VIUS 9501 Cog Testing F&R Final Report

Findings and Recommendations from
Cognitive Testing for the Vehicle inventory
and Use Survey for Light Trucks (9501)
Prepared for:
Kelly Holder, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division (ERD)
Scott Boggess, ERD
Kenneth Steve, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
Cha Chi Fan, BTS

Prepared by:
Aryn Hernandez, Data Collection Methodology and Research Branch (DCMRB)
Krysten Mesner, DCMRB
Melissa Cidade, DCMRB

Economic Directorate
U.S. Census Bureau

June 30, 2020

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Contents
Research Objectives ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Research Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 4
Participants and Recruiting ........................................................................................................................... 5
Findings and Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 7
General Findings and Recommendations ..................................................................................................... 7
Finding #1: Estimated time to complete averaged approximately one to two hours. ............................. 7
Finding #2: Most respondents seemed likely to receive survey requests ................................................ 7
Finding #3: Web instrument preferred ..................................................................................................... 7
Question Specific Findings and Recommendations ...................................................................................... 8
Section A: Registration Information.......................................................................................................... 8
Section B: Disposal .................................................................................................................................... 8
Section C: Acquisition ............................................................................................................................... 8
Section D: Leasing ..................................................................................................................................... 8
Section E: Type of Vehicle ......................................................................................................................... 9
Section F: Physical Characteristics ............................................................................................................ 9
Section G: Time Operated ....................................................................................................................... 10
Section H: Home Base ............................................................................................................................. 10
Section I: Miles ........................................................................................................................................ 11
Section J: Fuel and Maintenance ............................................................................................................ 12
Section K: Vehicle Configuration ............................................................................................................. 12
Section L: Weight .................................................................................................................................... 13
Section M: Kind of Business .................................................................................................................... 13
Section N: Product, Equipment, or Materials ......................................................................................... 14
Section O: Contact Information .............................................................................................................. 15
Appendix A: Draft Questions, Round 1 ....................................................................................................... 16
Appendix B: Interview Protocol, Round 1 ................................................................................................... 37
Appendix C: Draft Questions, Round 2 ....................................................................................................... 43
Appendix D: Interview Protocol, Round 2 .................................................................................................. 64
Appendix E: Online Ad Text ........................................................................................................................ 70

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Research Objectives
The Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS) for Light Trucks (form number 9501) was originally
collected every 5 years since 1963, for years ending in "2" and "7," along with the Economic Census.
However, the 9501 VIUS was not been collected since 2002. Since the 9501 VIUS is the only resource
available to policymakers about the physical and operational characteristics of the nation’s light truck
population, the survey is being updated for collection in 2022. The survey will be conducted for the
Bureau of Transportation Statistics by the Census Bureau in accordance with an agreement between the
two agencies. Results will be used to inform decisions about investments in new roads and technology,
to examine vehicle performance and fuel economy, and will be a part of the framework for the national
investment and personal consumption expenditures component of the Gross Domestic Product.
The purpose of the cognitive interviewing is to evaluate any changes in the content that may warrant
modifications needed to maximize respondent participation and data quality produced by the 2022
VIUS. Paper and web-based questionnaires will be generated based on the 2002 questionnaires, with
the addition of some new response categories as requested by BTS. This pretest will investigate the
suitability of the proposed questions.
In addition, the research objectives included learning how respondents:
•
•
•
•

understand and interpret the data requests;
understand the terminology used throughout the questions;
keep records related to the data requested; and,
perceive the burden that would be associated with answering the questions.

The round one 9501 VIUS draft can be found in appendix A. The round one protocol can be found in
appendix B. The round two 9501 VIUS draft can be found in appendix C. The round two protocol can be
found in appendix D.

Note: The two rounds of testing were conducted in close proximity, time-wise, from each other.
Between the rounds of testing, some changes were made to the draft materials. This report will attempt
to summarize findings from all interviews, but the primary focus will be on the findings from Round 2 of
the interviews, and provides recommendations based on those draft questions.

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Research Methodology
Between September 2019 and May 2020, Aryn Hernandez, Krysten Mesner, and Melissa Cidade from
the U.S. Census Bureau’s Data Collection and Methodology Research Branch (DCRMB) conducted 23
cognitive interviews over two rounds of testing, regarding proposed new questions. A few interviews
were conducted in-person at the beginning of round one; however, due to difficulty in reaching the
target population and the developing global coronavirus pandemic, the majority of interviews were
conducted via telephone.
In general, cognitive interviews are used to, ‘(a) understand the thought processes used to answer
survey items, and (b) to use this knowledge to find better ways of constructing, formulating, and asking
survey questions’ (Forsyth and Lessler, 1991). 1 Cognitive interviews traditionally focus on the four steps
of Tourangeau’s (1984) cognitive response model: comprehension, retrieval, judgment, and
communication/reporting. 2 Comprehension refers to the respondent’s interpretation and understanding
of the question’s language, structure, and grammar. In order to answer the question, a respondent must
understand what information is being requested on the survey. Retrieval is the step where relevant
information is obtained, either from records or from memory. The next step, judgment, describes the
respondent’s evaluation of the completeness or relevance of the data obtained. It is here that estimates
are made based on partial or incomplete data. The last step, communication or reporting, deals with
mapping the response to the answer space provided and possibly altering the answer.
While Tourangeau’s model is suitable for household and social surveys, the establishment survey setting
presents additional factors that must be considered. First, instead of or in addition to a reliance on
memory, establishment surveys rely heavily on records and the information contained within them.
Second, organizations tend to have distributed knowledge. Some people are experts in one type of
information, while others keep information about something else. Third, competing priorities, both for
the organization and the individual(s) completing the questionnaire, mean that the survey sometimes
does not receive the amount of attention that researchers and data collectors would like. Finally,
organizations regularly authorize only a few individuals to release data. If the data provider is not
authorized to release the data, an additional step must be added to the response process. Tourangeau’s
model was expanded by Sudman et al (2000) to account for these factors. 3

Forsyth, B.H. and Lessler, J.T. (1991). ‘Cognitive Laboratory Methods: A Taxonomy.’ In Measurement Errors in Surveys, P.P. Biemer, R.M.
Groves, L.E. Lyberg, N.A. Mathiowitz, S. Sudman (eds). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
1

Tourangeau, R. (1984). ‘Cognitive Sciences and Survey Methods.’ In Cognitive Aspects of Survey Methodology, T.B. Jabine, M.L. Straf, J.M.
Tanur, and R. Tourangeau (eds). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
2

Sudman, S., Willimack, D.K., Nichols, E., and Mesenbourg, T.L. (2000). ‘Exploratory Research at the U.S. Census Bureau on the Survey Response
Process in Large Companies.’ Paper prepared for presentation at the Second International Conference on Establishment Surveys, Buffalo, NY.
3

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Participants and Recruiting
The 2022 VIUS will be a probability sample of truck registrations stratified by geography and truck type.
This includes private and commercial trucks registered (or licensed) in the United States as of the
reference year of the survey. The survey excludes vehicles owned by Federal, state, or local
governments; ambulances; buses; motor homes; farm tractors; unpowered trailer units; and trucks
reported to have been sold, junked, or wrecked prior to July 1 of the year preceding the survey.
Specifically, the 9501VIUS targets trucks below 10,000 pounds, which can include pickup trucks, sport
utility vehicles, minivans, smaller commercial vans, and other small trucks.
Prior to March 11, 2020, recruiting was from the general Washington DC metropolitan area. At this time
we were conducting in-person interviews. As such we focused on physical recruiting methods – mainly,
BOC Broadcast messages, flyers and word of mouth, along with our more traditional means of phone
and email contact, despite not having contact information that we usually have for respondents
obtained from survey responses or the Business Register.
We posted recruitment flyers at home improvement stores, truck stops, and other locations in the
Washington DC area, though these were generally not effective in recruitment efforts. Staff made 175
call or email attempts to contact cases from the various lists provided by ERD and others. These 175
contact attempts were primarily to different companies/persons/VINs. Approximately 20% of these
contact attempts were disconnected phones or entities that were no longer in business. For those
numbers not disconnected, we left messages; most did not return our calls, or replied that they were
too busy actually working to participate.
Due to COVID-19, cognitive interviewing methodologies were restricted to phone and Web modes.
From March 16, 2020 onward, we had to work on administrative and methodological adaptations.
These included:
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•
•

•

•
•

Ensured that adapted procedures are in compliance with Title 13 and Title 26 data handling
policies, particularly with respect to Paperwork Reduction Act and Privacy Act requirements.
Developed procedures for compliant consent forms providing respondents with functionality for
digitally encrypted signatures, thus are paper free.
Obtained licenses for Skype for Business Conference Lines, the only currently available
teleconference-enabled communication platform that meets Title 13 data handling
requirements, along with using DCMRB’s Conference Number.
Created operating procedures for dispersing cash incentives post-interview, using the USPS’s
certified mail and insurance programs to create another layer of security and another form of
paper trail for auditing purposes.
Added a survey methodologist dedicated solely to recruiting, devoting 50% of her time until the
required number of cognitive interviews was reached.
Shifted recruitment efforts to more digital means, by posting recruitment messages online as
follows:
o Trucking-related Facebook groups,
o Higher profile trucking Twitter handles, and on
o Several trucking message boards.

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o

o

Cragslist.org platforms for cities selected for their high proportion of truckers in the
workforce and their relative accessibility, with preference for cities that were “locked
down,” figuring we may get more people to respond that way. The text of the ad can be
found in Appendix E.
We also reached out to professional trucking organizations in an attempt to gain leads.

There were a total of 23 participants interviewed for the 9501 VIUS; 9 participants in round 1 and 14
participants in round 2.

