an information-based environment. More effective and more highly automated information screening methods need to be developed to detect anomalies in driver, vehicle, route, and load information streaming in from thousands of continuously tracked vehicles. It is likely that FMCSA as well as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Homeland Security Department will have to seek such expertise outside the current transportation community (e.g., from within the intelligence sector). Methods need to be developed to enable enforcement to preempt incidents having the potential to harm the public seriously or to cause disruption to critical infrastructure. Shorter incident response times are a necessary but are not a sufficient condition for deterrence.