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PROJECT DETAILS

Author(s)
Dr. Arnim H. Meyburg
Universities
Publication Year
Publication Type

The main objective of this project was to evaluate the impact of New York State’s divisible-load permit system for heavy trucks in terms of benefits and costs to society. Under this system, New York State has allowed a fleet of approximately 12,800 power units to operate above the federal limits on gross vehicle weights and axle loads. The system has eleven permit categories corresponding to number of axles, weight limits, and statewide or downstate geographic area of operation. The primary cost is increased pavement damage, while the primary benefit is reduced transportation costs for the trucking industry and the secondary benefits are to the state’s economy resulting from this reduction. Seasonal benefits and costs for several levels of departure from the federal weight regime were evaluated to assess the optimum weight limit under a simplified system based on ratios of the federal limits.

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