California Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey        (CA-VIUS)

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) completed and implemented a one-time statewide California Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (CA-VIUS).  This survey collected detailed characteristics of the truck population at a regional level for the entire state of California between 2016-2017.

Caltrans captured the physical and operational characteristics of California’s truck population for the California Statewide Freight Forecasting and Travel Demand Model (CSF2TDM).  The CA-VIUS is an important project that collected the California portion of the National Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS) data that ended in 2002. 

Informing the Inventory and Use Survey

The CA-VIUS project included outreach workshops in the following locations: Gateway Oaks Council of Governments; Kern Council of Governments; and Sacramento informing them of this important survey.  Surveys began in late spring 2016 and concluded in 2017.  Survey instruments included web-based surveys, GPS/OBD, and a limited number of paper surveys.  Incentives were provided to fleet managers who complete the CA-VIUS survey and an additional incentive for trucks instrumented with GPS/OBD.

The CA-VIUS survey results (data) was incorporated in the CSF2TDM to help Caltrans evaluate plans and projects that are most beneficial to the environment, economy and transportation network while lowering overall VMT and reducing GHG emissions.  This data is critical for keeping our transportation models up to date and to meet the immediate needs of multiple agencies responsible for evaluating the impacts of infrastructure enhancements and other related projects on traffic congestion, air quality, fuel consumption, emissions analysis, public health, climate change and equity.