CVISN Electronic Credentialing for 

Commercial Vehicles in Washington State

CVISN Electronic Credentialing for 

Commercial Vehicles in Washington State

A CASE STUDY

Easier Licensing and 

Credentials Processing for the 

Motor Carrier Industry

Easier Licensing and 

Credentials Processing for the 

Motor Carrier Industry

September 2004
Notice

The Federal Highway Administration provides high-quality information to

serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes

public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and

maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information.

FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and

processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.
i

Dear Reader,

We have scanned the country to bring together the collective wisdom

and expertise of transportation professionals implementing Intelligent

Transportation Systems (ITS) projects across the United States.This

information will prove helpful as you set out to plan, design, and deploy

ITS in your communities.

This document is one in a series of products designed to help you

provide ITS solutions that meet your local and regional transportation

needs. We have developed a variety of formats to communicate with

people at various levels within your organization and among your

community stakeholders:

• Benefits Brochures let experienced community leaders explain in

their own words how specific ITS technologies have benefited their

areas.

• Cross-Cutting Studies examine various ITS approaches that can be

used to meet your community’s goals.

• Case Studies provide in-depth coverage of specific approaches being

taken in communities across the United States.

• Implementation Guides serve as “how to” manuals to assist your

project staff in the technical details of implementing ITS.

ITS has matured to the point that you are not alone as you move

toward deployment. We have gained experience and are committed to

providing our state and local partners with the knowledge they need 

to lead their communities into the future.

The inside back cover contains details on the documents in this series, 

as well as sources to obtain additional information. We hope you find

these documents useful tools for making important transportation

infrastructure decisions.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey F. Paniati Mary Powers-King

Associate Administrator for Operations Office Director

Acting Program Manager, ITS Joint Program Office Research and Technology

Federal Highway Administration Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Foreword
ii
iii

The following case study provides an in-depth view of the deployment

of Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN)

Electronic Credentialing in Washington State. It describes successful

practices and lessons learned in operations and management from the

point of view of an early-adopting CVISN state. The case study emphasizes

qualitative accomplishments and the firsthand accounts of CVISN

developers and end users in state government and in the private sector.

Information in this case study was gathered from interviews and

observations at the Washington State Department of Transportation

(WSDOT) and the Department of Licensing (WSDOL), as well as a site

visit to a participating motor carrier company. The authors appreciate

the cooperation and support of WSDOT, WSDOL, the Washington State

Patrol (WSP), the Washington Trucking Associations, and their partners

in the development of this document.

Preface
iv
v

Contents

INTRODUCTION........................................................................................... 1-1

CREDENTIALING MADE EASIER ........................................................................................ 1-1

U.S. DOT’s ROLE ................................................................................................................. 1-2

PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT.......................................................................................... 1-2

SYSTEM ORIGIN AND DESIGN................................................................... 2-1

SYSTEM OPERATION................................................................................... 3-1

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE.......................................................................................... 3-3

E-CREDENTIALING AND CVIEW......................................................................................... 3-3

Extensible CVIEW Software............................................................................................ 3-3

Credentialing and E-Screening...................................................................................... 3-5

WHO PARTICIPATES?.......................................................................................................... 3-6

STAFFING ISSUES................................................................................................................. 3-6

SCOPE OF DEPLOYMENT................................................................................................... 3-8

BENEFITS AND LESSONS LEARNED........................................................... 4-1

BENEFITS ............................................................................................................................. 4-1

LESSONS LEARNED............................................................................................................. 4-2

CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS.............................................................. 5-1

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES........................................................................ 6-1

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 - A Motor Carrier Licensing Coordinator Holds Credentials 

That Were Printed at the Company’s Office............................................................. 1-1

Figure 2 - Motor Carrier and State Licensing Administrator User Interface 

Screens for E-Credentialing.......................................................................................... 3-2

Figure 3 - Legacy and CVISN Process for Obtaining a CV Credential....................... 3-2

Figure 4 - Data Moving Into and Out of WSDOT’s XCVIEW and Other Systems........ 3-4

Figure 5 - A Motor Carrier Office in Washington State with Its Own 

In-House License Plate Inventory to Support E-Credentialing............................... 3-8

Figure 6 - Examples of Washington State’s Previous Format Commercial 

Credential and the New Laser-Printed Credential................................................... 3-9

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 - Approximate Numbers of Jurisdictions Using Various Credentialing 

Systems (as of February 2004) ..................................................................................... 3-3

Table 2 - Counts Showing Relative Activity in Legacy System and CVISN 

Electronic Credentialing for Vehicles Registered in Washington State 

(as of February 2004) .................................................................................................... 3-8
vi
1-1

Electronic credentialing has

significantly improved the process 

for commercial motor carriers to

apply for and receive their credentials.

