Axtec Are Back At The CV Show 2022

 

Take Time Out To Visit Axtec at the 2022 CV Show. 

Axtec are an ever present at the CV show having exhibited in all its formats since day one.  We were never going to pass up the opportunity to once again set our stall up at the NEC, and we are excited to be back in Birmingham catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. This year we’ll be on stand 5G52 in hall 5

Transport technology has come an awful long way since the first show in 1991 and, whilst buying everything on-line has become normal for all of us these days, buying highly technical equipment really needs the help and advice of an expert; someone who knows their product inside out. And where best to meet specialists in the transport industry than its premier industry event? It’s also a great way to pick up new ideas, find out what the latest thinking is and find new solutions to old problems. 

So, what will there be to see? 

Though our retro stand will undoubtedly be the same, we'll be introducing several new products and product enhancements. It's going to be a challenge, but we hope to launch what we believe will be the lowest-profile and lightest strain-gauge based weighpads on the market. We'll also be introducing new connected solutions for both Axtec OnBoard and our market leading 5000 Dynamic Axle Weighbridge. 

Taking time out of a busy schedule to visit the NEC is never wasted, so please make a note of the dates – May 24th to 26th and we hope to see you there.

Getting the best advice on axle weighing is vital.

 Axle weighing is a unique branch of the weighing industry. Many of the accepted rules around obtaining accurate weights don’t apply.

An employee who recently joined us from another weighing discipline said he’d had to ‘throw away’ just about everything he’d learnt about weighing in the past. And learn all about the technicalities and peculiarities of axle weighing.

And it’s a form of weighing that so many people think is easy to do. But in trying to do it, they make some horrendous mistakes.

Correctly installed Axtec Dynamic System

For instance, we go to great lengths to ensure the approach concrete is laid to the correct tolerance.

So when a customer asked us to check out an axle weighbridge installed by someone on the brow of a hill, it didn’t take long to prove why it was inaccurate.

Another cheap system we recently encountered needed to have the weight indicator sent overseas every time it developed a fault! Weeks of downtime was the result.

Both of these installations have now been replaced with a highly accurate Axtec system with correct concrete approaches which, if they should ever fail, can be fixed on site by an engineer fully trained and equipped to deal with axle weighing.

Getting it wrong can not only be costly to correct but could also mean falling foul of the law.

Another recent customer had attempted a cheap repair on his system using a foreign made indicator and was horrified to learn that the system was now no longer legal for Trade weighing.

For months he had been using the system for invoicing at risk of falling foul of Weights & Measures legislation.

At worst, it could have closed his business down.

All Axtec’s senior employees have been engaged exclusively in axle weighing for many years, over 40 years some of them.

We have learnt, and are still learning, about how to weigh axles accurately. And we certainly have far more knowledge than anyone else about this unique field.

So if you want to make sure you get the system installed correctly, maintained correctly and be fully compliant with the necessary legislation, we would be pleased to offer the benefit of our experience.

Staying home can be time well spent.

Spending less time out on the road and more time working from home provides an opportunity to take stock and discover long lost items.

One thing we’ve discovered is a batch of old photographs showing systems, installations and indeed some people from the earliest days of Axtec.

The accompanying picture shows axle weighbridge serial number 30001, the very first axle weighbridge we ever manufactured, ready for installation.

Axtec Dynamic Serial number 30001 from 1991

Many of the design features of that first machine were so good that we still incorporate them today; the corner pockets and load cell mounting positions for instance.

Not everything about that system was perfect though, but from the lower reaches of this learning curve we have now accumulated more knowledge about the specialist field of axle weighing than anyone else.

Learning how vulnerable the load cell junction box is when located in the weighbridge pit, how vital the approach levels are and how important it is to have our own purpose designed test equipment and were all crucial lessons along the way.

As was learning that attention to what may appear minor details is actually crucial for ensuring accuracy and reliability.

One very important lesson was establishing that having in-house staff to design, write software, manufacture, install, calibrate and maintain are essential if quality and accuracy are to be maintained.

The result is that the Axtec Dynamic Axle Weighbridge is now the most accurate system of its type in the world.

And the only one which achieves the required standard to be offered as a public weighbridge – twice the accuracy requirement of a standard machine.

All Axtec products have benefited from extensive testing, experimentation and learning over many years with that vast fund of knowledge going into every Dynamic, Static, Portable or OnBoard system we manufacture.

