University of California Transportation Center

If truck drivers could use internet-enabled wireless devices to access traveler information, what type of information would they most want to have? The answer almost surely varies according to the type of trucking operation, location, and many other factors. We analyzed preferences for traveler information from managers of 700 trucking companies to determine how they valued information about such things as locations of freeway incidents and lane closures, port and rail terminal schedules and clearances, delays at terminal train arrivals at grade crossings, weather, and travel times at alternative routes. Using a factor-analytic model with regressor variables, we found clear differences in preferences across types of trucking operations.