The new service is a key component

of the Commercial Vehicle

Information Systems and Networks

(CVISN) infrastructure in Washington

State. The state has successfully

converted its existing or legacy

licensing system to enable selected

carriers and service bureaus to

conduct credentialing transactions 

via the Internet. Known as 

“e-credentialing,” the system is now

connected to Washington State’s

Commercial Vehicle Information

Exchange Window (CVIEW) system.

CVIEW enables the licensing office to

share credential data with roadside

operations and with jurisdictions

outside the state.

Officials from the Washington State Department of Transportation

(WSDOT), the Washington State Department of Licensing (WSDOL), the

Washington State Patrol (WSP), and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Administration (FMCSA), plus the Washington Trucking Associations, are

cooperating in the deployment of the e-credentialing system.

The new e-credentialing computer interface allows selected motor

carriers and private service bureaus to apply for and print a number of

commercial vehicle (CV) administrative documents—including invoices,

temporary operating authorizations, and credentials—in their own offices,

as shown in Figure 1. The credentialing interface requires high-speed

Internet access. Access to e-credentialing is achieved through a database

maintained by the vendor, Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (ACS).

The 18 motor carriers and eight service bureaus now taking advantage

of e-credentialing in Washington State no longer have to wait days or

weeks for mailed application materials, invoices, and other documents to

travel to and from the state agency before their trucks can hit the road.

Data from the e-credentialing system are combined with the paperbased or legacy system CV credentialing records still being processed 

Introduction

Credentialing

Made Easier

“E-credentialing is

saving commercial

trucking firms big

money in time

efficiency. Motor

carriers’ credentialing

work can now be

done electronically

faster and more

accurately right from

their offices.”

– Jim Tutton 

Washington Trucking

Associations

Figure1– A Motor Carrier

Licensing Coordinator Holds

Credentials That Were Printed 

at the Company’s Office
1-2

by the state, and both data sets are shared with state and regional

users, including:

• The state’s transponder-based electronic screening (preclearance or

bypass) program

• The state’s CV inspectors, allowing them to use near-real-time data

during roadside enforcement and safety inspections

• Other jurisdictions participating in regional CVISN partnerships

• Other national CV safety initiatives, such as the Safety and Fitness

Electronic Record (SAFER) program and the Motor Carrier

Management Information System.

When the CVISN program was launched in Washington State in 1995, 

it included plans for e-credentialing, electronic screening (weigh station

bypass), and safety information exchange. The first CVISN-enabled 

WSP weigh station went online in March 1999, and fully automated 

e-credentialing became available on a trial basis in April 2001. At that

time, WSDOL officials made a key decision—to design the ecredentialing system with direct interfaces into the Vehicle Information

System for Tax Apportionment (VISTA). The state had been using VISTA

for its in-house license and credentials processing since the late 1980s.

The deployment of e-credentialing in Washington State is being funded

in part through a cost-sharing partnership agreement with the U.S.

Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint

Program Office (JPO). FMCSA manages the CVISN program with support

from the JPO.

This document summarizes the basic design of Washington State’s ecredentialing program, its deployment and operation, and some of the

benefits realized through the use of ITS.

WSDOL, WSP, and WSDOT use e-credentialing to:

• Make CV administration and roadside inspections more efficient

• Get commercial vehicles registered more quickly

• Keep commercial vehicles moving on the state’s roads.

Introduction

U.S. DOT’s Role

Purpose of 

This Document
The overall purpose of CVISN is to transfer information among

compatible electronic systems. A national CVISN architecture has been

defined by FMCSA, working with the states and the transportation

research and motor carrier communities, to maximize the mutual use 

of data (or “interoperability”) among the participating jurisdictions.

Washington State transportation agencies were early proponents 

of using the set of advanced information technologies that became 

known as CVISN, and the state has been active in supporting CVISN.

