About Us 

Conceived in 1983, Heavy Vehicle Electronic License Plate (HELP) pioneered the nation’s foremost intelligent vehicle-highway system (IVHS) initiative for commercial vehicle operators (CVO). The HELP program evolved through several phases including concept exploration, feasibility, project development and technical study.

The Crescent Project, the final phase of the HELP program, was intended to demonstrate the integrated technologies that today form the basis of PrePass: Automated Vehicle Identification (AVI), Automated Vehicle Classification (AVC) and Weigh-In-Motion (WIM).

With federal financial support from the U.S. Department of Transportation, HELP’s Crescent Project formally began in 1991 and involved six U.S. western states and one Canadian province which formed a geographic “crescent” from the Pacific Northwest to Texas. 

Following the successful completion of the Crescent Project, state partners were eager to deploy the technology.  However, at the time, federal funds were not available for deployment, leaving interested state parties without a means of utilizing the proven concepts.

As a result, HELP established a public-private partnership to raise funds to make the new technology available commercially.  HELP, Inc. exists today as a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit partnership governed by a Board of Directors that is comprised of an equal number of state official and motor carrier directors.

The culmination of HELP, Inc’s efforts is PrePass – an intelligent transportation system that electronically verifies safety, credentials, and weight of commercial vehicles at participating state highway weigh stations, commercial vehicle inspection facilities and ports of entry. Installation of the basic PrePass equipment at many state inspection facilities is funded by HELP, Inc. and provided to states without the use of public funds.  Motor carriers who voluntarily participate fund the system with monthly service charges.

HELP Inc. continues to explore new lines of service – such as PrePass Plus, PrePass Gates, and PrePass AG – that satisfy their mission to deploy intelligent transportation systems that benefit the public, government, and motor carrier industry.

   Industry Savings

Calendar Year Successful Electronic Screening Bypasses Time Savings1 Fuel Savings2 Operational Cost Savings3 Emissions Reductions4 1997 383,962 31,997 153,585 $1,919,810 339 1998 2,473,237 206,103 989,295 $12,366,185 2,184 1999 5,393,052 449,421 2,157,221 $26,965,260 4,762 2000 9,336,167 778,014 3,734,467 $46,680,835 8,244 2001 14,322,663 1,193,555 5,729,065 $71,613,315 12,647 2002 20,544,369 1,712,031 8,217,748 $102,721,845 18,120 2003 26,639,069 2,219,922 10,655,628 $133,195,345 23,522 2004 35,711,954 2,975,996 14,284,782 $178,559,770 31,533 2005 45,120,415 3,760,035 18,048,166 $225,602,075 39,840 2006 51,124,786 4,260,399 20,449,914 $255,623,930 45,142 2007 56,054,151 4,671,179 22,421,660 $280,270,755 49,495 2008 55,987,182 4,665,599 22,394,873 $485,968,740 49,436 2009 (Dec) 53,084,754 4,423,730 21,233,902 $460,775,665 46,873 Total Since Inception 376,175,761 31,347,980 150,470,304 $2,282,263,529 332,156 1Based on 5 Minutes Saved per Screening Bypass (measured in hours) 2Based on .4 gallons per pull-in (measured in gallons) 3Based on $5 per pull-in [1997-2007] (Iowa State University Center for Transportation Research and Education study performed in 1995) or $8.68 per pull-in [2008+] (FMCSA Economic Analysis and Business Case for Motor Carrier Industry Support of CVISN - Oct 2007) 4Measured in Metric Tons