Research
Agricultural Transportation
The Agricultural Transportation research and service agenda promotes the efficient use of resources and lends itself to the competitiveness of agricultural products in the Upper Great Plains region.
Logistics and Rural Economic Development
Logistics encompasses the entire process of "planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, effective flow, and storage of goods, services, and any related information from point of origin to point of consumption in conformance with customer requirements."
Motor Carrier Safety, Economics, and Management
The Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute has a renowned program of research in motor carriers. Unlike most other universities, the UGPTI focuses on the economics and management of the industry. Areas of specialty include driver turnover and job satisfaction, safety systems, and costing.
Railroad Economics and Management
The UGPTI's Railroad Operations and Economics program is designed to examine institutional and economic issues affecting railroad operations, behavior, and efficiency. The goal of the program is to examine railroad issues that are important to transport carriers, shippers, and society, and to promote an efficient and viable rail transportation network.
Rural Aviation
The primary mission of the Rural and Small Urban Aviation Research and Service Program is to foster and enhance the ability of aviation to make a positive contribution to the local economies and social environment of rural areas and small urban communities.
Rural and Small Urban Transit
Low Volume Roads. The low-volume roads research program is designed to make a positive contribution to rural transportation through user-based research.
Rural Transit. The overall objective of the rural transit program is to promote the efficient and effective movement of people in non-metropolitan regions.
Statewide and Regional Transportation Planning
Being the central theme of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, rural and non-metropolitan transportation is strongly emphasized by researchers at the Institute.