MPC
Project Details

Title:	Lifecycle Assessment Using Snowplow Trucks' Automatic Vehicle Location Data
Principal Investigators:	Xiaoyue Cathy Liu
University:	University of Utah
Status:	Completed
Year:	2017
Grant #:	69A3551747108 (FAST Act)
Project #:	MPC-544
RH Display ID:	153762
Keywords:	asset management, automatic vehicle location, life cycle analysis, snowplows, winter maintenance

Abstract

Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT)'s vision is Keeping Utah Moving. The agency's ability to deliver its core mission is supported by having an optimal age fleet to ensure the delivery of its winter maintenance program at the targeted levels of service. Class 8 snowplow trucks are the primary tool for clearing snow and delivering the winter maintenance program. The state legislature has allocated an additional $6 million per year to help bring the average age of the fleet from 11+ years old, down to the 4.5 year old target. It is important to document and follow the impact of this $6 million dollar per year infusion of funds into the Class 8 truck replacement cycle. UDOT needs to ensure they are on target and demonstrates full value of the program through transparent evaluation and measurement of the impacts of the funding. The primary objective of this research is to evaluate and measure the impacts of the allocated fund through the snowplow trucks performance assessment during their lifecycle. The secondary objective is to explore the possibility of using the Verizon's real-time automatic vehicle location data that UDOT equipped all the snowplow trucks with to update the lifecycle model. Such high-resolution data can help us re-examine the replacement criteria of snowplow trucks such as age, mileage and condition score, to determine whether the replacement decision is made properly.

Project Deliverables

• [Final Report] Lifecycle Assessment Using Snowplow Trucks' Automatic Vehicle Location Data — MPC-21-429
  • View Research Brief

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