Transportation Research Related to COVID-19. Regulatory Relief of Commercial Vehicle Weight Requirements for Emergency Transportation of Critical Commodities
Commercial vehicles delivering consumer goods must observe the applicable size and weight requirements and seek permits for oversize loads. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, significant changes accelerated in commerce, adding pressure for the freight community to deliver goods directly to consumers in an environment of uncertainty where consumers were buying in bulk, exhausting supplies of common and necessary goods. On top of consumer disruptions to the freight system, truckers urgently had to make deliveries of much needed pandemic-related supplies. Several actions were needed to facilitate the continuity of freight flows. For example, the states increased allowable weight limits for vital health supplies, food deliveries, and other emergency commodities transported on commercial vehicles. Under NCHRP Project 23-13(05), “Regulatory Relief of Commercial Vehicle Weight Requirements for Emergency Transportation of Critical Commodities,” the Texas A&M Transportation Institute was asked to develop a practitioners’ guide for DOTs to (1) achieve consistent definitions for emergencies and emergency commodities; (2) identify successful practices, procedures, and processes for increasing weight limits during emergencies, including coordination and harmonization with neighboring jurisdictions; and (3) develop a decision framework that considers different emergency scenarios that are linked with successful practices, procedures, and processes. NCHRP Research Report 1115: Transporting Freight in Emergencies: A Guide on Special Permits and Weight Requirements provides a guide to state departments of transportation (DOTs) to consider options to better anticipate and respond to state and federal emergencies, specifically related to the movement of overweight commercial vehicles carrying emergency commodities within a state or across a region. The guide documents (1) current legal requirements on emergency declarations and options for state DOTs to address emergency movement of commodities, (2) options to prepare for emergency overweight special permitting, and (3) tools and resources. The guide identifies the challenge of navigating the overlays of federal, state, and local laws and regulations on truck movements during emergencies. The guide will be of interest to elected officials and permitters at state DOTs and other public agencies.
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Completed
- Funding: $180000
-
Contract Numbers:
Project 23-13(05)
-
Sponsor Organizations:
National Cooperative Highway Research Program
Transportation Research Board
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
444 North Capitol Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Project Managers:
Wadsworth, Trey
-
Performing Organizations:
Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI)
400 Harvey Mitchell Parkway South
Suite 300
College Station, TX United States 77845-4375 -
Principal Investigators:
Sharma, Sushant
- Start Date: 20220909
- Expected Completion Date: 20240109
- Actual Completion Date: 20240109
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Commercial vehicles; COVID-19; Disasters and emergency operations; Size and weight regulations
- Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Highways; Law; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Security and Emergencies; Vehicles and Equipment;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01767996
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
- Contract Numbers: Project 23-13(05)
- Files: TRB, RIP
- Created Date: Mar 24 2021 6:41PM