Truck Drivers Research Articles

Property Rights Restrictions and Self-Employed Workers: Evidence From For-Hire Owner–Operators in U.S. Trucking

In 2019, self-employed individuals in the United States owned and operated more than 27 million nonemployer firms and generated more than $1.3 trillion in revenue. Our study examines how self-employed workers adjust their operations in response to an exogenous regulatory change that places limits on how they can utilize their productive assets. Extending modern property rights theory of the firm (PRTF), we studied how self-employed for-hire truck drivers modified their operations in response to the required installation of electronic logging devices (ELDs) in their vehicles. The introduction of ELDs bolstered enforcement of preexisting legal hours-of-service limits, thereby weakening the drivers’ ability to accept hauls above statutory hours-of-service limits and reducing the strength of their economic property rights. Our difference-in-differences analysis that relies on self-employed truck drivers exempt from the ELD regulation as a control group reveals that the restrictions imposed by the ELD mandate, while effective at curbing major hours-of-service violations, prompted a change in a host of market behaviors among affected drivers, including a shift toward working as subcontractors, decreased labor supply, and increased exit rates from the industry. These findings contribute to the literature on PRTF. First, our findings underscore the significance of economic property rights in shaping self-employed workers’ operating decisions as legal property rights were largely left unchanged under the ELD regulation. Second, our findings with respect to subcontracting highlight that property rights restrictions placed on asset attributes may prompt self-employed workers to unbundle economic property rights and allocate them to exchange partners better equipped to maximize the economic value reaped from these rights. Such transfer of economic property rights common to intermediate forms of organizational design such as subcontracting embodies a multidimensional view of economic property rights. By demonstrating a range of consequences of restricting self-employed workers’ economic property rights, our study carries important implications for theory, managers, and policymakers.

Multimodal Feedback to Improve Performance of Order Picker Truck Drivers Using a Virtual Reality Simulator

VR technology presents exciting prospects for immersive forklift training environments. VR facilitates hands-on learning without the risks of real world errors. Real-time multimodal feedback (such as visual and haptic) is an effective way to enhance learning outcomes and skill acquisition. However, the efficacy and usability of real-time multimodal feedback provided for VR-based forklift driving needs to be investigated, as its impact on training outcomes remains unexplored. We aim to understand how various feedback modalities influence task performance, perceived workload, and user preferences. Fifteen (3 female, 12 male) individuals participated and completed VR-based forklift driving tasks with four feedback conditions (No feedback, visual, haptic, combined visual and haptic). A significant main effect of Feedback was found for completion time. Mental demand and frustration were affected by the Sex and Feedback interaction. These differences in the perception of feedback modalities underscore the importance of considering diverse user demographics when designing feedback systems.

Cross border population movements across three East African states: Implications for disease surveillance and response.

The frequent population movement across the five East African Countries poses risk of disease spread in the region. A clear understanding of population movement patterns is critical for informing cross-border disease control interventions. We assessed population mobility patterns across the borders of the East African states of Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. In November 2022, we conducted Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and participatory mapping. Participants were selected using purposive sampling and a topic guide used during interviews. Key informants included border districts (Uganda and Rwanda) and county health officials (Kenya). FGD participants were identified from border communities and travellers and these included truck drivers, commercial motorcyclists, and businesspersons. During KIIs and FGDs, we conducted participatory mapping using Population Connectivity Across Borders toolkits. Data were analysed using thematic analysis approach using Atlas ti 7 software. Different age groups travelled across borders for various reasons. Younger age groups travelled across the border for education, trade, social reasons, employment opportunities, agriculture and mining. While older age groups mainly travelled for healthcare and social reasons. Other common reasons for crossing the borders included religious and cultural matters. Respondents reported seasonal variations in the volume of travellers. Respondents reported using both official (4 Kenya-Uganda, 5 Rwanda-Uganda borders) and unofficial Points of Entry (PoEs) (14 Kenya-Uganda, 20 Uganda-Rwanda) for exit and entry movements on borders. Unofficial PoEs were preferred because they had fewer restrictions like the absence of health screening, and immigration and customs checks. Key destination points (points of interest) included: markets, health facilities, places of worship, education institutions, recreational facilities and business towns. Twenty-eight health facilities (10- Lwakhakha, Uganda, 10- Lwakhakha, Kenya, and 8- Cyanika, Uganda) along the borders were the most commonly visited by the travellers and border communities. Complex population movement and connectivity patterns were identified along the borders. These were used to guide cross-border disease surveillance and other border health strategies in the three countries. Findings were used to revise district response and preparedness plans by strengthening community-based surveillance in border communities.

