Trucking has no doubt changed in numerous ways over the past two decades. Now, after 26 years of service, HELP Inc., the provider of PrePass, has changed its name to PrePass Safety Alliance.

Why? The new name better reflects the core mission and structure of the non-profit, public/private partnership. It also better aligns the organization with its product and service offering, PrePass.

The HELP Inc. name was an acronym for “Heavy-vehicle Electronic License Plate, Incorporated,” a term that loosely described the original transponders affixed near the license plates on the front of truck tractors and used for weigh station bypass in the early days of the program. While the original transponders soon moved into the truck cab, the name remained the same until now.

According to Karen Rasmussen, CEO of the PrePass Safety Alliance, PrePass has become one of the most-recognized and trusted brands in the commercial trucking industry.

“As the organization grew geographically and technologically, HELP’s Board of Directors determined it was time to adopt a name that reflected our commitment to highway safety and efficiency, as well as our unique public/private partnership,” she says.

Saying “goodbye” to the HELP name isn’t easy. That’s because HELP Inc. is often cited as a model of how industry and government can work in partnership to improve highway safety.

HELP was created following a multi-state, truck safety demonstration program to evaluate how best to pre-screen and weigh qualified, safe commercial vehicles at highway speeds and allow them to bypass weigh facilities. As an objective third-party entity, HELP was structured to ensure that the operation of the bypass system was balanced between safety and efficiency, and that carriers allowed to bypass were selected on the basis of strict adherence to standards of safety and compliance.

Today, the PrePass Safety Alliance continues to be comprised of member jurisdictions and governed by a board of directors made up equally of public sector and industry representatives. These representatives provide oversight and strategic direction for the PrePass program and related safety services.

Join us in welcoming PrePass Safety Alliance. And here’s to many more years of providing products and services that not only enhance truck safety, but also save you time and money.