Transponder Agreement Reached Without Oregon

Oregon last week dropped out of Norpass, a transponder-based weigh station bypass system it helped nurture, over terms of an agreement reached with rival service PrePass aimed at making the systems at least partially compatible for truckers.

The Oregon decision casts a pall on an attempt by North American Pre-clearance and Safety Systems and Help Inc., which administers PrePass, to provide comprehensive coverage to truckers across 23 states.

With about 5,000 operating transponders and 13 automated sites, Oregon would have been the largest member by far of the Norpass electronic weigh-in-motion network. As recently as August, the Oregon Department of Transportation intended to join Norpass, but it balked at a provision of a deal announced Feb. 2 whereby motor carriers would have to get permission of the transponder owner before a transponder number could be entered into the database of another pre-clearance system.

“It should be up to motor carriers whether they choose to enroll their transponder in any system,” said Gregg Dal Ponte, deputy director of ODOT. “That choice should not be hampered by a third party, the owner of the transponder.”

For the full story, see the Feb. 7 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.