The very latest product is the third generation Axtec OnBoard Load Indicator. Using state of the art technology to make it clearer, improve accuracy, reduce power consumption and offer far more features, it wouldn’t be the product it is without nearly thirty years of learning behind it.

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.

There's more than one way to protect against overloads.

In a meeting with a client last week, it was interesting to note how much they had to do to ensure compliance.

And we were approached to help resolve any overloading issues.

The ideal solution would be to fit Axtec OnBoard to all their vans. Axtec OnBoard shows front, rear and gross weights permanently on a simple graphical and numeric colour display. And drivers do not have to remember their legal weights as the system does it for them.

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

But with the whole fleet 100% on short term hire that might not be the most cost effective solution at the moment.

But doing nothing is not an option and fortunately there is  more than one axle weighing system to solve a potential overloading problem.

Axtec Static Single-Axle Weighbridge

The vans should be fitted out with specific racking and a specific toolkit. In theory, no chance of being overloaded. But keeping a check on those vehicle weights is vital.

A good option is to introduce a program of spot checks and the Axtec Static Single-Axle Weighbridge offers a solution.

Using the same frame, beam and load cells as the dynamic systems used for enforcement, the Static Single is purpose designed for operators of 2-axle rigid vehicles.

Simple to use – instructions and weights are shown to the driver in his seat on a large display – and designed for a long life, drivers and management would be able to check that vehicles are not overloaded every time they leave the depot.

Quickly, simply and accurately.

Axtec offer the widest range of axle weighing systems available from one company and we always offer best advice for any overloading issue.

And the Axtec Static-Single provides a great solution in the right circumstances.

We only used them once…

Those were the words of a client recently who borrowed a set of weighpads to test weigh some of his vehicles. 

Fortunately, we loaned him the weighpads free of charge otherwise he would have had an expensive investment not being used.

Portable weighpads are ideal for many applications and we have numerous customers who use them very successfully. But they do need managing if they are to provide useful information and it’s often not until a customer tries them out that they discover they may not be the best solution.

Like all weighing systems, portable pads need to be used on flat level ground. And the surface needs to be swept so that no stones are under the pads. They need to be positioned correctly and drivers supervised during the weighing process. And all of this is usually done out of doors, possibly in poor weather and frequently early in the morning when vehicles leave the depot.

Axtec Portable Weighpads - Used for Free Trials

Even before using them, someone needs to take responsibility for ensuring they are kept securely, they are not a cheap item after all, and that the batteries are charged up.

This makes weighpads sound as though they are more trouble than they are worth. Nothing could be further from the truth – in the right circumstances they are the ideal tool – but many axle weighing requirements can be served better with an alternative.

We are always happy to loan clients weighpads for trial as it provides real world experience of whether they are the right tool for the job. Just as importantly though, it allows a transport manager to establish how much of an issue overloading is.

It may though prove that there isn’t a problem at all. Or that the vehicles are running underweight and thus inefficiently.

Whatever the outcome, carrying out a check with weighpads might be time well spent.

Unquestionably THE most accurate axle weighbridge in the world.

Achieving high accuracy from an axle weighbridge is not a simple task.

But achieving it, and then aiming for even greater accuracy, is something we always strive to do.

So to gain an Approval to Class 0.2, twice as accurate as the previous approval, is something we have worked hard for and are very proud of.

To gain that Approval, accuracy throughout the testing procedure, which involved a deadweight test to capacity and running the vehicle numerous times down the centre, the nearside and the offside of the platform, had to be within 0.1% at all times.

The Axtec Series 5000 Dynamic Axle Weighbridge was already the most accurate of its type in the world but now its Approved to twice the accuracy.

The Most Accurate Dynamic Axle Weighbridge in the World

Gaining such accuracy is all down to the precision manufacturing of the weighing platform and frame, the high tolerances required of the approach concrete and the care taken with the final installation.

There is more to getting good accuracy than just connecting some load cells to an indicator however good they may be as individual components.

There is more to the installation than just preparing the correct size pit in the ground.

And there is more to the calibration than just checking the accuracy when weighing test weights.

Gaining Class 0.2 Approval shows how important it is to get every stage of manufacturing, installation and testing right. Which is why we have all those disciplines in-house and can assure the quality and accuracy of the complete installation.

Getting the installation right means customers’ can be sure they are maximising loads on every trip without overloading.

It means the system can legally be used for buying and selling product by weight.

And it means the system can be offered as a Public Weighbridge and thus contribute a revenue stream to the business.

