Freight and Goods Mobility Solutions Brochure | HNTB

Freight and Goods Mobility Solutions

Freight and Goods Mobility Services

Increasing demand and pressure on supply chains are impacting the nation’s multimodal transportation network. At HNTB, we partner with our clients to plan, design, operate and manage the critical multimodal systems necessary to support our economy. By leveraging our comprehensive freight and goods mobility services, HNTB delivers solutions to enhance safety, efficiency and resiliency of multimodal freight systems.

HNTB’s Services

Trucking, Rail, Maritime, Air Cargo and Last Mile Delivery Solutions

Freight and Goods Mobility Planning and Policy

Commercial Vehicle Operations and Compliance Verification

Truck Parking Planning, Technology and Implementation

Freight Data Integration and Digital Solutions

Emerging Technology, Alternative Fuels and Advanced Mobility Solutions

Defining What We Do

Freight and Goods Mobility Planning and Policy

From state and regional multimodal freight plans to establishing statewide freight infrastructure investment programs, HNTB leverages its full suite of services to deliver industry-leading freight and goods mobility solutions. HNTB develops statewide, regional and urban plans to advance freight and goods mobility with a focus on safety, efficiency, resiliency and equity.

Truck Parking Planning, Technology and Implementation

HNTB is the industry leader in the implementation of truck parking solutions including monitoring truck parking demand, smart truck port planning and design, and Truck Parking Availability Systems. HNTB’s team provides systems planning, concept of operations, systems architecture, contract scoping, implementation oversight and continuous monitoring.

Freight Data Integration and Digital Solutions

HNTB provides solutions that drive operational efficiencies, safety enhancements and informed decision-making through the use of big data. We aggregate data from existing assets, such as roadside sensors and weigh stations, with commercially available truck probe data to produce freight network analytics that enhance multimodal connectivity on a local, regional and national scale. Our integrated solutions offer real-time network management and optimization.

Emerging Technology, Alternative Fuels and Advanced Mobility Solutions

HNTB helps public agencies evaluate and integrate emerging technologies for moving freight through its policy, planning, design, integration and operations services. Whether it is the delivery of goods using connected and autonomous trucks, electric cargo bikes or drones, HNTB is at the forefront.

Commercial Vehicle Operations and Compliance Verification

HNTB supports public agencies with the development of capital programs that leverage Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration funding for technology deployment through design, planning, operations and maintenance master planning services. Our experience includes the development of technology applications that drive operational efficiency of compliance verification activity. This provides our clients access to critical information to plan, maintain and operate public infrastructure, including weigh stations, border crossings and ports of entry.

Trucking, Rail, Maritime, Air Cargo and Last Mile Delivery Solutions

HNTB provides a wide range of services that help its clients plan, develop, finance, design, maintain and operate multimodal freight transportation infrastructure including trucking, rail, maritime and air cargo. HNTB also partners with agencies to analyze the implementation and use of a multimodal approach that allows for the safest and most efficient goods mobility network.

Demonstrating Success

HNTB has been partnering with clients to support critical needs to meet demands across all modes of transportation that support the delivery and movement of goods. This includes planning, design and operational solutions for freight, railroads, maritime ports, airports and highways as well as smart and connected corridors and the development of truck parking systems.

MAASTO Truck Parking Information Management System

Multistate

HNTB served as the general engineering consultant for the eight members of the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) as they developed and implemented their Regional Truck Parking Information Management System (TPIMS). The goals of the system were to improve safety; provide timely, reliable information to drivers and dispatchers; maximize use of existing parking; add value to the trucking industry; implement the system in a sustainable way and allow state-specific flexibility.

The project used ITS technology to provide truckers with accurate, actionable parking information, saving them

from losing limited legal hours of service searching for parking or from using illegal or unsafe parking locations, risking their safety and that of other motorists.

HNTB collaborated with MAASTO Regional Partnership to aid in identifying and designing the overall system approach, which entailed preliminary engineering associated with ITS design and deployment at public and private truck parking facilities. HNTB was also responsible for developing the successful $25 million federal TIGER grant application that helped launch the project and an additional $7 million supplement from the Federal Highway Administration.

