WEIGH STATIONS' CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT ALTERNATIVES: A COMPARISON OF MAINLINE ELECTRONIC SCREENING AND PHYSICAL EXPANSION

A number of weigh stations are unable to keep pace with current truck traffic levels. In response, state enforcement agencies are compelled to seek capacity enhancements for the weigh stations. One response is to increase physical capacity by adding a ramp weight-in-motion (WIM) scale, a sorter and a bypass lane. Electronic screening, on the other hand, is a feasible option for increasing capacity without expanding physical infrastructure of the weigh station. This study compares the impact of these two alternatives in terms of travel time savings and enhanced productivity for a selected high traffic weigh station using a simulation model. The results indicate that physical expansion could improve a weigh station efficiency to some extent in a shorter amount of time than electronic screening programs. Electronic screening, however, eliminates a weigh station's inefficiencies gradually but permanently when the number of transponder-equipped trucks increases significantly.