Tags – How to Weigh a Truck?
If you are in the transportation industry, then you know that it is important to know how to weigh a truck.
This is because there are regulations governing how much weight a truck can carry.
And with the rise in the number of Weigh in Motion (WIM) Sensors and random checks, it is more important than ever to know the weight of your vehicles to avoid any big fines.
In this guide, we will walk you through the process of weighing a truck, so that you can be sure to stay within the legal limits.
Let’s get started!
How to Weigh a Truck?
A vehicle may be overloaded on any of its axles, its gross weight, or its trail weight, which are all considered separate offences.
For instance, if a truck was overloaded on two axles and its gross weight, this would result in 3 separate fines.
To ensure you don’t exceed this, weight limits are provided on the manufacturer’s plate on the vehicle – they are determined by the technical specification of the truck and the need to protect UK roads.
Currently, there are only two ways to weigh a truck directly: weighbridges and axle weigh pads.
However, weighing products before they are loaded is an alternative that extends the range to pallet truck scales, platform scales, and weigh beams/U-Frame scales.
Weighbridges
Weighbridges are used to calculate a vehicle’s load, which is measured by weighing the vehicle when empty and when full.
This may be done with either your personal on-site weighbridge or one of the private weighbridges available throughout the country.
Having a weighbridge on the site is one of the most straightforward methods to guarantee that you’re following legal requirements.
You may avoid financial or legal penalties by weighing your vehicles before they depart the site. However, they aren’t the most popular solution because they cost around £16,000 and above. There’s also a second restriction: weighbridges need a lot of space, which isn’t always available.
Axle Weigh Pads
Axle Weigh Pads are used to compute individual axle weights and overall gross weight of a vehicle.
And one of the benefits of them is that they are intended to be lightweight and portable. This means they may be taken with a truck and used throughout the trip, as needed.
The cost of weighing your vehicle with an axle scale is significantly lower than installing a weighbridge, and they are in some ways more accurate; a weighbridge can only measure the overall weight of a truck, however, Axle Weigh Pads can calculate the total weight of each axle.
This implies that they will also draw attention to uneven loading, which can help to minimise wear and tear on your trucks.
Weighing Goods Before Loading the Truck
Pallet Truck Scales
Pallet truck scales are a great choice for weighing your cargo before loading it onto a truck.
Because it takes less time to weigh the load and pallet truck scales are far less expensive than both Axle Weigh Pads and Weighbridges, this helps to improve efficiency.
However, you should keep in mind the weight of your truck when empty (the tare weight), as it’s not feasible to weigh the vehicle itself with these scales.
Platform Scales
While pallet truck scales are not as fast and flexible as platform scales, which allow you to weigh and move the items at the same time, they are typically more precise than pallet truck scales and, if needed, can measure up to a higher capacity.
If you need to weigh palletised products and use a fork truck, consider a pit mounted platform scale, which only requires you to go over the scale to get a weight. However, in order to remove the fork truck from the scale’s reading, you’ll need to know its weight.
Weigh Beams and U-Frame Scales
Platform scales are popular, but they’re inconvenient to move and difficult to store.
Weigh Beams and U frame scales are a portable alternative that may be taken to the item to weigh it instead of vice versa. When not in use, Weigh Beams and U frames can be stored away.
The Bottom Line
Overloaded trucks will contribute to a wide range of concerns.
Trucks that are heavier than the standard limit increase the risk of accidents (as they are more unstable, need a longer stopping time, over-speeding when driving downhill etc.), accelerate the deterioration of roads and infrastructure, and create uneven comparisons between transportation modes and operators.
Not to mention, overloading is breaking the law!
Please contact us today to find out more.
In the meantime, check our full range of vehicle weighing solutions here.
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