A Road Profile Based Truck Ride Index (TRI)

Very little is known about riding quality for trucks. Pavement roughness is widely accepted as a reliable low-cost measure of ride quality for occupants of passenger cars, and of road condition, and is a significant input to the estimation of road user costs. There is evidence that drivers of trucks are more sensitive to traditional measures of road roughness than drivers of modern cars. There are a number of anecdotal instances of truck drivers complaining of poorer rider quality than suggested by traditional roughness data. Potentially detrimental effects of poor ride for trucks include premature driver fatigue, damage to goods, increased vehicle operating costs and longer journey times as a result of slower travel.