Searcy Trucking Elevates Driver Experience and Fleet Efficiency

Safe, Productive, and Driver Centric

Being safe, being productive, and being driver centric is top of mind for Rachelle Baker, Searcy Trucking’s manager of driver services. “It’s in our culture to live by those three philosophies when it comes to our drivers,” she said. “It’s what’s helped us grow to become one of the largest, and one of the safest, open-deck carriers in Manitoba. We always look for technology that will help our drivers, which in turn will help our company.”

Being safe, and doing things right by their customers, has its rewards. In 2019, Searcy took home the prestigious North American “Machinery Haulers Fleet Safety Award.” A few years earlier, they were named Volvo’s Small Fleet of the Year.

With operations in Winnipeg and Altona Manitoba, the open-deck trucking operation has 155 power units that run both in Canada and in the States. “Anything you can think of, we can haul it,” said Baker, “including combines for the Ag industry and jet engines.”

Don’t Worry About Transponders, Just Turn on Bypass

In 2019 the company transitioned from their Omnitracs AOBRDs to ELDs. The transition was smooth, said Baker. “We had a lot of back-end support from Omnitracs, which made the integration very easy for us. Later in 2019, we simply ‘turned on’ Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze), providing our drivers with weigh station bypass. That’s been a great decision.”

According to Baker, the company had heard that weigh station bypass could help the company be more productive on the road – so research began. The question: which system to use? “We did our research and found Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) provided the best coverage in the U.S. and Canada to give us more bypass opportunities,” she said. “And we didn’t have to worry about transponders – installing them and keeping track of everything. It was a matter of turning on PreClear through Omnitracs, it didn’t take long at all in our back office or at a home office. I think of that now, since many of us are working from home due to COVID-19. Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) really simplifies things as we continue to add new trucks.”

Searcy Trucking Today: Delivering a Driver Centric Solution that Works

Today the company is spending time on the road instead of the inspection site. One of its trucks recorded 19 bypasses in a single month. “Remember, we’re an open deck carrier, so we have tie downs and load securement that inspection officers might want to inspect. There is always a stress level with drivers when they go through an inspection site, even if they know they’re in compliance and should have nothing to worry about. Weigh station bypass is more important than ever right now due to the need for social distancing and COVID-19. We don’t want our drivers having to make unnecessary stops. We’ve had inspections that in the past, could last up to 1-1/2 hours. That takes us out of the delivery window and that costs both us, and the driver, money. Those issues are all but gone now.”

Baker said weigh station bypass is something, that once drivers have it, they don’t want to give it up. “More than once they’ve asked me, ‘how come we didn’t get this sooner?’ and ‘how come every fleet doesn’t have this?’ That tells us a lot about driver acceptance. They’d miss it if Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) wasn’t activated in their truck.”

Management is also sold. “Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) provides reports, which show our fuel and time savings on a monthly basis, along with the number of bypasses our drivers received. It gives us our ROI. It’s a win for drivers and a win for us.”

Beyond Bypass: Keeping Drivers Safe

While Searcy Trucking has always been safety driven, and recognized by the industry for their safety record, the company is always open to new ways to help drivers. “Not long ago we activated Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) Safety Notifications,” said Baker.

FAQs

How do I turn on Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass through Omnitracs ELDs for my fleet?

Enable Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) directly through your Omnitracs ELD platform. Searcy Trucking simply “turned on” PreClear and the integration was quick, with support available from Omnitracs. No transponders are required, and activation can be managed from the back office or a home office as trucks are added.

Do I need transponders if I enable Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) on my ELDs, and how simple is setup when staff work from home?

No, transponders aren’t needed. Searcy Trucking activated Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) through Omnitracs and found setup fast and manageable remotely, which made adding new trucks straightforward even while staff worked from home.

What kind of time and fuel savings can a carrier expect from weigh station bypass, with real-world results?

Management reports from Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) show monthly time and fuel savings alongside bypass counts. In practice, one Searcy truck recorded 19 bypasses in a month, reducing stops, idle time, and inspection delays that previously could last up to 1.5 hours, savings that benefit both the fleet and drivers.

Is there a weigh station bypass program with strong coverage in both the U.S. and Canada that runs on Omnitracs ELDs?

Yes. Searcy Trucking’s research found Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) provided the best coverage in both the U.S. and Canada and runs seamlessly through Omnitracs ELDs.

Case study: How did Searcy Trucking use Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) to reduce inspection delays and keep drivers moving?

After moving to Omnitracs ELDs, Searcy enabled Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) without installing transponders. Drivers now receive frequent bypasses, one truck hit 19 in a month, avoiding inspections that used to take up to 1.5 hours and helping them stay on delivery schedules. Management tracks monthly time and fuel savings to confirm ROI.

How many weigh station bypasses per month can trucks realistically get with Drivewyze?

Results vary by route and safety profile, but Searcy recorded up to 19 bypasses in a single month for one truck. Overall, their drivers report frequent bypass opportunities.

What ROI reports does Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) provide, bypass counts, time saved, and fuel savings and how are they used by management?

Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) provides monthly reports showing bypass counts, time saved, and fuel savings. Searcy’s management uses these metrics to quantify ROI and guide operational decisions.

For open-deck carriers with frequent load securement checks, can weigh station bypass reduce stress and time spent at inspection sites?

Yes. Open-deck carriers often face securement checks; weigh station bypass reduces unnecessary pulls into inspection sites, easing driver stress even when they’re fully compliant. Searcy also avoided inspections that could last up to 1.5 hours, helping drivers keep moving and support social distancing.

What are Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) Safety Notifications, and why would a fleet activate them?

Safety Notifications are an additional Drivewyze feature designed to support driver safety. Searcy activated them to further strengthen their safety-first culture and keep drivers informed while on the road.

Steps to roll out weigh station bypass across a mid-sized, cross-border fleet without installing transponders.

Choose a solution with strong U.S./Canada coverage, Searcy selected Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze). Enable Weigh Station Bypass (Formerly Drivewyze) through Omnitracs ELDs (no transponders needed) and work with Omnitracs support for a smooth setup. Activate trucks as they come online, manage provisioning from the office or remotely, and use monthly reports on bypass counts, time, and fuel savings to validate ROI.