Study of the Impact of a Telematics System on Safe and Fuel-efficient Driving in Trucks

FOREWORD Phase I of the Motor Carrier Efficiency Study (MCES) identified a broad array of technology applications that have the potential to leverage advancements in wireless communications. With the commercial rollout of fourth-generation (commonly called 4G) wireless telecommunications systems, creative developers have greater opportunity to develop useful tools to exploit high-speed, data-rich communications networks. The convergence of advanced wireless capabilities and increasingly sophisticated onboard computing capabilities presents a timely opportunity to explore new ways to improve commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver performance, and simultaneously enhance CMV safety and fuel efficiency. This report is an evaluation of the use of telematics systems focusing on safe and fuel-efficient driving. Telematics is technology that combines telecommunications (i.e., the transmission of data from on-board vehicle sensors) and global positioning system (GPS) information (i.e., time and location) to monitor driver and vehicle performance. The contents of this report reflect the views of the contractor, who is responsible for the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the U.S. The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers named herein. Trade or manufacturers' names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the objective of this report. A telematics system has been successfully demonstrated to be useful for improving motor carrier efficiency. In this particular field study, the research team demonstrated that telematics can be used to monitor and improve safe driving behavior as well as to monitor and improve fuel economy in trucks. Telematics were used to monitor various driver performance parameters: unsafe events (sudden accelerations and hard braking expressed as " yellow " and " red " events, depending on severity), speeding, engine revolutions per minute (RPM), and fuel economy. As the result of monitoring unsafe events and of driver intervention (i.e., providing of information, feedback, training, and/or an incentive to modify driver behavior), drivers of sleeper cabs showed a 55-percent reduction in less severe (yellow) unsafe events and a 60-percent reduction in more severe (red) unsafe events. The following appear to be the indirect effects of the intervention process that focused on reducing yellow and red events: drivers of sleeper cabs (long-haul drivers) showed a 42-percent decrease in percent of miles driving at > 65 miles per hour (mi/h), and drivers of day cabs showed a 33-percent decrease in percent of miles driving at > 65 mi/h (i.e., speeding). Drivers of sleeper cabs …