» Freight Signal Priority

Connected Freight Signal Priority with Glance & Geotab

Applied Information’s Glance® Freight Signal Priority technology enables participating Geotab®-equipped freight fleets to move more efficiently through urban corridors.

By coordinating with connected traffic signals, equipped freight vehicles can receive more green lights, reducing unnecessary stops and idling. This results in smoother travel, improved fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and more reliable freight movement.

Why Freight Signal Priority Matters:

Freight movement is becoming more difficult as congestion increases along urban corridors. Heavy trucks lose operational efficiency every time they stop at a traffic signal. Getting a large vehicle back up to speed takes significant energy and fuel, creating higher emissions and more wear on engines and brakes. Multiply that by hundreds of signals along a corridor, and the impact on cost, reliability, and sustainability becomes clear.

Signal priority helps keep freight vehicles moving. Using real-time data from Geotab-equipped fleets, the Glance Smart City Supervisory Platform connects with traffic signals to support smoother passage through intersections. When conditions allow, the system can extend or initiate a green phase to maintain momentum for qualifying freight vehicles, all while operating within existing timing plans and coordination.

By reducing unnecessary stops, connected freight signal priority improves fuel efficiency, cuts emissions, and enhances schedule reliability for freight and logistics fleets. The result is a safer, more predictable corridor that benefits both heavy vehicles and the general motoring public without disrupting overall traffic flow.

Information Sheet

How Glance and Geotab Work Together

Freight Signal Priority links fleet telematics from Geotab with Applied Information’s Glance platform to request timely green lights for qualifying vehicles as they approach connected intersections.

Each Geotab GO device captures real-time vehicle data and shares it with the MyGeotab cloud. When an equipped freight vehicle approaches a connected intersection, that location data is sent to Glance. Glance communicates through the cellular or agency network to the Field Monitoring Unit (FMU) in the traffic cabinet. The FMU then signals the controller to provide an early or extended green light, allowing the vehicle to move through the intersection smoothly while keeping coordination with other traffic.

Benefits for Freight Fleets:

Keeps freight vehicles moving through corridors

Heavy vehicles require significant energy to get moving once stopped. Freight Signal Priority helps maintain momentum through connected intersections, reducing unnecessary stops and the high fuel use that comes with restarting large trucks

Improves fuel efficiency and reduces emissions

Limits stop-start cycles that increase fuel consumption and emissions, supporting cleaner and more efficient freight operations.

Lowers operating and maintenance costs

Reduces wear on brakes, engines, and drivetrains by minimizing repeated acceleration demands on heavy vehicles in congested conditions.

Integrates easily with existing signal infrastructure

Retrofits into current field systems through the Applied Information Field Monitoring Unit (FMU), allowing agencies to implement freight signal priority without controller replacements or major network upgrades.

Supports corridor efficiency for all road users

Maintains coordinated signal timing so freight priority can be provided without affecting general traffic operations.

Enhances delivery reliability

Provides more predictable travel times for freight operators and supports better scheduling across delivery networks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are Geotab and Applied Information improving fleet vehicle travel times?

Geotab Inc. and Applied Information, Inc. have partnered to deliver green-light signal priority for freight, public works, and commercial fleets. Vehicles equipped with signal priority can request green lights to reduce travel times and fuel emissions. The collaboration integrates Geotab® GO® telematics devices with Applied Information’s Glance® Smart City Supervisory Platform to enhance traffic efficiency, safety, and sustainability.

When a qualified vehicle approaches a connected traffic signal, its Geotab device transmits secure location and speed data to Glance. The platform then requests an early or extended green light if doing so will not disrupt coordinated signal timing.

Which products and platforms does the partnership use to give freight signal priority?

Geotab GO device – a compact telematics unit that collects secure, real-time vehicle data such as speed, location, and fuel usage.
Glance Smart City Supervisory System and FMU– a cloud-based platform from Applied Information that monitors and manages traffic infrastructure and connected devices from any web browser.

Together, these technologies form an integrated vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) solution that helps heavy vehicles move safely and efficiently through intersections.

How does the freight signal priority system work?

When an equipped freight or fleet vehicle with an active Geotab GO device nears a signalized intersection, the Glance platform evaluates whether priority can be granted without affecting the overall traffic coordination. If appropriate, Glance communicates with the signal controller to trigger a brief early or extended green phase, allowing the vehicle to clear the intersection safely.

What infrastructure is required to implement freight signal priority?

