Automated Commercial Vehicle Screening System

By Don Loud, OIT Project Management Office

The purpose of the two-phased Automated Commercial Vehicle Screening System (ACVSS) project is to automate functions at the southbound Kittery weigh station and the northbound York weigh station on the Maine Turnpike.  A primary benefit of the new system is the capability of screening and processing a greater number of trucks than the previous manual system allowed.   Screening of more trucks provides greater opportunity to assure regulatory compliance.

Phase I is the Kittery weigh station located near mile marker 4 of the southbound Maine Turnpike.  In late April, the project steering committee, consisting of staff from the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Transportation, the Office of the Secretary of State, and the Office of Information Technology, visited the station to see it in operation.  A system demonstration was conducted by the project vendor, Mettler Toledo, and it was well received by the steering committee.  The system is now in full operation with only post-implementation documentation remaining.  With the automated system, 900 trucks per day can now be screened and processed.  The manual system allowed for processing of only 250 trucks daily.

A more formal and public event to showcase the system is being considered by the steering committee.

Phase II of the ACVSS project is the automation of the York weigh station, located at mile marker 5 of the northbound Maine Turnpike.  Funding is required for this, and the partner agencies are working with an external consultant to investigate grant opportunities for Phase II.

Based on the success of Phase I and as Phase II is pursued, the steering committee will develop a plan to implement the technology at other weight stations in Maine.