RETAINING WALL PLANNING IN WASTE MANAGEMENT

This study aims to analyze the performance and productivity of heavy equipment as well as the volume of waste produced in a waste disposal area (TPSA) located in Kuningan Regency. The research was carried out at the Ciniru TPSA located in Jalaksana District, Kuningang Regency, with the aim of finding out the data on the volumes of waste, transport trucks, and excavator heavy equipment. The results show that the amount of existing waste in the area reaches 630 m3 with an average amount of irritation of 71 times per day. In addition, the production of heavy machinery for garbage trucks, excavators, and bulldozers reaches 128.07 m3/hour, which is a working time of 8 hours and operational costs of Rp 244,957/hour, respectively. The findings of this study offer valuable information on the effectiveness of retaining walls in mitigating environmental impact, protecting agricultural areas, and improving waste handling practices. Moreover, investigating methods to extend landfill lifespan through improved spatial planning and capacity forecasting will be crucial, especially for regions facing waste overflow challenges in the near future.

Harvesting fragmented boreal forest: system selection using a simulation-optimization approach

ABSTRACT Nordic forests, such as those found in Canada were known to offer opportunities for large and relatively homogeneous harvesting blocks. Increased fragmentation of forests makes operation planning more difficult and affects costs of road building and machinery relocation. Currently, the diversity of systems used for forest operations in eastern Canada represents only a fraction of existing alternatives. It might be that at least one alternative outperforms the systems currently used in the fragmented boreal forest. Hence, a subset of potential systems was identified in a preliminary evaluation of harvest systems in fragmented operations. From this sample, the objective is to develop a mathematical model to identify the harvest system with the lowest wood procurement cost in fragmented boreal forests. The candidate systems were simulated and optimized using a static deterministic approach. According to our results, the best systems in fragmented forests involve fewer machines, hence a lower relocation cost. Two CTL systems outperformed all others. The system using removable crane self-loading trucks for transport and the one using the forwarder for loading both resulted in 4 $/m3 (USD) advantage over the third least expensive system in the most fragmented harvest sites. The proposed model can be directly applied to assess harvest systems in other parts of the world with similar forest fragmentation challenges.

Understanding health needs of professional truck drivers to inform health services: a pre-implementation qualitative study in a Canadian Province

ObjectivesLong-haul truck drivers experience multiple challenges, including increased health risks. A large percentage of professional truck drivers (PTDs) suffer from numerous chronic physical health conditions such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, sleep disorders, etc.) as well as poor mental health and social challenges. Furthermore, this population experiences numerous barriers related to accessing health care services including primary care and resources to improve their health. PTDs living in rural and remote areas are at higher risk. The objective of this study is to understand the views of PTDs and the trucking industry on health and personalized healthcare interventions and services.MethodsIn-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-six individuals with contextual knowledge and experience in the trucking ecosystem, to better understand the needs, expectations, and preferences of PTDs based in New Brunswick (Canada), related to their health (physical, mental, and social). Analysis of the audiotape recording was conducted using thematic content analysis.ResultsThree major themes emerged from the qualitative analysis describing PTDs’ health needs, existing health and preventive services, as well as recommendations for personalized healthcare interventions and services to be implemented: (1) “My life as a trucker!” Understanding needs and challenges, (2) “Taking care of myself, do you think it is easy while you’re on the road?” Describing drivers and motivators for better health, and (3) “Can you hear what we need?” Translating needs into recommendations for tailored health services and preventative services.ConclusionA highly demanding work environment and lack of timely access to integrated primary care negatively affect PTDs’ health. Results of this study shed light on how to tailor primary care to improve its responsiveness and adequacy to PTDs’ needs and realities. PTDs-sensitive integrated services, including multicomponent interventions (health education, coaching for lifestyle changes, and social support), are still lacking within the New Brunswick health system.

