VDOT and Towing Industry Partnership Improves Your TRIP
RICHMOND – A commercial vehicle crash can disrupt traffic, but a Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) program created nearly a decade ago has proven successful in quickly clearing crashes to keep travelers moving on interstates.
The Towing and Recovery Incentive Program (TRIP) reduces the time motorists spend in traffic due to crashes, vehicle fires and other incidents on several interstate highways. Among them is the 325-mile Interstate 81 corridor, which carries the highest ratio of commercial trucks among Virginia interstates. I-81 has seen about a 40-minute improvement in scene-clearance times since the program was put in place.
VDOT implemented TRIP in 2017 to incentivize quick, safe clearance of incidents involving commercial vehicles in designated areas. The program reduces congestion and lowers the risk of secondary crashes resulting from interstate traffic approaching slowed or stopped vehicles.
TRIP pays a monetary incentive to heavy-duty tow providers that open a travel lane within 90 minutes of the start of an incident. The program also standardizes response procedures and improves on-scene coordination with VDOT and first responders such as law enforcement, fire and rescue.
TRIP coverage areas include all of I-81 and I-77 in the VDOT Bristol, Salem and Staunton districts and parts of I-95, I-85 and I-64 in the Richmond and Fredericksburg districts.
I-81 is a crucial backbone in Virginia's transportation network, moving massive amounts of freight and commuters. Summer 2026 marks five years since TRIP expanded to I-81, where the majority of traffic delays are caused by incidents. During that period, TRIP providers have:
- Responded to over 2,000 incidents and earned incentives 97% of the time.
- An average arrival time of 34 minutes.
- A 77-minute average scene-clearance time, measured from the start of an incident to the time that all travel lanes reopen. This is about 40 minutes faster than the three-year period before TRIP.
TRIP operations on I-81 are funded by the interstate’s Corridor Improvement Program (CIP). The nearly $4 billion CIP enhances safety and reliability, reduces congestion and supports economic growth with 65 construction projects and numerous traffic-operations upgrades. Find out more at Improve81.org.
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