DOT (Department of Transportation)
Allison Dane Camden assisted in the start of an artificial intelligence initiative at the Washington State Department of Transportation last year, in collaboration with the University of Washington, to help truck drivers locate parking along Interstate 5.
In order to give vehicles along the majority of the West Coast a better view of available parking, the project aims to extend along the I-5 corridor. Its goal is to provide the availability of truck parking in real time for six weigh stations close to the freeway and thirteen safety rest places.
Currently, Camden is employed in Washington, where he leads an agency established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with the goal of creating multimodal freight policies and creative national solutions to freight-related problems.
According to her former boss, Washington Transportation Secretary Roger Millar, Camden brings a plethora of trucking expertise to her new post at the U.S. DOT. Among them is the I-5 truck parking project and her leadership at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
When asked about the recently appointed deputy assistant secretary for multimodal freight infrastructure and policy, Millar said, “She’s not new to your business,” which is important information for trucking CEOs to know. She understands.
Millar and Sheri Call, President and CEO of the Washington Trucking Association, praised Camden’s expertise on trucking matters in separate interviews with Trucking Dive.
Call stated, “I’ve always had a very good working relationship with Allison.” She is aware of the unique nature of the field. Her appointment there as well as the fact that supply chain problems are being brought to the nation’s notice more consistently pleased me.
“A wise decision for the lead”
Call, who has over 20 years of experience with the Washington Trucking Associations, listed Camden’s “breadth and depth of understanding” on a number of topics impacting the industry as one of the advantages of having her lead the new office.
The CEO of the trucking organization stated, “She was definitely a good choice to lead in this position.” “We do it all in the state of Washington—manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and import/export—so she has a wealth of experience, and I believe she has a lot of excellent resources at her disposal.”
According to Call, Camden suggested that she be appointed to a community advisory board for the $7 billion project to repair the deteriorating I-5 bridge that links Oregon and Washington. The project is expected to begin in 2025, according to officials.
According to Call, the state transportation department’s joint grant proposal for the I-5 AI parking effort received support from the Washington Trucking Associations in advocating for $1.8 million in seed money.
A “change agent” having interpersonal and technical abilities
According to Millar, Camden’s technical expertise and interpersonal skills will be the most useful of all her skill sets when it comes to managing the multimodal freight office.
He said, “She gets the technical stuff.” She is acquainted with the freight industry. She is knowledgeable in supply chains and logistics. She works with ports, railroads, trucks, and all of those people. She is familiar with that setting.
However, she is also knowledgeable and adept at running the government. She has lived on the Hill for a while. She is aware of what functions well and poorly there. She has experience working with municipal and state governments as well as public-private partnerships.
Due to her tenure as vice chair of the Transportation Policy Forum at AASHTO, Camden has connections with transportation leaders around the nation.
These connections make it possible for the kind of cooperation required for a multi-state effort to use tech to assist truck drivers in finding parking.
“Allison led the way,” Millar said. “Those are the activities she has been involved in; she is the kind of change agent the administration was searching for.”
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