Washington was one of the eight original pilot states selected in 

1996 for demonstration and evaluation of model systems.

WSDOL, WSP, and WSDOT started developing the e-credentialing

program in keeping with the overall CVISN architecture by bringing

together those who had the data and those who needed to use the

data. Business, technical, and regulatory requirements were outlined,

and developmental systems were checked against the requirements

throughout the process. All state departments and agencies affected 

by the e-credentialing system—such as audit, financial, licensing, and

enforcement—were involved in the process from design through

implementation.

The database for the e-credentialing system resides on a mainframe

computer in New York State and is operated by ACS, headquartered in

Dallas, Texas. The e-credentialing function is based on the company’s

VISTA/MVS (Motor Vehicle Services) system.

Washington State was the first to use this system for e-credentialing.

According to Jason Stein of the ACS Phoenix office, “The CVISN concept

moved from an abstraction to an actual application that benefited the

state of Washington as well as its motor carriers.”

WSDOL had been using the VISTA system for its International

Registration Plan (IRP) and International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) for

about 10 years prior to adding the e-credentialing system as part 

of its CVISN infrastructure deployment. The system bundles various

credentialing systems into a one-stop shop environment available on 

the Internet. The e-credentialing database is also used to refresh the

licensing portion of WSDOT’s XCVIEW (Extensible CVIEW) system, as

described in the next section.

2-1

System Origin and Design

WSDOL’s e-credentialing software is provided to motor carriers and

service bureaus by the state at no cost to the participant. The system

prompts the user to enter carrier-, fleet-, and vehicle-specific information

required for licensing. The system provides drop-down lists for many

common operations, saving time and helping to prevent data entry

errors. Figure 2 shows examples of the motor carrier and WSDOL user

interface screens for e-credentialing.

Motor carriers and service bureaus use their own computers and Internet

links to access records and online forms to:

• Renew state credentials for an entire fleet

• Print temporary operating authorization or permanent credential

documents on a laser printer

• Add a fleet

• Add vehicles to or delete vehicles from an existing fleet

• Change gross vehicle weight or weight group

• Add jurisdictions to an existing credential

• Replace credentials or cab cards

• Prepare an original IFTA tax return

• Request that credentials be printed at a designated DOL field office

for remote pickup by a driver

• Conduct many credentialing transactions any time day or night,

without leaving their offices.

WSDOL operates a help desk to coordinate support among the 

e-credentialing participants, the system vendor, and the state offices,

both central and field offices. The state help desk averages about 

20 incoming calls from participants per week. Some calls are in turn

referred to the system vendor, which maintains a technical support

center to resolve software or hardware problems.

3-1

System Operation
3-2

System Operation

Figure 3 compares the steps involved in the legacy and CVISN electronic

processes for obtaining a CV credential, showing the difference in

turnaround times.

Figure 3 – Legacy and CVISN Processes for Obtaining a CV Credential

Figure 2 – Motor Carrier (left) and State Licensing Administrator (right) 

User Interface Screens for E-Credentialing
3-3

A number of jurisdictions (states and Canadian provinces) process

credentials using in-house or “home-grown” credentialing systems.

VISTA is one of several systems available from private-sector, third-party

vendors to assist jurisdictions in processing their IRP and/or IFTA

credentials. Table 1, provided by the IRP and IFTA clearinghouses,

indicates the approximate numbers of jurisdictions using each type of

credentialing interface as of February 2004, mainly for the states’ or

provinces’ own administrative employees to use in processing

applications submitted in paper format.

Only a few jurisdictions other than Washington State currently offer a

CVISN e-credentialing interface for the motor carriers or service bureaus

themselves to use. Five states besides Washington are currently using

the VISTA e-credentialing software.

“CVIEW” is a generic term for a Commercial Vehicle Operations-related

(CVO-related) interface designed to share and store CV data, carrier

credentials, and safety information. The system was initially developed

by the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) through research

and programming performed by staff at the Johns Hopkins University

Applied Physics Laboratory. CVIEW—which refers to both the database

storage and the integrated software operating system—can be adapted

to a state’s particular regulatory and CV operational requirements. 

WSDOT has developed its own version of CVIEW, known as XCVIEW.

Figure 4 shows the ways in which information, including e-credentialing

data, travels to and from the Washington State CVIEW database. 

