Rekor is to receive an initial order of around $1 million related to deployment of virtual weigh stations with Drakewell, with more revenue expected as the programme expands across the US state of South Carolina.
The Rekor One Roadway Intelligence Engine system detects overweight vehicles in real-time traffic, focusing solely on correctly identifying overweight trucks for inspection.
Meanwhile, Drakewell provides data management software that powers the virtual weigh stations by analysing and displaying traffic and Weigh in Motion (WiM) data from roadside sensors.
Rekor said that transportation agencies benefit from continuous WiM coverage and accurate overweight detection, while significantly reducing most costs associated with traditional truck weigh stations.
The programme has won first place in the State Technology Innovation Awards.
The award was based on collaborative work by South Carolina’s Office of Information Technology (OIT), working with the South Carolina State Transport Police (STP) and the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDoT).
Before installing this new technology, a typical transport police roadside enforcement shift would pull over nine trucks and find only three to four that were overweight.
With Rekor’s virtual weigh station technology and workflow, state transport police can now identify all nine overweight trucks during targeted enforcement operations, reducing unnecessary stops for compliant vehicles and optimizing officer time.
“This project has been years in the making,” said Lieutenant Thomas White, liaison between the OIT and field officers.
“Rekor technology was used to build a system that makes a difference for officers, citizens and infrastructure. By sending the right vehicle to inspection, we improve safety and protect our roads.”
"South Carolina’s leadership shows how data and automation can improve safety and protect infrastructure,” said Mark Phillips, general manager of Rekor.
“This successful implementation highlights the value of the approach and opens the door for broader adoption across South Carolina and beyond. By focusing on the highest-risk vehicles, officers help decrease roadway and bridge damage, while compliant carriers keep their trucks on the road.”
“The future of enforcement lies in transforming raw roadside vehicle data into real-time intelligence,” said Duncan Jamieson, managing director at Drakewell.
“When officers have the right data at the right time, they can act confidently, document results transparently and reinforce compliance where it matters most.”
How does mobile Weigh in Motion screening work?
An officer positioned downstream watches live WiM data on a laptop or tablet. The WiM device on the mainline wirelessly transmits individual axle weights and gross vehicle weights to the officer’s handheld device. Using Rekor technology, the officer identifies trucks that exceed state weight thresholds and intercepts them after they pass the WiM site. No vehicles within legal weight limits are mistakenly stopped.
Rekor vehicle recognition technology is integrated with the mobile setup. The officer sees real-time WiM data linked with a vehicle photo on their smartphone, tablet or laptop in the patrol vehicle. Multiple thumbnails can display different views to make identification easier. Visual or audio alerts highlight the correct overweight vehicles. Officers can respond in the field, and the same data and images are accessible to enforcement personnel at a fixed facility.
Rekor vehicle recognition analytics and Drakewell data management software process and display traffic and WiM data from roadside sensors. Officers receive prompt alerts, verify in the field and record outcomes in an auditable workflow.
