Economic Effects of Lifting the Spring Load Restriction Policy in Minnesota

Spring load restrictions (SLR) regulate the weight per axle carried by heavy trucks during the spring thaw period. This policy aims to reduce pavement damage caused by heavy vehicles and extend the useful life of roads, but it also imposes costs on the trucking industry due to detouring or increased number of truckloads. Although the policies have been implemented for many years, their resulting economic effect has been unclear. The Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB) and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) sponsored a cost/benefit study of spring load restrictions in Minnesota. The study, based on the results of surveys of industry costs, a pavement performance model, and a freight demand model, concludes that the benefits of lifting the existing SLR policy outweigh the additional costs. Roadways operating at 5-tons require additional study; however, current analysis warrants repealing SLR and keeping roadways operating year-round at 9-tons. The cost of additional damage should be recovered from those who benefit from the change in policy.

Value of Time for Commercial Vehicle Operators

The spring load restriction policy of Minnesota has been in effect for over 50 years with little consideration given to the cost that it imposes on the freight industry. A cost-benefit study was recently commissioned to examine the policy. The cost-benefit analysis required a precise estimate of the value of time for commercial vehicle operators in Minnesota. An estimate was not available from previous studies, or from previous data. The necessary revealed preference (RP) information does not exist, and relevance of previous studies was questioned based on the differences in geographic location and the age of data used to construct the estimates. A sample was constructed from several trucking industry sources to conduct a survey. Interviews were conducted using an adaptive stated preference (ASP) survey to derive an estimate to the nearest dollar. A tobit model was fit to the data from the interviews to derive the estimate for value of time. A mean of $49.42 was found, with a 95 percent confidence interval from$40.45 to $58.39. Variation in the distribution of values is largely undetermined, with the exception of fleet operation, whether it is a for-hire truck fleet, or a private truck fleet. .

Value of Time for Commercial Vehicle Operators

Value of time was estimated for commercial vehicle operators in Minnesota to quantify the effects of spring load restrictions. A sample was constructed from several trucking industry sources to conduct a survey. Interviews were conducted using an adaptive stated preference (ASP) survey to derive an estimate to the nearest dollar. A tobit model was fit to the data from the interviews to derive the estimate for value of time, $49.42 per hour. Variation in the distribution of values is explained in part by fleet operation: whether the firm operates as a for-hire carrier or a private carrier

A Framework for Analyzing the Effects of Spring Load Restriction

Spring Load Restrictions (SLR) impose load restrictions on heavy trucks during the spring thaw period. Although the policies have been implemented for many years, we are still unsure of their economic effects on truckers. This paper overviews practices around the world and sets up a framework to estimate the Benefit/Cost of the SLR policy. A freight demand model in Minnesota was built to estimate the impacts of SLR on the freight transportation pattern. The model allows various policy scenarios to be tested before being tested in practice. A preliminary result of the freight demand model shows the SLR policy increased truck Vehicle Kilometers of Travel (VKT) in Lyon County, Minnesota by about 13 percent.Spring load restrictions, Benefit/Cost analysis, EMME/2, Freight demand model

Economic Effects of Lifting the Spring Load Restriction Policy in Minnesota

Spring load restrictions (SLR) regulate the weight per axle carried by heavy trucks during the spring thaw period. This policy aims to reduce pavement damage caused by heavy vehicles and extend the useful life of roads, but it also imposes costs on the trucking industry. A cost/benefit study, based on the results of surveys of industry costs, a pavement performance model, and a freight demand model, concludes that the benefits of lifting the existing SLR policy outweigh the additional costs. The cost of additional damage should be recovered from those who benefit from the change in policy

Volume 23 Issue 2 Introduction

Spring load restrictions (SLR) regulate the weight per axle carried by heavy trucks during the spring thaw period. This policy aims to reduce pavement damage caused by heavy vehicles and extend the useful life of roads, but it also imposes costs on the trucking industry. A cost/benefit study, based on the results of surveys of industry costs, a pavement performance model, and a freight demand model, concludes that the benefits of lifting the existing SLR policy outweigh the additional costs. The cost of additional damage should be recovered from those who benefit from the change in policy

Value of Time for Commercial Vehicle Operators

Value of time was estimated for commercial vehicle operators in Minnesota to quantify the effects of spring load restrictions. A sample was constructed from several trucking industry sources to conduct a survey. Interviews were conducted using an adaptive stated preference (ASP) survey to derive an estimate to the nearest dollar. A tobit model was fit to the data from the interviews to derive the estimate for value of time, $49.42 per hour. Variation in the distribution of values is explained in part by fleet operation: whether the firm operates as a for-hire carrier or a private carrier

VALUE OF TIME FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLE OPERATORS IN MINNESOTA

The spring load restriction policy of Minnesota has been in effect for over 50 years with no consideration given to the cost that it imposes on the freight industry. A cost-benefit study was recently commissioned to examine the policy’s necessity. The cost-benefit analysis required a precise estimate of the value of time for commercial vehicle operators in Minnesota. An estimate was not available from previous studies, or from previous data. The necessary revealed preference (RP) information does not exist, and relevance of previous studies was questioned based on the differences in geographic location and the age of data used to construct the estimates. A sample was constructed from several trucking industry sources to conduct a survey. Interviews were conducted using an adaptive stated preference (ASP) survey to derive an estimate to the nearest dollar. A tobit model was fit to the data from the interviews to derive the estimate for value of time. A mean of $49.42 was found, with a 95$40.45 to $58.39. Variation in the distribution of values is largely undetermined, with the exception of fleet operation, whether it is a for-hire truck fleet, or a private truck fleet. The current state of the art in using stated preference (SP) methods to evaluate the value of time uses a fee structure in exchange for time savings, in most cases a toll. It has been shown that SP methods typically underestimate the true value of time. The use of a fee structure fails to account for those subjects that avoid paying additional fees for a public good that they may feel they pay for in the form of taxes. The fine structure included in this ii analysis accounts for these subjects and provides a greater estimate for value of time compared to previous studies

Value of Time for Commercial Vehicle Operators

Value of time was estimated for commercial vehicle operators in Minnesota to quantify the effects of spring load restrictions. A sample was constructed from several trucking industry sources to conduct a survey. Interviews were conducted using an adaptive stated preference (ASP) survey to derive an estimate to the nearest dollar. A tobit model was fi t to the data from the interviews to derive the estimate for value of time, $49.42 per hour. Variation in the distribution of values is explained in part by fleet operation: whether the firm operates as a for-hire carrier or a private carrier