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Findings and Recommendations
General Findings and Recommendations
Finding #1: Estimated time to complete averaged approximately one to two hours.
After reviewing the draft survey, most respondents gave a time estimate to complete the module
between 1 to 2 hours. A few respondents gave an estimate that exceeded 2 hours. Respondents that
gave the lower time tended to be less concerned with accuracy. Those that gave higher estimates cited
the need to reach out to others within their companies to obtain data.
Recommendation(s):
•

No recommendations needed.

Finding #2: Most respondents seemed likely to receive survey requests
Most respondents’ vehicles were registered at the same address where they regularly received mail. As
survey requests will be sent to the address at which a vehicle is registered, most respondents should
receive them.
Recommendation(s):
•

No recommendations needed.

Finding #3: Web instrument preferred
All respondents stated that they would complete the survey online. Respondents also believed that a
spreadsheet template would make responding for multiple vehicles easier.
Recommendation(s):
•

No recommendations needed.

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Question Specific Findings and Recommendations
Two rounds of testing were conducted in close proximity, time-wise, from each other. Between the
rounds of testing, some changes were made to the draft materials. The primary focus of these findings
and recommendations will be from Round 2 of the interviews. Round 1 and round 2 versions of the
questions have been included for reference. As the Light Truck Form shares many questions with the
Heavy truck instrument some recommendations are due to findings from the Heavy Truck form. All
attempts were made to keep both forms consistent with one another where appropriate.

Section A: Registration Information
After round 1, it was found that some respondents passed over the term ‘your’ and read the question as
‘Is the vehicle identified above still in your company’s possession?’ As such, these respondents were
confused if they were not part of a company. For round 2, the question was revised to clarify the phrase
‘in your possession OR your company’s possession.’ After this revision, there were no more issues with
this question.
Recommendation(s):
• No recommendations needed.

Section B: Disposal
No changes were made between rounds 1 and 2. No issues were found with this section. It should be
noted that none of the interviewed respondents had disposed of their vehicles.
Recommendation(s):
• No recommendations needed.

Section C: Acquisition
No changes were made between rounds 1 and 2. No issues were found with this section.
Recommendation(s):
• No recommendations needed.

Section D: Leasing
The round 1 phrasing was confusing to respondents as the question attempted to ask two questions at
once. As such, the question was spilt into two for round 2. In round 2, some respondents stated that the
phrase ‘someone else’ could be confusing to those that lease to or from a company, not an individual.
The phrase ‘someone else’ seemed to imply an individual and seemed to preclude companies to these
respondents.
Recommendation(s):
•

Consider changing ‘someone else’ to ‘another person or company’ in both D1 and D2.

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Section E: Type of Vehicle
Between rounds 1 and 2, questions E2 regarding cabin height was moved to section F. As such, the
findings for that question will be discussed in that section. As for question E1, it was not clear to
respondents how to classify Jeeps. One respondent stated that they would choose ‘Other’ and write-in
‘Jeep.’ Some respondents also noted that ‘vehicle’ should be added to the ‘Sport utility’ option.
Recommendation(s):
• We can resolve the Jeep issue in the editing process. BTS should determine in which category
Jeeps belong: pickup or SUV.
•

Add ‘Vehicle’ to ‘Sport Utility’ category.

Section F: Physical Characteristics
After round 1 it was found that some respondents were confused by the reference year in these
questions. These respondents believed that the questions were asking about the physical characteristics
of a specific model year for the vehicle. As these characteristics are unlikely to change from year-to-year,
the reference year was removed. Question F4 was also confusing to some respondents. It was
determined that the answers choices were unnecessarily detailed. For round 2, the answer categories
were simplified. Question F5 was removed after round 1 as almost none of the respondents were capable
of answering it accurately. In round 2 question F6 regarding permanent equipment was broken up into 4
questions (F5 – F8). The sponsors of VIUS were interested in adding more types of equipment, thus
necessitating the need for multiple questions. Round 1’s F7 (towing capacity) was moved to F9 for round
2. The cabin height question from round 1 (E2), became question F10 in round 2. The word ‘exterior’ was
added to this question to help alleviate some ambiguity.
In round 2, some respondents were unclear on what an axle was, how to find out how many axles their
vehicles had, and how to determine if the axles were powered. Some of these respondents stated that
they would look up the answer online. Question F4’s issues were resolved in round 2.
For question F5 regarding standard features, respondents were not sure which way the driver camera
would be directed (outward or inward). One respondent pointed out that this type of camera did not
belong on the light truck form. Another respondent stated that inward facing drivers cameras may also
be known as ‘event recorders.’ One respondent said he would only select equipment that was integrated
into the vehicle. Some respondents thought that a GPS was the same thing as a navigation system.
For question F7, some respondents pointed out that this list is not relevant to light trucks. Many
respondents asked if a fuel tank cover was the same thing as a gas cap. One respondent asked, ‘who
decides what is aerodynamic?’
For question F8, one respondent asked if an Electronic Vehicle identification was the same thing as a toll
pass. In addition, ‘Bobtail’ is not equipment or a feature, it is the lack of a trailer or trailer mounted
equipment. Including bobtail on this list confused all respondents.
For question F9, a couple of respondents pointed out that this was information was likely printed on the
inside of the vehicle door. One R stated that they checked their manual, but that the towing capacity was
listed in a chart, which made it confusing to figure out. A couple of respondents that did not know the
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answer said they would skip this question. Some respondents that did not tow anything felt that this
question was irrelevant to them and did not feel the need to answer it.
For question F10, I t was not clear to respondents what portion of the vehicle they should be measuring.
Some respondents said they would actually measure the vehicle with a tape measurer. A couple of
respondents that did not know the answer said they would skip this question.
Recommendation(s):
• Include definition and description of an axle and powered axle in help text.
• In regards to questions F5 – F8:
o BTS should provide associated help text for each response.
o BTS should determine if all of these features are relevant to light trucks.
o Add ‘None of the above’ answer choice.
o Remove ‘bobtail’ from question F8.
• In regards to question F9:
o Consider providing help text suggesting to check the manual, search online, or to check
the inside of the door.
o Include instructions that an answer is required even if the person does not tow
anything.
• In regards to question F10:
o Revise question text:
 “What was the exterior height of this vehicle’s cabin from the ground to the top
of the roof?”
o Add a line of instructions about including additional equipment above the roof if
desired. For example: “Include and equipment that extends above the roof of the cabin
such as…”
o BTS should provide a few example of equipment that may possibly extend above the
cabin roof.

Section G: Time Operated
After round 1, the order of questions G1 and G2 was swapped. This would allow respondents to skip
question G2 if respondents answer ’12 months’ in G1. No other issues were found.
Recommendation(s):
• No recommendations needed.

Section H: Home Base
After round 1, question H1 was eliminated to reduce redundancy. Question H3 was moved to H1 and a
‘No home base’ answer choice was added. Question H3 (previously H4) was clarified for round 2. The
phrase ‘In addition to this vehicle’ was added to try to prevent respondents from including the subject
vehicle in their answers.
In round 2, for question H1, one respondent stated they parked ‘on the site of the contract.’ Which was a
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spot on the street in a residential area. This respondent stated that they would write-in their answer.
For question H3, one respondent that did not park at headquarters was not sure how to answer this. One
respondent said they had a dolly, but was likely confused about the type of dolly the question was
actually asking for. A couple of respondents thought the rest of the survey was referring to all of the
vehicles they listed in this question, instead of the original vehicle being asked about.
Recommendation(s):
• Questions H1 and H2: no recommendations needed.
• For question H3:
o BTS should provide associated help text for each response. If possible, providing a photo
of some features may help.
o Consider changing ‘Tractors (power units only)’ to whatever phrase is used in question
E1 on 9502.
o Add ‘No other vehicles at this home base’ check box.

Section I: Miles
Between rounds 1 and 2, question I2 was moved down to question I5. Question I7 (from round 1), now
question I6 in round 2 had some answer choices removed. In round 2 I6 only retained the ‘Within 50
miles,’ 51 to 100 miles,’ and ‘101 miles or more’. Round 1’s questions I8 and I9 were removed from the
9501 VIUS form as these questions did not apply to light trucks.
In round 2, question I1, some respondents were unsure whether this question was asking about all miles
driven or only miles driven for commercial purposes. For question I3, some respondents are not going to
calculate their MPG and will likely report the listed MPG, from their manuals or online, for their vehicle.
For question I5, most respondents stated that it would be very difficult to estimate the answers to this
question.
Question I6 was problematic in both rounds 1 and 2. Respondents did not agree on the definition of a
trip, some definitions included:
• Time from when the vehicle is turned on to when it is turned off
• From the time the job started to when it ended not including getting to the job or leaving
after finishing the job (only when on the clock).
• Round trip from and to home base
• One way for passengers, round trip for goods
One respondent stated that they routed several jobs into one ‘trip’ but was unsure if each job should be
counted as a separate trip, which would drastically change their answer.
Recommendation(s):
• For question I1:
o Revise question: “How many total miles was this vehicle driven in 202X?”
• For questions I2 and I4 change ‘Gas Receipts’ to Gas or Fuel Receipts.’
• For question I6:
o We are aware that BTS has revised this question since testing began.
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o
o

BTS will provide final wording for the new question/questions.
If ‘off-the-road’ is added back, provide a definition.

Section J: Fuel and Maintenance
Section J tested fairly well in round 1. The only change made for round 2 was adding ‘or overhauled’ to
the ends of questions J8 and J9.
In round 2, for question J5, not all respondents could agree upon the meaning of the word ‘extensive.’
One respondent stated that the repair would need to cost over $500 for them to consider it extensive.
Another respondent noted that all of the examples listed in the question were related to transmission, so
they answered ‘no’ as they had no transmission issues. According to this respondent, the driveline,
transmission, and differential were all the same thing.
Recommendation(s):
• BTS should provide help text to define what “extensive” means.
•

BTS should revise the examples listed in question J5 if the current ones do not meet the criteria
for “extensive” repairs.

