What do Red Forge customers do now that company has ceased trading?

Well, Axtec, has stepped forward to offer a rescue package to existing Red Forge customers.

The incentive comprises a £500 trade-in for any Red Forge system upgraded to an Axtec OnBoard Load Indicator. Moreover, the new Axtec OnBoard Axle Load Indicator for 2020 offers enhanced reliability and even better accuracy than before.

The £500 trade-in offer applies to anyone with a Red Forge load indicator system and means that some customers may even find themselves financially better off.

Red Forge customers - get a £500 trade in on Axtec OnBoard

Axtec’s market leading OnBoard Load Indicator features a simple colour numeric and graphic interface, plus the cost-saving customer reset facility to help keep service costs down.

And why keep your vehicles in the yard waiting for an engineer to arrive when you can do the reset yourself at a time that suits you?

Weight data can be saved automatically and downloaded via USB for analysis.

Unlike other systems Axtec OnBoard rarely, if ever, needs a full calibration. Customers can perform a very simple system reset themselves, which goes a long way to keeping service costs to an absolute minimum.

All management functions are password protected, while no manual controls are accessible by the driver or crew, preventing tampering. Importantly, Axtec OnBoard requires no additional driver training.

Axtec OnBoard displays axle weights in an intuitive traffic light configuration; green for legal weights, amber as maximum limits are approached and flashing red to indicate an overload.

Outputs to tracking devices are provided as standard, while enhanced functionality allows for more detailed information to be obtained via telematics rather than simply overload alert.

And then there are the numerous camera connectivity options as well.

So Red Forge customers – why not take advantage of this unique trade in offer and upgrade your system?

You would have a high accuracy system that is future proofed and could save some money as well.

Do not automatically trust declared weights, invoices or delivery notes..

Such is the advice from DVSA in trying to prevent overloads.

They also make it clear that the operator holds the responsibility for overloading not the customer.

It is though perfectly acceptable to drive to check weigh on a local weighbridge and also to drive somewhere practical to remove any excess weight.

There may not be a suitable weighbridge locally, certainly readily available axle weighbridges for public use can be hard to find, and it may not always be practical to leave the yard to weigh.

A state-of-the-art solution is the Axtec OnBoard Axle Load Indicator.

Fitted on site usually in only a couple of hours, Axtec OnBoard shows all the axle weights and gross weight on a simple colour display.

Axtec OnBoard Load Indicator

Legal weights are shown in green, anything over 80% in amber and any overloads in flashing red.

Instant overload protection for your vehicle regardless of where it is being loaded.

No leaving the site, no weighbridge fees and no dispute as to whether the vehicle is overloaded or not.

Uniquely, Axtec OnBoard can be reset onsite by the customer.

So no expensive service routine visits, no keeping the vehicles in the yard waiting for an engineer to arrive and total control of how and when you keep the systems withing specification.

There are no manual controls for the driver to fiddle with or break and by connecting to a tracking device, real time information on any overloads can be made available.

And the latest version of Axtec OnBoard even offers a high accuracy version for those who need it.

Taking responsibility for ensuring your vehicles are not overloaded when loading at customers’ premises has never been simpler.

Keeping the vehicles safe by not overloading also has benefits in cost savings.

An overloaded vehicle will use more fuel and wear out the clutch, brakes steering and suspension quicker too.

So no need to rely on those declared weights, invoices or delivery notes anymore – Axtec OnBoard will tell you exactly what you weigh

Vehicles are getting heavier...

The drive for energy efficient vehicles means new emissions systems are needed and they always add to a vehicles weight.

But a new factor – electric vehicles - has recently come into the equation.

Quite simply batteries are the heaviest component of anything they are used in. And vehicles are no exception.

A big electric powered SUV will be considerably heavier than its diesel equivalent. A whopping 300 kilos heavier in the case of a recently launched electric SUV.

And that could raise issues for those firms running vehicle transporters.

Axtec Static Axle Weighbridge - ideal for weighing LCV's

How many of these new heavier cars can you get on the deck? And how do you distribute them to get the axle loads right?

And as anyone at DVSA will tell you, overloading can have serious consequences. In terms of the vehicle it affects all the major components, making it potentially unsafe to drive, but it also costs more in terms of additional fuel used.

Not only that it costs all of us as an overloaded vehicle will wear out the road surface far more quickly than a legally laden one.

For those operators delivering new vehicles on 3.5t flatbeds, checking the axle and gross weight before leaving the yard could become essential. And a regular requirement as the vehicle manufacturers have a habit of changing their designs.

The Axtec Static Single-Axle weighbridge is purpose designed for weighing 2-axle vehicles quickly and simply without the need for the driver to leave his cab.

It will weigh both axles of the vehicle in a matter of seconds showing axle and gross weights on a large external display with a ticket produced as well if required.

Simple to install and maintain and taking up virtually no room in the yard, the Axtec Static Single could be a solution for those professional and conscientious vehicle delivery operators who want to stay the right side of the law.

It's not only vans that can be overloaded.

Whilst light vans are often the most vulnerable to weight issues, larger vehicles need to be protected from overloading too.

So there are versions of Axtec OnBoard to suit those vehicles as well.

Two examples of operators of larger vehicles who may have issues with overloading are scaffolding and tool hire companies.

It should be relatively easy not to overload a scaffolding vehicle with poles and boards when leaving for a job. But what about when they come back?

Those nice clean boards may now be covered in mud and dried concrete. As might the poles. And all heavier than they were when they left the depot.

Axtec OnBoard - also protects larger vehicles from overloads

And what if a different, smaller vehicles does the pick up to the one that delivered them in the first place?