Evaluating the Effects of Motion Cues in Virtual Truck Driver Training

The integration of simulation technology into professional training has transformed learning in various sectors. Although prior research has explored motion cueing in simulators such as aviation training, driver navigation and performance, there is limited investigation into the impact of motion stimuli in VR-based truck driver training. This study investigates the driving performance of truck drivers in two virtual driving tasks, comparing conditions with and without motion cues. Participants wore virtual reality headsets and were situated within an immersive motion simulator. They completed two driving tasks involving truck docking and highway driving. Simulator sickness, stress, and user experience were assessed using the simulator sickness questionnaire, subjective unit of distress scale, and user experience questionnaire, respectively. Our findings suggest that motion cues hold potential to enhance subjective experiences, making driving more engaging, stimulating, and mitigating motion sickness. However, they did not significantly affect overall driving performance, except for steering behavior. Participants exhibited more engaged steering during highway driving when motion cues were present. Our findings suggest that the impact of motion cues is task-dependent, with their absence not showing a significant detrimental effect on driving performance in the simulated environment. Further validation with field-observed data is necessary to confirm these findings. These insights can guide future policies and regulations governing virtual truck driver training, ultimately ensuring improved safety and performance in the industry.

Factors influencing noise annoyance across various transportation modes: lessons from the citizen science project "De Oorzaak"

The citizen science initiative "De Oorzaak" invited adult residents of Flanders (Belgium) to fill out the "Large Sound Survey", gathering over 8,000 answers in a month. This comprehensive 51-question survey evaluated annoyance levels across various transportation modes, drawing on established questionnaires like the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Weinstein Noise Sensitivity Scale and Written Environmental Survey (SLO), organized by the Flemish government. It also aided in selecting participants for subsequent project phases. Comparing LSS results to the latest SLO report revealed a significant self-selection bias, with 33.3% highly annoyed by noise compared to 11.6% from the SLO. A profile could be drawn for the most annoyed participants: noise-sensitive individuals living in apartments or studios, adults (26-61 years old), and residing in densely populated areas. Regarding transportation noise, passenger cars and trucks lead as the most annoying sources, with %HA of 24.5% and 23.5%, respectively, followed by motorcycles and alike (%HA =21.5%). Conversely, rail and air traffic annoyance are considerably lower. Correlations were drawn between the several noise annoyance sources and individuals' characteristics. Overall, population density, age, fatigue level and quality of life are the personal aspects that correlate more consistently with road, rail, and air traffic noise annoyance.

EU's “three-in-seven” road haulage cabotage rule – Impact imbalances across member states and the geography

Road cabotage within the EU, as a share of domestic transport of goods, varies greatly across member states. This can partly be attributed to EU's regime for consecutive cabotage. In addition to economic factors that reflect incomplete market integration, spatial factors appear to affect the impact of the current regime. The impact seems stronger for geographically large and centrally located countries with interregional homogeneity in trade. This may reflect that foreign hauliers under such conditions can utilize the characteristics of their standardized long-range trucks better, or because the likelihood of successfully fixing three favourable long-distance cabotage assignments within the seven days limit increases. Potential amendments to regulations in order to equalize the impact of EU's consecutive cabotage regime across member states' spatial characteristics include removing the limits to the number of trips within the seven days' time frame or shortening the time frame for carrying out the current maximum of three trips.

Study on the effect of viaducts vibration by truck platooning experiments

Japan is currently grappling with a shortage and aging workforce of truck drivers, alongside the pressing need for improved fuel efficiency. In response, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) have set a goal to achieve autonomous driving technology, facilitating truck platooning with no drivers in following trucks on expressways. METI and MLIT have initiated demonstration tests for an autonomous driving system featuring truck platoons traversing expressways, with no drivers in following trucks. When multiple trucks form a platoon on a viaduct, both the trucks and the viaduct may generate coupled vibrations, leading to significant viaduct vibrations. Nonetheless, the authors consider that it is possible to reduce the vibration of the viaduct by specifying the platooning conditions. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of truck platooning on viaduct vibrations. Vibration simulations and truck platooning experiments were conducted on an existing viaduct. The findings confirmed that, under the conditions of present experiments, there exists a distance between trucks that can reduce vibration when two trucks are travelling in a platoon compared to travelling alone.

Cut the scrap? the impact of truck age on driver retention, driving safety, and driving productivity

AbstractIn many countries, vehicle replacement policies are implemented to reduce the average age of the vehicles on the road. Through these policies, policymakers typically aim to reduce emissions and to stimulate demand for automobiles through vehicle renewal. Not much is known however, about the more detailed operational consequences of vehicle age in truck transportation. In this study, we empirically address this issue by analyzing data obtained from 27 thousand trips made by 916 drivers in 355 unique trucks, over a period of 346 days. Using this data, we test the relationship between truck age and driver retention, productivity, and unsafe driving behavior. Our results demonstrate that truck age significantly impacts driver turnover, with every additional year of truck age relating to an approximate 5% higher risk of leaving the job at a given point in time. Contrarily, drivers with older trucks drove significantly less volatile, which suggests that they drive more safely. The results illustrate that vehicle age influences a broader spectrum of outcome measures than typically considered when assessing the expected impact of replacement policies. Policymakers and trucking companies can use these results to make more informed decisions about vehicle replacement, thereby also addressing the widespread issue of driver shortage.

