The Midland Odessa CV trip diary app facilitates commercial vehicle travel surveys for public agencies through automation of stop recording. The survey is by invitation only. Every participant is part of an establishment/company which has been has agreed to take part in the survey. ETC Institute is the app author and the Consultant conducting the travel survey. A local, regional, or statewide public agency such as the Department of Transportation is the ultimate data owner. The name of the data owner is stated inside the app and is revealed in advance communications with each participating establishment/company.

Drivers participating in the survey are asked to download the app, install it, and log in with a PIN that uniquely represents their establishment or company. The login also asks for the Driver’s email address and (optionally) phone number. The app uses that email address to uniquely assign stop data to the correct Driver. The optional phone number is useful in case our staff has questions about the Driver’s trip diary during or after the collection period. After login, the app begins to automatically detect and record vehicular stops that the Driver makes during a prescribed period, usually 24 hours. The Driver is asked to review the stops and answer a few questions about each stop before finishing/submitting the completed trip diary directly from the app.

App users are aware that while the app is installed on their smartphone or tablet, their GPS location is used to detect and record their stops and to help draw their vehicle’s approximate travel path, which in turn facilitates the stop review process. In addition to the GPS signal, the app also uses - with the Driver’s permission – the phone's accelerometer and gyroscope sensors. The data from these sensors are used by the app’s logic engine to confirm that a stop has been made. ETC is committed to keeping each participant’s identifying information private. Our data privacy policy is available for review on our Company’s website and can be accessed directly via a link on this page.