CVISN: THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY MEETS THE ASPHALT JUNGLE

Although numerous computer systems are simplifying the lives of truckers and administrators of commercial vehicles, few of these systems speak to each other via the common operating standards and open systems network architectures that are the hallmarks of most major industries. The Federal Highway Administration wants to change that, and one of the ways it intends to start is through a new network architecture known as Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) for the trucking industry. Essentially, CVISN is an attempt to link the disparate intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technologies already impacting the world of commercial vehicle operations (CVO) under a single operating umbrella. Without such a link or network, those ITS computer systems would continue to operate in a stand-alone capacity. The core CVISN infrastructure is eight key ITS/CVO program functions: safety information, credentials administration, electronic screening, international border clearance, automated inspection, onboard safety, hazardous materials response, and fleet and freight management. Ideally, CVISN will facilitate the verification process of all this information through the same transponder technology that now permits drivers with prepaid toll cards to pass through toll plazas without stopping. CVISN is currently being tested in a number of pilot states.