The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is continuing the expansion of its electronic truck pre-clearance and bypass network at the state’s Ports of Entry (POEs), which between July 2016 and June 2017 saved the trucking industry nearly US$3.5m in time and fuel costs.
Canadian company International Road Dynamics Inc (IRD), now a wholly owned subsidiary of Quarterhill Inc, has been awarded a contract valued at more than US$3.7m by the ITD to supply and install a Mainline Electronic Screening System at the Sage Junction POE on Interstate 15. The new system will weigh and measure commercial vehicles at highway speeds using IRD’s Single Load Cell Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) scales. Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) and Automated Vehicle Identification (AVI) systems will work in conjunction with the WIM to confirm vehicle credentials and weight compliance. Two laser scanners mounted above the mainline detect over-width trucks and operate in conjunction with over-height detectors. Oversized commercial vehicles are identified, and if they do not have an associated oversize or overweight permit they are directed to report to the station, where officers can initiate further inspection.
Vehicle information will be gathered and checked against IRD’s intelligent Roadside Operations Computer (iROC) database, which will transfer the information via the FMCSA’s (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) program. Decisions will be made in real-time whether vehicles may bypass weigh stations or report for further inspection. Notification is provided to the commercial vehicle via an in-vehicle transponder and roadside signaling.
During peak times, POE weigh stations often exceed capacity and are forced to close or allow commercial vehicles to bypass the weigh station until the backlog of trucks is cleared. By using IRD’s mainline electronic screening and WIM systems, commercial vehicle enforcement facilities can focus on high-risk vehicles, allowing compliant carriers with good safety records to bypass. Not only does this greatly improve the effectiveness of the facility, but it also provides a considerable benefit to the trucking industry by reducing weigh station wait times, fuel costs, and greenhouse gas emissions.
“Currently, Idaho employs our iROC e-screening system at four locations throughout the state,” noted Terry Bergan, IRD’s president and CEO. “This contract complements our previous deployments in Idaho by further expanding the state’s network of fully automated weigh station facilities. We look forward to working with ITD on this project.”