CVIEW also communicates with the U.S. DOT’s nationwide SAFER system,

operated by the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems 

Center, a Federal research center with headquarters in Cambridge,

Massachusetts.

CVISN Electronic Credentialing

Type of Credentialing Interface IRP IFTA

Home-grown (in-house) or other 27 21

ACS VISTA 16 13

R.L. Polk Commercial Vehicle Registration System 10 7

(COVERS) 

CACI International Inc. 6 0

New York State Regional Processing Center 0 18

(Albany, NY)

Total 59 59

Table 1– Approximate Numbers of Jurisdictions Using Various Credentialing

Systems (as of February 2004)1

International

Perspective

E-Credentialing

and CVIEW

Extensible CVIEW

Software 

1 Source: IRP and IFTA clearinghouses. The total includes 48 U.S. States, the District of Columbia, and

10 Canadian provinces. Alaska and Hawaii are excluded because they are exempt from participating

in the IRP and IFTA programs.
The “X” in XCVIEW stands for “extensible.” This means that any state

using the XCVIEW system can expand and customize the basic software

structure, using extensible markup language (XML). Each state using

XCVIEW can also set up customized, state-specific transactions or other

functions with one or more other states. WSDOT is offering the XCVIEW

software free of charge to other jurisdictions to use as a software

starting point.

Credentialing transaction types are often unique to a given state. For

example, trucks traveling between the states of Washington and Oregon

must have credentials for payment of a Washington-specific vehicle

safety inspection fee, which is not part of the national SAFER data

system. WSDOT’s XCVIEW was designed with this data field in place.

Washington State’s credentialing data and other information for vehicles

that have associated transponders are imported into the central XCVIEW

database. XCVIEW in turn provides the status of all credentialed vehicles

to the state’s electronic screening program. The vehicle- and carrierspecific data are downloaded or refreshed at each CVISN-enabled 

weigh station as changes occur. Credentialing data are passed between

Washington State and the national SAFER system hourly.

3-4

System Operation

Figure 4 – Data Moving Into and Out of WSDOT’s XCVIEW and Other Systems

“Washington’s

XCVIEW is a

building tool for 

a state to use to

grow from its 

legacy system.

Each state 

must still do 

some software

development,

but XCVIEW 

makes it easier.”

– Doug Deckert

WSDOT
As of early 2004, WSDOT has equipped seven WSP weigh and inspection

stations with the Commercial Vehicle Roadside Information Sorting

System (CRISS) software for CVISN electronic screening. The state plans

to have three more stations online by June 2005, and four more after

that, for an eventual total of 14 stations. WSDOT also collaborates

internationally, with one weigh station in neighboring Canada currently

using the state’s CRISS software to support its own roadside

enforcement.

The CRISS software in Washington State was the first in the nation 

to associate real-time digital photographs of specific trucks with

corresponding vehicle data shown on the weigh station computer

monitor, to assist in visual identification and enforcement.

When a transponder-equipped truck is about a mile upstream of a

CVISN weigh station that is open, the truck is electronically identified 

by the CRISS software. The truck is also weighed in motion at mainline

speed, and the CRISS algorithm queries the CVIEW database

automatically, in real time.

If that truck’s identifying code is in the Washington State database, 

and if all of the vehicle’s information meets the state-defined screening

criteria, then that truck would normally receive a green light on its 

in-vehicle transponder to bypass the weigh station. If there is a problem,

such as an expired credential or a truck that exceeds its registered

weight limit, or if the truck is chosen for a random pull-in, then the

truck would get a red light on the transponder, signaling the driver to

stop and report to the weigh station for inspection.

Beyond the automatic signaling function, the CRISS software also 

helps the WSP inspectors who operate the weigh stations. The software

displays a picture and selected information about each commercial 

truck that is on the mainline approaching a weigh station. The system

uses a computer algorithm, based on WIM data and number of axles,

that displays information at the scalehouse for commercial vehicles only.

Any potential problems with axle weight (or, for transponder-equipped

trucks, any problems with credentials or safety status) are flagged and

displayed in red on the screen to notify the WSP inspector.

