It's nearly our birthday!

Axtec will celebrate 25 years in business in 2016.

That’s a quarter of a century of Axtec making and installing axle weighbridges. And inevitably a lot has changed since then.

Not only have some of our customers, and indeed old friends, come and gone but many companies who thought axle weighing was easy have done the same.

Throughout our 25 years we’ve learned an awful lot as well. We’ve spent much of the time and considerable sums of money on researching axle weighing. It’s led to a number of firsts.

The first and only weighbridge test vehicle specifically designed for calibrating axle weighbridges.

The first and only OnBoard Load Indicator that customers can calibrate themselves.

The first and only dynamic axle weighbridge which can be offered as a Public Weighbridge.

The first and only OnBoard Indicator which can show views from cameras.

The list goes on.

And because we know what does and doesn’t work, we’re not afraid to tell people that certain types of system won’t suit their needs. More than once we’ve walked away from a project when we haven’t got the right solution or the customer insists on the wrong solution.

Some, like the weighbridge test vehicle, we’ve discovered are essential for ensuring an axle weighbridge is installed and calibrated correctly. It’s not possible to get an accurate installation without it.

Others, like the dynamic weighbridge being Approved for Public use, mean that our customers can get a direct cash benefit by being able to charge other hauliers for using it. And thus adding to their bottom line.

A lot has changed since we introduced this in 1991!

The fact that so many companies have entered this field and then vanished again over the last 25 years shows that the investment in research was no wasted. Only when you to fully understand what is going on when weighing axles and applying that to customer’s needs can you make a product that is accurate and built to last.

And knowing what you are doing also means you know when to walk away from a job and when your product isn’t the right one.

Which means we’ve turned down plenty of opportunities over the last 25 years as well. All we want is a successful installation and a happy customer.

 Those companies no longer with us didn’t fully understand the complexities of what they were doing, probably made promises they couldn’t keep and paid for it in the end.

So, here’s to another 25 years of making and installing axle weighbridges and, of course, even more research.