U.S. Department of TransportationFederal Highway AdministrationOffice of Freight Management and OperationsRoom 3401400 Seventh Street, SWWashington, DC 20590

Phone: 202-366-9210Fax: 202-366-3302Web site: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freightToll-free help-line: 866-367-7487

June 2005FHWA-HOP-05-030EDL 14118

T h e F r e i g h t T e c h n o l o g y S t o r y

I n t e l l i g e n t

F r e i g h t

T e c h n o l o g i e s

a n d T h e i r

B e n e f i t s

Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s

Executive Summary ................................................ i

Introduction .......................................................... 1

Freight Transportation Today

I. The Innovation and

Implementation Process ........................................ 3

Triggers for Implementation

Barriers to Implementation

II. The Reach of Intelligent

Freight Technologies .......................................... 11

Asset Tracking

On-Board Status Monitoring

Gateway Facilitation

Freight Status Information

Network Status Information

III. Intelligent Freight

Technology Benefits ............................................ 31

Private Sector Benefits

Increased Efficiency and Productivity

Improved Reliability and Service

Enhanced Shipment and Service Integrity

Public Sector Benefits

Freight Network Benefits

IV. Results and Conclusions .............................. 43

Perspectives on the Business Case

Summary of Benefit Estimates

Lessons Learned from the Field

Operational Test Program

Putting the Results in the Larger Context

Appendix A. References and

Points of Contact ................................................ 51

Appendix B. Acronyms ........................................ 59

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