Mar 9, 2004 12:05 PM, from staff and wire reports

Enrollment in PrePass has surpassed 250,000 trucks and continues to increase. This milestone is the result of 48% growth in 2003 in the number of carriers using the technology.

“These PrePass-equipped trucks are bypassing weigh stations more than 2.4 million times each month,” said Dick Landis, president of HELP Inc, the public-private partnership responsible for PrePass. “A truck saves at least five minutes and roughly one-half gallon of fuel with each successful bypass. That means PrePass saves the industry 200,000 hours of productive time and nearly one million gallons of fuel each and every month.”

PrePass is a commercially available, coast-to-coast electronic preclearance system that enables qualified motor carriers to comply electronically with state weight, safety, and credential requirements while traveling at normal highway speeds. Motor carrier participation is strictly voluntary and is subject to state safety qualification standards.

Launched in California in 1995, PrePass is operational at 242 locations with more coming soon. Twenty-four states have deployed PrePass.