CTE Freight & Logistics 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a State Freight Plan as required under federal transportation law?
- To regulate freight carrier rates within the state
- To identify and prioritize freight infrastructure needs and investments (Correct answer)
- To license commercial motor vehicle operators
- To establish maximum weight limits on all state roads
Correct answer: To identify and prioritize freight infrastructure needs and investments
A State Freight Plan identifies freight infrastructure gaps, needs, and investment priorities to support efficient goods movement and is required to receive National Highway Freight Program funds.
Question 2: Which federal legislation first established the requirement for states to develop State Freight Plans?
- Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21)
- The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)
- The Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (Correct answer)
- The Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act (STURAA)
Correct answer: The Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act
The FAST Act of 2015 established the requirement for states to develop State Freight Plans as a condition for receiving National Highway Freight Program funds.
Question 3: The National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) is composed of which categories?
- Primary and Secondary Freight Networks only
- Primary Freight Network, Interstate highways not on the PFN, and Critical Rural and Urban Freight Corridors (Correct answer)
- Urban and Rural Freight Networks designated by MPOs
- Federal Freight Network and State Freight Networks
Correct answer: Primary Freight Network, Interstate highways not on the PFN, and Critical Rural and Urban Freight Corridors
The NHFN consists of the Primary Freight Network (PFN), Interstate highways not on the PFN, and Critical Rural/Urban Freight Corridors designated by states and approved by FHWA.
Question 4: In freight transportation, what does the term 'deadhead' refer to?
- A truck or vehicle traveling without a paying load (Correct answer)
- A railroad locomotive traveling without attached cars
- A cargo vessel traveling against the prevailing current
- An aircraft completing a ferry flight without cargo
Correct answer: A truck or vehicle traveling without a paying load
Deadhead refers to a commercial vehicle traveling without a paying load, which reduces carrier efficiency and increases per-unit operating costs.
Question 5: Which metric is the standard measure of freight productivity and goods movement volume?
- Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
- Ton-miles (Correct answer)
- Passenger Car Equivalents (PCE)
- Level of Service (LOS)
Correct answer: Ton-miles
Ton-miles, calculated as the product of cargo weight in tons and distance in miles, is the standard metric for measuring freight productivity and total goods movement volume.
Question 6: What is the federal maximum gross vehicle weight (GVW) limit for trucks on the Interstate Highway System?
- 60,000 pounds
- 73,280 pounds
- 80,000 pounds (Correct answer)
- 88,000 pounds
Correct answer: 80,000 pounds
The federal maximum gross vehicle weight on the Interstate Highway System is 80,000 pounds under the Federal Bridge Formula, unless a special oversize/overweight permit is obtained.
Question 7: What is 'freight demand modeling' primarily used for in transportation planning?
- Setting pricing structures for freight services
- Forecasting future freight volumes and patterns to support infrastructure investment decisions (Correct answer)
- Scheduling real-time carrier delivery routes
- Tracking individual shipment locations using GPS technology
Correct answer: Forecasting future freight volumes and patterns to support infrastructure investment decisions
Freight demand modeling forecasts future freight volumes, commodity flows, and mode choice to support long-range transportation planning and capital investment decisions.
CTE Freight & Logistics 1
What is the primary purpose of a State Freight Plan as required under federal transportation law?