Inside Iowa State
Nov. 10, 1995


Where The Computer Meets The Road

by Michelle Johnson
Tom Maze is sitting in the driver's seat of one of the 
largest university-based transportation centers in the 
country. That's a big responsibility considering the Iowa 
Transportation Center has grown from a small ISU Extension 
center in 1983 to a powerhouse in the transportation research 
arena, with more than 50 national research contracts and 
grants.

"Work done at the center covers a broad range of 
transportation issues," Maze said. "Many of our projects are 
centered around the trucking industry, investigating means of 
using technology to make truck transportation more efficient 
and safe." 

It is an industry that generates well over $300 billion in 
economic activity annually, according to Maze.

"In our larger technology transfer projects, we act like the 
grease between the big cogs," he said. "Our work often 
involves working with large defense contractors and 
manufacturers, government and members of the trucking 
industry to develop and evaluate new applications for 
existing technology."

One of the problems currently under study at the center is 
the handwritten trip log truck drivers must keep. Highway use 
taxes paid by trucking companies, such as fuel taxes and 
registration fees, are apportioned among states based on the 
number of miles a truck travels in each state. 

Maze and center staff are testing a technology (Automated 
Mileage and State Line Crossing Operational Test) that 
combines global positioning systems with onboard computers to 
automatically compute and report the mileage trucks travel in 
each state. The system uses satellite signals to determine a 
truck's location, usually to within 30 feet. An onboard 
computer calculates where the truck is with respect to state 
borders and stores the mileage information.

The end result of the project is a computerized report of 
mileage traveled and taxes paid in each state.

"The trucker's trip log is inefficient and often inaccurate," 
Maze said. "This technology will enable motor carriers and 
states to divide taxes and fees more accurately and avoid the 
paperwork nightmare that normally accompanies handwritten 
logs."

Staff at the transportation center are testing the 
technology. Rockwell International Corp. will market it once 
tests are complete. 

In another project, the center is partnering with the Iowa 
Department of Transportation on a pavement management system 
that will affect not only the trucking industry, but all Iowa 
drivers. The system will store information about most paved 
roads in Iowa and serve as a decision-making tool when funds 
are allocated for pavement construction and maintenance.
Special vehicles equipped with onboard cameras and computers 
will help collect information about pavement conditions, such 
as the number, width and depth of cracks in the pavement. 
Based on the information gathered, state officials can better 
prioritize road repair and maintenance projects.

The system eventually will be linked to similar state systems 
that assess traffic safety, traffic congestion and bridge 
repair needs. Together, the systems will help the Iowa DOT 
with short-and long-range transportation planning.

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University Relations
Iowa State University