Goal

This project will perform foundational research and engage stakeholders to inform the planning of a smart trailer research track under the FMCSA ACE Program and prepare the ACE Program’s smart trailer for upcoming research.

Summary

FMCSA’s ACE Program research focuses on identifying and promoting best practices as well as developing tools to facilitate industry’s use of connected and automated CMVs. The ACE program has generated an initial research questions and topics for the program’s new smart trailer research track. These include:

• How can smart trailer data be utilized for predictive/preventive maintenance?
• How can fleets operating automated CMVs effectively monitor regulated trailer equipment and safety systems in the absence of smart trailer data (e.g., with a standard trailer)?
• Research to inform communications standards and best practices for trailer-to-tractor communications and trailer (or tractor)-to-infrastructure communications.

Impacts

Under this intra-agency agreement (IAA), the Volpe Center will address the research topics listed above and will support FMCSA in other smart trailer research activities that include, but not limited to: 

• Understanding the role of trailers in tractor-trailer crashes.
• Safety assessment and needs of smart trailer driving operations and maintenance.
• Establishing data connectivity between the tractor and trailer.
• Collaborating and informing ATA’s smart trailer working group and related voluntary industry consensus standards.
• Enhancement of FMCSA’s smart trailer research platform, including establishing a subcontract award to Drōv, the supplier of the smart trailer system on the ACE trailer, for related engineering support. 
• Stakeholder engagement to identify research/technology gaps to inform the development of an ACE Program Smart Trailer Research Track roadmap.