Only Axtec have the all of the skills necessary to achieve that level of performance.

Overloading costs us all.

Overloading not only affects most of the major components on a vehicle, it also has an unwanted affect on the road surface.

Was the tragic collapse of the Ponte Morandi in Genoa caused by years of overloaded traffic? It is surely one of the factors that the authorities will be looking in to.

Building and maintaining the country’s roads costs literally millions. And roads are designed with a life expectancy based upon calculations of how much traffic there will be and estimations of how heavy those vehicle will be. If the road surface needs to be replaced sooner than predicted, part of that will be down to increased traffic.

But part will also be down to heavier than anticipated loads.

Axtec OnBoard Protects Against Overloads Away From Base

One of the major issues is overloaded axles. In simple terms, a 100t evenly loaded vehicle with 100 axles each bearing 1t will cause less damage to the road surface than a 10t evenly loaded vehicle with 2 axles each bearing 5t.

And the money for repairing those worn out roads comes from taxation both business and personal and I’m sure everyone agrees the less tax we have to pay the better.

There is a broad range of systems available for preventing overloading and getting good advice is vital to ensure the right one is specified. Vehicles on multi-drop work would probably benefit from an onboard indicator. Artics taking full loads from a DC are best weighed on a dynamicaxle weighbridge. Two axle rigids maybe a static axle weighbridge or possibly portable weighpads.

Whatever your needs Axtec have a system to suit and offer free, impartial advice on the correct system for any application.

And the good news is that checking vehicle weights means you can ensure your vehicles are running at peak efficiency on every trip which will save your business money.

But the best news of all is that it may even help keep those tax bills down.

Advice on axle weighing is always free from us!

Getting good advice when installing an axle weighbridge is vital. Putting it in the wrong location, not taking account site conditions, traffic or intended use might lead to an expensive mistake.

Which is why Axtec  take time to thoroughly understand what a system is going to be used for, where and by what vehicles.

Recently we were approached by a client needing to weigh vehicles for Type Approval purposes. The multi axle vehicles they were weighing meant that a dynamic axle weighbridge was called for.

A dynamic axle weighbridge needs perfectly flat approaches for a vehicles length either side of the platform because compensating axles will transfer weight from axle to axle when driver over uneven ground.

We discussed the application, vehicles and location with the client, surveyed the area and submitted a quotation for an installation that would do the job perfectly.

But someone was giving alternative, incorrect advice. It was suggested that the system only needed 3m either side of the platform to be flat. That it was ok to drive the front axles over the platform while the back axles were being driven over a roller brake tester. And that it would be ok to weigh the rear axles with the front axles travelling down quite a steep slope.

Axtec Dynamic with correct high tolerance approaches

But the client was basically being told that the vehicle and weighing machine could defy gravity.

Clearly this was incorrect and to install the system in such a way would have resulted in serious inaccuracies and not met the criteria for Type Approval weighing.

Even worst, the cost to correct it would be more than the cost of doing it right in the first place.

Weighing axles is not the same as other forms of weighing. Only one axle is on the weighbridge at a time and the rest of them are on the road surface either side of it. If the approach and exit to the platform isn’t to the right tolerance then serious weighing errors will be the result.

Advice from us on how to install a system is always free. And it will always be the right advice.

Need to run efficiently when fuel prices are rising?

With fuel prices on the rise, it’s important to squeeze every last kilo onto every vehicle to maintain efficiency.

Underloading is inefficient but it’s what many operators do to try and stay legal.

But in trying to maximise loads operators risk overloading and all the problems that brings – a vehicle prohibited at the weighbridge, delivery slots missed, having to find another vehicle to take part of the load, the fine and the risk to the ‘O’ licence.

We have numerous instances of customers remaining legal and at the same time improving efficiency but two very good examples in very different industries are a brick carrier and a waste haulier.

Our brick carrier was concerned that storing material out of doors was causing them a problem. They had a computer loading program which theoretically advised how to load their vehicles but when it rained the weight of product got heavier and this was never factored into the calculation.

The result was that they were sending vehicles out underloaded, and thus running inefficiently, as a precaution.

Axtec Dynamic - Paid for itself in a matter of months.

However, studies showed that by checking the vehicles with an axle weighbridge they were able to load to maximum on every trip.

Remarkably, the investment in the axle weighing systems was recouped in a matter of months and thereafter they were adding to their profits.

The waste haulier had to pass a DVSA axle weighbridge on his way to the tip. Concerned about overloading he deliberately underloaded his 8-wheelers on every trip.