According to John Nicholas, one of WSP’s commercial vehicle

enforcement program managers, it is very helpful for inspectors to have

instant access to each truck’s information—plus the photograph—

before the truck arrives at the static scale. WSP inspectors report great

improvements in traffic flow and a reduction in congestion at the weigh

stations since CVISN e-screening began. Inspectors can more readily

identify the trucks, and can concentrate their efforts on the subset of

trucks most likely to be in violation of commercial vehicle regulations.

3-5

CVISN Electronic Credentialing

Credentialing and 

E-Screening 
WSDOL designed the e-credentialing system with higher-volume users 

in mind. In general, WSDOL is trying to increase the proportion of

vehicles being credentialed electronically, not necessarily the proportion

of carriers. A small handful of the highest volume carriers can 

represent a disproportionately large segment of the truck population 

in the state. The 177 motor carrier accounts now using e-credentialing

in Washington State (about 4 percent of all interstate carriers) represent

about 15 percent of the state’s IRP commercial vehicles.

Of these 177 carriers, 18 log onto the e-credentialing system directly,

and the other 159 carriers engage one of eight private-sector brokers 

or service bureaus authorized to process the carriers’ credentials

electronically. These service bureaus use the e-credentialing system on

behalf of the motor carriers for whom they work.

The state identifies carriers and service bureaus that may be selected 

to participate in e-credentialing by watching the annual volume of

transactions per carrier. With the current e-credentialing program,

smaller carriers or independent owner-operators, who might conduct

licensing transactions only once or a few times per year, would be less

likely to benefit.

System administrators do not conduct any mass marketing or

promotion for the e-credentialing system, but instead invite motor

carriers and service bureaus to participate on a case-by-case basis. 

The system is expected to grow steadily, but there are no plans to 

make e-credentialing available for all motor carriers in the state. 

DOL officials estimate that a user population of approximately 40 

e-credentialing motor carriers (up from the current level of 18 carriers)

and 300 motor carriers working through service bureaus (up from 

159 now) would represent the practical capacity of the current system

and staffing resources.

CVISN e-credentialing has enabled state licensing staff to take on other,

more pressing duties, and to pursue other state CVO objectives that

were outside the team’s capacity before CVISN was deployed. Because

they spend less time entering data from paper applications, WSDOL

administrative staff members now spend a greater portion of their time:

• Reviewing and quality-checking paper records of electronic

transactions

• Interacting with system users

• Working on the new Performance and Registration Information

Systems Management (PRISM) activities

• Helping ensure a higher level of accuracy for the data in the CVIEW

system, through research and verification with authoritative sources

of information.

3-6

System Operation

Who

Participates?

Staffing Issues

“At this 

stage, electronic

credentialing is 

not for everybody.”

– Art Farley

WSDOL
3-7

CVISN Electronic Credentialing

When the e-credentialing program began in Washington State, there

were concerns among state licensing staff about job cuts, in part

because some of the data entry functions previously performed by state

employees were being transferred to the motor carriers’ administrative

offices. According to Art Farley of WSDOL, such staffing changes did not

materialize. CVISN has not had any great effect on staffing levels at the

state. WSDOL does not perceive CVISN as a route to staff reductions.

What is PRISM?

The Performance and Registration

Information Systems Management

program originated as a pilot project

mandated by the U.S. Congress in 

1991. The goal of the project was to

explore the potential benefits of using state CV registration sanctions

as an incentive to improve motor carrier safety.

In 1998, Congress authorized additional funding to implement the

PRISM program nationwide. PRISM includes two major processes: 

the Commercial Vehicle Registration Process, and the Motor Carrier

Safety Improvement Process (MCSIP), which work in parallel to

identify motor carriers and hold them responsible for the safety 

of their operations. The performance of unsafe carriers is improved

through a comprehensive system of identification, education, 

awareness, safety monitoring, and treatment. 

The adoption of the PRISM program in Washington State has increased

the ability of the state to identify vehicles and carriers using DOT

numbers and Federal Employer Identification Numbers (FEINs), using

the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS).

WSDOL also uses the credentialing database to identify carriers who

need to update their MCS-150 (motor carrier identification) reports.

For more information on the PRISM program, visit

www.fmcsa.dot.gov/factsfigs/Prism.htm.
Table 2 shows the populations of interstate carriers, fleets, vehicles, and

transactions tracked in Washington State as of February 2004. A single

transaction may involve one or many vehicles. Transaction counts

provide a rough estimate of the state’s credentialing activity, but do not

correlate directly with vehicle counts. Table 2 also shows the proportion

of each population that is covered by the CVISN e-credentialing system

relative to the previous or legacy credential administration system.

