Search
Close this search box.

State Truck Activities Reporting System (STARS)

Project #: 428387
Start Date: 01/01/2000
End Date: 02/02/2004
ABSTRACT:

Through the Statewide Truck Activity Reporting System (STARS), the Montana Department of Transportation is proposing the implementation of 90 truck weight and classification data reporting sites, of which 26 will be permanent and will be operated on a continuous basis. The remaining 64 will be operated intermittently on a three year cycle using fully portable weigh-in-motion (WIM) equipment.The intent of this statewide implementation is threefold: (1) to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of truck weight enforcement activities (i.e. information generated by stars will be used to monitor overweight commercial vehicle activity; identify vehicle combinations that are chronically weight non-compliant and establish geographic and temporal patterns for non-compliant carrier operation) (2) to improve the accuracy and geographic diversity of truck weight and classification data used for pavement design, engineering and planning applications and (3) collect more data from a wider variety of sites in conjunction with the Traffic Monitoring Guide requirementsImplementations of the STARS Project will allow truck weight enforcement resources to be focused geographically and temporally (i.e., by time of day) on the commercial vehicle classifications most likely to be non-compliant. Further, STARS will expand and improve the quality of truck weight and classification data collected by the Montana Department of Transportation. Randomly selected sites will now include a cross-section of rural interstate, non-interstate where prevailing truck enforcement activities range from constant to intermittent. Pavement design, engineering and planning efforts all serve to benefit from this improvement in truck-related data.

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of this project is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness, existing pavement performance, and planning and design activities by the widespread implementation and use of weigh-in-motion equipment – permanent and portable.

PERSONNEL:

  • Jerry Stephens
    (PI)
  • Drew Livesay
    (Main External Contact)

REPORTS & DOCUMENTS: