Abstract

This study evaluates the feasibility for developing and maintaining a comprehensive tractor truck trailer database. The commercial motor vehicle (CMV) community currently lacks a cross-jurisdictional, centralized repository for commercial trailers registered in United States and Canadian jurisdictions. Existing federal databases provide information on interstate commercial motor carriers, vehicles, and drivers but exclude trailers. Similarly, IRP and IFTA do not collect trailer-level data, and trailer data is displayed inconsistently across its customer base. Approximately one fifth of violations in Kentucky during inspections from 2020 to 2022 were attributed to trailers, including worn tires, inadequate brakes or improper registration. The rise of organized theft affecting rail and trucking operations requires countermeasures such as incorporating better data on trailers and improving federal coordination. Law enforcement, auditors, and safety administrators experience fragmented processes and data limitations. This study examined the operational, safety, and administrative implications of such a database while also assessing technical feasibility, stakeholder perspectives, and policy considerations. Researchers circulated two surveys to law enforcement officials and jurisdictional registration agencies. Law enforcement emphasized the importance of license plate numbers, VINS, make and year, jurisdiction and expiration data. Jurisdiction agencies indicated they obtain trailer data through registrant submissions or through third party agents such as county offices. The surveys illustrated the need for a centralized commercial trailer database, standardized across different existing IT systems. The findings support a centralized CMV trailer repository to potentially yield measurable safety and credentialing benefits, allow for more consistent fee collection and improve identification of unsafe or stolen trailers.

Report Date

9-2025

Report Number

KTC-26-11

Digital Object Identifier

https://doi.org/10.13023/ktc.rr.2026.11

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