To improve efficiency he installed an Axtec Dynamic Axle Weighbridge and was astounded to learn that he could actually get around 30% more on each vehicle.

Again the system paid for itself in a matter of months and profit was added to his bottom line.

If you’re in the business of maximising your load on every trip then Axtec can help.

We’ll be glad to tell you what we can do and who we already do it for.

We think you’ll find it interesting.

What a year that was!

It was 1988 – the year that Microsoft launched Windows 2.1, the year Paddy Ashdown became leader of the Liberal Democrat Party and the year singer Adele was born.

It was also the year that one of our clients installed their axle weighbridge. Now thirty years later having given excellent service the system is due for an upgrade.

Nothing has broken. Everything works, it has benefited from regular servicing after all, but one of the posts has been hit a couple of times by vehicles and exposure to the elements down by the Thames for all those year’s means it’s beginning to look its age.

And of course technology has moved on considerably since then.

When we build an axle weighbridge we build it to last. And whilst the processing technology and size and number of components has changed beyond all recognition, some things such as the design of the platform are still just as good today.

The Axtec weighing platform is built for heavy duty use. We advise customers to install it right in the roadway so drivers don’t have to divert to use it. That way they have no excuse.

Axtec Weighbeam - hard wearing so put it right in the exit!

A design that puts the centre of the load cell directly beneath the edge of the platform means there is no tipping motion which significantly reduces wear on the load cell mountings. Those mountings themselves are hardened stainless steel and even the shims used to adjust the platform height are stainless steel. Ideal for a life in a pit subject to moisture.

And the whole platform has a 300% Safe Overload Rating before it fails – strong enough for even the toughest applications.

This installation is only one of a good number that are 30 years old or more and still in every day use ensuring vehicles are not overloaded or maximising payloads.

It costs more to manufacture the platform to that design but an axle weighbridge represents a considerable investment for some people so it pays to install one that is going to last.

And with an indicator upgrade, this one will last a good few years yet.

What an event THAT was!

As a regular at manning exhibitions stands, and ever present at the CV Show, we know a good show when we see one.

And last week the CV Show at the NEC may just have been about the most successful we’ve experienced. Plenty of new enquiries to follow up and, very pleasingly, plenty of positive feedback from existing customers.

From customers with just one 3.5t van, through potential resale partners to the operators of the biggest fleets we once again had the full spread of conversations on the stand.

 

Axtec Stand at the CV Show - packed away for another year!

Fortunately we have such a breadth of systems and software that we are able to offer impartial advice on the correct system for the job.

Whilst a fixed axle weighbridge was right for those running full trucks from a DC, an onboard solution would be a far better solution for those on multi-drop work.

Others may offer only one type of system but it’s only by having a vast range, and vast experience of similar applications and industries, that we can offer impartial advice on the right tool for the job.

One or two customers were in the market for a  type of system that we don’t produce and, as our intention from day one was to only specialise exclusively in axle weighing, we explained clearly that we couldn’t help and passed them on to others who could.

Some of the applications we discussed were quite complex and will require site visits, in depth discussions about the best solution for the job and plenty of time and patience.

We know that an axle weighbridge can be a big investment and that we will no doubt still be talking to some of our new contacts when the show rolls around again next year.

So with so many interesting applications to discuss the time just flew by and before we knew it we were packing the stand away for another year.

But we’ll be back – and the dates for your diary in 2019 are 30 April, 1 & 2 May.

See you there.

Showtime!!

April is the time of year everyone who  is anyone in transport heads to the NEC for the CV Show.

Axtec have been supporting it in all its formats since day one and this year we’ll be on stand 5J102 in hall 5.

With just about everything available on the internet these days, are trade shows still relevant?

Surely buying everything these days is just a simple job of looking online, finding the cheapest price and clicking the order button?

Whilst that might be true of all manner of things, some products are more technical and require professional advice if they are to work at their best.

And that usually starts with a chat with a specialist – and where best to meet specialists in the transport industry than its premier industry event?

See you on stand 5J102 at the CV Show 24-26 April

Many show visitors come to see a specific product or supplier but it’s also a great way to pick up new ideas and find new solutions to old problems as well.

Technology in the transport industry does keep moving on after all.

We upgraded an axle weighbridge with some new software for one customer. He was having issues determining who was using the system and when but a brief chat about what he needed suggested that the Fleet Management Program would help.

Recording every tractor and trailer that weighed in date and time order with a report available whenever he wanted meant that he got exactly the information he needed.

