Oversized/Overweight Truck Permitting Using WWW & GIS Technology

Author: Phil Thiel
Organization: GIS/Trans Ltd.

1311 Executive Center Drive
Suite 255
Tallahassee, FL 32301
USA

Phone: 850/402-9130
Fax: 850/402-4053
pthiel@gistrans.com

Thousands of oversized/overweight truck permits are issued everyday. These permits allow truckers to safely carry oversized and/or overweight loads over state roads - the issuance of the permitting process has been crying for automation.

Currently permits engineers use a manual process of reviewing printed maps, bridge tables and load/impact calculations to determine if the route being requested by the trucking firm is compatible with the load being transported. After the permits engineer has evaluated the route and determined that in fact a permit can be issued, they then use another program to store information on the route and permit, as well as actually printing that permit.

These engineers needed a tool to assist them with the process of evaluating the routes to make their decisions safer and quicker. This tool should be combined with other systems to actually store and issue the permit at the same time. Because these engineers are often located through out the state, this tool needs to be a Web based. And because the process of route analysis lent itself to spatial data queries, it needs to use GIS. Therefore, the end product is a Permit review and issuance tool that uses WWW and GIS technologies.

The new process starts by filling out the forms that have information such as the name of the trucking company, the type of permit being requested, the beginning and ending points of the trip, etc. These forms are GUI driven Web based forms that feed information into an Oracle Database. That database is interfaced with multiple other databases, such as financial systems and the mapping systems. This Oracle environment replaces the older system that was custom written in COBOL that did not interface well with the users or with the other systems at all. Another benefit to the new system is that it collects and stores all the information related with this permit in one central database, but allows access to anyone necessary via the Intranet. Anyone with the proper access privileges to the Intranet can issue and verify permit-related information.

When user use this tool to analyze the route, the first thing that happens is that they determine the beginning and ending points of the requested route and the particular information associated with the vehicle and anticipated load. The application (using Esri GIS technology) then selects the shortest route between those two points using state roads and immediately identifies any trouble bridges along the route. As a matter of assurance each bridge along the route is tagged as either acceptable or a possible impedance. The impedance is identified by type, such as height or weight constraints, etc. All of this analysis is performed with and easy to use GUI that walks the permit engineer through the entire route.

One of the main benefits to this system is its one stop shop approach, for example: The user can enter the data, analyze the route and once the determination is made that the permit can be issued, the system can verify an account, determine an adequate amount and approve the billing. The system can then print out the actual permit with written directions for the trucker (including a map) all within a mater of moments.

For more information, please contact Phil Thiel with GIS/Trans at 850/402-9139.