Seven States Now Using Automation to Expedite Roadside Inspections

Drivewyze operator of the largest public-private weigh station bypass network in North America — announced expansion of its e-Inspection program

The movement toward roadside inspection automation continues to grow. Drivewyze, operator of the largest public-private weigh station bypass network in North America announced expansion of its e-Inspection program, with seven states now offering pilots to expedite In-Station Inspections.

Vermont now joins Kansas, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia, and Utah in allowing Drivewyze e-Inspection technology to automate time-consuming elements of traditional In-Station Inspections at select weigh stations.

According to Brian Heath, President, and CEO of Drivewyze, interest — and now participation — is creating a new era in roadside inspection throughput, accuracy, and productivity. “We are on a mission to revolutionize roadside inspections for the trucking industry,” said Heath. “Drivewyze e-Inspection technology is automating critical elements of traditional time-intensive manual roadside inspections. The technology is here, and it’s proven. Drivers and fleets can save up to 30 minutes or more when traditional in-station inspections are accelerated using e-Inspection technology. Designed with industry and agency needs in mind, e-Inspection leverages existing ELD partnerships and the Drivewyze platform to deliver accurate and secure automation to FMCSA-approved Level I, II, and III roadside inspections. This saves a tremendous amount of time and eliminates data quality errors.”

Leading carriers are participating in this initiative to modernize roadside inspections, including Western Express, J.B. Hunt, and Schneider. For a limited time, Drivewyze is allowing carriers to enroll in the pilot program at no cost. Fleets are encouraged to contact Drivewyze, or their telematics provider, to ensure participation.

According to Heath, accelerating In-Station Inspections is just one application of the e-Inspection technology. “There will be more to come,” he said. “Drivewyze will be sharing additional time-saving applications in the near future.”

One of the first fleets taking advantage of Drivewyze e-Inspection technologies is Western Express, which operates more than 3,300 trucks. “It’s clear to me that this is the next step for the industry,” said Daniel Patterson, Director of Safety at Western Express. “And it’s great for drivers. For new drivers especially, they can be a bit nervous going into an inspection site. By automatically populating the inspection form, the driver’s experience is much more pleasant. Expedited In-Station Inspections go a long way toward helping drivers and they love it. That’s the feedback we’ve received.”

“Fleets and drivers value faster turnarounds at inspection sites because it can add upwards of 30 minutes of drive time back into a driver’s schedule, it reduces fuel consumption due to idling, and it reduces the administrative workload of the DataQs for safety officers,” Heath said. 

“E-Inspection is modernizing 100-year-old practices with automation to reduce lost time, in an industry that loses almost $75 billion per year to congestion and traffic delays,” Heath said. “It’s not just fleets that see the potential for this technology — enforcement agencies benefit from improved efficiency and effectiveness of current resources to conduct inspections and impact safety on our highways. E-Inspection will revolutionize roadside inspections. It will eliminate the wasted time and inaccuracy of officers filling out paperwork on the side of the road, streamline manual workflows and get drivers back out on the road quickly. State agencies, fleets and technology partners are lining up to be part of this modernization — it’s an exciting time to be in trucking.”

Drivewyze has leveraged integrations with over 2.5 million ELD devices to bring e-Inspection as a new offering to fleets through its ELD partner ecosystem. Currently, fleets using Platform Science or the Geotab platforms can access and utilize Expedited Inspections, with Trimble currently in the process of integration. Other Drivewyze ELD partners will be coming on board shortly.

“The growth of Drivewyze and its transformative success proves that automation in transportation can lead to greater productivity, increased efficiency and a better driver experience,” said Natalia Burgett, VP of Strategy and Business Development at Platform Science. “We are proud to have a partner that shares a common commitment to unlocking the future of trucking with innovative technology solutions.”

“As a company committed to optimizing fleet management, Geotab has ensured that it has the software integration support needed to run e-Inspections from Drivewyze,” said Scott Sutarik, VP Enterprise Solutions at Geotab. “Geotab customers are able to auto-populate inspector forms via the Drivewyze PreClear solution, with accurate and high-quality data, enabling Expedited e-Inspections and allowing fleets to save time, money and fuel while increasing productivity, safety and performance.”

“Trimble’s focus is to provide drivers, carriers, and shippers with solutions that optimize workflows to save time and increase productivity,” said Joel Jorgenson, vice president, Strategic Sales and Account Management for Trimble Transportation. “Drivewyze e-Inspections are a prime example of how technology can achieve this, helping drivers streamline the inspection process and enhance safety both for carriers and everyone they share the road with.”

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