Lessons Learned during Two Naturalistic Truck-Driving Studies

Abstract

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) was contracted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to collect data from Commercial Vehicle Operators (CVO) under two contracts. The first study, Impact of Local/Short Haul Operations on Driver Fatigue (Hanowski, et al., 2000), focused on those drivers who drive an average of three hours a day while delivering goods but sleep at home each night. The second study, Impact of Sleeper Berth Usage on Driver Fatigue (Dingus, et al., 2002), studied fatigue in drivers who are on the road up to two weeks at a time and use the truck sleeper-berth unit for rest. Each study presented unique obstacles to overcome in order to make data collection possible. This paper will summarize the lessons learned during recruiting, truck licensing, and coordination and will provide insight into the rigors of collecting data in a truck-driving environment.