Konferens: HVTT12: International Symposium on Heavy Vehicle Transport Technology, 2012, Stockholm

This paper discusses the truck transport task in Costa Rica, particularly dealing with the truck size and weight (TS&W) regulations, vehicle safety regulations, enforcement practices, and compliance issues associated with this task. These issues were investigated through site visits, data collection and analysis of over one million truck records, and an extensive survey of local government and industry officials. The research revealed a significant disconnect between those who create TS&W regulations and measure compliance and those who enforce regulations. Despite the disconnect, the problem of overweight trucks in Costa Rica is small. Nearly all (99.8 percent) large trucks comply with gross vehicle weight (GVW) regulations. Few trucks are operating overweight but many more may be operating with vehicle safety issues. There are no roadside safety inspections for trucks in Costa Rica at this time so it is difficult to determine the compliance with respect to vehicle safety standards. Ensuring on-road compliance with truck regulations is necessary for road safety, the infrastructure, and regional integration.