IRP Task Order #6: Trailer Data Feasibility Study

Abstract Task Order 6, IRP TRAILER DATA FEASIBILITY STUDY 1/1/2024 - 9/30/2025 FMCSA’s mission is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. The primary mechanism by which FMCSA pursues this mission is via partnership with commercial vehicle enforcement agencies in each state. These enforcement agencies receive Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) funds to conduct roadside inspections of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), with a focus on both vehicle and driver safety. FMCSA has invested substantial resources into the development and maintenance of numerous databases (e.g., SAFER, MCMIS, CDLIS, SAFETYNET, etc.) that track safety and credentialing information for carriers, vehicles (or power units) and drivers. Despite FMCSA’s advances in collecting CMV safety data, there is currently no comprehensive source of trailer plate data for U.S. state or Canadian provinces. This data gap means law enforcement officers, highway safety administrators, auditors, and state/provincial DOTs lack efficient, comprehensive information on the ownership of specific trailers outside their own jurisdiction. These trailers may have bad tires, bad brakes, improper load securement equipment, an expired or non- existent registration, belong to motor carriers with safety issues, contain hazardous cargo, be stolen from another motor carrier, not properly reported for auditing or tax purposes, etc. All these factors likely contribute to decreased safety within CMV operations.