Truck Parking Information and Management System

Michigan

The Michigan Department of Transportation selected HNTB to plan, design and oversee installation of a Truck Parking Information and Management System along 129 miles of the Interstate 94 corridor, the state’s busiest road. The system identifies safe truck parking availability and then delivers that information to drivers in real time, allowing them to proactively plan routes and make informed parking decisions.

To collect accurate parking availability data, detection cameras and other sensors were deployed at rest areas

and private facilities. HNTB developed business-tobusiness agreements with the truck stops, allowing HNTB to install sensor technology, collect parking data and license the information to MDOT.

Drawing on information from 15 public and private parking areas, the system uses dynamic parking information signs, a dedicated website, a smart phone application and connected vehicle technology to disseminate reliable, timely parking information to drivers.

Ohio Advanced Air Mobility Framework

Ohio

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), through DriveOhio, the state’s smart mobility hub, released the nation’s first Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) framework. This framework supports and positions Ohio for anticipated advanced aviation growth throughout the state.

In collaboration with the ODOT, HNTB developed the commissioned study and prepared the framework for Ohio to support AAM. By capturing the existing AAM ecosystem, Ohio-specific activities, route planning considerations and recommendations for establishing vertiports, HNTB was able to summarize key information and develop a strategic analysis for AAM infrastructure, policy and technology in the state.

AAM uses next-gen technologies to move people and cargo between places not conveniently served by surface transportation or existing aviation. Three use cases supporting new aerospace growth for Ohio include:

• Cargo / Freight Delivery

• Regional Air Mobility

• Emergency Services

Supporting Ohio’s goal to increase its smart mobility, this framework is a roadmap to apply AAM for the safe, efficient and equitable transportation of people and goods throughout the state.

Courtesy of Ohio Department of Transportation

Freight Operations Exchange

Florida

Partnering with the Florida Department of Transportation’s Motor Carrier Size and Weight Division, HNTB is leading efforts on development of FDOT’s Freight Operations Exchange (FOX) to help facilitate safe and efficient movement of freight on state roadways through technology applications.

FOX serves as a centralized management and exchange platform that integrates data from various roadside devices, including those located at the statewide weigh stations and virtual weigh-in-motion installations. Its data management platform supports the verification of commercial vehicle information against various state and federal databases for safety and other credentials and is being expanded to include information on goods movements from additional sources, including existing traffic monitoring sites and major freight generators such as ports and terminals.

Utilizing partnerships with other state agencies and in alignment with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Innovative Technology Deployment

program, FOX leverages cameras and other sensors to capture unique information on individual vehicles, allowing for active monitoring of goods movements not only across Florida, but nationwide.

The FOX centralized hub allows users to view various performance measures in real time, allowing for operational modifications to increase safety and mobility. The system also provides an important connection between various facilities and partner agencies, including the intelligent transportation network, the oversize and overweight permit system, transportation data and analytics network.

Through integration with other systems, such as the Vehicle to Everything Data Exchange Platform being developed by FDOT, FOX directly supports the adoption of emerging technologies, including automated trucks. Other use cases include active asset management and real-time traffic operations, including incident response and arterial management such as freight signal priority.

State of Louisiana Weigh-In-Motion

Louisiana

HNTB serves as the prime consultant providing program management services to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development for evaluation, master planning, policy, procedures, design and oversight for statewide weigh station facilities.

This program is being delivered in distinct phases and provides support for the establishment of a national interconnected freight network for enhanced goods mobility through active data exchange.

This includes:

• An initial assessment of existing facilities across the state to determine the functionality for daily activities in support of LaDOTD. The assessment included full scanning of the roadway and facilities using both mobile and terrestrial Lidar surveying techniques. These were complemented with physical inspection of the sites including technology deployments.

• A statewide master plan that will provide a comprehensive capital improvement plan to restore existing facilities as well as establish new facilities based on the forecast goods movements. The projectspecific plans will include technology upgrades for modernized facilities that leverage available funding, including Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Innovative Technology Deployment grants as well as other federal discretionary grant programs.

