Idaho's Perspective: IRP Technology Then and Now
By Jerri Hunter, IRP Supervisor for Idaho’s Transportation Department
Idaho’s IRP technology has drastically changed over the years. Idaho joined the International Registration Plan in 1976, and until 1985, we had a very cumbersome transmittal process. Then, Idaho implemented an automated system to process IRP registrations, requiring a separate monitor and keyboard so each employee had two “dumb terminals” on their desk. The process was extremely slow compared to today’s standards. In the early 1990’s we implemented a second version of the system, which eliminated the need for two monitors and keyboards.
When IRP, Inc. was established in 1994, we did not have e-mail, nor a Web site (I’m not sure we even knew what a Web site was back then), and the Clearinghouse was beyond our wildest dreams. We had one fax machine but customers were not permitted to fax most documents to us; all transactions were processed by mail or walk-in.
In 1999, we joined the IRP Clearinghouse and life has been grand ever since. The Clearinghouse, in my opinion, is the best invention since the paperclip and only continues to improve. As more jurisdictions joined the Clearinghouse, we no longer needed to issue as many paper transmittals, which significantly reduced our printing costs and time spent on the transmittal process.
In addition to the Clearinghouse, the IRP, Inc. Web site eliminated the need to keep all information in hard-copy format. For years Idaho had a two-page document called the “Handy Dandy Chart.” This chart listed all the IRP jurisdictions and their specific requirements such as maximum gross weight, credit policies, registration and grace periods, etc. Each year, we would mail a copy of the current chart to every IRP jurisdiction asking for updates. Not everyone responded, and of those that did respond, the answers were sometimes incomplete and, on occasion, incorrect. Now, we have one convenient, paperless location to visit with current, accurate information.
Do I feel that my jurisdiction’s IRP, Inc. membership dues are well used? Absolutely. I do not know of any other organization that places such a high importance on being responsible and accountable to their membership as well as sharing information.
Indiana’s Technological Advancements in IRP Administration
By James m. Poe, IRP, Inc. Board Chair
In Indiana, we strive to process IRP registrations efficiently and effectively. After all, customer focus is one of the foundational directives of our agency. During the last 15 years, we have continually taken action supporting that strategy. One of our most salient examples is moving from a manual registration system to one that uses cutting-edge technology—a change made based on an analysis of industry needs and carrier input.
We started small, with just a handful of trucking companies, and enabled them to process their own registrations in the new IRP system. We provided training for these carriers, which allowed them to maneuver easily through the system and process their transactions or issue their own permits and credentials.
That small start proved to be a big step forward…toward building a Web-based system that allowed anyone with an active IRP account to process transactions, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Registrants got on board in mass, putting the Web-based system to work in meeting their business needs.
For instance, carriers can now renew their IRP plates online up until the day before they expire, and registrants can add jurisdictions to their account at a moment’s notice. This is essential for a carrier needing to make a run in a jurisdiction where it is not currently registered. In addition, carriers can add vehicles, transfer plates, reprint cab cards, replace plates, increase weights and change unit numbers. They can make payments online and print permits and cab cards instantaneously.
The online system allows carriers to estimate the cost of creating a new fleet, or adding a new vehicle to an account before committing to a permanent transaction. In addition, Indiana created a user-management system for company administrators to manage their user profiles and passwords. To help reduce paperwork, Indiana’s Web-based system offers forms and publications as well.
All of these capabilities started with the input of motor carriers. In our experience, we’ve learned that actively seeking carrier feedback and input is a highly crucial step in delivering better services and capturing greater government efficiency. In the end, it’s a partnership founded on customer focus—and that delivers a real win-win for all parties every time.
Fifteen Years and Counting: IRP, Inc. Staff Perspective on Technology
By Tim Adams, Ken Carey, Meredith Fender, Joan Kalvaitis, Mary Pat Paris, Joelle Ward and Laurie Wright
One reason associations are created is that more often than not, what we can achieve together is greater than what we can achieve alone. At IRP, Inc., we have worked hard over the years to accomplish our primary objective of offering programs and services that help our members administer the International Registration Plan (Plan). As technology has evolved since the organization’s inception, we have not lost sight of this original objective and have made great strides in helping jurisdictions keep pace with new technology.
When IRP, Inc. was established in 1994, we relied on snail mail, phone and e-mail’s precursor, an electronic bulletin board, for the distribution of information. Member notifications were originally in the form of weekly mass mailings. As fax machines became more commonplace, IRP, Inc. progressed to the use of group faxes to keep members informed of important issues.
The advent of e-mail and widespread access to the Internet created entirely new methods for reaching out to our membership. Once all members had e-mail capabilities, we were able to phase out mass mailings and group faxing. Members now get IRP news in “real time,” delivered electronically. Member communications also have greatly improved through the use of such Web-based programs as the IRP Community Yahoo! Groups, Webinars, SharePoint, and of course the IRP, Inc. Web site.
The IRP Clearinghouse and the electronic audit exchange program did not exist in the early 90’s, and jurisdictions processed IRP fees by use of paper checks and transmittals. Now one of IRP, Inc.’s most vital programs, the Clearinghouse, allows member jurisdictions to electronically exchange transmittal data and IRP fee disbursements. Additionally, the IRP, Inc. Web site provides public access to a multitude of IRP-related information, allowing our members to keep current on issues at their convenience.
