Increase Efficiency of
Highway Freight
Wisconsin’s Initiatives
presented to
AASHTO BOD Workshop
9:30am to 11:30am
presented by
Mark Gottlieb, P. E.
Secretary,
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Chair
AASHTO Subcommittee on Highway Transport
Nov 2012
Wisconsin DOT Today
Overview
Freight Operations and Safety
• GLRTOC
• Wisconsin Truck Parking Grant
• Safety and Design Support
TS&W Study & Recommendations
• OSOW FN
• Configuration focused
• MOU – Minnesota/Wisconsin Permits
• Freight Reform Initiative
AASHTO SCOHT Resolution
*Source: Wisconsin Connections 2030 Plan; WisDOT Strategy 2010-2011
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Freight Operations and Safety
GLRTOC Partners & Mission
The Great Lakes Regional Transportation Operations Coalition (GLRTOC)


Founded 2009
Eight Member Agencies
Mission: Improve crossregional transportation
operations in support of
regional economic
competitiveness and improved
quality of life.
Freight Operations and Safety
GLRTOC Strategies & MCOM Award

Three Strategic Focus Areas
 Efficient freight
operations
 Reliable mobility
 TIM / ETO

Multistate Corridor Operations
and Management (MCOM) Award (2013-2015)
 Connected Centers and Gateway System Expansion
 Smart Work Zone Collaboration and Performance
Freight Operations and Safety
Truck Parking
FHWA Discretionary Truck Parking Grant.
• Received $1.0 million (Requested $1.8 Million).
Revising work plan based on new budget.
• Plan will include both public rest stops and private truck stops
along I-94.
• Building from lessons learned from the experiences of Minnesota,
Michigan, and others gaining efficiencies.
Goals:
• Provide real time information about available parking space
upstream and online.
• Support integrated multi-state regional transportation operations
and services for our freight stakeholders.
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Freight Operations and Safety
Safety and Design Support
ICE – Intersection control evaluation
» Review new designs to balance freight mobility and safety.
» Ensure new impediments are not created.
Infrastructure design support
» Work with designers as freight equipment and infrastructure design
continue to evolve and improve to ensure changes to the system
adapted to these changes.
Work Zone Mitigation
» Balance repairs and modifications with freight mobility and safety.
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Truck Size & Weight
Study & Recommendations
2005 Wisconsin Act 167 mandated creation of a Joint
Legislative Council study committee on highway weight limits.
That committee’s recommendation: require WisDOT to contract for
a comprehensive TS&W study, focusing on economic benefits,
infrastructure protection, and safety.
Comprehensive TS&W study requirement included in 2007 state
budget.
Study was completed in 2010 and performed with no
predetermined outcomes or expectations.
Study laid the groundwork for the Freight Reform Initiative.
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Truck Size & Weight
Study & Recommendations
Oversize Overweight Freight Network
Permitted loads growing exponentially
Designate routes for majority of OSOW vehicles
» Include redundancy for detours!
Concept has allowed:
» Designers to know what needs to be accommodated on which routes.
» Planners to shape project priorities/project scheduling.
» Construction crews to balance system repairs and maintenance with
Freight Mobility.
» Permit, Operations, and Enforcement staff to have a reliable routing
and incident alert notification.
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Truck Size & Weight
Study & Recommendations
Configuration Based
Wisconsin has 36 permit or statutory exemptions for commercial
oversize or overweight loads (5 more if Implements are included)
• Permits for Non-divisible Loads: 12 Permit Types
• Permits for Divisible Loads: 14 Permit Types
• Statutory Exemptions: 10 (15 with IoH)
• Most recently enacted permits follow federal bridge formula and are
consistent with the WI Truck Size/Weight Study
TS&W study looked at a cross section of vehicle configurations.
Like recent regulatory changes and the goal moving forward is to
focus on the physics of the load configuration not commodity.
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Truck Size & Weight
Study & Recommendations
MOU with Minnesota
Harmonize permit conditions and size/weight law between
states.
Work together on development of an electronic interface between
MN and WI permit systems.
» This Portal will eliminate having to enter duplicative application
data.
» Both states will review their portions of the route and issue permits
according to existing state law.
Have regular operational contact to keep the sister state informed
on near border restrictions and head off cross-border re-routes.
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Truck Size & Weight
Study & Recommendations
Freight Reform Initiative
Aligning DOT actions to industry needs and
Wisconsin’s economic engine.
Empowering DOT to respond to and create growth
opportunities for Wisconsin.
Proactive approach to enacting transportation legislation
and regulations that impact business.
Forging strategic partnerships with industry.
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Truck Size & Weight
Study & Recommendations
Freight Reform Initiative
1. Invite Industry to Participate in
annual Freight Summits
2. “Freight Friendly” regulations
3. Develop Multimodal Freight
Network
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Truck Size & Weight
Study & Recommendations
Freight Reform Initiative
Regulations should:
» Preserve or improve safety
» Ensure competitive and efficient freight regulation and infrastructure
» Balance economic benefits and rate of infrastructure degradation
» Streamline and minimize procedures
» Strive to maintain a level playing field
» Address energy and environmental needs through efficiency and
innovation
“Freight Friendly Wisconsin”
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AASHTO SCOHT Resolution
Background
SCOHT Committee and Specialized Carriers met in
Milwaukee July 2012.
Two charges of the Committee and themes coming out of the
meeting:
» Size and Weight Study requirements in MAP 21
» Permit condition harmonization
Resolution does not speak to Size and Weight. Only permit
operational conditions.
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AASHTO SCOHT Resolution
Background
Manufacturing and production has shifted for ship and
build to build and ship even across state lines.
These shipments are most often carried by specialized trucks with
state issued permits.
Permitted loads are increasingly being delayed at borders between
states.
These delays cost shippers and carriers significant lose or revenue.
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AASHTO SCOHT Resolution
Background
Goal is to focus on initial operational issues as opposed to all
issues at once.
Resolution has been sent to SCOH and BOD for adoption.
At the same time Resolution has been adopted by AASHTO
Regional SCOHT committees and work to harmonize within each
region is underway.
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Questions?
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