• Final design, construction and continuous program evaluation and reporting that will follow the adoption of the master plan.

I-70 Truck Automation Corridor

Ohio and Indiana

As program manager, HNTB is working to advance the adoption of truck automation technology along a 166-mile corridor between Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana.

The pilot project will test technologies such as truck platooning and include a smart work zone that includes

queue and speed warnings, as well as alerts for presence of workers on the roadways and additional work zone information.

A portion of commercial vehicles also will be outfitted with onboard equipment to receive hands-free information on work zone and related messages.

Kansas Department of Transportation

Rural Freight Connected Corridor

Kansas

HNTB supported the Kansas Department of Transportation with the development of a statewide plan for the advancement of connected and automated vehicles. This plan included stakeholder engagement to prioritize opportunities to advance the project’s implementation. Through coordination with the Kansas Departments of Agriculture and Commerce, the opportunity to enhance supply chain resiliency through a connected vehicle application for commercial vehicles was identified as a priority for the state, in part due to

the economic impacts of agricultural business in Kansas that is dependent on trucks.

HNTB also assisted in the successful application for an Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment grant that provides over $6.6 million in federal funding to implement the project. HNTB serves as the owner’s representative, managing the grant, systems engineering, stakeholder engagement and performance monitoring of the program.

The project implements technology improvements along U.S. 83, a two-lane Kansas Critical Rural Freight Corridor that is 100 miles in length. The project is a system that combines fiber-optic communication cable to collect and distribute safety, traffic operations, agricultural operations, weather and other critical information along the corridor.

The project includes:

• Expansion of intelligent transportation systems, including fiber-optic communication, road weather information systems and traffic information via roadside and crowd-sourced platforms.

• KanDrive advanced traveler information application expansion for corridor reporting and information dissemination.

• Integration with electronic logging devices (ELD) and mobile applications to provide in-cab messaging to the commercial vehicle users.

• Deployment of roadside units to implement freight signal priority at traffic signals along the corridor using cellular-vehicle-to-everything technology.

• Incorporation of truck parking information management systems data.

Texas Statewide Railroad Services

Texas

Working with the Texas Department of Transportation, HNTB conducted a regional freight study that assessed rail lines, ports, highways, crossings and congestion points across Houston. During the study, modeling and routing scenarios were developed to analyze how best to eliminate delays at crossings and minimize impacts of congestion.

HNTB also created a usable database of more than 2,000 at-grade crossings that identified train and vehicle

volume by site and ranked the most important sites by region. Conceptual feasibility plans were developed for the top 100 sites.

HNTB also conducted separate regional studies for TxDOT over the past decade to evaluate the feasibility of rail-grade separation in urban areas.

Port of Panama City Master Plan

Florida

HNTB is delivering a five-year Strategic Master Plan for the Port of Panama City to help expand its impact on the surrounding region. This works includes updates to the Port’s Capital Investment Plan as well as performing market assessments for domestic and international trade and collaborating to align the Port with funding opportunities to support top-priority development needs.

The Master Plan will help expand the overall impact of the Port by supporting local and regional freight mobility that enhances revenue and increases job opportunities for the local workforce. The plan also will have major secondary impacts on delivery of commodities that drive the manufacturing, fulfillment and final distribution of goods and services.

Texas Delivers 2050 — State Freight Mobility Plan Implementation

Texas

Working in coordination with the Texas Department of Transportation, HNTB led the implementation of the state’s multimodal freight mobility plan. This effort focused on leveraging statewide assets from TxDOT and partner agencies to effectively maintain the multimodal freight network.

This included:

• Identifying and integrating existing operations and technology deployments across the Texas Multimodal Freight Network, including weigh-in-motion, vehicle charging, intelligent transportation system components, broadband communication and local and regional transportation management centers.

• Collaborating with partner agencies to expand information and drive informed decision-making. This includes modal components such as rail crossing notifications, border crossing information systems, and terminal arrival times.

• Developing data sharing technology applications and reporting mechanisms to ensure freight data from

numerous sources are combined in a comprehensive exchange platform.

