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The executive summary for the Hazardous Material Transportation Safety and Security Field Operational Test: Beta Test and Baseline Data Report is posted at http://www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov/jpodocs/repts_te/13900.html. The executive summary describes the Beta Test and Baseline Data Collection efforts and discusses the lessons learned during this effort about the evaluation process.

The Beta Test and Baseline Data Collection efforts ensured that the test technologies would successfully operate during the field operational test (FOT) in the designed scenario configurations. These efforts also ensured that FOT systems would successfully capture and deliver the test data streams to the Evaluation Team for subsequent analysis.

The initial technology demonstration during May and June of 2003 provided a preview of the selected test technologies to be deployed during the beta test and subsequently during the FOT. The beta test ran for a 5-day period from July 14 - 18, 2003, at the Qualcomm facilities in San Diego, California and in the surrounding area. The Qualcomm technology truck was used as the prototype platform for the beta test. Members from the Operational Test Team and the Evaluation Team were onsite during portions of the beta test week.

Participating motor carriers were interviewed at either their operations terminal or corporate headquarters during the summer of 2003 to confirm their "day in the life" operational descriptions for FOT participation. The interviews collected all available operations data to be used in comparison with the FOT automated systems-generated operations data. The on-site interviews quantified existing operations, including key operating metrics, collected qualitative information and identified participant perspectives regarding security and safety concerns.