Benefits of Green Lights: The Texas 5-Year Freight Signal Optimization Program

With better-timed green lights, fleets can expect to see reductions in fuel consumption, travel time, maintenance costs, and accident risks. This is a green light toward a more profitable and sustainable future.

In a world where time is money and sustainability are a priority, minimizing delays is crucial to staying competitive and green.

The state of Texas, known for its vast highway networks and significant role in North American freight movement, is taking a major step toward improving the efficiency of freight transport with its 5-Year Freight Signal Optimization Program.

This initiative highlights how small changes in infrastructure—like adjusting traffic signals—can have a big impact on the bottom line for trucking companies by reducing congestion and improving the movement of goods.

But how exactly does this initiative work, and what benefits can fleets expect from better-timed signals?

What is the Freight Signal Optimization Program?

Texas’ 5-Year Freight Signal Optimization Program focuses on improving traffic signal timing along critical freight corridors.

This initiative is designed to reduce delays for commercial trucks by adjusting traffic lights based on real-time conditions, prioritizing freight movement, and ultimately improving travel times for trucking companies.

The program’s objectives are clear:

• Reduce Stop-and-Go Traffic: Trucks often face frequent stops at traffic lights, leading to fuel waste and longer delivery times.
• Enhance Safety: Smoother traffic flow reduces the risk of accidents, especially at intersections, which are common bottlenecks.
• Improve Air Quality: With fewer stops, trucks burn less fuel, reducing emissions and contributing to better air quality in urban and suburban areas.

This large-scale initiative is part of Texas’ broader strategy to accommodate growing freight demand, expected to increase by 25% over the next decade, while also addressing safety concerns and environmental impacts.

5 Ways Fleets Can Benefit from More Green Lights

The idea behind freight signal optimization is simple but powerful: minimize stops and delays for heavy-duty trucks, thus maximizing the time trucks spend moving rather than idling.

Here’s how fleets stand to benefit:

1. Fuel Savings

Fuel is one of the largest expenses for any fleet.

Every stop a truck makes at a red light increases fuel consumption as accelerating from a complete stop uses significantly more energy than maintaining a steady speed.

The optimization program’s focus on reducing stops means trucks spend more time in motion, cutting fuel costs by improving efficiency.

In a study conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, researchers found that optimized signal timing can reduce fuel consumption for trucks by up to 15% along key freight corridors.

For fleets running hundreds or thousands of trucks, these savings add up quickly.

According to the program, trucks can see a 4 mpg increase in fuel efficiency! This would add up to $400,000 of fuel and operational costs saved for every 5,000 freight stops daily for a year.

2. Reduced Travel Time

Time is money in the trucking business, and every minute a truck spends at a red light represents lost productivity.

How?

With optimized signals, fleets can expect faster deliveries, helping companies to meet tight schedules and potentially increase the number of loads handled.

This time-saving benefit can also have a ripple effect across the supply chain, improving overall customer satisfaction by ensuring on-time deliveries and reducing scheduling conflicts.

It is estimated that for every 5,000 freight stops that are eliminated at traffic lights each day, 3,800 minutes of travel time is saved for truck drivers. Over a year, this accumulates to more than 16,000 hours of travel time saved.

3. Lower Maintenance Costs

Frequent stopping and starting takes a toll on a truck’s engine, brakes, and tires. The wear and tear from stop-and-go traffic shortens the lifespan of key vehicle components.

By keeping trucks moving, the Freight Signal Optimization Program can help reduce the frequency of repairs and extend the lifespan of fleet vehicles, lowering maintenance costs.

Less wear on brakes and other parts also means improved vehicle safety, reducing the risk of breakdowns on the road.

4. Enhanced Safety for Drivers and Other Road Users

Intersections are one of the most dangerous areas for vehicles, particularly large trucks.

