Commercial truck drivers will have the option of using technology to bypass weigh stations, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said.
The technology, PrePass, is a weigh station transponder that eliminates the need to carry multiple state transponders. It works with the aid of scales embedded in the roadway. The transponder verifies a truck’s credentials, safety rating and legal weight as the vehicle travels. Drivers who receive a green light can continue driving. Those who receive a red light indicating must report to the weigh station for closer inspection.
The technology is being offered in Washington after WSDOT reached an agreement in December with HELP, a nonprofit trucking industry partnership that provides the PrePass transponders.
Before the agreement, PrePass transponders could not communicate with WSDOT weigh stations.
“We are excited to be entering into this partnership with Washington and look forward to working with WSDOT through this mutual agreement,” Karen Rasmussen, president and CEO of HELP, said. “Safe fleets and drivers appreciate the time and fuel savings of PrePass as well as opportunities for interoperability of their transponders.”
Per capita, Washington is the second most trade-dependent state.
In 2016, WSDOT’s in-state transponder system saved the trucking industry $12.8 million and approximately 111,000 hours of travel.