Investigating how consumption values and place identity shape long-haul truck drivers’ intention to visit roadside rest areas

Transportation business organisations, policymakers, and government entities attempt to enhance the welfare of long-haul truck drivers (LHTDs) by promoting safe driving practices. LHTDs spend long hours on goods delivery journeys, and that causes various health and in-route safety issues for drivers. For improved LHTD health and safety, many developed nations introduced the concept of roadside rest areas (RRAs) for regulated, safe, and enhanced driving experience for LHTDs, whereas developing nations’ research on RRAs development is nascent. The RRAs offer a chance to reduce negative truck driving impacts and promote wellbeing among LHTDs, but why drivers will visit RRAs during their tracking journey is a question for policymakers. Hence, the present study tries to comprehend the significance of drivers’ visit consumption values in terms of functional, social, emotional, epistemic, conditional value, and place identity concerning visit intentions towards RRAs. In addition, the present work examines the influence of consumption values on word of mouth (WoM) for RRAs by LHTDs. The research problem is examined via the lens of the theory of consumption values. The study utilised 247 valid responses for model analysis, using the partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. The findings establish that consumption value is a formative construct that further positively influences place identity, intentions to visit RRAs, and WoM for RRAs by LHTDs. This implies that the intentions of LHTDs to visit relaxation sites are mostly influenced by the values they perceive from such places. This perception of consumption values also helps LHTDs develop place identity with RRAs and influences them to spread positive WoM about it. However, the results of the present study did not find the mediation role of place identity. This implies that Indian LHTDs will develop the intention to visit RRAs because of the consumption values rather than any attachment to the place. The findings of this paper will help transport policymakers develop adequate measures for developing rest areas on major transport routes to improve road safety and drivers’ wellbeing.

BEHIND THE WHEEL: UNDERSTANDING THE RISKS FOR TRUCK DRIVERS IN THE ERA OF THE INTERNET OF THINGS AND ADVANCEMENTS IN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

Freight transportation is a crucial part of the global economy, but it encounters several complex challenges, with truck drivers at the centre of these issues. These professionals, responsible for transporting goods over long distances, often work in challenging conditions, exposing them to a range of risks, including physical, psychological, and chemical hazards. These risks make the profession less appealing to younger drivers, leading to an ageing workforce and worsening the driver shortage crisis in the road transport sector. This article aims to identify the various risks faced by truck drivers and examine their negative impacts on several critical aspects, including company image, service quality, financial implications, and road safety. Additionally, the article explores the transformative impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) and autonomous vehicles (AV) on the truck driving profession.

Smart tachographs application in monitoring and controlling the Operation of Vehicles and Drivers in „ITS“ Environment

ITS systems enable information transparency, manageability and improved response of the traffic system, so they have the epithet of intelligent. The application of ITS solutions on tachographs, as devices that record all the activities of truck and bus drivers, is defined in the ISO 14813-1:2015 Standard in the context of remote data transmission from tachographs. In view of the growing problems regarding violations of regulations on working hours and mandatory vacations for mobile workers, frequent manipulations and misuse of tachographs, as well as regarding the state of traffic safety and increasing environmental pollution, the EU has set stricter conditions in the field of driving these commercial vehicles in its regulations, in the manner of implementing the ITS system of smart tachographs, which brings significant benefits, especially in terms of the work of control authorities as entities that influence better compliance with regulations and the enforcement of legal regulations.

