Heavy Truck Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control: Evaluation, Testing, and Stakeholder Engagement for Near Term Deployment: Phase One Final Report

Under the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Exploratory Advanced Research project “Heavy Truck Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control: Evaluation, Testing, and Stakeholder Engagement for Near Term Deployment” this document provides a summary of Phase I results for evaluating the commercial feasibility of Driver Assistive Truck Platooning (DATP). DATP is a form of Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control for heavy trucks (two truck platoons). DATP takes advantage of increasing maturity of vehicle-vehicle (V2V) communications, plus widespread deployment of DSRC-based V2V connectivity expected over the next decade, to improve freight efficiency, fleet efficiency, safety, and highway mobility, plus reduce emissions. Notably, truck fleets can proceed with implementing DATP regardless of the regulatory timeline for DSRC. Results of Phase I research are provided here. Phase I examined industry perceptions of DATP to provide input to a preliminary business case analysis. Technical investigations addressed system modeling and on track evaluations, aerodynamics modeling, operations research to develop algorithms for platoon formation, initial human-machine interface evaluations, wireless communications examining DSRC aspects specific to tractor-trailer combinations, and traffic modeling to assess traffic flow impacts with various levels of DATP market penetration. Appendices include a DATP Concept of Operations and Requirements document. Phase II plans are also described.