• Developing dedicated freight mobility innovation zones in urban environments to facilitate the shift from commercial vehicles to smaller delivery devices.

State of North Carolina Freight Plan

North Carolina

HNTB served as prime consultant for the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) efforts to update their Statewide Multimodal Freight Plan (SMFP). This included updating all sections of the existing SMFP as well as developing additional sections required after the adoption of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in late 2021.

The updated plan incorporated numerous planning aspects into a singular product for the entire state with a focus on stakeholder engagement. HNTB led interviews, meetings, forums and online surveys to maximize input from key freight stakeholders in the public and private sectors. This helped gain valuable insight to help NCDOT achieve their vision for freight and goods mobility across the state.

HNTB analyzed modal profiles of freight moved by highway, rail, air, maritime, pipelines and the military. Commodity flow analysis data such as Freight Analysis Framework 5 and rail waybill data were used as part of

this analysis. Both current and future year data were analyzed during the development of the profiles. The plan involved a multimodal needs assessment for both time periods.

The SMFP update also required an update to the North Carolina Statewide Truck Parking. HNTB worked with numerous public sector stakeholders and representatives from the trucking industry to assess the current truck parking inventory and needs, including potential future expansions or new locations for truck parking facilities.

HNTB also included new federally required elements, including an assessment of the impact of extreme weather and natural disasters on freight and goods mobility; the impact of freight movement on air pollution and air quality; flooding and stormwater runoff; wildlife habitat loss and the community impacts associated with goods mobility.

Texas Department of Transportation Truck Parking Implementation

Texas

HNTB partnered with the Texas Department of Transportation to help them advance the implementation of select Statewide Truck Parking Study recommendations and action plans.

Services included the development of an industry and public sector stakeholder engagement plan; an implementation framework for policy, program and project recommendations; a statewide truck parking capacity expansion plan and corridor truck parking plans. Services also included advancing truck parking program and policy recommendations, implementing truck parking and emerging technologies and the development of a statewide truck parking availability systems plan.

HNTB also worked with TxDOT to implement additional priorities including:

• I-10 Truck Parking Availability System — Supporting TxDOT and the I-10 Corridor Coalition with the implementation of a truck parking system at 37 public rest areas along this interstate that connects Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

• Regional truck parking action plans — Leading the development of two action plans, one focused on the Houston-Galveston region and another focused on El Paso and other portions of West Texas. Work included developing local guidelines and ordinance language; working with economic development agencies to document the business case for including truck parking facilities as part of large-scale industrial developments; identifying public-private partnership opportunities for additional truck parking capacity; and facilitating discussions between various stakeholders to meet the demand for truck parking while mitigating potential community impacts.

Advanced Transportation Mobility Strategic Plan

North Carolina

As a leader in innovation, North Carolina is pioneering an advanced mobility future that includes the movement of people and goods using innovative ground and air technologies to create a seamless transportation ecosystem. The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Advanced Transportation Mobility Strategic Plan establishes a strategy for informed decision-making and an action plan that will create and assess technology ideas in the service of transportation programs statewide.

HNTB led the development and is supporting the implementation of this strategic plan, which builds on robust statewide plans for ground transportation and aviation, as well as its three advanced mobility strategic goals to improve quality of life, create economic opportunity and be a transportation trailblazer. Recommendations include a variety of mobility hub styles and functionalities where emerging technologies are used to connect underserved people and places more efficiently.

Oklahoma Advanced Mobility Strategy

Oklahoma

HNTB is supporting Oklahoma in the development of a strategy to create safer, more efficient transportation across the state through an advanced mobility ecosystem. The strategy will create options for goods and people, expand the industry presence and create quality job opportunities to benefit Oklahomans.

The strategy is focused on leveraging emerging modes of transportation, which are transforming the landscape

and improving mobility. These modes include air and ground transport with data-informed guidance systems, reliable autonomy and efficient fuels like electric and hydrogen. HNTB is supporting the strategy to integrate unmanned aircraft systems, advanced air mobility, connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles and shared mobility services.