Programs

From lost driving time to wasted fuel - spending time at the weigh station can be costly to fleets in terms of both uptime and money. 

Fortunately, having the right technology can help alleviate some of these costs. Carriers throughout the industry are increasingly reliant on weigh station bypass programs to help eliminate route delays, improve operational efficiencies and enhance the driver experience. 

Whether you are an expert on weigh station bypass technology or don’t know much about how it works, there are a few common questions and potential misconceptions that you should be aware of when determining how it may fit in your fleet. In this post, we look to shed some light on the basics of this technology and how it can make a tangible difference on your bottom line. 

Some of the most common misconceptions about weigh station bypass platforms include:

1. Bypass Programs = More Frequent Inspections

At their core, weigh station bypass programs are a tool to help fleets with positive safety track records to potentially skip a weigh station along a route. 

The technology enables law enforcement to examine key data points, including a fleet’s Inspection Selection System (ISS) score, license and vehicle identification number (VIN), as well as a truck’s weight. 

By reviewing this information, inspection personnel can be empowered to let safer fleets continue down the road and instead focus their efforts on potentially unsafe trucks or carriers.

2. Bypass Programs Track Drivers

As noted above, bypass technology is designed to only look at vehicle-specific data points, including:

• a fleet’s ISS score

• truck license plate and VIN

• USDOT number

• the date and time that a truck either bypasses a weigh station or is asked to pull in

Each of these data elements is strictly regulated and does not leave the weigh station. Driver-centric information such as Hours of Service (HOS) records and medical and license information is not shared, with most bypass services relying on secure mobile technology to ensure driver information like this is not passed on to law enforcement personnel.

3. Bypass Programs Only Work with a Transponder

Although certain weigh station bypass programs require a transponder to work properly, more advanced platforms such as Drivewyze PreClear® are transponder-free. Transponder-less platforms instead integrate directly with the in-cab telematics display or electronic logging device (ELD). 

For drivers, this means they can realize the benefits of weigh station bypass on the devices they are already familiar using. For fleets, this means no additional in-cab hardware is needed to begin leveraging the power of weigh station bypass technology.

4. Bypass Programs Screen Using CSA Scores

As we noted in point #1, the only safety score a bypass program uses is a fleet’s ISS score, which is an aggregation of a carrier’s Compliance, Accountability, Safety (CSA) scores and provides enforcement personnel with a comprehensive look at a fleet’s safety profile.

In the acronym soup of transportation terms, it is important to note the distinctions between these two scores and how they apply to weigh station bypass technology. 

CSA scores are based on a collection of a fleet’s safety-specific data, including items such as roadside inspections, crash reports and investigational findings, as well as registration details from the past two years, aggregated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

On the other hand, ISS scores are the result in the aggregation of a fleet’s CSA score. On a scale of 1 to 99, an ISS score captures a carrier’s overall safety profile. The lower the number, the better the safety rating (with 100 being out of service).

So - how do either of these scores play into weigh station bypass technology? Many bypass services utilize the ISS score to determine the likelihood of performing an inspection. A better ISS score will usually equal more frequent weigh station bypasses, with a truck with an outstanding ISS score potentially receiving bypasses up to 98 percent of the time.

That doesn’t mean that a fleet with a poor ISS score won’t ever receive an opportunity to bypass a weigh station. While it may receive fewer bypasses, a carrier can improve its safety score over time, with bypass technology actually helping to increase a fleet’s bypass opportunities based on sheer volume alone.

Discover the Potential of Weigh Station Bypass in Your Business

By understanding some of the basics of weigh station bypass systems, the more prepared you can be to bring the benefits of this technology to your business.

Each day, fleets like yours utilize their Trimble in-cab displays to integrate with Drivewyze’s weigh station bypass platform to save time, lower costs and increase efficiencies across their driver base.

Whether you use Trimble solutions today or are looking for new ways to accelerate your fleet’s performance, we can help. Contact us today to learn more about our comprehensive fleet mobility solutions and how weigh station bypass capabilities are just one way we can help make you and your drivers more productive.