Tool hire operators can have similar issues, some possibly caused by helpful drivers.

Again it is relatively easy to ensure a vehicle leaves the depot legally laden. But time and again we hear tales of drivers being sent to collect plant who are asked to take items in addition to those they were expecting.

A driver being helpful to the customer may find that he has inadvertently overloaded his vehicle.

Overloading affects some of the most safety critical components on the vehicle - brakes, steering, clutch and suspension are all adversely affected.

Axtec OnBoard is a cost effective solution to anyone delivering or collecting items such as scaffolding or plant. Even the biggest rigid vehicle can be fitted on site in a day.

Axle and gross weights are displayed as soon as the ignition is switched on. No driver training or input is required and weights are shown on a simple colour display with all overloads shown in flashing red.

And connectivity to a tracking device comes as standard.

Axtec OnBoardrarely if ever needs recalibrating. A simple customer function to reset the zero if necessary is usually all that is required to keep the system in tolerance.

If some of the issues described above sound familiar, just get in touch and we’ll be happy to arrange a chat to see if we can help.

Van Overloads and How to Avoid Them.

Scrolling through the DVSA Twitter feed turns up some shocking incidences of overloading.

Vans that were up to 46% overloaded have been stopped and the operators prosecuted.

Overloading has a negative effect on all the major components of the vehicle. The brakes, steering and suspension are all adversely affected and pose a serious safety risk.

So serious is overloading that one removals firm was fined £48,000.00 for persistent offending.

A frequent claim is that there are not enough public weighbridges around anymore. That may be true but there are plenty of other options available especially if your work takes you to numerous loading points.

A cost effective option for 3.5t vans is Axtec OnBoard. Fitted on site in less than half a day, it shows all the information a driver needs all the time. Axle and gross weights are displayed as soon as the ignition is switched on. A full colour screen shows legal weights in green, anything over 80% is shown in amber and all overloads in flashing red.

Overloads can be reported by connecting the system to a tracking device or they can be stored in the onboard memory for later downloading.

Axtec OnBoard - Avoid Overloading YOUR Van

The system rarely if ever needs recalibrating but there is a simple customer function to reset the zero if necessary.

So no expensive visits by service engineers or taking the van to a workshop to be checked.

And if you change the van it can be de-installed and re-installed.

It’s a great way of avoiding a day in court and a hefty fine.

Are your vans running legally laden?

If you are unsure then contact us and we may be able to arrange a free on site survey or discuss your requirements in detail.

It’s a much cheaper option than an appearance in court.

How accurate is YOUR axle weighbridge?

The number of customers asking us to calibrate their axle weighbridges has risen sharply in recent weeks.

And all those customers are telling us versions of the same story – they don’t believe it is being done correctly by their current provider.

On being given the calibration specification being used, we were surprised to find that most of these axle weighbridges were only being calibrated up to 6 tonnes.

Given that most 44t artics have axles weighing 8t or more, calibrating to only 6t is bluntly, pointless.

There are two parts to getting a dynamic axle weighbridge calibrated correctly. One is to prove it works as a basic weighing machine. The other is to check that it does what it was designed to do – weigh axles on multi-axle vehicles accurately.

Testing a system with a capacity of 20t with only 6t of weights is far from sufficient to prove the former. And immediately throws into doubt the results from any dynamic testing.

Calibrating an axle weighbridge is not just a case of tweaking the indicator with a screwdriver. The concrete approaches and platform height are vital too.

Axtec have the only specialist test vehicle for axle weighbridges 

Yet one customer had documentary evidence that their weighing platform had not been lifted from the pit for nearly 20 years. So no height adjustment had been made in all that time.

Little surprise then that the systems are inaccurate. Some as much as 3t light.

Imagine the consequences of putting an extra 3t on your vehicle because the axle weighbridge had said it was underweight?

An axle weighbridge is unlike a simple platform scale and requires specialist equipment and knowledge.

Axtec have invested in a purpose designed test vehicle allowing us to calibrate systems up to maximum capacity.

But that is only part of the story.

Knowing what the approach levels are and being able to adjust the platform height are vital.

Maybe we can help you check out your axle weighbridge for accuracy?

Get in touch and we’ll see what we can do.

A Day at the CV Show would be a day well spent.

It’s almost that time of year when anyone who has an interest in transport heads to the NEC for the CV Show.

For more than two decades the CV Show has been the go-to event for new product launches and if you head to stand 5G70 in hall 5 we will have our all new Axtec OnBoard Load Indicator to talk about.

Being able to catch up on new technology and new ideas is what makes the CV Show so important for those in transport.

For suppliers, it’s the ideal platform for reaching new customers and for transport operators it’s the perfect event for finding out how new ideas can make them more efficient and profitable.

Taking a day out to visit the show is rarely a waste of time.

There is always something new to discover and an excellent opportunity to compare products with many major manufacturers all in the same place at the same time.

We're on stand 5G70 from April 29th

Even in these days where much of what we buy is available on the internet, there are some products which have to be seen at first hand to appreciate what they might do for your business.

Vehicles have obvious attractions – you can sit in them, walk round them and try out some of the features.

But other products need to be seen close up and their features discussed too.

Axtec OnBoard is the most advanced system of its type on the market – but is indicating the load all it does?

Could connecting to a tracking device be a useful option?

How about storing overloads in the system memory?

Would displaying the view from a reversing or nearside camera?

These are all features available as standard which can improve efficiency and safety. But aren’t immediately apparent from just looking at a picture on the web.

But visiting a trade show, seeing the products at first hand and having a chat with someone who has specialist knowledge could be time well spent.

So make a note of the dates – April 29^th,30^th and May 1^st and we’ll see you there.