Browsing by Subject "Trucks"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Freight and Logistics E-News November 2003 (Vol. 1, No. 3)
    (Center for Transportation Studies, 2003-11) Center for Transportation Studies
    Articles in this issue: Annual Freight & Logistics Symposium; Minnesota Freight Advisory Committee fall meeting recap; New trucking resource page on MnDOT Library Web; Twin Ports Intermodal Freight Study; National Freight Data Program; Integrating Freight Facilities and Operations with Community Goals; Dealing with Truck Parking Demands; Financing and Improving Land Access to U.S. Intermodal Cargo Hubs
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    Identifying and Optimizing Electric Vehicle Corridor Charging Infrastructure for Medium and Heavy-Duty Trucks
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2023-06) Khani, Alireza; Emami, Behnam Davazdah; Garcia, Fernando; Popenhagen, Brandi
    This project studies the benefits and barriers of increased adoption of medium-duty and heavy-duty electric trucks, referred to as e-trucks, and presents a methodology for optimizing the location of e-truck charging stations in Minnesota. In general, e-trucks provide zero tailpipe emissions and lower operating and maintenance costs. However, some barriers to adopting e-trucks include higher initial purchase costs, lack of charging and maintenance infrastructure, limited range, and charging time. The methods presented in this study aim to address the charging infrastructure planning, which provides information about e-truck charging activities, changes in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and potential operating cost savings.
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    Instrumentation of Navistar Truck for Data Collection
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2013-01) Alexander, Lee; Phanomchoeng, Gridsada; Rajamani, Rajesh
    The overarching goal of this project was to instrument the new MnDOT Navistar truck used at MN Road. A rugged data acquisition, data recording and wireless transmission system was established for collection of various sensor signals from the truck. The truck was instrumented with a suite of 20 accelerometers, with these accelerometers being located both on the five axles of the truck and on the tractor and trailer bodies. In addition, the truck was instrumented with a differential GPS system and an inertial measurement unit in the tractor cab. A cRIO-based data acquisition system, a rugged laptop and Labview software together serve as a flexible platform for data acquisition. A wireless communication system has been established to communicate trigger signals to roadside cabinets when the truck is at desired GPS locations on the road. Data recording by in-pavement sensors is triggered by this system. Software has also been set up for automatic downloading of data from the truck to a server on the network at MN Road. The experimental performance of the developed system has been verified by multiple tests conducted by the research team. The above instrumentation of the truck will enable data collection on truck vibrations, enable analysis of correlations between truck vibrations and variations in signals of weigh-inmotion sensors, and enable recording of truck movements and pavement loads at MnROAD.
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    Investigating Wastewater Reuse at MnDOT Truck Stations
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation., 2019-05) Heger, Sara; Doro, Jessica; Rutter, Melissa C; Gustafson, Dave; Larson, Sondra
    The University of Minnesota (UMN) and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) conducted a study to determine whether implementing a wastewater reuse program would be a feasible option for MnDOT-owned truck washing stations. MnDOT has 137 truck stations in the state, where trucks are frequently washed to remove road salt build-up. MnDOT recognized an opportunity to potentially reuse the wastewater for appropriate greywater uses and recapture the salt for road use. Sampling was done to assess the wastewater contaminants in truck wash water at 11 truck-washing stations in Minnesota. Then technologies suited to removing organics and total suspended solids (TSS) but not chlorides were reviewed. The recommendation is that either a recirculating sand filter (RSF) or a membrane bioreactor (MBR) would be feasible technologies to use for this purpose. Using the MnDOT truck station in Arden Hills, Minnesota, an economic evaluation was done. Both systems could be used to effectively treat wastewater and produce brine for reuse, but the most economical solution for MnDOT would be to invest in a MBR. Compared with a RSF, an MBR is one-third less expensive over time, primarily due to low material and installation cost as well as a lower annual maintenance costs.
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    Measure of Truck Delay and Reliability at the Corridor Level
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2018-04) Liao, Chen-Fu
    Freight transportation provides a significant contribution to our nation’s economy. A reliable and accessible freight network enables business in the Twin Cities to be more competitive in the Upper Midwest region. Accurate and reliable freight data on freight activity is essential for freight planning, forecasting and decision making on infrastructure investment. A report entitled “Twin Cities Metropolitan Region Freight Study” published by MnDOT and the Metropolitan Council in 2013, suggested a need to understand where and when trucks are most affected by congestion. A framework for truck data collection and analysis was recommended to better understand the relationships between truck traffic and congestion in rush hours. Building upon our previous study to measure freight mobility and reliability along 38 key freight corridors in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (TCMA), this study leveraged our previous effort to implement the performance measures using the National Performance Measurement Research Dataset (NPMRDS) from the USDOT. The researcher team first worked with stakeholders to prioritize a list of key freight corridors with recurring congestion in peak periods in the TCMA. We used 24 months of NPMRDS data to measure travel time reliability and estimate truck delay at the corridor level and to identify system impediments during the peak hours. The objective is to use performance measures for assessing impact of truck congestions and identifying operational bottlenecks or physical constraints. Trucking activity nearby a congested area is examined to analyze traffic pattern and investigate possible causes of recurring congestions.
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    Operating Costs for Truck
    (2004) Levinson, David M; Corbett, Michael; Hashami, Maryam
    This study estimates the operating costs for commercial vehicle operators in Minnesota. A survey of firms that undertake commercial truck road movements was performed. The average operating cost per kilometer for commercial vehicle operators was calculated from the survey responses. Results show that the translog and Cobb-Douglas models have approximately equal explanatory power in estimating the total cost from the data. The models also revealed the presence of nearly constant returns to scale, a finding consistent with earlier studies; an increase in output (total truckloads) of 1% increases total costs by 1.04%.
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    The Optimal Fit: Accommodating Trucks in Roundabouts
    (Transportation Engineering and Road Research Alliance (TERRA), 2013-07) Transportation Engineering and Road Research Alliance (TERRA)
    This 2-page fact sheet provides information about the impact on trucks entering roundabouts, recommended design parameters for two-lane roundabouts, and related studies.