Projects/Heavy Vehicle Research Center
H02-Trusted Truck™
completed
This research project demonstrated the potential to improve safety, efficiency, and security for both government and the transportation industry. This research was performed to demonstrate an advanced real-time system using wireless local transmission of brake diagnostics information from a moving truck traveling through a roadside inspection station. The system will use wireless communication to locally broadcast brake, engine, and other vehicle diagnostic information to an inspection station.
The specific objective is to demonstrate a safety-focused remote diagnostics proof of concept for Class 8 trucks. The implementation is part of an initiative called Trusted Truck™, a concept in which the entire package (driver, vehicle, and cargo) of electronic credentials is presented to appropriate authorities in response to pending request for inspection at either fixed or mobile facilities. A Trusted Truck™ certifies its real-time condition in response to the inquiry, avoiding the need to stop and focusing resources on other trucks.
Assessment of large truck braking capability is traditionally done during periodic roadside inspections conducted to identify and remove from service vehicles with violations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Following guidelines developed by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), law enforcement officials perform hands-on inspections to check for conditions of braking system components that are known to present imminent safety hazards. Electronically controlled braking systems (ECBS) now available have onboard diagnostics that can monitor and evaluate in real time the condition of the truck braking system without need for hands-on inspection. Wireless transmission of diagnostic information saves time and revenue for drivers and operators who properly care for their truck’s critical safety systems.
This research was performed under the direction of the NTRCI for the U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration as a collaborative effort by the University of Tennessee, Volvo Truck North America, and Volvo Technology of America.