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Why are there so many trucks on the road today?
Pennsylvania’s, and the nation’s, economy is changing, demanding reliable access to world and national markets, and generating more movement of freight. The freight transportation industry has undergone a major restructuring in organization and services over the last 20 years. These changes were triggered by the passage of federal deregulation legislation affecting the aviation, motor carrier, rail, and ocean shipping industries.
The needs of the freight transportation industry’s customers also have changed over the last 20 years. Responding to global competition, new technology, and deregulation, businesses are moving from push-logistics systems to pull-logistics systems.
In a push-logistics system, production decisions are based on forecasts. Products are manufactured and delivered to supply destinations. This type of system relies on the warehousing of large inventories to meet customer demand.
In a pull-logistics system, products are manufactured to order and existing inventories are replenished, resulting in smaller inventories. This can be seen in the way Internet-based retailing functions. Using this approach, businesses rely on timely information and reliable, just-in-time freight transportation to meet demand.
The change will enable manufacturers to reengineer production and distribution processes around the replenishment of sold inventory, rather than the production of "likely-to-sell" stock. Such a shift is also expected to move the economy toward production and trade of lighter, higher-value goods and more frequent shipment of smaller loads that travel primarily by truck.
Motor carrier freight volumes are expected to nearly double over the next 20 years, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Freight Management.
Where do all these trucks come from?
A lot of the truck traffic traveling U.S. 30 is generated within Lancaster County: 1.6 million truckloads of freight annually. Yet, our studies indicate that 84% of heavy truck traffic using U.S. 30 in our study area has an origin and destination outside of eastern Lancaster County. Much more of the truck traffic traveling the route comes from nearby counties in the region. Which is to say that this truck traffic is simply passing through the study area.
According to the Wilmington-Harrisburg Freight Study, "eighty-three percent (83%) of the non-port related traffic utilizing"….a roadway corridor consisting of Route 41 (PA and DE), U.S. 30, and PA 283…" has either an origin or termination in New Castle, Chester, Lancaster, or Dauphin County." (Port-related truck traffic comprises less than ten percent of total truck traffic using the corridor.) So while truck traffic is passing through the U.S. 30 study area, it is doing so because it is conducting business in the region.
Freight in the corridor is typically hauled between the Port of Wilmington and the rail yards of Harrisburg, or from the agricultural area of southern Chester County to the food processing plants of Lancaster County. Conversely trucks are hauling stone from the quarries of Lancaster County to building sites in the western suburbs of Philadelphia, or from pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in the county to distribution centers in south Jersey.
Vehicles range from long tractor-trailers hauling freight long distances, to smaller, heavily laden dump trucks in route to job sites, to light trucks and step vans making numerous stops in the region over a four-hour period. They operate according to the schedules of their clientele, some in the late night and early morning, others throughout the workday. In almost all cases, they are striving to use time with a high degree of efficiency, and are balancing congestion, circuity, speed postings, toll costs, facility access, and other factors to achieve this. The trucks are the immediate conduits by which freight is supplied and distributed in the regional economy, supporting the local population, businesses, institutions, and millions of tourists and shoppers. (Click here for more on Wilmington-Harrisburg Freight Study)
Why do so many trucks travel U.S. 30?
Because the route serves their needs. While the interstate highway system was designed to facilitate long distance travel and more efficient movement of goods, trucks must still rely on rural arterials throughout the state. These arterials are important connectors between interstates and serve as routes to rural delivery points. According to the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, 86% of all Pennsylvania communities depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods.
Yet, the percentage of heavy trucks traveling U.S. 30 through the study area is higher than the state average (15.5% of total traffic versus 11.5%). A primary reason is that south central Pennsylvania is a center for trucking, with many long distance haulers and distribution centers located in the area. Harrisburg, Lancaster and other areas of south central Pennsylvania are conveniently located at the hub of major routes, providing convenient access to major cities and states such as New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Ohio. Lancaster County is situated within 500 miles of 40 percent of the U.S. population.
The shipping of goods has also changed in recent years. Federal statistics show that from 1984-1994, the number of miles traveled by medium and heavy duty trucks increased by 37%. This increase in truck miles traveled echoes a similar trend in automobile miles. In Pennsylvania, the number of vehicle miles traveled by the average Pennsylvanian increased by 18 percent between 1990 and 1999, yet the state’s population grew by only 1 percent. In short, people are driving more than they used to and more freight is being moved by trucks than in the past. Today, time-sensitive deliveries have become the norm and trucking serves this need well.
