Currently celebrating their 25th anniversary, HELP Inc. was the first non-profit, public-private partnership dedicated to advancing the safety and efficiency of the commercial transportation industry. “Our sole mission is truck safety and efficiency,” said CEO Karen Rasmussen.
HELP Inc. traces their origins to the 80s, when a group of transportation directors and trucking executives teamed up to find a way to pre-screen and weigh qualified, safe commercial trucks at highway speeds. This initiative sought to provide greater efficiency to both the trucking industry and the state enforcement agencies by focusing weigh station inspections on carriers that needed attention, while safe trucks with solid safety scores and valid credentials could save time, fuel and money by bypassing unnecessary inspections.
To resolve the inherent distrust between public agencies and the trucking industry, a third-party was needed. To fill this need, HELP Inc. was established.
“By using technology to pre-check and pre-clear carriers,” Rasmussen said, “our goal is to create a balance between truck safety and public safety.”
Rasmussen became the CEO of Help Inc. in 2012, the culmination of a career in transportation safety spanning more than 40 years. She’s received many trucking industry awards, including the Mike Russell Trucking Industry Image Award from American Trucking Associations in 2016 and the J.R. “Bob” Halladay Award from the Trucking Associations Executive Council in 2017.
Rasmussen and HELP Inc. both support LMTA’s mission and assist in LMTA safety programs. “It doesn’t matter if you’re the most efficient trucking company in the world, you must do it safely,” she said.
“Louisiana has been a great partner,” said Rasmussen. “LMTA support is helpful with law enforcement and the public sector.” And she’s happy to see that motor carriers are recognizing that without LMTA, they would be fighting regulations on their own. “I believe in the work of the state association. They serve a vital role in industry advocacy. I don’t know how you’d survive without it.”
Karen’s message for Louisiana truckers? “Join your association, get involved and support it!”
