Impact of Driver Detention Time on Safety and Operations (Detention Time)

The core mission of the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA) is to reduce commercial motor vehicle (CMV)-related crashes and fatalities. In carrying out this mission, and in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 504, 31133, 31136, 31502, 49 CFR 1.73, and 49 U.S.C. 31108, FMCSA conducts research to identify and assess contributing factors associated with CMV crashes and performs analyses to identify potential mitigation strategies that could be used to improve safety. To carry out these research studies, FMCSA contracted with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to evaluate the impact of CMV driver detention time (the time CMV drivers spend at shipping and receiving facilities not associated with essential tasks) on roadway safety and CMV operations. Specifically, FMCSA needs additional data from a broad sample of carriers to understand the safety and operational impacts of detention time and why it occurs. Further, this study will assess the utility of existing intelligent transportation system (ITS) solutions to measure detention time. This Privacy Impact Assessment is being conducted to address the risks associated with VTTI collecting, processing, and maintaining Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from study participants on behalf of FMCSA.