Aren’t trucks traveling on U.S. 30 to avoid tolls on the Pennsylvania?
Some of the trucks traveling through eastern Lancaster County may be using U.S. 30 to avoid tolls. According to our Origin/Destination Surveys, 35 percent of the truck traffic on U.S. 30 indicated that they could have used the Turnpike for their trip instead of U.S. 30. But, because dispatchers select the routes for many of these drivers, the percentage of possible diversions to the Turnpike will be lower, perhaps closer to 25%.
So about a quarter of the truck traffic on U.S. 30 (or about 900 heavy trucks per day) could be on the Turnpike instead. But whether truck drivers choose U.S. 30 over the Turnpike to avoid tolls is a matter of speculation since there are other considerations made when choosing a route. Furthermore, tolls are not the most significant concern. Commercial account holders who are frequent travelers of the Pennsylvania Turnpike system receive volume discounts on their tolls. These volume discounts can provide a savings to commercial carriers of up to 20%, which is one of the most liberal discounts offered by any toll agency in America
We believe, based on the results of our Origin/Destination surveys, that many trucks are traveling U.S. 30 to get to the Turnpike. For instance, the most direct, shortest route between the Port of Wilmington and the Turnpike heading westbound, involves taking PA 41, U.S. 30 and PA 283. This same route allows freight unloaded at the port to quickly get to the rail yards of Harrisburg where it can then be loaded onto trains and shipped to locations around the country.
If tolls on the Turnpike are reduced then the trucks will use that road instead of U.S. 30. Won’t that solve the problem?
No, because the problem is complex it is not so easily solved. The number of vehicles traveling U.S. 30 through the study area averages about 24,000 vehicles daily, on average. Of this number, 15 % or about 3,600, are large trucks. Certainly these trucks contribute to congested conditions. A large truck causes as much congestion as 2.5 to 3.5 cars on flat terrain and as much as 15 cars on uphill grades according to the Highway Capacity Manual. If all of these trucks would travel other routes instead of U.S. 30, there would still be over 20,000 cars a day traveling U.S. 30, leading to continuing congestion and safety problems.
Yes, removing trucks from U.S. 30 will help, but will not replace the need for future improvements. This is especially true when you consider that traffic on summer weekends can swell to 32,000 vehicles a day. Since the volume of truck traffic stays fairly steady throughout the year, the seasonal increase in traffic ( averaging 8,000 vehicles) is a result of more cars and buses on the road. The volume of cars alone requires improvements to U.S. 30.
Because of the large volume of truck freight moving through the county on U.S. 30, the Lancaster County Planning Commission has initiated the Wilmington-Harrisburg Freight Study. This study, which began in the summer of 2001, will seek alternate freight routes from the Port of Wilmington to Harrisburg. The study will identify alternate routes and modes of transport (rail for instance) and suggest ways to divert freight to those routes and modes.
When the Turnpike increased tolls, we saw more trucks on U.S. 30. They’re here because of the higher tolls, right?
Many local residents believe that the number of trucks traveling U.S. 30 increased when tolls on the Turnpike were raised. Such a traffic increase on roads paralleling turnpikes has been common following toll hikes. But this is usually a short-lived phenomenon, according to past trends. It is likely that the increase in truck traffic on U.S. 30 was due to a general increase in miles traveled by trucks which just happened to coincide with the increase in tolls.
According to the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, tolls are but one consideration when choosing a route. Time and distance are bigger factors since they both have a larger influence on a driver’s operating costs.
The shortest, fastest route from the Port of Wilmington to Harrisburg is through Lancaster County via PA 41 to U.S. 30 to PA 283. This route is 93 miles long. Travel time along this is typically 1 hour and 55 minutes. Many businesses serving the trucking industry are located along this route.
By contrast, the route by way of Interstate highways is: I-495 North to I-95 North to I-476 North to I-76 West to the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Exit 24 (Valley Forge) west to Exit 19 (Harrisburg East). This distance of this route is approximately 133 miles. Travel time along this route can vary substantially throughout the day as a result of congestion in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, but is typically two and a half hours. There are few services available for trucks along this route.
With operating costs for a Class 5 truck (up to 45,000 pounds in weight) ranging from $1.36 (American Trucking Association) to $1.78 (Federal Highway Administration, Office of Freight Management) per mile, the longer route would mean an additional expense of $54.40 - $71.20 over the route through Lancaster County, and even more when you factor in tolls. The tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike for a Class 5 truck traveling between Exit 24 and Exit 19 cost $9.25, without discounts.