The following facts and figures summarize the scope of CVISN 

e-credentialing for interstate commercial vehicles registered in

Washington State:

• Eighteen motor carriers in the state

have access to e-credentialing.

• Eight private-sector service bureaus

are electronically processing

credentials for 159 other IRP carrier

accounts.

• In all, 177 motor carrier accounts

are being administered

electronically, representing 200

fleets and 2,880 power units, or

approximately 15 percent of all

registered commercial vehicles in

the state. (A single carrier account

can comprise more than one fleet,

depending on its scope of

operations.)

• Three of the largest carriers also

have in-house inventories of license

plates, from which they can draw

for same-day permanent

credentialing. One such carrier’s

office is shown in Figure 5.

3-8

System Operation

Scope of

Deployment 

Interstate Carriers

Legacy Electronic Percent

Numbers of: System Credentialing Electronic

Motor Carrier Accounts 3,900 177 4%

Fleets 4,100 200 5%

Power Units 16,380 2,880 15%

Transactions per Year 8,577 1,236 13%

Table 2 – Counts Showing Relative Activity in Legacy System and CVISN 

Electronic Credentialing for Vehicles Registered in Washington State 

(as of February 2004)

Figure5 – A Motor Carrier Office

in Washington State with Its Own

In-House License Plate Inventory

to Support E-Credentialing
3-9

CVISN Electronic Credentialing

Customer Feedback:

Gordon Trucking

Colleen Bohle, coordinator of

licensing at Gordon Trucking, Inc., 

(GTI) in Pacific, Washington, 

sums up e-credentialing: “Our owner-operators love it! They can 

get plates and permits the same day. Having an actual plate instead

of a temporary operating authority makes the drivers less likely to

have to stop and report for a closer inspection at a weigh station or

port of entry. It saves the drivers time.”

Located 30 miles south of Seattle, GTI operates more than 1,000

power units. About 80 percent of their trucks are company-owned;

the rest are leased from owner-operators. The carrier adds 

approximately 200 power units per year to its fleet, plus performs

other types of credentialing transactions on an ongoing basis. 

The carrier also conducts some of its state-required credentialing

transactions online with Idaho and Oregon.

Before GTI was selected for e-credentialing, Ms. Bohle used a 

typewriter to prepare individual forms to apply for credentials and

for temporary operating authority. She estimates that using the 

computer in her own office

to apply for and administer

credentials saves her nearly

one hour of time per power

unit. The company is one of

three motor carriers in the

state with the convenience

of an on-site inventory of

license plates to support the

e-credentialing program.

Figure 6 – Examples of Washington State’s Previous Format Commercial

Credential (left) and the New Laser-Printed Credential (right)

(continued next page)
3-10

System Operation

Since joining the e-credentialing program in 2001, the company 

has reduced costs by going from two to 1.5 full-time equivalent (FTE)

administrative staff positions dedicated to license processing.

As for feedback from the company’s drivers, Ms. Bohle says they 

have no complaints. She has heard that some enforcement agencies

in jurisdictions outside Washington State were at first reluctant to

recognize the laser-printed credentials as authentic during roadside

inspections. As e-credentialing becomes more common, law 

enforcement officers are beginning to adapt to the change in 

printed format (Figure 6).

When the company signed on to the e-credentialing program, 

personnel from their licensing and information systems teams attended

a training session at the WSDOL in Olympia. Follow-up training 

was also held at the motor carrier site after the software was

installed. Day-to-day telephone support is available from the WSDOL

and from the system vendor.
The reduced shipping and handling expenses and turnaround times 

for the paper documents, forms, and credentials, which formerly cycled

from the state to the motor carrier and back, have benefited WSDOL,

WSDOT, the motor carrier industry, and their customers. Other benefits

from Washington State’s e-credentialing deployment include the

following:

• The electronic system saves time through fewer administrative

corrections caused by missing or illegible information.

• In the legacy system, carriers often make adjustments to their fleets

during the time interval that the application is in the mail or being

processed by the state, resulting in update cycles and refunds or

additional payments within an application cycle. The electronic

system is much closer to real-time processing, reducing the need for

such mid-cycle transactions.