Yasri Miftah Joenoes

Background: Mining accidents in truck transportation activities are the most common accidents in the mining industry in Southeast Sulawesi Province in the last 3 years and often cause fatalities. Previous studies have not identified all types of dominant causes of mining accidents in truck transportation activities, be it direct causes, basic causes, or lack of management control. The purpose of this study is to analyze the causes of mining accidents in truck transportation activities in the Southeast Sulawesi Region in 2021-2023. Method: The research used is qualitative phenomenology to understand and describe the dominant accident-causing factors from mining accident phenomena in transportation activities using trucks. Results: The dominant causes of mining accidents in truck transportation activities in Southeast Sulawesi Province in 2021-2023 were: driving above the speed limit; drivers not wearing safety belts and helmets; downhill road conditions with a grade above 12% and long; drivers lack knowledge/skills; lack of supervision; and inadequate SOP and HIRA. Conclusion: Corrective actions that can be taken to minimize the occurrence of mining accidents in truck transportation activities are: increasing supervision and socialization related to speed limits, as well as the use of safety belts and helmets; striving for engineering, maximizing supervision and completing road signs on downhill road segments with grades above 12% and long; implementing new worker training and annual refresher courses with output in the form of SIMPER which is valid for a maximum of 1 year; meeting the needs/ratio of operational supervisors, and ensuring that SOP and IBPR are adequate for truck transportation activities.

Techno-economic and environmental assessment of green hydrogen and ammonia production from solar and wind energy in the republic of Djibouti: A geospatial modeling approach

This study conducts a thorough economic and technical analysis to assess the viability of green hydrogen and green ammonia production using renewable energy sources in the Republic of Djibouti. We explore the economic competitiveness of utilizing wind and solar power for sustainable energy production through various measures including levelized cost of energy (LCOE), hydrogen (LCOH), and ammonia (LCOA). Our analysis incorporates sensitivity assessments and Monte Carlo simulations to predict financial feasibility and environmental impact, focusing on CO2 emission reductions. A cost mapping of electricity, green hydrogen, and green ammonia from solar and wind resources was created to find Djibouti's most cost-effective production sites. The feasibility of exporting green ammonia to neighboring countries with high fertilizer demand was also evaluated using rail and truck transport scenarios. Key findings demonstrate that Moulouhlé, endowed with robust wind and solar resources, presents a strategic site for deploying renewable energy technologies. Wind energy, with a lower LCOE of 0.066 $/kWh compared to solar's 0.093 $/kWh, emerges as a more cost-effective solution for both hydrogen and ammonia production. Notably, wind-powered hydrogen production costs are 2.25 $/kgH2, significantly lower than solar-powered costs at 4.17 $/kgH2. In terms of green ammonia, wind power achieves production costs of 399.76 $/tonNH3, outperforming solar power which stands at 537.11 $/tonNH3. Additionally, our study evaluates the logistics of exporting green ammonia, determining rail transport as a more economically viable option than trucking. This research not only underscores Djibouti's potential as a leader in green energy exportation but also aligns with global decarbonization efforts, showcasing significant CO2 savings—154.94 Mt annually from wind. This work emphasizes the importance of strategic resource utilization in Djibouti, offering insights critical for stakeholders in making informed decisions about investing in renewable energy infrastructures. The outcomes suggest a promising future for regional energy sustainability and economic resilience, fostering a transition towards low-carbon energy systems.

Keep on truckin’: how effective are health behaviour interventions on truck drivers’ health? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundTruck drivers are a vital workforce, but have higher rates of obesity and other chronic diseases than the general population. The occupation’s sedentary nature, limited physical activity opportunities and access to healthy food, and irregular sleeping patterns contribute to poor health. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions on health behaviours and cardiometabolic biomarkers of health in truck drivers.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in February 2024, and reported according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Experimental studies targeting physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep, diet, weight loss, drug/alcohol use, and/or smoking were eligible. Two reviewers independently screened and completed data extraction and risk of bias assessment. Data were combined at the study level. Pooled statistics were calculated using mean differences (MD) or standardised mean differences (SMD) for outcomes that were reported in ≥2 studies. Pre- and post-intervention means and standard deviations (SD) for the intervention and control groups were used to compute effect sizes.ResultsNineteen studies (n=2137 participants) were included. Meta-analyses found a small-to-moderate increase in fruit and vegetable consumption (SMD 0.32, p=0.03) with no other significant effects on other outcome variables.ConclusionsInterventions are moderately effective in increasing truck drivers’ fruit and vegetable consumption, but not other outcomes. There is a dearth of research in the driver population compared to other occupational groups. Future interventions should consider workplace and environmental factors to promote the health and wellbeing of truck drivers.Trial registrationThe study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021283423).

