FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION • OFFICE OF MOTOR CARRIER AND HIGHWAY SAFETY

FHWA Contact: Phil Roke, HMCS-30, (202) 366-5884

Motor Carrier Scheduling Practices

Introduction

The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety

began a 4-year research project in September 1997 to evaluate the role of motor carrier

scheduling practices in interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver fatigue. An understanding of motor carrier operational scheduling requirements and practices is fundamental

to any attempt to improve government safety policies and regulations pertaining to CMV

driver fatigue. This study seeks to: (1) assess the operational scheduling requirements of

interstate motor carriers of passengers and property that affect CMV driver fatigue; and 

(2) identify carrier scheduling and related safety practices that have a positive effect on 

safety performance.

The focus of the study is on the management processes and activities associated with driver

scheduling and on commercial vehicle driving environments, rather than how existing 

hours-of-service regulations for CMV drivers influence carrier scheduling. This technical brief

provides an interim update of the study; the research is scheduled to be completed in

Summer 2000.

Methodology

The study may be depicted as a five-step research process: model development; survey 

development; data collection; data analysis; and interpretation and presentation of results.

Researchers have completed an extensive review of driver fatigue literature, conducted 

carrier firm site visits and interviews, and held discussions with focus groups comprised of

carrier personnel involved in driver scheduling (i.e., drivers, dispatchers, safety directors, and

management). 

Upon approval from the Office of Management and Budget, surveys will be mailed to each

of these carrier personnel groups to generate data that will allow researchers to determine

the actual nature and extent of operational requirements and various scheduling and other

safety-related practices. These data will then be analyzed to identify relationships between

scheduling and associated practices and safety performance.

Model Development

The three primary sources of information used in the development of

the Commercial Motor Vehicle

Driver Fatigue Model (Figure 1)

were the literature review, focus

groups, and carrier site visits and

interviews. Researchers developed

the model to identify the various

scheduling-related factors that

influence driver fatigue, nonscheduling factors that may also

have an effect on driver fatigue,

and measures of driver fatigue.

Three categories of factors that

may affect driver fatigue emerged

from the literature review; these

were truck/bus driving environments, economic pressures, and

support for driving safely.

Tech Brief

The mission of the Office of

Motor Carrier and Highway

Safety is to develop and 

promote, in coordination with

other Departmental modes,

data-driven, analysis-based,

and innovative programs to

achieve continuous safety

improvements in the Nation’s

highway system, intermodal

connections, and motor carrier

operations. The Office of

Motor Carrier Research and

Standards manages the safety

regulatory program and the

central research management

function for Motor Carrier and

Highway Safety.

There are eight major research

and technology focus areas:

regulatory evaluation and

reform; compliance and

enforcement; driver training

and performance management; driver alertness and

fatigue; driver physical qualifications; car-truck proximity;

HAZMAT safety and cargo

tank integrity; and crash 

causation and profiling.

Driver alertness and fatigue

primarily supports current and

future hours-of-service rulemaking activities, along with

fatigue outreach and fatigue

management technology

development.

Office of Motor Carrier Research

and Standards

400 Seventh Street, SW

HMCS-30; Room 3107

Washington, DC 20590

CMV Driving 

Environments

• Regularity of Time

• Quality of Rest

• Trip Control Fatigue

• Driver Level

• Carrier Level Economic Pressures

• Scheduling Demands of

Commerce

• Driver Economic or

Personal Factors

• Carrier Economic Factors

Support for Driving Safety

Figure 1.

Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Fatigue

Model (Interim)
Researcher

This study is being performed

by the Trucking Research

Institute and Iowa State

University, in collaboration 

with the National Private 

Truck Council and Daecher 

Consulting Group. Contract No:

DTFH61-96-X-00022.

Distribution

This Tech Brief is being 

distributed according to a 

standard distribution. Direct 

distribution is being made to

the Resource Centers and

Divisions.

Availability

The study final report will be

available in Fall 2000.

Key Words

scheduling practices, driver

fatigue, survey, driver, 

dispatcher, safety director, 

management, symposium of

experts.

Notice

This Tech Brief is disseminated

under the sponsorship of the

Department of Transportation

in the interest of information

exchange. The Tech Brief 

provides a synopsis of the

study’s final publication. The

Tech Brief does not establish

policies or regulations, nor does

it imply FHWA endorsement of

the conclusions or recommendations. The U.S. Government

assumes no liability for its 

contents or their use.

From the focus groups, it appeared that the major scheduling concerns of drivers include:

regularity/irregularity of driving time, degree of trip control, quality of rest while working,

scheduling demands, and drivers’ individual economic pressures. By far, unanticipated trip

delays were the most frequently cited reason for driver fatigue and stress during the focus

group sessions and site visits. These focus groups served to validate the findings from the 

literature review and to provide operational and organizational examples to aid in the

development of survey instruments.

In addition, researchers made site visits to 13 CMV operators to observe their driverscheduling practices and to obtain a better understanding of the carriers’ operating 

practices and systems. Interviews were also conducted with drivers, dispatchers, safety 

directors, and senior executives at each company. Although the emphasis was not on factors

influencing driver fatigue, several interviewees expressed views that were consistent with

those in the focus groups.

Survey Development

Drivers, dispatchers, safety directors, and top-level managers or executives will be surveyed

to obtain data needed to test the efficacy of the driver fatigue model. Separate survey

instruments have been developed for truck and bus operators. Additionally, a short form of

the driver version has been developed for use in surveying drivers at truck stops. While a

unique survey instrument was developed for each category of carrier personnel, each of the

four surveys has similar questions. Comparisons of perceptions among the four groups are

expected to be useful in the data analysis and interpretation of the results. Also, multiple

perspectives will assist in determining the validity and accuracy of the responses. The survey

is expected to help identify areas where carriers should focus safety improvement efforts.

Each survey instrument went through a rigorous review and revision process and was 

pre-tested by carrier personnel from the target populations. After the surveys were revised

to address their concerns and suggestions, they were reviewed by the Project Steering

Committee, pre-tested by drivers, carrier executives, safety directors, and dispatchers, and

submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for approval.

Continuing Research

In the data collection phase, researchers intend to select, at random, 500 interstate motor

carriers of passengers and property for which the FHWA has safety performance data. 

Each participating motor carrier company will receive seven surveys, one each for the 

top-level manager and safety director, two for dispatchers, and three for drivers. Each 

participating motor coach company will receive five surveys, two for drivers and one each

for the top-level manager, safety director, and dispatcher. 

The data analysis will be focused on several objectives, including:

• Determining the key factors that influence commercial driver fatigue; 

• Developing definitions or a typology of “driving environments,” and estimating the 

number of CMV drivers that fall into each environment;

• Identifying carrier scheduling and related practices that affect driver fatigue and safety

performance; and

• Synthesizing the findings of this project with those from other research efforts to derive

implications for government safety regulations and carrier management efforts.

After the survey results have been received and analyzed, the project team will prepare a

draft report and convene a symposium of experts (e.g., experts in traffic management, shift

work, motor carrier operations and safety, motor coach operations and safety, and other

areas) to review the findings. The symposium will also develop recommendations for 

scheduling “best practices” for enhancing safety and determine the broader implications 

for government safety regulations and for carrier management. The team will incorporate

the input from the symposium into the study final report, which is expected to be available

by Fall 2000. August 1999

Publication No. FHWA-MCRT-99-016