An axle 1,200kg overloaded!

That’s what one of our latest customers found when he weighed one of his double deck trailers.

The vehicle was sent back for the load to be redistributed and then reweighed. This time the weights were fine and the driver went on his way legally laden.

But as the Transport Manager said, how many times had that happened in the past and they had unknowingly sent vehicles out overloaded?

Now they have an Axtec Dynamic Axle Weighbridge it won’t happen again.

That’s only one of the benefits of having the system though. Maximising vehicle utilisation is also very important. Getting the most on each vehicle every trip is important for anyone in transport to make a profit.

Axtec Dynamic Axle Weighbridge - maximising payloads

So by specifying our Fleet Management Program, this customer can store each and every weighing of every tractor, trailer or rigid in the fleet in memory and analyse how their vehicle are loaded on a regular basis.

The stored information shows who has been using the system and who hasn’t. Was a vehicle overloaded? And was it reweighed shortly after with the overload corrected?

Crucially, the utilisation of every vehicle is calculated and stored as well allowing them to see how well their fleet is being used.

Armed with this information it’s easier to make informed decisions about fleet profile – do they have the right mix of vehicles? Do they have enough or too many of a particular type of vehicle? Are there any periods when loads are heavier or lighter?

And can savings and efficiencies be made?

Investing in an axle weighbridge may seem an expensive luxury. But the system would have a lifespan of many decades.

Ensuring vehicles do not go on the road overloaded and vulnerable to prosecution is only one benefit.

Adding to profits by maximising loads would cover that investment many times over and add to the bottom line for years to come.

Looking to maximise payload? A case study below.

Food to go supplier Adelie Foods has installed Axtec’s OnBoard Load Indicator across its fleet of 200 multi-temperature, refrigerated-body Mercedes Sprinters.

The maintenance-free system, which requires no training for Adelie Foods’ drivers, has been specified primarily, ‘to maximise payload potential across the fleet’. Axtec OnBoard Load Indicators will virtually eliminate accidental overloading, while maximising vehicle efficiency and ensuring vehicles remain within axle- and gross-weight limits.

By installing Axtec’s OnBoard Load Indicator, Adelie stands to maximise payload potential, making significant savings through improved fuel economy, and reduced wear-and-tear on safety critical vehicle components such as brakes, clutch, steering and suspension.

Adelie Foods - Maximising payload with Axtec OnBoard

Sean Glover, Head of Distribution at Adelie Foods said, “We deliver Food-to-Go to a broad range of clients in a variety of locations, and with most of our multi-drop deliveries taking place in a very short space of time – before 11am – we need to be as efficient as possible to ensure best possible customer service.

“The Axtec system gives our drivers a safe and simple means to see the fullest possible load information,” he said, “so they do not have to worry about accidental overloading, while ensuring each delivery is utilised to its maximum potential.”

The Axtec OnBoard Load Indicator gives drivers clear visual and audible warnings of potential or actual overload situations which may arise inadvertently as goods are progressively loaded or unloaded – even when the vehicle is still within its legal gross limit.

Axtec can fit the OnBoard Load Indicator in around two hours. The system is also maintenance-free, with the only routine upkeep involving resets which can be carried out by the customer, eliminating expensive routine service visits.

The Axtec system is activated when the ignition is switched on and it cannot be disabled or tampered with. It delivers information in the form of a vehicle infographic using a traffic light system – green, amber and red – as an overload situation approaches. An audible warning is also provided to alert the driver to a potential problem.

The Adelie Foods fleet deliver more than 3m freshly prepared sandwiches and snacks in 1,400 varieties to sites across the UK, from its network of five distribution centres. With around 3,500 daily deliveries of chilled, frozen and ambient temperature foods, and 98% of deliveries made before 11am, the company rely on accurate planning and vehicle efficiency.

What's the Cost of Weighing System Calibrations?

A question that gets asked time after time is, how much is the calibration cost? Especially in regards to the Axtec OnBoard System.

It’s an important consideration if you have a large number of vans in your fleet. Having to pay for a routine calibration once or twice a year could prove to be a costly exercise.

But with Axtec OnBoard, there is no need for an expensive service engineer to visit.

A unique feature of the system means that checking the calibration can be done by the customer on site and at no expense.

It’s a task that normally takes seconds and requires no specialist tools or training.

Axtec OnBoard - With Customer Calibration Facility

Imagine the irritation of an engineer turning up on site, being there a matter of minutes to be followed by a significant bill for the work.

A hidden cost of course is the inconvenience.

Having to keep vans in the yard awaiting a visit by a service engineer means they aren’t on the road doing the job you bought them for.

And who can afford that?

And what if the van is away from the depot or can’t be calibrated for some other reason?

Does the engineer have to make another expensive visit?

Because Axtec OnBoard can be reset by the customer, the routine maintenance cost is eliminated. And you can keep the vans out on the road working and earning their keep. And calibrate them when it bests suits you.

If a van is out and about, you can catch up with it another day.

Nothing can be guaranteed to never break. But because Axtec OnBoard has no manual controls, there is nothing for a driver to fiddle with or break.

And there’s no junction box on the chassis vulnerable to moisture ingress.

And if there is little to break, maintenance costs are kept to a minimum.

So, if you don’t use Axtec OnBoard, how much does it cost to maintain your onboard systems?