HELP Inc., provider of PrePass, was awarded the Mike Russell Trucking Image Award during the recent American Trucking Associations 2016 Management Conference & Exhibition (MCE) in Las Vegas. HELP was specifically cited for its safety messaging to create awareness of the importance of safe operations both within the trucking industry and among the motoring public, as well as its support of national and state industry safety efforts.
HELP Inc. was founded in 1993 as a non-profit public/private partnership focused on commercial vehicle safety and efficiency. In fulfillment of its mission, HELP works closely with industry groups and other non-profit organizations to improve truck safety through its PrePass weigh station bypass services, as well as communication and advocacy efforts.
“I am honored to accept this prestigious award,” said Karen Rasmussen, HELP Inc. president and CEO. “This award helps recognize the efforts of HELP and our members who continually work to improve safety on our roads and the promotion of safe trucking.”
HELP supports several American Trucking Associations (ATA) initiatives, including Share the Road and National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. As a member of the ATA Communications and Image Committee, HELP leadership is involved in the Trucking Moves America Forward campaign to increase awareness of the role of trucking in moving the economy.
HELP industry involvement extends to the state level with financial and in-kind support for state trucking association (STA) activities. HELP supports safety initiatives, such as state truck driving championships, driver appreciation and safety awards programs, as well as education on compliance with federal safety regulations. In addition, HELP is the largest single supporter of Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) activities including CVSA Roadcheck, the International Driver Excellence Award and North American Inspector’s Competition. These activities help promote cooperation between commercial law enforcement and the trucking industry.
HELP also partners with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), an industry organization dedicated to stopping human trafficking through training truck drivers to observe and report suspicious incidents that may involve human trafficking. HELP Inc. Chairman, Chief David Lorenzen of Iowa, and a number of HELP Board members are among TAT leaders.
In addition to improving commercial truck safety and efficiency through its partnerships and internal efforts, HELP provides PrePass with service across the United States. PrePass offers integrated weigh station bypass, electronic tolling, weigh-in-motion technology and the InforRM™ fleet safety portal. HELP introduced PrePass in 1993 and has logged over 700 million safe weigh station bypasses resulting in $5.2 billion in savings to motor carriers. Over 550,000 commercial trucks from more than 51,000 fleets utilize PrePass for bypassing and electronic toll payment.
The Mike Russell Trucking Image Award is named in honor of the late Mike Russell, a trucking industry supporter and former ATA vice president of public affairs. Other recipients of the 2016 Mike Russell Award include the Iowa Motor Truck Association, Garner Trucking Inc. of Ohio, and Professional Truck Driver John Lex who is an America’s Road Team Captain and the Georgia Truck Driver of the Year.