Journal of Transportation Research

Journal of Transportation Research

Statistical Comparison of Two Approaches—Mobile Patrol and Checkpoint Control—in Detecting Overloading Violations (A Case Study of Intercity Roads in Isfahan Province)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ali Tavakoli Kashani 1
Mohammad Najafpour Derav 2
Parisa Sareban Nejad 3
Moeid Zahabion 4
1 Associate Professor, School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran and Road Safety Research Center, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
2 Ph.D., School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
3 M.Sc., Student, School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
4 Head of the Safety and Traffic Department, Isfahan Provincial Directorate General of Road Maintenance and Transportation, Isfahan, Iran.
10.22034/tri.2026.571364.3433
Abstract
deterioration, higher maintenance costs, and reduced safety on road networks. Selecting an appropriate detection and enforcement strategy therefore plays a decisive role in the effectiveness of control measures. This study statistically compares the performance of two enforcement approaches, namely fixed roadside inspection using stationary stations and mobile patrol weighing, in detecting overloading violations. The analysis focuses on a case study of road corridors in Isfahan Province, Iran, and proposes policy recommendations to improve the allocation of monitoring resources. Records of overloading penalties from 15 roadside stations for the years 2020–2025 (1399–1404) and data from a mobile weighbridge program for the years 2020–2024 (1399–1403) were collected. To ensure a fair comparison, ten matched and comparable corridors were selected for the two methods, and the number of citations issued per day was calculated as the primary performance indicator. Descriptive results showed that, across all matched corridors, the daily detection rate under mobile patrols was higher than that of fixed roadside inspections. The mean daily detection was estimated at 2.19 for fixed roadside control and 7.32 for mobile patrols. Even the minimum detection rate of the mobile approach exceeded the maximum rate observed for the fixed approach. Statistical tests and paired comparisons also confirmed the superiority of mobile patrols as statistically significant. Based on these findings, increasing the share of mobile patrol weighing within the enforcement system is recommended to improve monitoring performance, curb overloading violations, and reduce the resulting network-level damages.
Keywords
Overloading
Fixed roadside enforcement
Mobile patrol enforcement
Violation detection
Pavement deterioration
Subjects
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Journal of Transportation Research
Volume 23, Issue 3
Summer 2026
Pages 125-140