Music Man Turned Trucker: Owner-Operator Josh Rickards Cuts Costs

Ever since Josh Rickards was eight years old, he’s had an interest and appreciation for trucking. Growing up, his uncle was a truck driver, and on occasion, Rickards would accompany him on the road and experience what life as a trucker was all about. It was a career Rickards could see himself doing, but he was also passionate about music, which he pursued before becoming a trucker.

In 2001, Rickards got an opportunity to do marketing and promotions work for an underground hip-hop/rap artist by the name of Tech N9ne. Before Tech N9ne became the well-known, accomplished artist he is today, selling more than 2 million albums and collaborating with some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including Eminem, Lil Wayne, T-Pain, Kendrick Lamar, and many others – he was playing at small venues and relied on a small production team.

“I wore a lot of hats early in Tech N9ne’s career,” Rickards recalled. “I helped lead his marketing strategy and promoted his music to grow his following. I also drove a van and transported production equipment all over the country when he was on tour. As Tech N9ne grew in popularity and he began playing at larger venues, we needed heavy trucks to transport all the equipment. Tech N9ne’s record label, Strange Music, paid for me to get my CDL so I could drive for the tour. That ultimately started my career as a truck driver.”

After nearly two decades in the music industry and building connections with other artists and tour managers, Rickards saw an opportunity to marry his two interests, music and trucking, full-time. In 2018, he started his own trucking company, Rickards Transportation Services, where he specialized in transporting production equipment for musicians and entertainers throughout the U.S.

Today, Rickards continues to drive part-time and manages his growing fleet of five trucks and four full-time drivers. Hauling production equipment is still the company’s primary business, and it backfills loads with general freight in between tours.

The Challenge

As a small fleet owner, managing drivers and equipment, securing freight to haul, and all the other tasks associated with running a trucking company is a lot of work.

“When I drive, and I’m done for the day, I switch gears and get caught up on emails, bills, and other items I need to do to run my business. There isn’t much time to relax and watch Netflix after a long day on the road,” Rickards chuckled. “It’s busy being an owner-operator, but it’s work that I’m passionate about, and I’m motivated to grow my business.”

According to Rickards, the past decade has brought a lot of new technology to the trucking industry that helps fleets of all sizes operate more efficiently. “Before all the technology available today, it was challenging for smaller trucking companies to keep up with the day-to-day tasks like larger fleets could since they have more resources and staff.”

The Solution

When Rickards started his trucking business in 2018, the timing coincided with the U.S. ELD mandate. To comply, Rickards decided to equip his truck with an Omnitracs (now Solera) ELD. During the onboarding process, he learned about integration partners Omnitracs had with other leading service providers in the industry. One of those providers was Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze).

“Shortly after I got set up with Omnitracs, I discovered Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) and learned about their PreClear weigh station bypass solution,” Rickards recalled. “I quickly realized that it was a solution that could help me operate more efficiently by reducing the number of times I need to stop at inspection sites and the downtime associated with those stops.”

According to Rickards, since Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) was integrated with Omnitracs and he could receive the weigh station bypass solution directly through his ELD without any additional hardware, activating the service was easy.

The Result

Since Rickards began his subscription to Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze), he’s experienced exactly what he thought he would when signed up and more. While he expected the service to reduce the amount of time he spends at weigh stations, he wasn’t aware of the cost-saving benefits of bypassing inspection sites.

In a recent monthly report Rickards received from Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze), the three trucks he currently has activated with PreClear received 41 bypasses, for an average of 14 per truck. As a result, data from Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) estimated these bypasses helped the company’s drivers reduce the amount of time spent at weigh stations by three hours and saved approximately 16 gallons of fuel.

Since 2018, Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) has greatly expanded its network of weigh stations online with throughout the U.S. and Canada. Drivewyze is currently accepted at more than 900 locations in 47 states and provinces and is the largest provider of weigh station bypass in the industry. For Rickards, it has meant he’s continued to receive more bypass opportunities along his routes.

According to Rickards, what separates Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) from other SaaS companies across any industry is the responsiveness of its customer service team. Recently, there was an issue with truck permitting information being shared with the New Mexico DOT for one of its trucks, which resulted in the truck not receiving bypasses in the state. Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) noticed the issue and informed Rickards.

“Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) recognized the problem before I became aware of it and gave me instructions on how to resolve it so the truck could receive bypasses in New Mexico again,” Rickards recalled. “I couldn’t believe it. That alone shows how great their customer service team is and their dedication to ensuring their customers get the most out of their services. Whenever I need assistance from Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze), they are there to help. It’s not often you get great customer service, so when you do, you really appreciate it.”

As Rickards continues to grow his fleet, he’s planning to incorporate Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze)’s in-cab safety notifications services to help his drivers stay informed of potential hazards along their routes, such as low bridges, high rollover corners, and more.

“What Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) is doing to address safety hazards drivers experience on the road by issuing free on-cab notifications through Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) Free is admirable,” said Rickards. “Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) is a great company with great services that help small companies like mine operate more productively.”

FAQs

How do I activate weigh station bypass (Drivewyze/Weigh Station Bypass) through an Omnitracs/Solera ELD without extra hardware?

Weigh Station Bypass (formerly Drivewyze) integrates directly with Omnitracs (now Solera) ELDs, so no transponder or additional hardware is required. Enable the Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) integration in your ELD platform, subscribe, and assign vehicles; bypass notifications then appear in-cab on the ELD. Setup is guided during onboarding and can be completed fleet-wide.

Is Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) worth it for a small fleet or owner-operator? Any real numbers on time and fuel savings from a case study?

Yes, this case study shows clear gains. With three trucks active, Rickards Transportation Services received 41 bypasses in a month, cutting about three hours of scale time and saving roughly 16 gallons of fuel. The owner reports the savings more than cover the subscription cost.

What does the monthly Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) report show, and how can I use it to quantify time and fuel savings across my trucks?

The report lists bypass counts across your fleet and estimates time, operating cost, and fuel savings. Use it to quantify ROI by truck, verify that drivers are receiving bypasses consistently, and spot issues that need attention. It provides actionable, month-over-month visibility for both owner-operators and company drivers.

Does Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) work nationwide? How many sites are covered and in which states or provinces?

Yes. Weigh Station Bypass (formerly Drivewyze) is accepted at more than 900 locations across 47 states and provinces in the U.S. and Canada. Coverage has expanded significantly since 2018, providing broad, route-friendly access.

Do I need a transponder for weigh station bypass if my trucks already run Omnitracs ELDs?

No. Because Weigh Station Bypass (formerly Drivewyze) is integrated with Omnitracs/Solera ELDs, you activate and run PreClear directly on the ELD, no separate transponder or add-on hardware needed.

Steps to roll out weigh station bypass across a five-truck fleet and make sure drivers consistently get bypasses.

Activate Weigh Station Bypass (formerly Drivewyze) on each Omnitracs/Solera ELD and assign all five trucks to the subscription. Verify each truck’s permitting and credential details so states can authorize bypasses. Train drivers to watch for in-cab notifications, then use the monthly reports to confirm bypass counts and savings. If a truck is not receiving expected bypasses, contact support to resolve data or permitting gaps quickly.

We’re not getting bypasses in New Mexico, what could be wrong with our permitting info and how do we fix it?

A common cause is permitting data not being shared correctly with the New Mexico DOT. Confirm that your truck’s permit information is current and properly reflected in your Weigh Station Bypass (formerly Drivewyze) account, then follow support guidance to resubmit or correct it. In the case study, support identified the issue proactively and provided steps to restore bypasses.

What practical benefits does ELD-integrated weigh station bypass provide for small fleets compared to stopping at scales?

It reduces the number of inspection stops, cutting downtime and fuel burn across both owner-operators and company drivers. Because it runs on the ELD, you avoid extra hardware and can activate it quickly as the fleet grows. Monthly reporting quantifies the savings, and responsive support helps keep bypass performance reliable.

What in-cab safety notifications come with Weigh Station Bypass (formerly Drivewyze) Free (e.g., low bridges, high rollover areas), and how can they help my drivers?

Weigh Station Bypass (formerly Drivewyze) Free provides in-cab alerts for hazards such as low bridges, high rollover corners, and other risk points along the route. These notifications help drivers stay aware in real time, improving decision-making and road safety. The featured fleet plans to adopt these alerts to support driver awareness.