Predicting Damage Incidents, Fines, and Fuel Consumption from Truck Driver Data: A Study from the Netherlands

Tom Driessen, Dimitra Dodou, Dick de Waard, Joost de Winter*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
46 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Trucks are disproportionately involved in fatal traffic accidents and contribute significantly to CO2 emissions. Gathering data from trucks presents a unique opportunity for estimating driver-specific costs associated with truck operation. Although research has been published on the predictive validity of driver data, such as in the contexts of pay-how-you-drive insurance and naturalistic driving studies, the investigation into how telematics data relate to the negative consequences of truck driving remains limited. In the present study, driving data from 180 truck drivers, collected over a 2-year period, were examined to predict damage incidents, traffic fines, and fuel consumption. Correlation analysis revealed that the number of fines and damage incidents could be predicted based on the number of harsh braking events per hour of driving, whereas fuel consumption was predicted by engine torque exceedances. Our analysis also sheds light on the impact of covariates, including the engine capacity of the truck operated and time of day, among others. We conclude that the damage incidents and fines incurred by truck drivers can be predicted not only from their number of harsh decelerations but also through driving demands that extend beyond the driver’s immediate control. It is recommended that transportation companies adopt a systemic approach to mitigating truck-driving-related expenses.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1026-1042
Number of pages17
JournalTransportation Research Record
Volume2678
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Funding

Funding Information:
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research is funded by Transitions and Behaviour (grant no. 403.19.243; “Towards Safe Mobility for All: A Data-Driven Approach”), provided by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).

Keywords

  • driver
  • freight systems
  • safety
  • safety and human factors
  • truck and bus safety
  • trucking industry research
  • trucks

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