And can now look out for efficiencies in his operation by knowing what his vehicles weighed and when.

Not every detail about a product or its options can be easily listed on a website.

Taking a day out of a busy schedule to visit the NEC may seem a wasted day but talking to an expert about a highly technical installation may well be the most productive thing to do that day.

So make a note of the dates – April 24^th,25^th and 26^th and we’ll see you there.

It’s not all about avoiding overloading!

An axle weighbridge is sometimes seen purely as a means to avoid overloading. A high cost, capital investment that only has a role in preventing a problem.

There is another aspect to installing a system which is often far more important, especially among major logistics providers.

Often the default position when trying to avoid overloading is to underload the vehicles.

Which can mean that a fleet is not being run as efficiently as it could be. Utilising the full load on every vehicle though, means that every trip is at optimum efficiency and profits are maximised.

There are other spin off benefits too.

Maximise Payload & Profit with an Axtec Dynamic Weighbridge

By checking every vehicle for optimum loading on every trip, a picture builds up of how efficient the fleet is being used and points up opportunities to make even greater efficiencies.

Is every 44 tonner fully loaded? Would smaller, less costly vehicles be of benefit? Could some of the vehicles be downplated? And what sort of mix should the fleet be?

Without accurate axle weight information it can be very difficult to make decisions on what vehicles should be in the fleet and how best to utilise them.

Some computer loading programs can help with ensuring vehicles are fully loaded but it is vital that the information they work with is kept up to date. What happens if a pack size changes and no one updates the computer for instance?

More than one client has made startling discoveries about their vehicle loading since installing a high accuracy Axtec axle weighbridge. One found they were sending half empty double deck trailers out on some runs for instance. Now questions can be asked and efficiencies made.

Sometimes running a half empty vehicle is unavoidable. But maximising loads most of the time with an accurate axle weighbridge would certainly add to profits.

And the cost of routine maintenance is....

Any device for measuring loads will need checking possibly adjusting occasionally to bring it back into specification.

And with Axtec OnBoard the cost is nearly always nothing.

We have a customer who has many hundreds of our OnBoard Load Indicators installed at branches all over the country.

One of the branches queried the accuracy on a couple of their systems and wondered whether it might be beneficial to have them routinely checked by one of our engineers.

This is a service we gladly provide. But as with all service work, it comes at a cost.

Axtec OnBoard. Routine resetting costs nothing.

We calculated how much it would cost to do visit the site and do a routine reset twice a year and estimated it would be in the region of £250.00 per visit. There would be hidden costs as well in terms of keeping the vehicles in the yard ready for a service engineer’s visit.

However, the system is designed so that customers can do this simple reset themselves. At no cost and at a time to suit them.

Axtec OnBoard has no manual controls. Not only does this make it simple to use requiring no training but also means none of the settings or calibration can be changed. It is not possible to make the system display what you want thus potentially fooling drivers, loaders or the authorities.

What it does have though is a simple reset procedure which takes about twenty seconds to bring the system back within specification when the accuracy has drifted out.

Training someone to do it takes minutes, no special tools or technical knowledge is required and each vehicle can be reset in a matter of seconds.

And then that vehicle is back out on the road earning its keep.

No expensive service engineer to visit, no keeping the vehicles in the yard, no specialist tools or training.

So the cost of routine resetting Axtec OnBoard really is zero.

How accurate is YOUR axle weighbridge?

We were asked to check the accuracy of a competitor’s axle weighbridge recently.

To the untrained eye it looked quite a neat installation. But testing it with our purpose designed calibration vehicle told a different story.

There are two aspects to getting an axle weighbridge calibrated correctly. One is to prove that it as a basic weighing machine. The other is to check that it does what it was designed to do – weigh axles accurately.

The system in question was reasonably accurate when we tested it with one tonne block weights. No error greater than 10kg up to 11,000kg and only marginally worse up to 12,000kg.

So far so average.

Axtec's Specialist Axle Weighbridge Test Vehicle

But when we weighed our test vehicle dynamically, as the system is supposed to operate, the error we found was startling.

Our test vehicle on the day grossed out at 38,680kg gross. But the axle weighbridge weighed it at 35,650kg.

More than three tonnes lighter.

That’s three tonnes more the client could have been putting on his trucks in ignorance.

Potentially three tonnes over the legal limit and almost certainly in line for a prosecution.

The concrete either side of the weighing platform is crucial for system accuracy. So we conducted a full levels survey again with startling results.