Participating jurisdictions need:

Signal controllers connected to the Glance FMU and cloud platform or a compatible intelligent transportation system (ITS) network.
Vehicles equipped with Geotab GO telematics devices.
A configured connection between the Glance platform and the agency’s central traffic-management system.

Applied Information provides both hardware and cloud integration to enable seamless deployment.

How can signal priority improve freight vehicle operations?

The Glance-Geotab freight priority solution offers measurable improvements in efficiency, safety, and sustainability, including:

Up to 47% reduction in corridor travel times (as demonstrated in a pilot project in Tuscaloosa, AL).
Fewer unnecessary stops and restarts for large, heavy vehicles.
Lower fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions.
Improved schedule reliability and reduced operational costs for fleets.

The freight priority solution provides these benefits with no measurable impact on general traffic flow.

How does the freight signal priority solution improve driver safety?

By reducing stop-and-go driving, the system minimizes collision risk at intersections, lessens driver fatigue, and ensures heavy freight vehicles maintain predictable movement through corridors.

What environmental advantages does freight signal priority provide for heavy vehicle fleets?

Fewer stops mean less idling and smoother acceleration patterns, directly cutting fuel use and emissions. This supports municipal and corporate sustainability goals.

What studies have been done on the effects of signal priority for freight vehicles?

A pilot project conducted by the University of Alabama and the Alabama Department of Transportation spanned 26 intersections on a freight corridor. Study results showed:

Up to 47% reduction in travel times for participating trucks.
No negative impact on other traffic.
Significant decreases in fuel use and acceleration events.

These outcomes demonstrate the scalability and practical benefits of the Glance-Geotab freight signal priority system.

What feedback have researchers and partners shared about signal priority for freight vehicles?

Dr. Alex Hainen, Associate Professor at the University of Alabama, stated:

“In our deployment, trucks were able to travel the corridor without stopping, avoiding unnecessary acceleration and fuel use. Travel times improved by nearly half compared to baseline conditions while keeping other traffic flowing.”

See the YouTube video here

Which types of fleets can use green-light signal priority technology?

The Glance-Geotab solution supports:

Freight and logistics fleets
Public works departments
Municipal and utility service vehicles
Other commercial fleets equipped with Geotab GO telematics devices.

The same framework can be extended to bus priority or first-responder emergency vehicle preemption applications.

Where is the Glance platform currently deployed?

Applied Information’s Glance smart city management system is used by over 1,650 transportation agencies across North America, enabling connected vehicle applications, emergency preemption, school-zone safety, and real-time traffic monitoring.

What steps do jurisdictions need to follow to implement this freight signal priority system?

Equip fleet vehicles with Geotab GO telematics units.
Integrate the agency’s or municipality’s connected signal network with the Glance platform.
Configure priority rules for eligible vehicles.
Validate performance through pilot testing, then scale deployment.

Applied Information and Geotab provide joint technical support for configuration and analysis.

How is data managed and secured?

Both companies adhere to rigorous data-security standards:

Geotab holds FIPS 140-3 and FedRAMP authorizations, ensuring compliance for government and enterprise deployments.
Applied Information uses secure, encrypted cloud communications and role-based access for all connected infrastructure.

Only essential data (e.g., vehicle ID, position, speed) are transmitted for signal priority operations.

How does the freight signal priority solution support sustainability and smart-city goals?

The Applied Information-Geotab collaboration supports Vision Zero, clean-transportation, and smart-mobility initiatives by improving intersection efficiency, reducing emissions, and using existing infrastructure more intelligently.

Freight Signal Priority Study:

Analytical and Empirical Evaluation of Freight Priority System in Connected Vehicle Environment

Abstract:

The transit signal priority (TSP) strategy has been widely adopted as a practical approach to improving the efficiency and reliability of transit operations. Over the years, few studies have adopted the concept of TSP to implement freight signal priority (FSP) for improving the safety and operational performances of freight vehicles.

This paper aims to develop a FSP system that utilizes emerging connected vehicle technology to overcome the challenges associated with conventional FSP systems. An estimated time of arrival (ETA)-based FSP logic was developed and analytically examined to demonstrate the operational efficiency that can be achieved. The proposed FSP system was implemented in a real-world coordinated signalized corridor for systematical analysis and validation of its field operation.

Analysis results showed that the proposed FSP system can effectively address the shortcomings in traditional FSP systems by accurately estimating a freight’s arrival time and providing accurate and efficient priority measures.

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