Section K: Vehicle Configuration
From round 1 to round 2, question K2 was moved down to become K5 (now the last question in the
section). Question K3 from round 1 was removed for round 2 as it was not relevant to light trucks. From
round 1, K5 became K2, K4 became K3, and K6 became K4.
In round 2, question K1 was a confusing question for some respondents. Specifically, the phrase ‘most
common configuration’ was confusing to many respondents and often overlooked. One respondent
pointed out that it would be difficult to answer questions about the features of a trailer if they were
given different trailers for different jobs. Some respondents had difficulty answering question K5 as they
did not know the length of their vehicles off the tops of their heads.
Findings.
Recommendation(s):
• Consider including a screener question at the beginning of section K and replacing question K1
with a yes/no question.
o For example: K1 “In 202X, was this vehicle used to pull a trailer? Trailer mounted
equipment should be treated as a trailer. Yes/No”
 K2 (if yes to K1) “In 202X, did this vehicle pull a trailer for more than half of all
miles driven? Trailer mounted equipment should be treated as a trailer.”
• Yes, this vehicle pulled a trailer for more than 50% of all miles driven.
• No, this vehicle pulled a trailer for less than 50% of all miles driven.
o Answering no could allow respondents to skip past certain
questions, or would allow them to view versions of questions
without the phrase ‘most common configuration’ in the
electronic version.
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•

For K4, BTS should provide associated help text. If possible, providing a photo of some features
may help.

Section L: Weight
For round 2, questions L2 and L5 were removed as they were not relevant to light trucks. In both rounds
1 and 2, many respondents did not know the answer to question L1.
For round 2, question L2, a respondent that primarily transported passengers gave what they thought
was the weight of their passengers. In addition, one respondent that did not use their vehicle for
commercial activities answered this question incorrectly. Technically, nothing they carried would be
considered ‘payload.’ This respondent was considering the weight of things like their personal groceries
and pets.
All respondents that did not pull a trailer stated that they would give the same answer for L3 that they
gave for L2. Respondents make no distinction between cargo and payload. Some respondents were not
sure if they should include the weight of passengers.
Recommendation(s):
• Define cargo and payload, include definitions in help text.
• Include instructions on whether to include passengers or not.
• If payload is meant strictly to measure the weight or commercial goods, consider moving the
payload question to the products section, and explicitly state that the weight of commercial
goods is what is wanted. Tools could then be a separate weight category.
• If a respondent does haul a trailer more than 50% of their miles, remove question L2 in the
electronic form and ask for the weight of that payload in section K.
o For example, “In 202X, what was the average weight, in pounds, of cargo transported in
the most commonly pulled trailer? Exclude any cargo within the vehicle.”
 Note that cargo would include goods for sale, as well as tools for a business;
respondents do not make the distinction between payload and cargo.
• If questions L2 and L3 remain unchanged, check write-ins in paradata to determine if
respondents are entering the same answer for both questions.

Section M: Kind of Business
From round 1 to round 2, section M received major revisions. Question M1 became a yes/no question to
determine if the respondent is using the vehicle for commercial purposes. The answer choices for M2
were arranged alphabetically. Additionally, the answer choice ‘HVAC, plumbing, electrician’ was added,
and ‘For-hire transportation or warehousing’ was changed to ‘For-hire transportation (of goods and
people).’ Questions M3 and M4 were added to determine the type of commercial business the vehicle is
being used for.
In round 2, the revised question M1 tested well with no issues. For M2, one respondent that carried
aggregate was not sure which answer to choose, but eventually settled on construction, which would be
the correct choice. Some respondents stated that they pull advertising signs and were not sure how to
answer. They ultimately chose ‘Retail.’
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In regards to question M3, a respondent that transported paying passengers asked if luggage was
considered ‘other peoples’ good.’ When attempting to answer question M4, one respondent stated that
they always kept tools in their truck for work, even when they were using the truck for personal
transportation, so this respondent wasn’t sure if they were supposed to enter 100% for tools. This
respondent suggested that the total for question M4 should not sum to 100%. Other respondents were
concerned about being able to answer M4 as they do not track this data.
Recommendation(s):
• Consider changing instances of ‘your business’ to ‘this business.’
• Add advertising to ‘Other services,’ which is the NAICS industry it would fall into.
• For question M4, remove instructions about summing to 100%.

Section N: Product, Equipment, or Materials
Question N1 was completely changed from round 1 to round 2. N1 now asks respondents to account for
their mileage by how full their vehicles are. Question N2 remained the same, however, the method of
answering was updated. The product categories were put into a table to allow respondents to look
through the product categories without flipping to the end of the survey.
In question N1, some respondents were confused about how to track partial loads. Most of the
respondents did not have either a full or empty vehicle 100% of the time.
Overall, the round 2 version of question N2 tested much better than the previous version. One
respondent was confused by ‘loaded’ miles. Since they left their tools in their truck all the time, all of
their miles were loaded and that would be very difficult to estimate. This same respondent would not
have even included the tools in their answer to this question. Some respondents still thought their
answers should sum to 100%. Some respondents that pulled advertisements were not sure what to
choose. These respondents ended up choosing Misc (99).
Recommendation(s):
• For question N1, split this question into multiple questions.
o N1: “What was the approximate percent of this vehicle’s 2020 mileage for each of the
following categories?”
 Empty – NOT CARRYING any products, tools, equipment, or materials: _____%
(If you report 100% empty, go to Section O – Contact Information)
 Loaded – CARRYING products, tools, equipment, or materials: _____%
o N2: “What was the approximate percent of this vehicle’s 202X mileage that this vehicle
was filled to physical capacity (cubed out)? Round to the nearest whole percent.
 Vehicle was filled to physical capacity (cubed out): _____%
o N3: “What was the approximate percent of this vehicle’s 202X mileage that this vehicle
was filled to weight limit (weighed out)? Round to the nearest whole percent.
o Vehicle was filled to weight limit (weighed out): _____%
• For N2, consider revised question text:
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o

o
o

“In 202X, for the miles driven during commercial activities only, which of the following
products, tools, equipment, or materials were carried and what percentage of this
mileage were they carried? Percentages can add to more than 100% if more than one
type of tool or product was carried at the same time. Round to the nearest whole
percent.”
In the table, change ‘Percentage of loaded miles’ to ‘Percentage of commercial miles.’
Check totals in the paradata to determine if Rs are reaching a total of 100% or if they are
skipping this question.

Section O: Contact Information
No changes were made between rounds 1 and 2. Respondents had no issue with this section.
Recommendation(s):
• No recommendations needed.

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Appendix A: Draft Questions, Round 1
Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS)
Form 9501-2018 VIUS Light Trucks

The due date for the 2018 VIUS is Month dd, yyyy.

•
•

•

If you have any questions, please call us at 1-800-###-####, weekdays between
8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time.
YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED BY LAW. Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.),
Sections 131 and 182 authorizes this collection. Sections 224 and 225 require your
response. The U.S. Census Bureau is required by Section 9 of the same law to
keep your information CONFIDENTIAL and can use your responses only to
produce statistics. The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your
responses in a way that could identify your business, organization, or institution.
Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are protected
from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit your data.
This collection has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB). The eight-digit OMB approval number is ####-#### and appears at the
upper right of this screen. Without this approval we could not conduct this survey.

A - REGISTRATION INFORMATION
All questions on this form refer to the vehicle identified by the following registration
information:
Vehicle
Make

Model
Year

State License
Plate

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

1. Is the vehicle identified above still in your or your company’s possession?
o Yes (Go to section C – Acquisition on page 3)
o No (Go to section B – Disposal on page 2)

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B - DISPOSAL

1. Did you dispose of this vehicle prior to January 1, 2018?
o Yes (Go to section O – Contact Information on page 25)
o No (Continue with question 2 below)

2. When did you dispose of this vehicle?
Enter 2-digit month and 4-digit year.
Month ___ ___ / Year ___ ___ ___ ___

3. How did you dispose of this vehicle?
Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o

Sold or gave it away
Traded it in
Junked, scrapped, or otherwise destroyed it
Returned it to leasing company
Repossessed

NOTE: If you disposed of this vehicle after January 1, 2018, answer all of the remaining
applicable questions according to how you used the vehicle during 2018. If you
disposed of this vehicle prior to January 1, 2018, skip to section O – Contact Information
on page 25.

C – Acquisition
1. When did you obtain this vehicle?
If purchased after lease, report the date you originally took possession of this
vehicle. Enter 2-digit month and 4-digit year.
Month ___ ___ / Year ___ ___ ___ ___

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2. Was this vehicle new when you obtained it?
Select ONE only.
o Yes
o No

D – LEASING
NOTE: This section pertains to ownership leasing. Rental agreements are NOT
covered.