As for voting on amendments to the Plan, IRP ballots were originally processed on paper, with jurisdiction members mailing in their votes. Results of a ballot usually took several weeks before being published. Now, members can vote online and track a ballot’s progress with just a few mouse clicks.
Keeping up with technology is not always easy, so none of the technological advances we have achieved over the years could have been possible without the support of our strong volunteer base and AAMVA, our parent organization. Our volunteers provide the necessary structure and guidance to help us adopt the latest technological innovations, and AAMVA’s infrastructure and technical expertise help us “make it happen.” We extend a hearty “thank you” to these wonderful volunteers and staff members who have dedicated their time and expertise to improve Plan administration through the use of new technology.
No matter what technological innovations lie ahead, you can rest assured that IRP, Inc. will continue to deliver exceptional service to the IRP community into the 21st century and beyond.
The IRP Clearinghouse’s Dramatic Growth and Development
The concept of a Clearinghouse for IRP first emerged in 1994, and few people at the time could imagine the positive impact it would have on jurisdictions. Over 85% of IRP jurisdictions participate in the Clearinghouse. Only 8 of 59 jurisdictions are not currently members.
The dollars netted through the Clearinghouse each month range from as little as a couple million dollars to as much as $82 million in one month. The annual netting has grown from over $25 million in 2000 to over $410 million in 2008.
Over the past fifteen years, adoption of technology at IRP, Inc. and in the jurisdictions significantly reduced the amount of paper produced and mailed, and significantly increased accuracy and efficiency.
Industry Perspective: Technology Made the Repository Even Better
By Bob Pitcher, Vice President, state laws, American Trucking Associations
IRP, Inc.’s timely adoption of technological advances has been crucial in the organization’s success. Still, it may be advantageous to consider that technology alone, without a solid institutional framework within which it can function, is apt to be misdirected and wasted. The incorporation of IRP, Inc. 15 years ago provided the basic institutional footing for the International Registration Plan (Plan), not only for the technological resources that the repository has brought to bear, but for the many significant policies, communications, and training efforts that IRP, Inc.’s members have been able to undertake and bring successfully to completion since 1994.
Although IRP was a highly successful organization prior to its incorporation, the repository function was, in some respect, unsatisfactory. However, by the early 1990s, after the federal requirement for states to belong to IRP was enacted but had yet to be implemented, it was clear to many it was time to supply the more formal basis that the Plan repository required.
For this purpose, it was recommended that the repository function be incorporated, as an AAMVA subsidiary, as IRP, Inc., and authorized to hire a staff to do the work of the repository. This new corporate structure was linked to the Plan itself through an amendment to the document, and a second amendment provided for annual dues to be paid by the Plan members to IRP, Inc. to furnish a steady, dependable source of funding. The IRP membership approved these amendments, the corporate paperwork was drawn up and duly executed, and IRP, Inc. was formed. Like all corporations, the business of the repository was to be overseen by a board of directors. The amendments to the Plan gave the new Board some additional functions, having to do not so much with the repository itself, but with the formation of policy under the Plan. Plan and repository are thus closely integrated, both legally and operationally.
This resulting structure serves IRP very well indeed. In fact, those who favored the changes made in 1994, let alone those who had misgivings, would probably be astonished at how far IRP, Inc. has come and how much its formation benefits the community as a whole. Some of these changes include the formation and subsequent operation of the IRP Dispute Resolution Committee, the institution of the Peer Review Committee and the whole structure of member peer reviews, and IRP’s training program. These, as well as other changes, enabled IRP to absorb a large number of new members without undue strain, and to withstand a number of serious legal challenges to the Plan and its administrative procedures. They provide a very solid framework to ensure members have the needed flexibility in administration, while preserving the uniformity the Plan was originally intended to ensure.
The International Registration Plan–A Living, Breathing Document
By Victor Parra, President and CEO of United Motorcoach Association
With the continued downturn in our economy and the financial woes plaguing every segment of society, the role of IRP has never been more important. Having served as an Industry Advisor to the Board for the past 10 years, I’ve seen IRP take important and needed steps to fulfill the stated intent of the Plan: to enhance inter-jurisdictional commerce. Ensuring that people and goods can continue to move freely across jurisdictional boundaries will be important in helping to rebuild the strained economic infrastructure of our country.
Since its inception, IRP, Inc. worked hard to advance the interests of its constituent jurisdictions and industry. By continually reviewing the Plan and its organizational strategies, IRP, Inc. has refined the Plan to reflect the growing and changing dynamics of inter-jurisdictional commerce. This ongoing process ensures that the Plan remains relevant.
Recognizing that the piecemeal refinement approach was no longer adequate, IRP, Inc. embarked on a far-reaching initiative to completely overhaul the Plan several years ago. Again, following the Plan’s intent, IRP, Inc. involved a mix of jurisdictional and industry representatives to ensure the Plan Rewrite process was robust and conducted in real-world environment.
Today the Plan, as adopted in July 2008, stands as a testament to what can be accomplished when industry and government work together for the common good. M