DATA NEEDS FOR NONROAD EQUIPMENT FLEETS

New and compelling data collection methods have entered the nonroad vehicle equipment sector. Public and private fleet managers are increasingly using on-board telematics (e.g., Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and portable activity measurement systems (PAMS) and fleet management software to collect and analyze vast amounts of data from nonroad equipment. The in-use activity data collected by these methods include fuel consumption; daily hours of operation (both at idle and non-idle); equipment turnover; and weekday, weekend, and seasonal usage patterns. These data are valuable sources of insight that enable fleet managers to better manage their fleets. Whereas some public fleets have access to telematics data, many others do not, which severely limits their ability to make informed equipment management decisions. Furthermore, fleet managers that have access to telematics data often find themselves overwhelmed by the vastness of the data and are unsure how to use it.

The primary objective is to create a database of nonroad equipment telematics data that may be shared on a national level among public fleet owners. The database will highlight data that is commonly used to make equipment management decisions such as equipment class information, engine information, geographic location information, and equipment usage information. It is anticipated that most of the data will be contributed by state Departments of Transportation.

Public fleet managers may realize many benefits of a national equipment database:

· Improved usage patterns of equipment within the fleet;

· Improved vehicle and equipment maintenance practices within the fleet;

· “Right-sizing” of the fleet based on seasonal usage and geographic location;

· More accurate estimates of idle and non-idle time of vehicles and equipment;

· Improved characterization of the relationship between fuel consumption and engine load;

· More accurate estimates of vehicle and equipment productivity and operating costs;

· Improved evaluation of the economic, energy, and environmental impacts of nonroad equipment; and

· Benching marking usage

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1. Conduct a review of current literature nonroad equipment telematics data;

1. Survey all 50 state DOTs to identify the methods they use to collect equipment performance data;

2. Collect sample datasets from DOT fleets;

3. Identify common parameters in the datasets and construct a framework for the national database;

4. Develop a portal for accessing and sharing the data.

5. Update the database on a continuous basis as new data becomes available.

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This research is appropriate for MS and PhD research.