Grants for On-Road Weigh Scales Suspended

A federal grants program aimed at helping states acquire the technology to speed trucks through weigh stations has been temporarily shut down after the federal agency administering the program learned it had obligated $23 million more in program funding than was authorized by law, according to a new government audit.

In a review of the federal Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks program made public earlier this month, the Government Accountability Office said that from 2006-2010 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration exceeded by 18% the $25 million in annual CVISN contract authority it had been given by Congress.

CVISN uses weigh-in-motion scales and transponder readers to electronically screen trucks as they approach a weigh station.

The scales, embedded in the roadway about one half mile ahead of the weigh station, weigh trucks while transponders send a signal to the computer inside the weigh station.

Within milliseconds, the windshield-mounted transponder verifies the truck’s weight, size, registration and safety record.

The grants in question were given to 28 states. Of those, at least six — Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky and Ohio — have reported that they had to cancel contracts associated with the program due to a lack of funding, GAO said.

The program has been shut down since May of last year, and so far FMCSA has not said when it plans to again resume awarding grants.

“Because of the way it kept records, FMCSA states that it cannot be sure that it identified all violations; however, its efforts show widespread problems that need to be addressed,” GAO said.