Two Main Uses for Truck Scales
The truck scale is used in different applications across the country. You will find them in businesses that transport materials and along highways to help regulate the weight of trucks so that they do not damage the asphalt or concreate of the road itself. The axle scale has become commonplace which has helped to prevent road damage and heavy fines imposed on truck drivers and the companies where they are employed.
What are Truck Scales?
They are most often a permanent set of large scales used to weigh objects such as large trucks and railroad cars. They are often used to weigh vehicles when unloaded and then loaded so that weight itself can be calculated beforehand.
There are many different types of scales that range from
electronic, digital, rail, movable, electro-mechanical, portable, pit and
non-pit varieties and so forth. However, all the scales use the same basic
principle in their function and have a couple of primary uses.
How are Truck Scales Used?
Although this type of scale is used by different companies
and organizations, there are only two primary uses.
- Checking
Weight for Overloads
- Charging or Selling by Weight over Bridges
Other uses are essentially variations of the two listed above. The most commonplace work they do are found in manufacturing and transportation industries where large materials must be moved out on a constant basis. The most common of these businesses include the following;
- Bulk Powder & Liquid Movement
- Electrical Equipment
- Garbage Dumps
- Household Goods
- Mining
- Recycling Centers and More
These industries are concerned with the amount of materials being moved and complying with local, state, and federal standards. By weighing the vehicles before they leave the property, they can rest assured that they have found the right balance between keeping the vehicle's weight under published standards while transporting as much material as they can to different locations.
For police officers, using an axle weighing system provides a simple, fast way to verify the weight of the trucks so that they can travel safely on the roads. They are often pit-mounted in the roadway itself so that the surface is flush to the level of the road. This prevents mishaps from occurring and provides an accurate weight.
It should be noted that electronic weigh cells are taking
the place of standard scales for use by law enforcement officials. They are
portable, easy to use, and provide an electronic recording of the weight as the
vehicle passes over. This type of weighing system is most often used near bridges
that have a set weight which must be obeyed to keep its structural integrity as
well as protecting the surface of the road itself.