The impact of road geometry, surface roughness and truck weight on operating speed of logging trucks

ABSTRACT

Improved transport planning and pricing is dependent on correct cycle times. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of road curvature, surface roughness, gradient and truck weight on the operating speed of a conventional 60-tonne gross vehicle weight logging truck. The study used a 320-km test track consisting of both public and forest roads. The track was driven with various gross vehicle weights. Speed data was retrieved from the truck’s CAN-bus system and road data was measured with a profilograph. The key factors for operating speed were curvature and surface roughness, both of which were correlated to each other as well as partially captured by functional road class. Regression analysis quantified the individual effects of these factors as well as gradient, undulation and interactions with truck weight. A regression model is presented which explained 80% of the variation in operating speed. The results were consistent with previous studies, and the proposed models can be used to improve transport planning, cost estimation, operative route path selection and road investments.

KEYWORDS:

• Logging trucks
• speed modelling
• low volume roads
• road curvature
• road gradient
• truck payload

Acknowledgements

Many people have been involved in this work, but the authors would like to especially thank the driver, Fredrik Petterson at Lönn and Petterson haulage company, as well as Sima Mohtashami, Lars Eliasson and Inger Petré at Skogforsk for their contributions to analysis and documentation of this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Gunnar Svenson http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8546-1185

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by Skogforsk (Forestry Research Institute of Sweden), the Swedish Transport Administration, and FIRST (Forest Industrial Research School on Technology).