Trucks

Corridor Deployment and Investigation of Anonymous Vehicle Tracking for Real-Time Traffic Performance Measurement

Ritchie, Stephen G.
Jeng, Shin-Ting (Cindy)
Tok, Yeow Chern (Andre)
Park, Seri
2008

This report presents the results of a multi-year research effort on the development of a real-time section-based traffic performance measurement system using inductive vehicle signatures obtained from single conventional loop sensors along a six-mile freeway corridor in the City of Irvine, California and a separate effort to investigate the potential of a new type of inductive sensor called the Blade™ for the purpose of commercial vehicle surveillance at the San Onofre Truck Weigh and Inspection Facility in Southern California. The real-time performance measurement system (RTPMS) is based...

Studies of the Adoption and Use of Location and Communication Technologies by the Trucking Industry

Scapinakis, Dimitris A.
Garrison, William Louis
1991

Describes current and proposed investigations on the adoption and use of positioning (navigation) and communication technologies by the trucking industry.

Automated Truck Platoon Control

Lu, Xiao-Yun
Shladover, Steven E.
2011

This report shows a successful application of 5.9 GHz DSRC with 100 ms update intervals to coordinate the automatic longitudinal control of a platoon of three Class 8 tractor-trailer trucks. The trucks were tested not only in constant-speed cruising conditions, but also through acceleration and deceleration profiles, up and down grades, and in platoon join and split maneuvers using the DSRC coordination. These tests showed acceptable vehicle following accuracy, ride quality and platoon stability. The gaps between the trucks were varied between 10 m and 4 m to evaluate the effects of...

Communications and Positioning Systems in the Motor Carrier Industry

Scapinakis, Dimitris A.
Garrison, William L.
1991

Until recently, truck drivers and their dispatchers have relied on public telephones and voice radio systems to communicate with each other. Today, however, vendors are beginning to offer new technologies for determining the positions of trucks and communications to and from trucks. Eighteen systems and their implications for the industry and intelligent vehicle highway systems (IVHS) activities are reviewed in this paper. Some of the newer communications and/or positioning systems are in the proposal stage. Others are available with not yet fully developed capability or only in limited...

Parameter Estimation and Command Modification for Longitudinal Control of Heavy Vehicles

Bae, Hong S.
Gerdes, J. Christian
2003

Commercial heavy vehicles, unlike passenger vehicles, display huge variation in parameters such as vehicle mass. Coupled with lower actuation authorities (engine and brake capabilities), these variations can induce actuator saturation even in moderately demanding maneuvers, presenting challenge to the task of maintaining string stability in a platoon formation of heavy trucks. A new control scheme is proposed to put on-line bounds, or artificial saturation, on command signals via parameter estimation such that all members in a platoon can follow the reference commands without saturating...

Workzone Safety Improvements through Enhanced Warning Signal Devices

Christianson, Kent
Greenhouse, Daniel
Cohn, Theodore
Kim, Roy Young
Chow, Christina
2008

The high incidence of accidents associated with work zones suggests that current warning lights and signals have been in need of improvement. In this project we have developed and tested an improved emergency warning light intended specifically for Caltrans work zone vehicles, and an enhanced rear warning light for shadow trucks, both intended to improve visibility and conspicuity, and to reduce reaction times for drivers approaching the work zone.

Demonstration of Automated Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Shladover, Steve E.
Lu, Xiao-Yun
Song, Bongsob
Dickey, Susan
Nowakowski, Christopher
Howell, Adam
Bu, Fanping
Marco, David
Tan, Han-Shue
Nelson, David
2006

This project was created in order to continue progress toward a future in which vehicle automation technologies are able to improve transportation operations. In the wake of the termination of the National Automated Highway Systems Consortium (NAHSC) program in 1998, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) created The Phoenix Project to bring together the organizations that remained interested in this future vision. The discussions within The Phoenix Project focused on the opportunities that could be gained from earlier deployment of automation technologies on transit buses...

Aerodynamic Forces on Truck Models, Including Two Trucks in Tandem

Hammache, Mustapha
Michaelian, Mark
Browand, Fred
2001

The present wind tunnel experiment describes 6-component force and moment data measured for both the cab and the trailer of a simplified model truck. Forces and moments are presented in coefficient form. The cab is sufficiently smooth that no flow separation occurs at zero yaw. The trailer has rounded forward vertical edges and sharp upper and lower edges. Both cab and trailer have wheels. The test matrix includes variation of the cab-trailer gap, and the yaw angle between the model plane of symmetry and the axis of the wind tunnel. The yaw angle is meant to account for the presence of an...

Safety Performance and Robustness of Heavy Vehicle AVCS

Yih, Paul
Satyan, Krishna
Gerdes, J. Christian
2003

Commercial heavy vehicle research at the California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways (PATH) program has focused on the development of controllers for partially to fully automated driving environments. Safe performance of Advanced Vehicle Control Systems (AVCS) must be demonstrated for a wide range of operating conditions and truck configurations to avoid any one of the many failure modes-such as rollover or jackknifing-common to articulated heavy vehicles. For this purpose, a multi-body dynamic model of a tractor semitrailer has been developed using a commercially available...

Safety Performance and Robustness of Heavy Vehicle AVCS

Taylor, R. Jemonde
Yih, Paul
Gerdes, J. Christen
2005

Dynamically, heavy trucks are inherently different than passenger cars. In addition to the increase rollover risk arising from an elevated center of gravity height, heavy trucks possess additional failure modes such as jackknifing and excessive trailer swing. As a response to these issues, significant research has been performed in the last three decades to establish safety metrics for heavy trucks based on dynamic testing. This research has had an impact on determining acceptable size and weight restrictions for heavy vehicles and on the actual design of heavy trucks for increased safety...