1. Was this vehicle leased during 2018?
Select ONE only.
o No
o Yes, leased this vehicle FROM someone else)
o Yes, leased this vehicle TO someone else)

E – TYPE OF VEHICLE

1. In 2018, which body type most closely resembled this vehicle?
Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o

Pickup
Minivan
Van other than minivan
Sport Utility
Other not elsewhere specified: _______________________________________

2. In 2018, what was the height of this vehicle’s cabin?
Feet: ___________

Inches: __________

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F – PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

1. In 2018, what was the total number of axles on this vehicle?
Include front and rear axles, but do NOT include axles on any trailers pulled.
o Two
o Three or more

2. How many tires are on the rear axle?
o Two
o Four

3. From question 1 above, how many axles were driving (powered) axles?
o One axle
o Two axles
o Other – please specify: _________

4. What type of transmission did this vehicle have?
Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o

Automatic
Manual
Semi-automated manual (driver shifts with an electronic module)
Automated manual (no driver shifting – done electronically

5. How many gears did this vehicle have?
Number of gears: ________

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6. Did this vehicle have any of the following permanent equipment?
Mark ALL that apply.
Aerial work platform/bucket
Air bag(s) (safety device only)
Air-conditioning
Anti-lock brake system
Automatic engine shutoff technology
Automatic tire inflation system
Computerized drive train control unit
Front-wheel drive
Low rolling resistance tires on the drive wheels
Low rolling resistance tires on the steering wheels
Mounting bar for snowplow
Radial tires
Route guidance technology
Single-wide tires
Tire pressure monitoring system
Toolbox
Trip recorder or on-board computer WITH remote communication capabilities
Trip recorder or on-board computer WITHOUT remote communication
capabilities
o Vehicle control aids for handicapped drivers
o Wheelchair lift
o Winch
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

7. What was this vehicle’s towing capacity in pounds?
__________ pounds

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G – TIME OPERATED

1. During 2018, what reasons (if any) was this vehicle NOT in use for periods of 90
consecutive days or more?
Select ALL that apply.
o
o
o
o
o

Not applicable
Seasonal
Not needed/idle (excluding seasonal)
Under repair
Other – please specify:
_________________________________________________

2. During 2018, how many months was this vehicle used?
Round to the nearest whole month. Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o

12 months
7-11 months
2-6 months
1 month or less
Vehicle not used (no miles driven) (Go to section O – CONTACT INFORMATION
on page 25)

H – HOME BASE

1. Did this vehicle operate from a home base location during 2018?
Home base refers to the location where the vehicle was usually parked when it
was not on the road, such as a home, farm, terminal, etc. Vehicles that might
NOT operate from a home base are typically consumer one-way rentals or some
over-the-road truck tractors. If this vehicle is on lease to someone else, answer
ALL home base questions as they pertain to the lessee. Select ONE only.
o Yes (Continue with question 2 below)
o No (Go to section I – MILES on page 11)

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2. Where was the home base of this vehicle on July 1, 2018?
If this vehicle was put into service after July 1, 2018, enter current home base.
City: ___________________________
County/Parish/Borough (or equivalent): ___________________________
State: ____________________________
ZIP Code: ____________

3. What was the type of home base from which this vehicle operated?
Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Private residence (home, farm, etc.)
Company office/headquarters
Terminal
Distribution center
Manufacturing plant
Fuel distributor
Liquefaction plant
Other – please specify: _________________________________________

4. Of the following, how many trucks/trailers do you or your company operate from the
home base location indicated above?
Pickups, small vans (including minivans), and sport utility vehicles: ________
Tractors (power units only): ________
All other trucks: ________
Trailers (including trailer mounted equipment): ________
Converter dollies: ________

I – MILES
1. How many miles was this vehicle driven in 2018?
Round to the nearest whole mile.
Miles: ___________

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2. What was the approximate percent of this vehicle’s 2018 mileage for each of the
following jurisdictions?
Round to the nearest whole percent.
Operated in Canada: _____%
Operated in Mexico: _____%
Operated within the home base state: _____%
Operated in states other than the home base state (or has no home base):
_____%

3. How was the annual mileage calculated?
o
o
o
o
o

Odometer readings
Gas receipts
Trip meter
GPS
Other: _______________________________________________________

4. How many miles has this vehicle been driven since it was manufactured?
If the odometer has turned over, please enter the figure for the total amount. If
the vehicle is no longer in your possession, enter the figure when you last
operated the vehicle. Round to the nearest whole mile.
Miles: _____________

5. How many miles-per-gallon (mpg) did this vehicle average during 2018?
If compressed natural gas (CNG) is used, give miles per gasoline gallon
equivalent (GGE). 1 GGE = 123 cubic feet CNG. Report to the nearest tenth.
MPG: _______

6. How was miles-per-gallon (mpg) calculated?
o
o
o
o

Odometer readings
Gas receipts
Trip meter
GPS

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o Other:
____________________________________________________________
7. What was the approximate percent of this vehicle’s 2018 mileage accounted for by
the type of trips listed below?
If this vehicle does not operate from a home base, report the average range of
operation. Round to the nearest whole percent.
Trips off-the-road: _________
Trips on public/private roads within
• 50 miles or less from vehicle’s home base: _________
• 51 to 100 miles from vehicle’s home base: _________
• 101 to 200 miles from vehicle’s home base: _________
• 201 to 500 miles from vehicle’s home base: _________
• 501 miles or more from vehicle’s home base: _________

8. What was the approximate percent of this vehicle’s 2018 mileage accounted for by
the type of trips listed below?
Round to the nearest whole percent.
Vehicle was cubed out: _____%
Vehicle was weighed out: _____%
Vehicle was empty: _____%

9. On average, in 2018, how many hours per week did this vehicle spend:
Round to the nearest hour.
Operating: __________hours
Idling: __________hours
Using auxiliary power: __________hours

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J – FUEL AND MAINTAINANCE

1. During 2018, what type of fuel or fuel combination was most often used in this
vehicle?
Select ALL that apply.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Gasoline (including gasohol)
Diesel (including biodiesel)
Natural gas (compressed or liquid)
Propane (liquefied petroleum gas)
Alcohol fuels (ethanol or methanol)
Electricity
Other – please specify:
__________________________________________________

2. During 2018, at what type of location was this vehicle typically refueled or
recharged?
Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o

Gas station
Truck stop
Your own facility (including home, farm, ranch, on-site by mobile supplier, etc.)
Other company’s/contractor’s facility not open to the public
Other – please specify:
__________________________________________________

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3. During 2018, who performed any GENERAL maintenance (oil change, brake
change, headlight replacement, etc.) on this vehicle?
Select ALL that apply.
o None performed (Skip question 4, proceed to question 5)
o Company-owned maintenance facility
o General repair business or private mechanic (includes gas stations, truck stops,
parts stores, etc.)
o Dealership service department
o Leasing company
o Yourself, spouse, friend, etc. while not employed/paid by any maintenance type
facility
o Other – please specify:
__________________________________________________

4. What was the total cost of all GENERAL maintenance in 2018?
Round to the nearest whole dollar.
$____________.00

5. During 2018, were any EXTENSIVE repairs (driveline repair, engine repair/rebuild,
transmission repair/rebuild, differential repair/rebuild, etc.) performed on this
vehicle?
Select ONE only.
o Yes (Continue with question 6 below)
o No (Skip questions 6 and 7, proceed to question 8 on page 16)

6. What was the total cost of all EXTENSIVE repairs in 2018?
Round to the nearest whole dollar.
$____________.00

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7. Who performed these EXTENSIVE repairs?
Select ALL that apply.
o Company-owned maintenance facility
o General repair business or private mechanic (includes gas stations, truck stops,
parts stores, etc.)
o Dealership service department
o Leasing company
o Yourself, spouse, friend, etc. while not employed/paid by any maintenance type
facility
o Other – please specify:
___________________________________________________

8. Has this vehicle’s engine EVER been rebuilt?
Select ONE only.
o Yes (Continue with question 9 below)
o No (Go to section K – Vehicle Configuration on page 17)

9. In what year was this vehicle’s engine LAST rebuilt?
Year (4 digit): ___ ___ ___ ___

K – VEHICLE CONFIGURATION

1. In 2018, what percent of the miles driven by this vehicle were in each of the following
configurations?
Trailer mounted equipment should be treated as a trailer.
No trailer pulled: _____%
Trailer pulled: _____%

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2. Referring to the most common configuration indicated in question 1 (no trailer or
trailer pulled), what was the total length of this vehicle or vehicle/trailer combination?
Report distance, in feet, from front bumper to rear of vehicle or trailer(s). Select
ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Less than 16.0 feet (Go to section L – WEIGHT on page 20)
16.0 to 19.9 feet (Go to section L – WEIGHT on page 20)
20.0 to 27.9 feet (Go to section L – WEIGHT on page 20)
28.0 to 35.9 feet (Go to section L – WEIGHT on page 20)
36.0 to 40.9 feet (Go to section L – WEIGHT on page 20)
41.0 to 44.9 feet (Go to section L – WEIGHT on page 20)
45.0 to 49.9 feet (Go to section L – WEIGHT on page 20)
More than 50 feet (Continue with question 3 on page 18)

3. Which type of trailer resembles that most often attached to this vehicle?
Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Automobile carrier (excluding curtain, van, or flatbed)
Beverage
Curtainside
Dump (including belly or bottom dump)
Flatbed, platform, etc.
Livestock (including livestock drop frame)
Low boy (platform with depressed center)
Mobile home toter
Open top (including vans, low-side grain, fruit, etc.)
Pole, logging, pulpwood, or pipe
Refrigerated trailer
Tank, dry bulk
Tank, liquids or gases
Trailer mounted equipment
Van, basic enclosed (dry cargo)
Van, drop frame (excluding livestock)
Van, insulated non-refrigerated
Van, insulated refrigerated
Other not elsewhere classified – please specify:
_______________________________________

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4. What was the length, in feet, of the trailer unit most often pulled by this vehicle?
Round to the nearest whole number.
________ feet

5. How many axles were on the trailer unit most often pulled by this vehicle?
Select ONE only.
o One axle on trailer
o Two axles on trailer
o Three or more axles on trailer

6. Does the trailer have any of the following add-on equipment?
Select ALL that apply.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Aluminum wheels
Front faring
Lightweight landing gear
Rear faring
Side skirts
Undercarriage aerodynamic devices
None of the above

