TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 314: Strategies for Managing Increasing Truck Traffic documents recent efforts by transportation organizations that construct, operate, and manage the transportation system and identifies truck-related challenges, planning activities for goods movement being undertaken, truck management strategies being considered, factors that have influenced the selection of particular strategies, and benefits expected from selected strategies.

Congestion continues to grow in America¿s urban areas. This report presents details on the 2004 trends, findings and what can be done to address the growing transportation problems. Trend data from 1982 to 2002 for 85 urban areas provides both a local view and a national perspective on the growth and extent of traffic congestion. The 2004 Report provides clear evidence that the time for improvements has arrived. Communicating the congestion levels and the need for improvements is a goal of this report. The decisions about which, and how much, improvement to fund will be made at the local level according to a variety of goals, but there are some broad conclusions that can be drawn from this database. Tables.

The continued loss of rail network infrastructure and rail service throughout the US has most instances resulted in the modal shift of rail freight back to truck. Rail freight converted to truck may have significant impact on pavement maintenance costs and activities due to the increased highway traffic volumes. This study will investigate three short-line rail routes in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and will determine the potential impacts of diverting rail freight flows to truck. A logistics flow routing will be created illustrating the new truck flows by highway classification and usage. The targeted highways current conditions and asset management techniques will be documented. A pavement maintenance model will be used to determine the incremental pavement maintenance cost per ton-mile if additional freight moved over various classes of highway and their impact on highway funding.