Investigation of Illegal Weigh Station Bypassing

Kentucky offers motor carriers the option to bypass weigh stations by using mainline screening services such as PrePass or Drivewyze. Before they are approved to use bypass services, Kentucky screens motor carriers; they are screened again by those services immediately prior to the weigh station. Some motor carriers have been observed illegally bypassing weigh stations by (1) shadowing a PrePass or Drivewyze truck with bypass clearance as it passes the station (i.e., ghosting), (2) bypassing on the mainline despite having no authority to do so, or (3) pulling into the weigh station only to disregard weigh station signage when directed to stop and park for inspection. This problem has been exacerbated by dramatic reductions in the number of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) personnel and the need to move officers away from the weigh stations to focus on traffic enforcement and roadside inspections. Inspectors staffing weigh stations lack the authority to chase down vehicles whose drivers do not comply with weigh station signage.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $105000
• Contract Numbers:

  SPR 22-617

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

  200 Mero Street
  Frankfort, KY  United States  40622
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Kentucky, Lexington

  Kentucky Transportation Center College of Engineering, 176 Raymond Building
  Lexington, KY  United States  40506-0281
• Principal Investigators:

  Martin, Andrew

• Start Date: 20210701
• Expected Completion Date: 20230630
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crimes involving transportation; Legal factors; Personnel; Traffic law enforcement; Weigh stations; Weight measurement
• Geographic Terms: Kentucky
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Law; Motor Carriers;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01781440
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: University of Kentucky, Lexington
• Contract Numbers: SPR 22-617
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Sep 8 2021 11:04AM