In late April and early May this year, the Oregon Department of Transportation ticketed 122 trucks for illegally bypassing the weigh stations at Cascade Locks, Umatilla, Farewell Bend, La Grande and Emigrant Hill. Those 122 miscreants were among the 490 commercial truck drivers stopped and escorted back by Oregon State Police. All were inspected for licensing and hours of service (HOS) compliance. Inspectors found false logs and tampered electronic logging devices (ELDs). Twenty-five percent of the detained drivers were placed out of service.
By contrast, motor carriers who use PrePass can bypass Oregon weigh stations legally. PrePass works in partnership with the Oregon Green Light Preclearance Program to allow safe and compliant carriers to save time and money through uninterrupted travel down the road. PrePass is accepted at these and 10 other Oregon weigh stations, as well as over 750 bypass sites in the U.S. and 13 in British Columbia, Canada.
Unlike the 122 truckers in Oregon, where inspections demonstrated noncompliance, PrePass carriers have a documented safety record, reflected in their ISS (Inspection Selection System) score at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. State commercial vehicle law enforcement personnel welcome compliant carriers; the PrePass designation frees them to focus on truckers with poor safety records, like those trying to sneak by weigh stations.
With so much talk these days about advancements in technology to identify unsafe truckers and the benefits safe motor carriers should receive for going beyond compliance, it is important to remember that the bypass system and existing technology, begun by PrePass in concert with law enforcement over 40 years ago, already helps enforcement while bringing real savings to motor carriers who follow the law.