Top 10 Common Acronyms of the Transportation Industry

Every industry is unique. From retail to education to construction, each industry has its own unique set of procedures, terminology, and acronyms. But what if you are at the point in your career where you are looking to switch to a completely different industry? How do you get up to speed quickly with the new lingo? If you’re looking to make the switch to the transportation safety industry, below are the Top 10 acronyms most commonly used:

1. DOT = Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation (DOT) is a U.S. government agency devoted to interstate transportation Source: https://www.transportation.gov

2. FHWA = Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation that supports State and local governments in the design, construction, and maintenance of the Nation’s highway system Source: https://highways.dot.gov

3. AASHTO = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It represents all transportation modes, including: air, highways, public transportation, active transportation, rail, and water. Its primary goal is to foster the development, operation, and maintenance of an integrated national transportation system. Source: https://www.transportation.org

4. FAST Act = Fixing America’s Surface Transportation
Federal law providing $305 billion over fiscal years 2016 through 2020 for highway, highway and motor vehicle safety, public transportation, motor carrier safety, hazardous materials safety, rail, and research, technology, and statistics programs. Source: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/fastact/

5. ITS = Intelligent Transportation System
An intelligent transportation system (ITS) is an advanced transportation safety technology that aims to provide innovative services to enable drivers to be better informed through a range of wireless and traditional communications-based information and electronic technologies.

6. SWZ = Smart Work Zone
Smart Work Zones are road construction areas controlled remotely by ITS software with corresponding smart products such as Arrow Boards, Message Boards, Variable Speed Limit Trailers, Queue Trailers, and more.

7. NCHRP-350 = National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 350
NCHRP Report 350 represents a comprehensive update on crash testing procedures of both permanent and temporary highway safety features and the evaluation criteria used to assess the test results. Source: http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_350-a.pdf

8. MASH = Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware
NCHRP 350 was rewritten and published as AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH), featuring updated test vehicles, impact condition criteria, and evaluation criteria. Source: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/countermeasures/reduce_crash_severity/aashto_guidancecfm.cfm

9. TTC = Temporary Traffic Control
TTC is the use of temporary traffic control devices and features to guide traffic through a highway where road user conditions are changed by road work or an incident.

10. MUTCD = Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, or MUTCD defines the standards used by road managers nationwide to install and maintain traffic control devices on all public streets, highways, bikeways, and private roads open to public travel. Source:https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov

While this list covers the Top 10, there are hundreds of acronyms commonly used, especially when you get into niche areas. But we hope this list will get you off to a great start!