DMV News Releases

Sandston Weigh Station Equipped with Motion Scales
Technology Saves Truckers Time

RICHMOND - New weigh-in-motion technology at the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles' Sandston Motor Carrier Service Center, also called a weigh station, will help truckers get to their destinations faster.

High-speed weigh-in-motion scales are now set into the pavement on Interstate 64 before the weigh station in Sandston. This technology allows participating trucks to be weighed at normal highway speeds and bypass the weigh station if they meet weight, tax and registration requirements.

Trucking companies that want to participate mount transponders in the cabs of their trucks. As trucks approach the weigh station, they travel under an overhead frame erected above the highway. Similar to those used for Virginia's Smart Tag electronic toll collection system, an antenna is mounted on the overhead frame and reads the transponder's serial number. The serial number identifies the truck for the weigh station employees and a database displays the truck's tax compliance and vehicle registration record. At the same time, the truck travels over the weigh-in-motion scales imbedded in the road.

If the truck meets the weight, vehicle registration and tax requirements, the cab transponder signals a green light as the driver moves under a second overhead frame above the highway. The green light indicates the trucker can bypass the weigh station.

If the truck is overweight, or there are other outstanding requirements, the cab's transponder displays a red light telling the driver to pull into the weigh station.

"This technology has the capability of making intelligent motor carrier evaluations in a dynamic environment," said DMV Commissioner D.B. Smit. "Trucks with a transponder will be able to be tracked for safety, assessment and payment of taxes and appropriate credentials in a more effective way that allows non-compliant carriers to be more easily detected. Truckers who obey the law, pay their taxes, don't operate overweight and have a good safety record are rewarded by not having to pull into weigh stations."

Several other weigh stations in Virginia already utilize the weigh-in-motion technology including the stations located in Troutville, Alberta, Suffolk, Carson, Bland and Dumfries.

Thirteen weigh stations and 12 mobile crews in Virginia monitor trucks for compliance with state and federal laws pertaining to size and weight. About 18 million trucks are weighed per year in Virginia, and approximately 140,000 overweight violations are detected annually. A typical Motor Carrier Service Center operation is staffed with technicians that weigh vehicles, collect truck data and provide information for overweight citations to the Virginia State Police.

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