Providing Access for Large Trucks

TRB Special Report 223 - Providing Access for Large Trucks covers appropriate highways for access, safety, vehicle handling characteristics, pavement service life, access to service facilities, local government access policies, the implementation of access policies, and the definition of terminal.

The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 attempted to strike a balance between improved efficiency of trucking operations and safety. Since the Act became law, the U.S. Department of Transportation has designated a National Network and all states have enacted access policies. Because of the restrictiveness of some state access policies, carriers and shippers have petitioned the Federal Highway Administration to establish minimum uniform standards for reasonable access. State and local transportation officials, however, maintain that access decisions should be made locally.