Skip to main content

Division of Freight, Transit, & Heavy Vehicle Safety is saving money through improving short-haul trucking

VTTI’s Division of Freight, Transit, and Heavy Vehicle Safety (DHVY) has helped the trucking industry save money by conducting research that has served as the scientific foundation for policy and regulations. For example, a 2000 VTTI study by Rich Hanowski and his team looked at the impact of local/short haul operations on driver fatigue. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Hours-of-Service Final Rule (2005) included a short-haul exemption (with respect to allowable hours and logbook exemption) based, in part, on the Hanowski et al. local/short haul research. FMCSA’s cost analysis indicated substantial annual savings for short haul drivers, which has led to year-over-year savings for the industry. Short-haul trucking companies service a limited range, and focus on merchandising, sales, and delivery. In Hanowski’s words, the institute’s research “has had a profound impact on both safety and cost-savings within the trucking industry.”

Visit www.vtti.vt.edu/give to donate and support VTTI’s dedication to saving lives, time, money, and protecting the environment.