L – WEIGHT

1. What was the empty weight of this vehicle or vehicle/trailer combination?
Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o

Less than 6,001 pounds
6,001 to 8,500 pounds
8,501 to 10,000 pounds
More than 10,000 pounds

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2. What was the average weight (vehicle weight plus cargo weight) of this vehicle or
vehicle/trailer combination as it was most often operated when carrying a typical
payload during 2018?
Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Less than 6,001 pounds
6,001 to 8,500 pounds
8,501 to 10,000 pounds
10,001 to 14,000 pounds
14,001 to 16,000 pounds
16,001 to 19,500 pounds
More than 19,500 pounds

3. What was the average payload, in pounds, transported by this vehicle or
vehicle/trailer combination during 2018?
_________________ pounds

4. What was the average weight, in pounds, of non-trailer cargo?
_________________ pounds

5. What were the average hours per week that the trailer(s) was permitted over weight?
_______ hours

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M – KIND OF BUSINESS

1. Approximately, what percent of this vehicle’s 2018 mileage was from each of the
following operator classifications?
Round to the nearest whole percent.
Personal transportation (operated as a personal-use vehicle for travel to work,
carpooling, pleasure driving, etc.): _____%
Rental (daily and other short term): _____%
Business use: Private (carry own goods, or use truck for internal company
business only): _____%
Business use: Motor carrier (company owned trucks hired to carry other people’s
goods): _____%
Business use: Owner operator (independent truckers hired to carry other
people’s goods): _____%

NOTE: If your highest percentage occurs for personal transportation or rental, go to
section O - CONTACT INFORMATION on page 25. Otherwise, continue to question 2
on page 22.

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2. Which of the following best describes your business (or part of your business) in
which this vehicle was most often used during 2018?
If vehicle was leased, indicate business of lessee. Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

o
o

Vehicle leasing or rental (includes short-term rentals)
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, or hunting
Mining (includes quarrying, well operations, and beneficiating)
Utilities (includes electric power, natural gas, steam supply, water supply, and
sewage removal)
Fuel wholesale or distribution
Construction (includes land subdivision and development, as well as construction
activity by special trade contractors)
Manufacturing
Wholesale trade
Retail Trade
Information services (includes telephone and television)
Waste management, landscaping, or administrative/support services
Arts, entertainment, or recreation services
Accommodation or food services (for immediate consumption)
Other services, including real estate, nonvehicle leasing or rental, educational,
health care, social assistance, finance, insurance, professional, scientific, or
technical services
For-hire transportation or warehousing
Other – please specify:
______________________________________________________

N – PRODUCT, EQUIPMENT, OR MATERIALS

1. What was the approximate percent of this vehicle’s 2018 mileage for each of the
following categories?
Empty – NOT CARRYING any products, tools, equipment, or materials): ______%
Loaded – CARRYING products, tools, equipment, or materials): ______%

NOTE: If you reported 100% for empty mileage, go to section O - CONTACT
INFORMATION on page 25. Otherwise, continue to question 2 on page 24.
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2. During 2018, what products, tools, equipment, or materials did this vehicle carry, and
what approximate percent of LOADED mileage were they carried?
Categorize your products, tools, equipment, or materials carried into the
groupings provided on pages 26 - 27. Each applicable grouping code should be
entered only once. Each item carried should be categorized into ONLY ONE
GROUP. Include any backhauls, trip leasing, etc. Round to the nearest whole
percent.

Example: If the vehicle carried landscaping tools and hauled debris away, your
response might be similar to this:
Product Code (with example
description)
22 (For items such as rakes,
shovels, handsaws, etc.)
23 (For items such as leaf
blowers, chainsaws, etc.)
18 (For tree limbs, wood chips,
etc.)
44 (For grass clippings or other
waste)
Product
Code

Percent of Loaded Miles (with example
scenarios)
100% (When carried for all of the loaded miles)
100% (When carried for all of the loaded miles)
50% (When carried for half of the loaded miles)
25% (When carried for one quarter of the
loaded)

Percent of Loaded
Miles
%
%
%
%
%

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O – CONTACT INFORMATION

Last Name: ____________________________
First Name: ____________________________
Middle Initial: _______
Street Address: ____________________________
Street Address 2: ____________________________
City (or city equivalent): ____________________________
State: __________________________
Zip Code: ______________
Phone Number (10 digit): _________________
Extension: _________
Email: ____________________________
Date of Filing (MM/DD): ___ ___/ ___ ___

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Product Codes
Agricultural and animal products
Animals and fish, live (01)
Animal feed and products of animal origin (eggs, hides, etc.) (02)
Grains, cereal (wheat, corn, rye, etc.) (03)
All other agricultural products (crops, live plants, bulbs, flowers, etc.) (04)
Chemicals and chemical products
Basic chemicals (hydrogen, oxygen, hydrochloric acid, chlorine, sodium hydroxide etc.)
(05)
Fertilizers and fertilizer materials (06)
Pharmaceutical products (including blood, organ, gauze, etc. (07)
All other chemical products and
preparations (08)
Food products, alcohol, and tobacco
Alcoholic beverages (09)
Bakery and milled grain products (baked snack good, pasta, cereal, etc.) (10)
Meat, seafood, and their preparations (11)
Tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, etc.) (12)
All other prepared foodstuffs (dairy products, fats, food oils, sauces, spices, etc.) (13)
Forestry, wood, and paper products
Logs and other wood in the rough (logs for lumber, pulping, fuel, etc.) (14)
Paper or paperboard articles (toilet paper, paper towels, wallpaper, envelopes, etc.)
(15)
Printed products (books, brochures, newspapers, etc.) (16)
Pulp, newsprint, paper, and paperboard (newsprint in large rolls, napkin stock, etc.)
(17)
Wood products (wood chips, plywood, doors, windows, etc.) (18)
Manufactured metal and mineral products
Articles of base metal (pipes, nails, screws, tubes, fittings, locks, etc.) (19)
Base metal in primary or semifinished forms (bars and rods of steel or iron, etc.) (20)
Nonmetallic mineral products (cement, bricks, glass, concrete products, mirrors, etc.)
(21)
Other manufactured products or equipment
Tools, non-powered (22)
Tools, powered (23)
(Continued on next page)
Electronic and other electrical equipment (telephones, VCRs, computer equipment,
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etc.) (24)
Furniture, mattresses, lamps, etc. (25)
Machinery (motors, turbines, air conditioning equipment, fans, dishwashers, etc.) (26)
Miscellaneous manufactured products (toys, sports equipment, jewelry, clocks, etc.)
(27)
Precision instruments and apparatus (cameras, eyewear, measuring instruments, etc.)
(28)
Textile, leather, and related articles (footwear, yarns, threads, comforters, etc.) (29)
Vehicles, including parts (cars, motorcycles, trailers, etc.) (30)
All other transportation equipment (aircraft, boats, locomotives, etc.) (31)
Mining materials (raw form)
Coal (non-agglomerated and agglomerated) (32)
Crude petroleum (33)
Gravel or crushed stone (34)
Metallic ores and concentrates (35)
Monumental or building stone (marble, limestone, granite, sandstone, etc.) (36)
Natural sands (37)
All other nonmetallic minerals (salt, table salt, clays, asbestos, dolomite, etc.) (38)
Petroleum products (refined)
Fuel oils (diesel, Bunker C, etc.) (39)
Gasoline and aviation turbine fuel (40)
Plastics and rubber (tires, blinds, articles made of plastics or rubber, mud flaps, etc.)
(41)
Natural Gas (42)
All other coal and refined petroleum products (greases, propane, etc.) (43)
Waste, refuse, and recycling
Hazardous waste (EPA manifest) (44)
All other waste and scrap (including trash, yard waste, biosludge, non-EPA manifested
hazardous materials, etc.) (45)
Recyclable products (46)
Miscellaneous
Mail and courier parcels (47)
Empty shipping containers (48)
Passengers (49)
Mixed freight (for-hire carriers that haul multiple commodities on the same load) (50)
Products, equipment, or materials not elsewhere classified (99)

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Appendix B: Interview Protocol, Round 1
Cognitive Interviewing Protocol:
Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS)
Form 9501-2022 VIUS Light Trucks
Interviewer notes are in red.
Introduction:
•
•
•
•
•

Explain purpose of meeting: to obtain feedback on VIUS content, to understand the process of
answering questions, and to evaluate how questions work or don’t work.
Some questions may seem odd and/or obvious, but we don’t want to assume we know what
you are thinking.
Explain that we are not testing the respondent – we only want to evaluate the questionnaire
Structure of meeting: Understand your business and your role in it, then review the
questionnaire and ask you questions as you complete it.
Permission to record discussion for note taking purposes? This study is being conducted under
the authority of Title 13 USC. We plan to use your feedback to improve the form for future data
collections. Only staff involved in this design research will have access to the recording. Have R
sign consent form.

Research Questions to Address:
•
•
•

Are respondents able to answer the questions as intended?
Are there any items that cause the respondents problems?
o What can be done to fix those problems?
Are there any order/context effects?

Before the Questionnaire:
•
•
•
•
•

What types of goods or services does this business provide?
What is your role in the company? What kind of responsibilities do you have?
Have you received other surveys from the Census Bureau or other agencies? If so, which ones?
Did you complete those surveys?
Do you have any experience with this questionnaire?
What types of records do you typically keep on your vehicles
o (If part of a larger organization): Do you have access to all of the records related to
vehicles in your company?

Provide VIUS 9501 Light Truck form to participant.
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I’d like for you to go through the survey question by question. As you’re going through it, I’d like
you to tell me your thought process for answering the questions and how easy or difficult the
question is to answer.
Survey Introduction
•
•

What do you consider to be the most important pieces of information in this section?
Is there any information missing?