• CVO data are being used in new ways. For example, integrating

licensing and credentials data with roadside functions has brought 

to light data errors and discrepancies that had existed all along, but

that were not typically noticed. The computerized processing of

information, from several data sources concerning a single carrier 

or vehicle, has enabled drivers and state officials in Washington to

cross-check records and zero in on problems in the data, eventually

resolving them. The state recognizes that standardizing and cleaning

up the data will be an ongoing, multiyear process that will ultimately

benefit users through more accurate recordkeeping.

• The WSP inspectors have benefited from electronic access to realtime credentialing, safety, and WIM data. This information helps 

the inspectors save time and focus their attention in deciding which

vehicles to call in for a closer look, and which to return to the

roadway. Subjectively, the WSP has observed an increase in the rate

of finding weight limit violations and issuing citations at the

scalehouse, because transponder-equipped trucks operating within

the regulations are often given green lights to bypass.

• WSP has also noticed that e-screening with CVIEW data has made

the highways safer by helping control the volume of traffic flow

through and around weigh stations.

4-1

Benefits and Lessons Learned

Benefits

“What motor carriers

want is to get their

vehicles on the road

quickly. We want

freight mobility.

E-credentialing

allows carriers to get

temporary operating

authority and in 

some cases actual

plates the same day

without leaving their

office. In effect, the 

e-credentialing

participant becomes

an extension of the

state DOL agency.”

– Art Farley

WSDOL

“When the CVISN 

e-screening program

started, it took

roadside inspectors a

little while to begin 

to trust the data, but

now they trust and

rely on the data to 

do their jobs. The

credentialing data

available online 

help the WSP

inspectors spot

potential violations

more quickly and

efficiently.”

– John Nicholas

WSP
Lessons learned from Washington State’s e-credentialing deployment

include the following:

• Trucking industry involvement has been vital to the success of the 

e-credentialing program. According to Joel Hiatt of FMCSA, “Publicprivate partnering is the single greatest factor in the success of CVISN

in the state. The state government recognizes the importance of

engaging and preserving the support of the motor carrier industry.”

• Information exchange has helped states, such as Washington, that

were early in adopting CVISN technologies as well as later-adopting

states.

Washington State learned a great deal from being an active

participant in FMCSA-sponsored information exchanges and

planning programs intended to bring together ideas from various

states and other stakeholders during the program development 

and deployment process.

For example, state officials interacted with their counterparts in

other jurisdictions to share source code freely. WSDOT modified an 

e-permitting system from Utah to create the “e-SNOOPI” (System

Network for Oversize, Overweight Permit Information) application,

one of the first e-commerce oversize/overweight permitting

programs in the nation. Likewise, Alaska is now developing its own

version of Washington State’s CRISS program for electronic screening.

WSDOT uses an e-mail information sharing service for CVISN system

architects, where information technology specialists post questions

and answers regarding technical topics such as passing XML data

packages among systems, installing and configuring wireless systems

for roadside enforcement, and standardizing vocabulary.

WSDOT and WSDOL continue to consult with other states that are 

at earlier and later stages of CVISN deployment in areas such as the

acquisition process, request for proposal (RFP) development, defining

technical specifications and business requirements, and making

vendor comparisons and evaluations.

• WSDOL found that it received a better return on its infrastructure

investment by using electronic systems for IRP credentialing than for

IFTA tax return filing. Compared with IFTA processing, electronic 

IRP transactions allow the state to recover its investment in systems

and training more quickly and provide greater immediate benefits 

to motor carriers. IRP credentialing yields comparatively greater

efficiencies for the state licensing administrators.

4-2

Benefits and Lessons Learned

Lessons

Learned

“Industry has been 

a full participant,

and has really been

a champion, in 

terms of securing

funding and

legislative support

within the state.

This got the

program up and

running more

quickly.”

– Joel Hiatt 

FMCSA
• The system vendor found that getting all parties at the state

involved from the beginning of the software development process

was critical. Jason Stein of ACS indicates that a thorough and

efficient requirements definition session makes development,

testing, and production implementation run much more smoothly.

A comprehensive requirements definition process also typically 

helps to minimize the amount of “scope creep,” in which new and

changing requirements can arbitrarily draw resources from

previously agreed-upon priorities.

