Use of Truck GPS Data for Freight Forecasting

Given trucks’ importance in moving freight, relatively little is known about their travel patterns particularly in urban areas. Global positioning systems (GPS) used by trucking companies are a source of truck probe data that is just starting to be utilized for a variety of applications including modeling. The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), and the University of Washington (UW) have partnered on a research effort to collect and analyze GPS truck data from commercial, in-vehicle, fleet management systems used in the central Puget Sound region. Among other uses, this GPS information, which is in essence a by-product of trucking industry operations, is evaluated for its feasibility to supply quantitative information that will support truck and freight models. Specifically, this paper investigates the ability to use truck GPS data to develop trip generation data. A case study of the grocery store industry is offered to highlight the efficacy of the tool.