A – Registration Information
•
•
•
•

How would you answer this question?
Is this all of the information you need to identify the correct vehicle?
o If not, what other information could we provide?
Is this information available in your records?
How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?

B – Disposal
•

•
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 3 (if applicable):
o Can you think of any other methods of disposal not listed here?
Note if respondent reads and understands ‘NOTE’

C – Acquisition
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?

D – Leasing
•

•

Question 1:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
o (If respondent answered ‘yes’) When did you lease the vehicle?
 How would you proceed through the survey?
When answering these questions, did you include rental agreements?

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E – Type of Vehicle
•

•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 1:
o Are these categories clear or unclear?
o (If respondent answers ‘other’): How would you describe your vehicle?

F – Physical Characteristics
•

•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 4, 6:
o Are these categories clear or unclear?

G – Time Operated
•

•
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 1:
o (If respondent answers ‘other’): What would you enter for other?
Question 2:
o (If respondent answers ‘Vehicle not used’): Why was the vehicle not used?

H – Home Base
•

•

•
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 1:
o How would you define ‘home base’ in your own words?
o (If respondent is the Lessor): If this information you would have?
Question 3:
o Are these categories clear or unclear?
o (If respondent answers ‘other’): What would you enter for other?
Question 4:
o When answering this question, were you only considering vehicles used for commercial
purposes, or did you also include vehicles that are strictly for personal use?

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I – Miles
•

•
•
•
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 3:
o (If respondent answers ‘other’): What would you enter for other?
o Why did you choose this method of estimation?
Question 6:
o Why did you choose this/these methods of estimation?
Question 8:
o What does ‘cubed out’ mean to you?
o What does ‘weighed out’ mean to you?
Question 9:
o What does ‘operating’ mean to you?

J – Fuel and Maintenance
•

•
•
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 1, 2, 3:
o Are the categories clear or unclear?
Question 5:
o How would you describe extensive repairs in your own words?
What is the difference between maintenance and repairs in your own words?

K – Vehicle Configuration
•

•
•
•
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 1:
o (If applicable): What other mounted equipment do you have?
Question 2:
o Note whether respondent is answering for the most common configuration from
question 1.
Question 3:
o Are the categories clear or unclear?
o (If respondent answers ‘other’): What would you enter for other?
Question 6:
o Are the categories clear or unclear?

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L – Weight
•

•
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
If respondent is a lessor:
o How easy or difficult is it for you to answer based on how your lessee uses the vehicle?
o Would you reach out to the lessee to obtain this information?
Question 5:
o What does ‘permitted over weight’ mean to you?

M – Kind of Business
•

•
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 1:
o Are the categories clear or unclear?
Question 2:
o Are the categories clear or unclear?
o (If respondent answers ‘other’): What would you enter for other?

N – Product, Equipment, or Materials
•

•

Question 1:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 2:
o Note if respondent looks at the product code list.
o How would you answer this question?
o Are the instructions clear or unclear?
o Is the example helpful or unhelpful?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
o If respondent does not look at the product code list, ask them to do so before moving to
next question.
 Are the categories clear?
 Can you find the product codes that are applicable to your business?

O – Contact Information
•

For each question:

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o

How would you answer this question?

Wrap Up
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

In general, are the questions we covered today something that you document or have available
in records?
Throughout the survey, we refer to the year 2018. When answering the questions were you
thinking about the calendar year 2018?
o Are your records organized by calendar year?
o If not, how are they organized? How easy or difficult is it to answer these questions
based on the calendar year instead?
(If applicable): Would you need to reach out to others in your company for information?
o If so, what other areas/positions would you reach out to?
(If the respondent is the lessor): How easy or difficult are these questions to answer as a lessor?
o Would you contact the lessee to obtain any information?
(If the respondent is the lessee): How easy or difficult are these questions to answer as a lessee?
o Would you contact the lessor to obtain any information?
About how long do you think it would take you to complete this survey?
We plan to include some vehicle information in the request letter so that you will be able to
identify the vehicle of interest in advance. What information would be most important to you in
the letter?
What would be the best way to contact you about completing the survey?
o Mail, email, phone, etc…
This survey will be available to answer online. Would this be your preferred method to answer?
o What device would you use to complete the survey?
Do you have any other comments of suggestions about anything we have discussed today?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!

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Appendix C: Draft Questions, Round 2
Light Truck Survey
The due date for the 202X Survey is Month dd, yyyy.

A - REGISTRATION INFORMATION
All questions on this form refer to the vehicle identified by the following registration
information:
Vehicle
Make

Model
Year

State License
Plate

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

1. Is the vehicle identified above still in your possession OR your company’s
possession?
o Yes (Go to section C – Acquisition)
o No (Go to section B – Disposal)

B - DISPOSAL

1. Did you dispose of this vehicle prior to January 1, 202X?
o Yes (Go to section O – Contact Information)
o No (Continue with question 2)

2. When did you dispose of this vehicle?
Enter 2-digit month and 4-digit year.
Month ___ ___ / Year ___ ___ ___ ___

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3. How did you dispose of this vehicle?
NOTE: If you disposed of this vehicle after January 1, 202X, answer all of the
remaining applicable questions according to how you used the vehicle during
202X. If you disposed of this vehicle prior to January 1, 202X, skip to section O –
Contact Information on page 21.
Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o

Sold or gave it away
Traded it in
Junked, scrapped, or otherwise destroyed it
Returned it to leasing company
Repossessed

C – Acquisition
3. When did you originally take physical possession of this vehicle?
Enter 2-digit month and 4-digit year.
Month ___ ___ / Year ___ ___ ___ ___

4. Was this vehicle new when you took physical possession of it?
Select ONE only.
o Yes
o No

D – LEASING
NOTE: This section pertains to ownership leasing. Rental agreements are NOT
covered.

2. Did you lease this vehicle FROM someone else during 202X?
Select ONE only.
o Yes (Go to Section E – Type of Vehicle)
o No
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3. Did you lease this vehicle TO someone else during 202X?
Select ONE only.
o Yes
o No

E – TYPE OF VEHICLE
3. Which body type most closely resembles this vehicle?
Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o

Pickup
Minivan
Van other than minivan
Sport Utility
Other not elsewhere specified: _______________________________________

F – PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

8. What was the total number of axles on this vehicle?
Include front and rear axles, but do NOT include axles on any trailers pulled.
Select ONE only.
o Two
o Three or more

9. How many tires were on the rear axle?
Select ONE only.
o Two
o Four

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10. How many of this vehicle’s axles were powered?
Select ONE only.
o One axle
o Two axles
o Other – please specify: _________

11. What type of transmission did this vehicle have?
Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o

Automatic
Manual
Both
Other – please specify: ____________

12. In 202X, did this vehicle have any of the following standard features?
Select all that apply.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Air bags
Anti-lock brake system
Cruise control
Driver camera
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Internet access
Navigation system
Rollover protection

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13. In 202X, did this vehicle have any of the following driver assistance features?
Select all that apply.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Adaptive Cruise Control
Automated Driving System (ADS – full or partial)
Automatic Emergency Steering
Blind Spot Warning
Forward Automatic Emergency Braking
Forward Collision Warning
Lane Departure Warning
Lane Keeping Assistance
Parking Assistance
Parking Obstruction Warning
Pedestrian Detection
Rear Cross Traffic Warning
Reverse Automatic Emergency Braking

14. In 202X, did this vehicle have any of the following fuel economy features?
Select all that apply.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Aerodynamic bumper
Aerodynamic hood
Aerodynamic mirrors
Automatic engine shutoff technology
Automatic tire inflation system
Fuel tank covers
Gap reducers
Idle-reducing technologies (portable auxiliary pack, electrification, etc.)
Low rolling resistance tires

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15. In 202X, did this vehicle have any of the following other features?
Select all that apply.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Aerial work platform/bucket
Air compressor (except for air brakes)
Air springs
Bobtail
Christmas tree (chip box)
Crane
Electronic vehicle identification (transponder, etc.)
Engine retarder/brake
Hoist
Lift gate
Mounting bar for snowplow
Multi-hazmat
Power take-off
Toolbox
Winch

16. What was this vehicle’s towing capacity in pounds?
__________ pounds

17. What was the exterior height of this vehicle’s cabin?
Feet: ___________

Inches: __________

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G – TIME OPERATED

3. In 202X, how many months was this vehicle used?
Round to the nearest whole month. Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o

12 months (Go to Section H – Home Base)
7-11 months
2-6 months
1 month or less
Vehicle not used (no miles driven) (Go to section O – CONTACT INFORMATION
on page 21)

4. In 202X, what reasons (if any) was this vehicle NOT in use for periods of 90
consecutive days or more?
Select ALL that apply.
o
o
o
o
o

Not applicable
Seasonal
Not needed/idle (excluding seasonal)
Under repair
Other – please specify:
_________________________________________________

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H – HOME BASE

5. What was the primary function of home base from which this vehicle operated?
Home base refers to the location where the vehicle was usually parked when it
was not on the road. Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Private residence
Company office/headquarters
Terminal
Distribution center
Manufacturing plant
Farm/Agricultural Production
Mining or other Energy Production Site
Truck leasing company
Other – please specify: _________________________________________
No home base (Go to Section I - Miles)

6. Where was the home base of this vehicle on July 1, 202X?
If this vehicle was put into service after July 1, 202X, enter current home base.
City: ___________________________
County/Parish/Borough (or equivalent): ___________________________
State: ____________________________
ZIP Code: ____________

7. In addition to this vehicle, how many other vehicles/trailers were operated from the
home base location?
Pickups, small vans (including minivans), and sport utility vehicles: ________
Tractors (power units only): ________
Any other trucks or vans: ________
Trailers (including trailer mounted equipment): ________
Converter dollies: ________