Accidents often occur when trucks are stopped at lights, with other vehicles trying to squeeze by or when drivers make sudden stops. By minimizing the need for trucks to stop at red lights, the program can reduce the likelihood of accidents.

In addition, smoother traffic flow can lead to less aggressive driving behaviors, making roads safer for everyone, including truck drivers, who face a higher risk of fatigue and stress in congested conditions.

This would reduce stress for drivers, leading to a more pleasant and productive workday.

For fleets struggling with driver retention, this can be a crucial factor in keeping drivers satisfied and engaged.

5. Environmental Benefits

Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important factor for trucking companies, not only because of regulatory pressures but also due to customer demand for eco-friendly operations.

Signal optimization, by reducing the amount of fuel consumed through idling, can help fleets decrease their carbon footprint.

This can improve a company’s image and align with corporate sustainability goals, all while cutting operational costs.

For every 5,000 freight stops that are eliminated at traffic lights each day, the industry could see 1,300 KG of emissions saved, building to 325 metric tons of emissions saved over a year.

How the Smart Signal Program Works

The Freight Signal Optimization Program provides two cloud-based services to help reduce trucks having to stop at traffic lights and more than 1,000 intersections are currently served.

There are no new hardware installed at traffic signals or on trucks and no changes to any city advanced traffic management system software.

As a truck moves along its route, the vehicle’s GPS data is shared with the EcoDrive and Smart Priority software.

A driver with the EcoDrive app will be advised when the traffic light will change, and the app will display a recommended speed the truck should travel so it reaches the signal as it is ready to turn green.

Additionally, the Smart Priority app can manage the cycle of the light to coordinate with the truck’s arrival, adjusting the timing of the traffic light to coordinate with the truck’s approaching the intersection.

• If the program sees that a truck will arrive while the light is still red, then that light can turn green earlier than planned so the truck can continue without stopping.
• If the program sees a truck might arrive just as a light turns from green to red, the green light can be extended to let the truck safely pass through without stopping.

Once they provided the green time for the truck to get through the signal, all of that GPS data is destroyed, keeping privacy safe.

How Fleets Can Prepare for the Future

To participate in this volunteer 5-year program, drivers can register as a user on FreightPriority.com to get started.

A vehicle’s GPS coordinates are shared using the existing in-vehicle telematics device or using the EcoDrive App downloaded on an Apple or Android device.

To make the most of Texas’ Freight Signal Optimization Program, fleets can take several steps:

• Plan Routes Along Optimized Corridors: Texas’ program will prioritize specific freight routes, so fleets should adjust their routing strategies to take full advantage of these newly optimized corridors.
• Invest in Telematics: Telematics systems can provide real-time data about traffic conditions, allowing fleet managers to dynamically adjust routes to avoid congestion and take advantage of smoother traffic flows.
• Monitor Key Metrics: Fleets should track key performance indicators (KPIs), such as fuel consumption, travel times, and vehicle maintenance costs, to measure the benefits of signal optimization.

There is no cost to the truckers or truck fleets to take advantage of the Freight Signal Optimization Program. All costs are being covered by NCTCOG through the end of 2028.

After that, there will be what Gettman called nominal fees.

Are you ready to be proactive in safety?

At CNS, our DOT Compliance Programs focus on Proactive Safety Management (PSM), a mindset that will ensure your fleet’s safety and compliance is always in order and ahead of the FMCSA.

When partnering with a third-party program, your fleet has a team of experts that costs much less than hiring a safety director or team and can receive constant monitoring to keep your operation FMCSA compliant. Driver management will be simplified and the driver hiring process will shorten.

While data and paper management can be crucial, using a third-party partner will help you be prepared for audit representation, provide document storage, and offer up-to-date company policies and handbook of FMCSA rules and regulation changes.

Our PSM Motor Carrier Program includes:

• ELD management
• Driver Qualification File Management
• New driver on-boarding
• Driver safety meetings
• CSA score management
• Policies and handbooks
• Vehicle maintenance
• and more