THE IMPORTANCE OF WARRANTIES
Purchasing a legal for trade truck scale can be one of the more substantial costs for your operation. Perhaps one of the most important aspects to consider when purchasing a truck scale is the warranty. Regardless of the weighing application used, a warranty is essential to scale ownership. You need to be sure that you’re covered should something happen to the scale several years down the road. Warranties will usually cover certain components like load cells, calibration for both analog and electronic load cells, as well as warranties on scale indicators. As a truck scale is one of the biggest investments you’ll make, knowing that you have a “safety net” for when something happens will help in the long run.
NOT ALL WARRANTIES ARE CREATED EQUAL.
One of the biggest factors to consider is what warranty is packaged with your truck scale. Just how a truck scale one size does not fit all, the same goes for warranties. Some warranties may only cover steel decks for a year, but it is dependent on the condition of the truck scale foundation as well. The purpose of a warranty is to help protect your scale for its entire lifespan or the duration of ownership. As a customer, this is an area in which you should take time to evaluate options, as warranties will vary between manufacturers. Some manufacturers offer a very limited standard warranty with expanded warranty coverage at an added cost. There are key areas to consider when evaluating truck scale warranties, including maintenance, replacement parts, lightning protection, etc. Ultimately all truck scale warranties differ in one way or another. To make sure you are getting the protection that fits your needs, you must consider certain criteria listed below.
WARRANTY COVERAGE
Understanding what is covered under your warranty can help in many cases, especially with ongoing productivity and profitability, which in turn leads to a scale’s dependability and accuracy. When looking at various warranties, one wants to take a look at the following criteria:
Types of components covered
Types of failures covered
On-site labor
Travel costs for technicians
Replacement parts
Lightning (typically addressed in separate section warranty)
Scale calibration covered
Depending on what is covered and what isn’t will help you decide on which manufacturer has the best warranty for you. There may be certain components that are excluded from the warranty, or that may be covered under their own separate warranty, so be sure to thoroughly review the warranty that you are interested in. Keep in mind that some of the fine print may mention the overall maintenance schedule or truck scale installation process to see if certain things are covered.
DURATION OF COVERAGE
The duration of coverage is very important to whether your truck scale will still be under warranty or not during the time of purchase. Some manufacturers prorate their level of coverage as the scale ages. That means their warranty may only cover a percentage of any covered repair after a few years. Warranty duration can vary in length and will have different conditions that issues will fall under. Some warranties will be void if there are signs of improper maintenance (junction box not being maintained), so be sure to keep a long of when you service your scale. To get a better understanding on the duration of a warranty, check out our article “How Long Are Truck Scale Warranties?” in our Learning Hub.
MANUFACTURER RESPONSIVENESS
When the time comes where you have to use your warranty, one thing to consider is how responsive the manufacturer is when resolving your issue. Does the scale manufacturer have a local sales/service or distributor? If not, someone may need to be dispatched from another location, and if labor and travel is not included, then that will be an extra cost to consider. It may be up to you to consider the “what ifs'' and determine how responsive you think a company will be in an emergency situation. There may be some things that are not covered by the warranty and may require you to find an independent repairman. Things like your scoreboard, remote display or even your stainless steel components. Be sure to read the warranty in full.
CONCLUSION
Essentially all truck scales will eventually require service. Most scale owners want to have a reliable partner for service and a plan to ensure the scale’s performance. The time it takes to develop this plan can be well worth the effort in the resulting peace of mind. Taking the time to review the warranties and what they include can help you pick the right one for you. Below is a chart showing the warranty breakdowns for various manufacturers. At American Scale, it is our goal to bring you leading information about everything involving scale systems. Be sure to check out our articles on topics such as How much do truck scales cost, common problems scale owners experience, and even a scale accessories price guide.