4-3

“CVISN has 

shown the Federal

government where

and how some

common CVO

functions can be

drawn together.

Jurisdictions have

started talking and

sharing ideas and

data, which did not

happen often 

enough before.”

– Doug Deckert

WSDOT

CVISN Electronic Credentialing

The Washington State deployment of electronic credentialing for

commercial motor carriers has seen early success, in part because it

enjoys a high level of support from the motor carrier industry. The

industry perceives tangible benefits in terms of labor savings for their

licensing staff who can apply for credentials without leaving their

offices, less duplication of transcription/data entry effort, and fewer 

(or more quickly identified and corrected) clerical errors.

The designers of the e-credentialing system in Washington State 

started with the specific needs of their state and then, through 

planning and negotiation, crafted a system that is compatible with 

the CVISN national architecture.

Looking to the future, WSDOL plans to expand the number of

commercial motor carriers participating in e-credentialing, up to the

state system’s practical capacity. WSDOL also hopes to offer motor

carriers check-free electronic payment of credentialing invoices 

through an automated clearinghouse system, but is currently working

on service fee and funding issues.

5-1

Conclusions and Next Steps

6-1

Additional Resources

Washington State Department of Transportation

Jim Stuart, CVISN Program Manager

Phone 360-705-7987

stuartj@wsdot.wa.gov

Doug Deckert

Phone 360-705-7364

deckerd@wsdot.wa.gov

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov

Washington State Department of Licensing

Art Farley

Phone 360-664-1820

afarley@dol.wa.gov

http://www.dol.wa.gov

Washington State Patrol

Capt. Coral L. Estes

Phone 360-753-0350

coral.estes@wsp.wa.gov

http://www.wsp.wa.gov

Washington Trucking Associations

Jim Tutton

Phone 253-838-1650

jim@wtassns.com

http://www.wtatrucking.com

Affiliated Computer Services, Inc.

Jason Stein

Phone 602-412-2070

jason.stein@acs-inc.com

http://www.acs-inc.com

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Jeff Secrist

Phone 202-385-2367

jeff.secrist@fmcsa.dot.gov

Joel Hiatt

Phone 404-562-3610

joel.hiatt@fmcsa.dot.gov

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov 
Federal Highway Administration Resource Center Locations

Baltimore, MD

10 S. Howard Street

Suite 4000

Baltimore, MD 21201

Phone 410-962-0093

Atlanta, GA

61 Forsyth Street, SW

Suite 17T26

Atlanta, GA 30303

Phone 404-562-3570

Olympia Fields, IL

19900 Governors Drive

Suite 301

Olympia Fields, IL 60461

Phone 708-283-3500

San Francisco, CA

201 Mission Street

Suite 2100

San Francisco, CA 94105

Phone 415-744-3102

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Service Centers

Eastern Service Center

802 Cromwell Park Drive

Suite N

Glen Burnie, MD 21061

Phone 443-703-2240

Midwestern Service Center

19900 Governors Drive

Suite 210

Olympia Fields, IL 60461

Phone 708-283-3577

Southern Service Center

61 Forsyth Street, SW

Suite 17T75

Atlanta, GA 30303

Phone 404-562-3600

Western Service Center

201 Mission Street

Suite 2100

San Francisco, CA 94105

Phone 415-744-3088
THIS DOCUMENT IS ONE IN A SERIES OF PRODUCTS THAT ADDRESS

ITS ISSUES PERTINENT TO A VARIETY OF AUDIENCES

Elected and Appointed Officials • Senior Decision Makers

Transportation Managers • Technical Experts

Representing:

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Licensing and Registration Service Bureaus • Law Enforcement 

Public Utilities/Commercial Vehicle Enforcement 

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ITS Topics Addressed in This Series:

• Commercial Vehicle Operations

• Emergency Services

• Enabling Technologies

• Emissions Management

• Freeway and Arterial 

Management

• Planning and Integration

• Real-Time Traveler Information

• Transit, Toll, and Rail Management

• Weather Information for Travelers

and Maintenance

• Work Zones

For a current listing of available documents, please visit our website at:

http://www.its.dot.gov

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technologies have benefited specific areas.

Cross-Cutting Studies present current

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Case Studies provide in-depth coverage

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FHWA-JPO-04-029 EDL# 13980 FMCSA-RT-04-001

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

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