Find us at Accelerate! Conference & Expo By Women in Trucking Association Nov. 5-7
Freight Vehicle Optimization
Project Motivation
In North Texas, trucks are perhaps the most visible mode of freight movement. Approximately 77 percent of goods shipped to the region arrive by truck. While this number is significant, the freight industry in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area is diverse, encompassing rail, intermodal, air cargo, trucks, and pipelines. All the modes work together to ensure food gets to the grocery store, fuel makes it from the refinery to the service station and retail products are delivered to market for consumers.
Freight North Texas is an ongoing planning program led by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) to enhance the safety, mobility, efficiency, and air quality associated with freight movements in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.
Because the freight industry is essential to North Texas and because the improved movement of trucks will not only assist with expedited deliveries but also reduce emissions, the NCTCOG initiated a Freight Optimization System deployment in 2022.
NCTCOG selected a team lead by Kimley-Horn to conduct a five-year program that identifies traffic signals that would most benefit from freight flow optimization. Up to ten DFW cities are participating in this technology deployment program.
Technology has changed all aspects of our lives, think how online shopping has increased convenience and part of bolstering the booming logistics industry in North Texas. The innovation provided through intelligent traffic signal optimization allows for freight routes with fewer stops, less idling at red lights and reduced emissions. Goods arrive more quickly. Investment in innovation and technology is a powerful signal of the DFW region’s leadership and agile mindset to ensure future health and prosperity.
This website provides information regarding this program, upcoming events, and how to share input for this program.
Why is there a freight optimization program?
Freight movement is essential to daily life. Almost everything travels by truck at some point on its journey. In fact, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), if trucks stopped delivering freight:
- Within 6–12 hours assembly lines would come to a stop;
- Within 24 hours hospitals would begin to run out of essential supplies;
- Within 48 hours service stations would begin to run out of fuel; and
- Within 72 hours grocery stores would begin to run out of perishable items.
Clearly, it is important to keep freight moving the economy. Freight-related employment constitutes approximately 20 percent of all regional employment in North Central Texas. DFW is a natural focal point for the movement of goods by truck in North America. The region is also a national railroad crossroads and a domestic and international air cargo hub, making it a national logistics center. The region is one of the nation’s largest inland ports where freight is moved, transferred, and distributed to destinations across the state and around the world. Furthermore, when trucks move more smoothly they use less fuel and emit far fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
SCHEDULE
Coming soon
PROGRAM BENEFITS
PUBLIC HEALTH
- Better Air Quality
- Increased Multi-Modal Safety
QUALITY OF LIFE
- Reduced Congestion
- Better Commute Times
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
- Improved Route Efficiency
- Increased Revenue/Decreased Costs
EQUITY
- Available for all truck fleets and drivers with a smartphone on board, regardless of size
GET INVOLVED
NEWS + EVENTS
Please check back for important news.
Find us at the following events:
Accelerate! Conference & Expo – By Women in Trucking Association | womenintrucking.org