5 Questions About Truck Scales

1. What are the benefits of a reliable truck scale?

For many businesses, a truck scale acts as a cash register and is an essential component of their success. Truck scales can help with inventory tracking, shipping and logistics compliance, avoiding overload fines, weight verification, axle load safety and Legal for Trade weighing. Truck scales can also save time by weighing materials all at once. When you invest in a truck scale, you should trust that it will perform reliably for at least a generation, if not longer.

2. What site considerations should you plan for when deciding where to place a truck scale?

When planning where to install a truck scale, you will want to consider the traffic flow of your operation, the best location for a foundation, electrical and conduit requirements, soil conditions and drainage, ease of maintenance and accessory locations. Be sure there is adequate room around the scale to perform maintenance and to ensure driver safety. Consider the amount of space needed to accommodate a line of trucks. Creating a flow map to plot out traffic patterns, marking where trucks enter the site, load and/or unload material and exit the site will help ensure there is plenty of room for drivers to maneuver.

3. How can you ensure long life expectancy for a truck scale?

To ensure your truck scale has a long life, a regularly scheduled checkup every six months is recommended. Every vehicle scale should be calibrated and tested by a state-licensed servicing agent with no less than 25,000 pounds of certified test weights. Foundation maintenance is also extremely important—small cracks can grow quickly if not treated. Keeping your scale site properly prepared, inspected regularly and diligently maintained will help your truck scale endure the test of time.

4. What design features should be considered for a truck scale?

When planning to purchase a truck scale, weighbridge structural integrity is the most important factor. An open-bottom design will prevent rust by not allowing moisture to be trapped inside the weighbridge. You will want to choose a design that fortifies common stress points. Also look for a truck scale with more longitudinal steel l-beams to help prevent serious structural fatigue. With additional l-beams, the vehicle’s weight is supported by a greater area, putting less stress on individual components. A scale design that minimizes maintenance downtime is very important. An inferior design may result in lengthy repairs or frequent adjustments that significantly raise total cost of ownership.

5. What if my existing truck scale needs to be replaced but my foundation is still in good shape?

It is common for foundations to outlast a truck scale weighbridge, though it can be difficult to find a replacement truck scale with dimensions that match existing foundations. Legacy truck scale models were manufactured with lower profiles, meaning most standard truck scales currently produced will not fit these existing foundations. The solution is to find a manufacturer that can provide a low-profile truck scale or a custom design to fit existing foundations. Not all manufacturers take the same approach to providing replacement truck scale solutions, so you should research several before making your decision.