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I – MILES
10. How many miles was this vehicle driven in 202X?
Round to the nearest whole mile.
Miles: ___________

11. How was the annual mileage calculated?
Select all that apply.
o
o
o
o
o

Odometer readings
Gas receipts
Trip meter
GPS
Other: _______________________________________________________

12. How many miles-per-gallon (mpg) did this vehicle average during 202X?
If compressed natural gas (CNG) is used, give miles per gasoline gallon
equivalent (GGE). 1 GGE = 123 cubic feet CNG. Report to the nearest tenth.
MPG: _______

13. How was miles-per-gallon (mpg) calculated?
Select all that apply.
o
o
o
o
o

Odometer readings
Gas receipts
Trip meter
GPS
Other:
____________________________________________________________

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14. What was the approximate percent of this vehicle’s 202X mileage for each of the
following jurisdictions?
Round to the nearest whole percent. Total should sum to 100%.
Operated within the home base state: _____%
Operated in states other than the home base state (or has no home base):
_____%
Operated in Canada: _____%
Operated in Mexico: _____%

15. What was the approximate percent of this vehicle’s 202X mileage accounted for by
the type of trips listed below?
If this vehicle does not operate from a home base, report the average range of
operation. Round to the nearest whole percent. Total should sum to 100%.
•
•
•

Within 50 miles: _________%
51 to 100 miles: _________%
101 miles or more: _________%

16. How many miles has this vehicle been driven since it was manufactured?
If the odometer has turned over, please enter the figure for the total amount. If
the vehicle is no longer in your possession, enter the figure when you last
operated the vehicle. Round to the nearest whole mile.
Miles: _____________

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J – FUEL AND MAINTAINANCE

10. In 202X, what type of fuel or fuel combination was most often used in this vehicle?
If a fuel combination was used, select all that make up the combination.
Otherwise, select one only.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Gasoline (including gasohol)
Diesel (including biodiesel)
Natural gas (compressed or liquid)
Propane (liquefied petroleum gas)
Alcohol fuels (ethanol or methanol)
Electricity
Other – please specify:
__________________________________________________

11. In 202X, at what type of location was this vehicle typically refueled?
Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o

Gas station
Truck stop
Your own facility (including home, farm, ranch, on-site by mobile supplier, etc.)
Other company’s/contractor’s facility not open to the public
Other – please specify:
__________________________________________________

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12. In 202X, who performed any GENERAL maintenance (oil change, brake change,
headlight replacement, etc.) on this vehicle?
Select ALL that apply.
o General repair business or private mechanic (includes gas stations, truck stops,
parts stores, etc.)
o Dealership service department
o Leasing company
o Yourself, spouse, friend, etc. while not employed/paid by any maintenance type
facility
o Company-owned maintenance facility
o None performed (Skip question 4, proceed to question 5)
o Other – please specify:
__________________________________________________

13. What was the total cost of all GENERAL maintenance in 202X?
Round to the nearest whole dollar.
$____________.00

14. In 202X, were any EXTENSIVE repairs (driveline repair, engine repair/rebuild,
transmission repair/rebuild, differential repair/rebuild, etc.) performed on this
vehicle?
Select ONE only.
o Yes (Continue with question 6 below)
o No (Skip questions 6 and 7, proceed to question 8 on page 13)

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15. Who performed these EXTENSIVE repairs?
Select ALL that apply.
o General repair business or private mechanic (includes gas stations, truck stops,
parts stores, etc.)
o Dealership service department
o Leasing company
o Yourself, spouse, friend, etc. while not employed/paid by any maintenance type
facility
o Company-owned maintenance facility
o Other – please specify: __________________________________________

16. What was the total cost of all EXTENSIVE repairs in 202X?
Round to the nearest whole dollar.
$____________.00

17. Has this vehicle’s engine EVER been rebuilt or overhauled?
Select ONE only.
o Yes
o No (Go to section K – Vehicle Configuration on page 14)
o Don’t know (Go to section K – Vehicle Configuration on page 14)

18. In what year was this vehicle’s engine LAST rebuilt or overhauled?
Year (4 digit): ___ ___ ___ ___

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K – VEHICLE CONFIGURATION

7. In 202X, what percent of the miles driven by this vehicle were in each of the
following configurations?
Trailer mounted equipment should be treated as a trailer. Total should sum to
100%.
No trailer pulled: _____% (If no trailer pulled is more than 50%, go to Question 5)
Trailer pulled: _____%

8. How many axles were on the trailer unit most often pulled by this vehicle?
Select ONE only.
o One axle on trailer
o Two axles on trailer
o Three or more axles on trailer

9. What was the length, in feet, of the trailer unit most often pulled by this vehicle?
Round to the nearest whole number.
________ feet

10. Does the trailer have any of the following add-on equipment?
Select ALL that apply.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Aluminum wheels
Front faring
Lightweight landing gear
Rear faring
Side skirts
Undercarriage aerodynamic devices
None of the above
Other – Please specify:______________________

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11. Referring to the most common configuration indicated in question 1 (no trailer or
trailer pulled), what was the total length of this vehicle or vehicle/trailer combination?
Report distance, in feet, from front bumper to rear of vehicle or trailer(s). Select
ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Less than 16.0 feet
16.0 to 19.9 feet
20.0 to 27.9 feet
28.0 to 35.9 feet
36.0 to 40.9 feet
41.0 to 44.9 feet
45.0 to 49.9 feet
Other – Please specify: ___________________

L – WEIGHT

6. What was the empty weight of this vehicle or vehicle/trailer combination?
Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o

Less than 6,001 pounds
6,001 to 8,500 pounds
8,501 to 10,000 pounds
More than 10,000 pounds

7. What was the average payload, in pounds, transported by this vehicle or
vehicle/trailer combination during 202X?
Round to the nearest whole pound.
_________________ pounds

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8. What was the average weight, in pounds, of non-trailer cargo?
Round to the nearest whole pound.
_________________ pounds

M – KIND OF BUSINESS

3. In 202X, was this vehicle used, at least partially, for any commercial or businessrelated activities?
o Yes, this vehicle was used at least part time for commercial activities
(Continue with Question 2)
o No, this vehicle was strictly used for personal transportation (Go to
Section O – Contact Information)

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4. Which of the following best describes your business (or part of your business) in
which this vehicle was most often used during 202X?
If vehicle was leased, indicate business of lessee. Select ONE only.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

o

Accommodation or food services (for immediate consumption)
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, or hunting
Arts, entertainment, or recreation services
Construction (includes land subdivision and development, as well as construction
activity by special trade contractors)
For-hire transportation (of goods or people)
Fuel wholesale or distribution
HVAC, plumbing, electrician
Information services (includes telephone and television)
Manufacturing
Mining (includes quarrying, well operations, and beneficiating)
Retail Trade
Utilities (includes electric power, natural gas, steam supply, water supply, and
sewage removal)
Vehicle leasing or rental (includes short-term rentals)
Warehousing
Waste management, landscaping, or administrative/support services
Wholesale trade
Other services, including real estate, nonvehicle leasing or rental, educational,
health care, social assistance, finance, insurance, professional, scientific, or
technical services
Other – please specify:
______________________________________________________

5. In 202X, was this vehicle used for any of the following commercial activities?
Select all that apply.
o
o
o
o
o
o

Transporting goods belonging to you or your company
Transporting goods belonging to another person or company
Transporting tools related to your business
Transporting paying passengers
Used as a daily or short term rental
Other – please specify: _________________

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6. What was the approximate percent of this vehicle’s 202X for each if the following
commercial activities?
Total should sum to 100%.
•
•
•
•
•
•

Transporting goods belonging to you or your company: ______%
Transporting goods belonging to another person or company: ______%
Transporting tools related to your business: ______%
Transporting paying passengers: ______%
Used as a daily or short term rental: ______%
Other – please specify: _________________: ______%

NOTE: If your highest percentage occurs for transporting tools related to your
business, transporting paying passengers, used as a daily or short term rental, or
other, go to section O - CONTACT INFORMATION on page 25. Otherwise,
continue to question 2 on page 21.

N – PRODUCT, EQUIPMENT, OR MATERIALS
1. What was the approximate percent of this vehicle’s 202X mileage accounted for by
the type of trips listed below?
Round to the nearest whole percent. Total should sum to 100%.
•
•
•

Vehicle was filled to physical capacity (cubed out): _____%
Vehicle was filled to weight limit (weighted out): _____%
Vehicle was empty: _____% (If you report 100% empty, go to Section O –
Contact Information)

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2. In 202X, what products, tools, equipment, or materials did this vehicle carry, and
what approximate percent of LOADED mileage were they carried?
Round to the nearest whole percent. Percentages can add to more than 100% if
more than one type of tool or product was carried at the same time.
Products

Agricultural and animal products
Animals and fish, live (01)
Animal feed and products of animal origin (eggs, hides, etc.)
(02)
Grains, cereal (wheat, corn, rye, etc.) (03)
All other agricultural products (crops, live plants, bulbs, flowers,
etc.) (04)
Chemicals and chemical products
Basic chemicals (hydrogen, oxygen, hydrochloric acid, chlorine,
sodium hydroxide etc.) (05)
Fertilizers and fertilizer materials (06)
Pharmaceutical products (including blood, organ, gauze, etc.
(07)
All other chemical products and
preparations (08)
Food products, alcohol, and tobacco
Alcoholic beverages (09)
Bakery and milled grain products (baked snack good, pasta,
cereal, etc.) (10)
Meat, seafood, and their preparations (11)
Tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, etc.)
(12)
All other prepared foodstuffs (dairy products, fats, food oils,
sauces, spices, etc.) (13)
Forestry, wood, and paper products
Logs and other wood in the rough (logs for lumber, pulping,
fuel, etc.) (14)
Paper or paperboard articles (toilet paper, paper towels,
wallpaper, envelopes, etc.) (15)
Printed products (books, brochures, newspapers, etc.) (16)
Pulp, newsprint, paper, and paperboard (newsprint in large
rolls, napkin stock, etc.) (17)
Wood products (wood chips, plywood, doors, windows, etc.)
(18)
Manufactured metal and mineral products

