Considerations for designing commercial vehicle monitoring facilities

Commercial vehicle monitoring facilities provide the highway commu-nity with the means of supervising truck traffic. The technological advancements of the last few decades have allowed the realization of electronic clearances and can provide more effective ways to monitor and inspect truck traffic. However, in an era with limited funds and space for roadway expansion, some consideration must be given to what types of facilities are needed and what is the most efficient way to spend the available funds. Hence, a research effort was conducted to determine successful practices for designing a new facility or retrofitting or upgrading an existing one. The issues that need to be considered and addressed when designing or upgrading a commercial vehicle facility are discussed, and a checklist of critical factors, considerations for facility components, and typical facility layouts are provided. The findings indicate that a systems approach should be undertaken, all agencies affected by the operation of these facilities should be consulted and included in all phases of the project, and the development of a vision of the commercial vehicle operations goals is essential.