Scales, no matter the type, are a pivotal part of any transportation business. They are used by farmers to weigh their harvest, manufacturing companies to weigh their raw materials, and other types of business owners to keep track of their produce or waste materials. You can imagine by having the wrong measurement of your products, big losses will accrue to your business and may even cripple it eventually.
Also, there are many laws and safety regulations relating to the weight that must be adhered to during transportation. Scale manufacturers create scales that adhere to the regulations. Your business could be subject to very hefty fines if your truck is found to have exceeded the legal weight limit. It’s also a well known fact that overloaded trucks are difficult to control as their brakes tend to work less efficiently. With that being said, it is vital that a quality scale be part of your business equipment list. Portable truck scales are some of the best scale options for weighing during transportation. They provide reliable measurements and can be moved from one location to the another.
What are portable truck scales and how do they work?
Portable truck scales are simply well-designed low profile surfaces that are placed on a level ground and a truck drives over to calculate its weight. They have a load cell (analog or electronic load cells) at the core of the surface which measures the truck’s weight and transmits the recorded data to a remote terminal. The stainless steel load cell is well protected by a strong casing that ensures the truck scale remains in proper working condition for a long period of time. The scales also have ramps placed on each side of the load cell surface to help the trucks climb and exit the surface easily. The truck scale measures all the axles of the truck separately. The sum of all the axles is then computed and the weight of the empty truck is subtracted from the total to give you the total of the carried product.
What are the benefits of a portable scale?
There are numerous benefits of having a portable truck scale for your transportation operations. The most important being their efficiency and accuracy in the computation of a truck’s weight. With today’s technology, they have been developed to offer great accuracy just like their stationery counterparts. Plus, they are very easy to set-up and can be done by just a single person. It takes only a few minutes to set-up a typical portable truck scale. They are easy to get options for, like a scoreboard or remote display. Their small size also makes them convenient for portability. Many of the various designs available can fit into the back of a small car and be transported with ease. They are also great in saving you transport expenses because with stationery scales, trucks carrying produce from the farm or mine have to converge at one point for weighing. This takes much effort, time and fuel expenses. And despite their size and weight, portable truck scales are still highly durable and able to withstand the loads and stress of industrial applications.
Another advanced feature of portable truck scales that make them profitable to many industries is the weigh-in-motion capability. With this feature, your trucks no longer have to come to a complete stop for the measurement of load weight and/or gross vehicle weight. Weigh-in-motion portable truck scales allow trucks to pass over the scale at speeds of around 3 to 5 MPH and the system still accurately takes measurements as needed.
Two factors determining the accuracy of a truck scale
The accuracy of a portable truck scale depends on two factors namely; quality of the scale, and whether or not the scale is calibrated. There are many quality scales on the market today, but getting the perfect one for your industry operations can be tricky. If you face any challenges in selecting the perfect portable truck sale for your business, do not hesitate to contact an expert from American Scale Company LLC for professional advice on purchase or rental guidance.
The second factor determining scale accuracy is calibration and this involves the use of special test weights and calibration devices. Professional calibration technicians at the American Scale Company LLC can help you get your truck scales calibrated to precision in no time.
Additional information on scale calibration
When scales are first purchased or installed, they are tested by the governing state’s weights and measures organization. This helps to ensure the scale’s accuracy, protect the buyer, seller and installation companies. A scale approved by the state is certified and ready for use but that does not guarantee continued accuracy.
Calibration is never fully guaranteed as it depends on how the scale is used and taken care off. Elements such as the weather, too much use, and electrical currents can distort the accuracy of a portable truck scale. Therefore, frequent periodic checks should be done to ensure accuracy is maintained.
Is your truck scale performing to standard?
At times, the equipment used for your business can disrupt the way of operations. For example, when you use scales that do not meet the demands placed on them, they end up getting damaged and may even become useless. That’s why it’s always advisable to work with an industrial scale expert for professional advice. A scale expert can ensure that your facilities are fitted with the proper scale for your needs and regularly check your truck scales to ensure that they are performing to standard. They will advice you on the right portable truck scale to purchase depending on the weight and rigors of your everyday business operations. The expert can also help you in getting scale software systems that enable you to collect weight data with speed and enhanced accuracy.
Renting a portable truck scale
In some cases, it makes more sense to rent out a potable truck scale rather than purchase one. This is especially so if the scale is not needed regularly. For example, a farmer who harvests his product twice or once a year can opt to rent a portable truck scale for those few times instead of purchasing one. Also, it could be that you have a fixed truck scale but this time your business operations are offsite. In such a case, you can get a wide range of portable truck scales for rent available around the clock. Ensure to be guaranteed that rental scales come with a certificate of calibration to guarantee you that your measurements will be nothing less than accurate.
CONCLUSION
At American Scale we strive to bring you informed and useful content on all things scale related. Be sure to check out our legal for trade truck scale system articles about truck scale foundation or how much do truck scales cost. We even have a guide to warranties. We also have articles on scale accessories, common problems to prolong your scales lifespan, weighing applications as well as what scale indicator works best with your junction box. To learn more about bench scales, it would be good to check out our other articles such as “Bench Scale Basics'' and “How Much Does A Bench Scale Cost?”. These articles will help with the basics of bench scale ownership.