Percentage
of loaded
miles
%
%
%
%

%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%

%
%
%
%
%

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Articles of base metal (pipes, nails, screws, tubes, fittings,
locks, etc.) (19)
Base metal in primary or semifinished forms (bars and rods of
steel or iron, etc.) (20)
Nonmetallic mineral products (cement, bricks, glass, concrete
products, mirrors, etc.) (21)
Other manufactured products or equipment
Tools, non-powered (22)
Tools, powered (23)
Electronic and other electrical equipment (telephones, VCRs,
computer equipment, etc.) (24)
Furniture, mattresses, lamps, etc. (25)
Machinery (motors, turbines, air conditioning equipment, fans,
dishwashers, etc.) (26)
Miscellaneous manufactured products (toys, sports equipment,
jewelry, clocks, etc.) (27)
Precision instruments and apparatus (cameras, eyewear,
measuring instruments, etc.) (28)
Textile, leather, and related articles (footwear, yarns, threads,
comforters, etc.) (29)
Vehicles, including parts (cars, motorcycles, trailers, etc.) (30)
All other transportation equipment (aircraft, boats, locomotives,
etc.) (31)
Mining materials (raw form)
Coal (non-agglomerated and agglomerated) (32)
Crude petroleum (33)
Gravel or crushed stone (34)
Metallic ores and concentrates (35)
Monumental or building stone (marble, limestone, granite,
sandstone, etc.) (36)
Natural sands (37)
All other nonmetallic minerals (salt, table salt, clays, asbestos,
dolomite, etc.) (38)
Petroleum products (refined)
Fuel oils (diesel, Bunker C, etc.) (39)
Gasoline and aviation turbine fuel (40)
Plastics and rubber (tires, blinds, articles made of plastics or
rubber, mud flaps, etc.) (41)
Natural Gas (42)
All other coal and refined petroleum products (greases,
propane, etc.) (43)
Waste, refuse, and recycling
Hazardous waste (EPA manifest) (44)

%
%
%

%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%

%
%
%
%
%
%
%

%
%
%
%
%

%

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All other waste and scrap (including trash, yard waste,
bio sludge, non-EPA manifested hazardous materials, etc.)

%

(45)
Recyclable products (46)
Miscellaneous
Mail and courier parcels (47)
Empty shipping containers (48)
Passengers (49)
Mixed freight (for-hire carriers that haul multiple commodities
on the same load) (50)
Products, equipment, or materials not elsewhere classified (99)

%
%
%
%
%
%

O – CONTACT INFORMATION

Last Name: ____________________________
First Name: ____________________________
Middle Initial: _______
Street Address: ____________________________
Street Address 2: ____________________________
City (or city equivalent): ____________________________
State: __________________________
Zip Code: ______________
Phone Number (10 digit): _________________
Extension: _________
Email: ____________________________
Date of Filing (MM/DD): ___ ___/ ___ ___

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Appendix D: Interview Protocol, Round 2
Cognitive Interviewing Protocol:
Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS)
Form 9501 VIUS Light Trucks
Interviewer notes are in red.
Introduction:
•
•
•
•
•

Explain purpose of meeting: to obtain feedback on VIUS content, to understand the process of
answering questions, and to evaluate how questions work or don’t work.
Some questions may seem odd and/or obvious, but we don’t want to assume we know what
you are thinking.
Explain that we are not testing the respondent – we only want to evaluate the questionnaire
Structure of meeting: Understand your business and your role in it, then review the
questionnaire and ask you questions as you complete it.
Permission to record discussion for note taking purposes? This study is being conducted under
the authority of Title 13 USC. We plan to use your feedback to improve the form for future data
collections. Only staff involved in this design research will have access to the recording. Have R
sign consent form.

Research Questions to Address:
•
•
•

Are respondents able to answer the questions as intended?
Are there any items that cause the respondents problems?
o What can be done to fix those problems?
Are there any order/context effects?

Before the Questionnaire:
•
•
•
•
•

What types of goods or services does this business provide?
Can you tell me about your vehicle or your company’s vehicle?
What is your role in the company? What kind of responsibilities do you have?
Have you received other surveys from the Census Bureau or other agencies? If so, which ones?
Did you complete those surveys?
What types of records do you typically keep on your vehicles?
o (If part of a larger organization): Do you have access to all of the records related to
vehicles in your company?

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I’d like for you to go through the survey question by question. As you’re going through it, I’d like
you to tell me your thought process for answering the questions and how easy or difficult the
question is to answer.

The table in the Registration Information section would be prefilled with information about your vehicle.
•

Is this the information you would need to identify which vehicle you should answer this survey
for?
o If not, what information would you need?

A – Registration Information
•

How would you answer this question?

B – Disposal
•

•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 3 (if applicable):
o Can you think of any other methods of disposal not listed here?

C – Acquisition
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o Is this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?

D – Leasing
•

Question 1 and 2:
o How would you answer this question?
o (If respondent answered ‘yes’ to either) When did you lease the vehicle?
 How would you proceed through the survey?
 Who is the vehicle registered to? You or the lessee/lessor?
o When answering these questions, did you include or exclude rental agreements?

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E – Type of Vehicle
•

Question 1:
o How would you answer this question?
o Are these categories clear or unclear?
o (If respondent answers ‘other’): How would you describe your vehicle?

F – Physical Characteristics
•

•

•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o If this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 5:
o Are these categories clear or unclear?
o How would you define ‘navigational system?’
 Would you consider a ‘navigational system’ the same as or different to ‘GPS?’
Question 6, 7, and 8:
o Are these categories clear or unclear?

G – Time Operated
•

•
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o If this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 1:
o (If respondent answers ‘Vehicle not used’): Why was the vehicle not used?
Question 2:
o (If respondent answers ‘other’): What would you enter for other?

H – Home Base
For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o If this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
• Question 1:
o How would you define ‘home base’ in your own words?
o (If respondent is the Lessor): If this information you would have?
o Are these categories clear or unclear?
o (If respondent answers ‘other’): What would you enter for other?
• Question 3:
o When answering this question, were you only considering vehicles used for commercial
purposes, or did you also include vehicles that are strictly for personal use?
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•

I – Miles
•

•
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o If this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 2:
o (If respondent answers ‘other’): What would you enter for other?
o Why did you choose this method of estimation?
Question 4:
o Why did you choose this/these methods of estimation?

J – Fuel and Maintenance
•

•
•
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o If this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 1, 3:
o Are the categories clear or unclear?
Question 5:
o How would you describe extensive repairs in your own words?
What is the difference between maintenance and repairs in your own words?

K – Vehicle Configuration
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o If this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?

L – Weight
•

•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o If this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
If respondent is a lessor:
o How easy or difficult is it for you to answer based on how your lessee uses the vehicle?
o Would you reach out to the lessee to obtain this information?

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M – Kind of Business
•

•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o If this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 2 and 3:
o Are the categories clear or unclear?
o (If respondent answers other): What would you enter for other?

N – Product, Equipment, or Materials
•

•
•

For each question:
o How would you answer this question?
o If this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?
Question 1:
o Are the categories clear or unclear?
Question 2:
o How would you answer this question?
o Are the instructions clear or unclear?
o Can you find the product codes that are applicable to your business?
o If this information available in your records?
o How easy or difficult is this information to obtain?

Wrap Up
•

In general, are the questions we covered today something that you document or have available
in records?

•

Are your records organized by calendar year?
o If not, how are they organized? How easy or difficult is it to answer these questions
based on the calendar year instead?

•

(If applicable): Would you need to reach out to others in your company for information?
o If so, what other areas/positions would you reach out to?

•

(If the respondent is the lessor): How easy or difficult are these questions to answer as a lessor?
o Would you contact the lessee to obtain any information?

•

(If the respondent is the lessee): How easy or difficult are these questions to answer as a lessee?
o Would you contact the lessor to obtain any information?

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•
•

About how long do you think it would take you to complete this survey?
We plan to include some vehicle information in the request letter so that you will be able to
identify the vehicle of interest in advance. What information would be most important to you in
the letter?

•

What would be the best way to contact you about completing the survey?
o Mail, email, phone, etc…

•

This survey will be available to answer online. Would this be your preferred method to answer?
o What device would you use to complete the survey?

•

If you were asked to complete this survey for more than one vehicle, would it be easier or more
difficult to fill in a spreadsheet template? (Vehicles as rows, questions as columns)

•

Do you have any other comments of suggestions about anything we have discussed today?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!

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Appendix E: Online Ad Text
Hello!
The Economic Statistical Methods Division of the US Census Bureau is looking for commercial truck
drivers to participate in an hour long interview about their vehicles. If you qualify and complete the
interview, we will give you $40 as a thank you!
Qualifications:
Must currently be or have been in the last three weeks responsible for a commercial truck or
trucking fleet;
Must be knowledgeable about the truck(s)' uses, maintenance, and other information;
Must have access to a telephone and an internet connected computer;
Must be 18 years old or older to participate.
This is your opportunity to make sure that we "get it right" when we ask for feedback on your
vehicle(s)! Please consider helping us out! All interviews will be conducted remotely, using either the
telephone or web conferencing depending on your capabilities. Thank you!

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