Remarks for Secretary Lyndo Tippett
Transponder Bypass Program Contract Announcement
Thursday, March 23, 2006 at 2 p.m.
Hillsborough
Good afternoon.
Thanks for taking the time to join us here today.
As you would expect, I am here today to make an announcement concerning the future of our weigh stations.
I am pleased to say that the North Carolina Department of Transportation has just selected a vendor to install a new transponder system called TransExpress to electronically monitor the compliance of truck traffic on our interstate highways.
This technology will be a powerful tool in our efforts to address overweight vehicles and the damage they cause to our highways.
But the true beauty of this system is that its benefits extend far beyond stopping overweight vehicles.
The transponders will reduce long lines at our weigh stations, improving safety and mobility for truckers and motorists alike.
They will also help save fuel and reduce emissions because fewer trucks will be backed up on the highways.
In addition, the bypass system rewards drivers and companies that have good compliance records, saving them time and money.
It will also free up resources for Motor Carrier Enforcement to target violators on our other roadways.
The N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, which oversees the state's Motor Carrier Enforcement Section, has been our ongoing partner in bringing this technology to North Carolina.
Standing next to me is Major David Mundy, section director of Motor Carrier Enforcement.
Major, I want to thank you and your troopers for all your ongoing work to ensure that our highways remain safe for both motorists and truckers.
The contract we have just signed is a $4 million, eight-year deal with International Road Dynamics Inc. of Spring Grove, Illinois.
IRD will design, install, operate and maintain the transponder bypass program, and
NCDOT will be responsible for authorizing trucks to participate.
IRD came highly recommended to us and we are looking forward to working with them.
Transponder technology will allow officials to monitor the compliance of our truck traffic at highway speed.
Motor carriers who have a history of weight, safety and tax compliance and up-to-date credentials can enroll in the program and bypass the state's weigh stations.
The diagram behind me illustrates how this technology works.
As a truck approaches the weigh station, a roadside reader scans the identification information from the transponder and compares it to a database of trucks that have been authorized to bypass the station based on their compliance history.
If a truck has been cleared, the transponder will give the driver a green light and let them know it is okay to bypass the station.
At the same time, the reader will alert staff inside the weigh station that the truck has been authorized not to stop.
If a truck is not cleared to bypass, the transponder will show a red light and the driver will be directed to pull in to the weigh station.
The eastbound Hillsborough weigh station here was chosen as the site for today's announcement because it has had transponder technology in place since 2002 as part of a pilot TransExpress program to weigh and bypass compliant trucks at highway speed.
As you can see on this map, the new contract will expand the existing transponder system capability of this station, as well as install transponder technology at 10 other interstate weigh stations.
The installation of the new equipment will begin in May, and the system is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year.
Transponders are already being used successfully in many states, and North Carolina's system will be compatible with other databases used for credential screening.
Clearly, transponders are a win-win situation for both truckers and the state, and we are certainly pleased this technology will now be available throughout North Carolina.