Truckload carrier removes transponders and activates bypass service on ELDs

DALLAS - Following a switch from transponder-based weigh station bypass service to one available on its Omnitracs electronic logging devices, Cargo Transporters says its drivers realize more bypass opportunities while the company saves more than seven times what the subscription-based service costs.  Claremont, North Carolina-based truckload and dry van carrier Cargo Transporters recently activated Omnitracs Weigh Station Bypass Service provided by Drivewyze PreClear on all 525 trucks in its fleet. While Cargo Transporters specializes in moving freight with specific delivery times and JIT/expedited truckload service on lanes east of the Rocky Mountains from locations in North Carolina and several drop yards in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, it also delivers to client locations on the West Coast. “Many states use temporary inspection sites where our drivers just couldn’t get bypasses using the transponder-based bypass service,” said John Pope, chairman of the privately-held Cargo Transporters. “Since we first learned about Drivewyze a few years ago, we’ve been interested in the technology. Drivewzye offers an integrated and cutting-edge technology, which has been increasingly viewed favorably by law enforcement agencies.” Cargo Transporters has embraced new technologies for years, which is partly why the company and its safety director have been acknowledged as safety leaders in the trucking industry with recognition from the American Trucking Associations, Pope said. In late 2016, the company was one of 43 truck carriers to receive a SmartWay Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its leadership in freight supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency. When Drivewyze became available late last year on the company’s Omnitracs ELDs, Pope said company officials decided to remove the transponders from company trucks and activate Drivewyze. According to Drivewyze, Cargo Transporters received 3,900 bypasses out of 4,677 visits to Drivewyze-enabled weigh stations, for a bypass rate of 84 percent during the first two weeks following activation. Drivewyze estimates that the 3,900 bypasses saved Cargo Transporters more than $36,000 in potential lost productivity and fuel costs, translating into a 748 percent ROI. Using its own study analyzing more than 12 million site visits throughout the United States, Drivewyze has estimated that the average pull-in to a weigh station lasts 3 minutes and 40 seconds and costs, on average, about $9.30 in fuel, maintenance and operational costs. Drivewyze determined the costs using a number of oft-cited national industry reports. “We no longer have to manage and track transponders, which presented a challenge because our company trucks are based at several different locations,” Pope said. “We had to assign three people to constantly update things with our other weigh station bypass provider. Drivers also expressed some frustrations when roadside transponder readers were not working correctly or when they couldn’t maneuver their trucks for their transponders to be read properly in order to get their bypasses.”  After activating Omnitracs Weigh Station Bypass, Cargo Transporters drivers began receiving bypasses immediately. Drivers had little difficulty learning how to use the service because the bypasses were delivered using the ELDs, to which they were already accustomed to using, Pope added. “We’re pleased to see fleets like Cargo Transporters realize that they can get better results by switching from transponder-based service to Drivewyze,” said Brian Heath, president of Drivewyze. “Weigh station bypass is quickly becoming a must-have not only for company drivers and owner-operators, but also for fleets to attract and retain the best.” Pope agrees.  “Driver satisfaction is extremely important in today’s operating environment,” he added. “Keeping a driver moving to fully utilize their ELD driving hours is paramount. That’s why we have a driver retention rate of just under 50 percent, which is pretty darn good in the trucking industry. We know in today’s market, the only way we can be assured of providing our customers transportation services that consistently get their loads delivered on-time is if we make every effort to maximize driving time for our drivers.” The Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass application comes pre-loaded on in-cab telematics and ELD devices by Omnitracs, PeopleNet, Rand McNally and Zonar. Fleets can turn on a free analytics weigh station loss reporting tool to help them determine how much Drivewyze can potentially save them before activating the subscription-based weigh station bypass service. The application is also available for Android and iOS-based tablets or smartphones. Drivewyze, which comes with a Weigh Station Heads-Up service for real-time notifications for more than 1,200 weigh stations and inspection sites nationwide, provides bypass opportunities at more than 600 sites in 39 states.