Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Jan. 3, 2022:
Indiana Toll Road launching smart parking system for trucks
New signs along the Indiana Toll Road will alert truck drivers of available truck parking at upcoming rest areas.
Through a mix of sensors and cameras, the dynamic signs will provide truck drivers an approximate count of the available parking spaces along the roadway, creating a safer and more efficient travel experience.
The dynamic boards detail the number of available parking spaces in the three nearest facilities, allowing for on-the-fly adjustments of trip plans.
"Our goal is to give commercial drivers the opportunity to plan their trips more accurately," said Rick Fedder, ITRCC's COO. "The information will assist in reducing congestion at our parking facilities while also empowering drivers to make quality choices about when, and where, they choose to rest."
Parking space availability is also transmitted through Truck Specialized Parking Services' (TSPS) Osprey platform, which populates up-to-date parking availability through web, iOS, and Android applications.
Arizona stepping up commercial enforcement
The Arizona Department of Transportation and the Arizona Department of Public Safety are entering into an agreement to streamline and enhance commercial vehicle enforcement at Arizona’s ports-of-entry located at interstate and international borders.
Under this partnership, 89 sworn ADOT officers and 49 non-sworn personnel will be assigned to the DPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force on a full-time basis. ADOT says this will enhance officer safety as well as increase efficiency and operational consistency for both agencies.
The sworn ADOT personnel are uniformed officers certified by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board. They provide commercial vehicle safety compliance, size and weight enforcement, oversize and overweight permitting and other related enforcement services at ADOT ports-of-entry located near the state lines of California, New Mexico, Utah, and the international border with Mexico.
“ADOT and DPS have a longstanding and beneficial partnership that is dedicated to keeping our highways and freeways operating safely,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Streamlining ADOT’s Enforcement Services Bureau with a single management structure is a better use of personnel, uses financial resources more wisely and strengthens public safety for everyone who travels Arizona’s roads.”
The agreement is set to begin Jan. 8 for two years initially and after that is subject to annual renewal.
