Compare and Contrast of Options to Collect Freight Vehicle Data in Order to Inform Traffic Management Systems

This paper outlines research findings from an investigation into a range of options for generating vehicle data relevant to traffic management systems.Linking data from freight vehicles with traffic management systems stands to provide a number of benefits.These include reducing congestion,improving safety,reducing freight vehicle trip times,informing alternative routing for freight vehicles,and informing transport planning and investment decisions.This paper will explore a number of different methods to detect,classify,and track vehicles,each having strengths and weaknesses,and each with different levels of accuracy and associated costs.In terms of freight management applications,the key feature is the capability to track in real time the position of the vehicle.This can be done using a range of technologies that either are located on the vehicle such as GPS(global positioning system)trackers and RFID(Radio Frequency Identification)Tags or are part of the network infrastructure such as CCTV(Closed Circuit Television)cameras,satellites,mobile phone towers,Wi-Fi receivers and RFID readers.Technology in this space is advancing quickly having started with a focus on infrastructure based sensors and communications devices and more recently shifting to GPS and mobile devices.The paper concludes with an overview of considerations for how data from freight vehicles may interact with traffic management systems for mutual benefit.This new area of research and practice seeks to balance the needs of traffic management systems in order to better manage traffic and prevent bottlenecks and congestion while delivering tangible benefits to freight companies stands to be of great interest in the coming decade.This research has been developed with funding and support provided by Australia’s SBEnrc(Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre)and its partners.