A sustainable inventory model for a two-echelon cold chain with green technology investments and stock-dependent demand under carbon emissions tax regulation

Cold chains are specialised supply chains that make use of refrigerated storage facilities and distribution nodes. Products that have to be stored and distributed via cold chains are temperature-sensitive items such as perishable food or vaccines. If these products are not maintained at the correct temperatures, their safety and quality may be comprised with dire consequences for end-users. Operating refrigerated storage units consumes a lot of energy and the majority of transportation trucks used for distribution are powered by fossil fuels and therefore, cold chains are a major source of carbon emissions. With this in mind, this paper proposes a sustainable inventory model for a two-echelon cold chain with stock-dependent demand and green technology investments under a carbon emissions tax regulation. The carbon tax is imposed by policy makers to encourage the cold chain to reduce its emissions whereas, the green technology investment is a voluntary measure taken by the cold chain to reduce its carbon emissions. Based on the results, a carbon tax regulation is about 3% more effective than a green technology investment in terms of profit maximisation potential. Moreover, when it comes to investing in green technologies, there is an optimal investment amount above which increasing the investment results in decreased profits and increased emissions. Other avenues that the cold chain can explore in effort to improve profitability include increasing the potential market size, displaying higher volumes of stocks, using larger capacity transportation trucks and filling the trucks to capacity.

Long-Haul Truck Drivers' Perceptions of Truck Stops and Rest Areas: Focusing on Health and Wellness.

The work and life routine of long-haul truck drivers (LHTDs) involve the use of truck stops and rest areas to meet their basic human needs. These extensions of their workspaces on the road do not always offer adequate physical structures and services that drivers need for optimal health. This study aimed to evaluate long-haul truck drivers' perceptions of food services, safety, physical activity, rest, and personal hygiene offered at truck stops and rest areas, as well as the correlation between these perceptions and sociodemographic, health, and work conditions variables. A cross-sectional, quantitative, and descriptive study was conducted with long-haul truck drivers from the southern region of Brazil. For data collection, a sociodemographic questionnaire and a Likert scale on food, rest, personal hygiene, safety, and physical activity services offered at truck stops and rest areas along Brazilian roads from March to August 2023 were used. The data were analyzed with simple frequency descriptive statistics. The sample consisted of 175 long-haul truck drivers. Out of these, 70.29% declared that the services of the truck stops and rest areas were charged; more than half (53.59%) of the professionals evaluated the rest service as "good" or "excellent"; the food services were "good" or "excellent" for 42.24% of the drivers. The spaces for physical activities were the worst evaluated as "bad" or "terrible" by 41.61%, followed by bathroom services (28.42%) and safety (34.24%). Rest and feeding services had better evaluations, while the services of bathroom, safety, and physical activity presented worse evaluations. Variables such as nationality, weekly working days, and marital status presented positive significance and influenced drivers' perceptions of the services offered at truck stops and rest areas. Drivers who were Brazilian and worked more than five days a week negatively evaluated the services of rest (p = 0.018), safety [0.020], physical activity (0.003), and bathrooms (0.020). In addition, the physical activity services were better evaluated by single drivers than married drivers. These findings suggest that the work conditions and nationality may influence LHTDs' perceptions of services and structures of truck stops and rest areas. These findings may reflect a lack of investments and support efforts to improve basic services such as personal hygiene, a safe environment, and physical exercises, which are fundamental to the health of the workers and aimed at reducing vulnerability and a sedentary lifestyle and meeting the basic human needs of LHTDs.

Revealing the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on intercity truck transport: New insights from big data analytics

Intercity truck transport emerged as a crucial lifeline for maintaining city operations during COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding pandemic-imposed impacts on intercity truck transport can inform policymakers in crafting more effective strategies for future crises and disruptions. However, to our best knowledge, previous research predominantly focused on freight movements under normal circumstances. Due to the data limitation, the pandemic-related studies commonly relied on freight survey and focused on specific industries, which cannot capture the full spectrum of factors influencing freight trip generation (FTG) during the pandemic. Here, a novel dataset capturing large-scale individual truck movements during the COVID-19 pandemic is provided. By leveraging the mobility dataset, pandemic-induced changes in truck transport demand structure are quantified using spatial statistical methods. Furthermore, an interpretable machine learning framework for intercity freight demand estimation is developed, revealing the complex interplay of factors that influence and shape the behavior shifts of intercity truck transport systems due to the pandemic outbreak. The findings suggest significant changes in various factors influencing intercity truck movements across local and broader regions, emphasizing city-specific challenges amidst pandemic. The developed FTG model could serve as a tool to predict freight demand between cities for future crises and to support policymaking in the practice of freight management.