What looked like a nice level piece of concrete was in fact totally unsuitable for accurate weighing of articulated vehicles.

Unfortunately for the customer, the only option is to dig the system up and start all over again.

Getting an axle weighbridge calibrated correctly requires specialist equipment and Axtec are the only company to have invested in the right tool for the job.

And means we can offer the world’s most accurate dynamic axle weighbridge.

Can we help you check out your axle weighbridge maybe?

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

Sometimes a standard product won’t quite do what the customer needs.

We were approached a while ago by a major fleet operator running a mixture of standard artic trailers, double deck trailers and rigids. 

They had an issue with getting them loaded correctly first time to improve efficiency.

Pulling a vehicle off the loading bay, getting it weighed then returning it for the whole load to be redistributed if an overload was discovered was time consuming and expensive. With no guarantee it would be done right the second time either.

Vehicles might need to be loaded, weighed, reloaded and reweighed a number of times.

With several agency staff working in the loading bay during peak periods, training them to get it right first time wasn’t always easy.

A means of alerting the loaders to a potential overload at an early enough stage to make it quick and easy to correct would offer considerable benefits.

Standard Axle Weighbridge - not always right for the job.

But to serve all of the vehicles in their fleet no one system would suffice. A mixture of fixed axle weighbridges and onboard loadindicators would be needed to resolve the issue.

Even so, standard product wouldn’t offer the best solution. So our ability to design, write software and manufacture in-house meant we could offer a bespoke solution.

After taking the time to fully understand what the issue was, a number of potential solutions presented themselves, all of which involved enhancements to the basic products to do the job properly.

Rigids fitted with onboard indicators and axle weighbridges installed at the loading points both with alarm features to alert loaders to the state of the vehicle would go a long way to making sure loading was done right first time. Or at least flag up a problem early enough so that the load could be adjusted before the vehicle was fully laden.

Axtec’s ability to tailor a solution to a very a specific axle weighing problem will mean improved efficiency and big cost savings for one operator at least.

Six in two weeks.

That’s how many operators that have contacted us about issues with axle weighbridges. We should add that none of them were supplied by Axtec.

The issues are numerous. Load cell mountings failing – again.

The frame cracking – again.

The concrete approaches breaking up – again.

The system not calibrating – again.

Any company will experiment and look for a cheaper, faster way to make an axle weighing system. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. It’s important though to learn from the bad experiences to make the product better.

But the failures we have seen recently with these systems are all recurring problems. Some have been recurring for years. Little is being learnt to make sure the product is better, more reliable, more accurate or more hard wearing.

We have a full axle weighbridge installation in our yard purely for research and development. We can try out new load cell mountings, new software or new instrumentation in a proper working environment.

Testing an axle weighbridge - like us to test yours?

That facility wasn’t cheap but it means we can thoroughly test every design change or new idea before it goes to the customer. And if a problem does occur on site, we can replicate the conditions in our factory to track down and eliminate the cause.

Operators contact us because they are frustrated at the repeating problems and disillusioned with the attempts to rectify them.

And Axtec can test and maintain most systems usually to a higher standard than the original supplier.

And some axle weighbridges we look after are approaching 40 years old and still in excellent working order.

Sometimes we have to advise the customer they must bite the bullet and replace the system in its entirety. That is never a cheap option but at least it’s a long term solution.

So if you have a troublesome axle weighing system that we might be able to help with, feel free to get in touch and we’ll see what we can do for you.

What we tell you might not be what you want to hear but at least we will have the solution to the problem.

Overloading could be very serious

We had a very interesting conversation with a client recently, one who takes vehicle overloading very seriously.

Recognising the potentially catastrophic effects of overloading his vehicles, of which he has many hundreds around the UK, he took some portable weighpads from us to conduct trial weighings around the country.

But some of his firm’s drivers couldn’t see how important it is to run their vehicles legally laden and couldn’t see the worth in the exercise.

One example though seemed to bring the message home.

Axtec Portable Weighpads - Useful for Weighing Trials

Whilst weighing one vehicle, a typical 3.5t flatbed, the driver was asked to bring his vehicle up and place the front axle on the pads – and overshot them by about 1.5m.

The excess load on the vehicle caused the brakes to function less efficiently.

What if he had been trying to stop his van with a child in the road at a zebra crossing instead of just taking part in a weighing exercise in his yard?

The consequences could have been severe.

As our client said to his driver – do you want that on your conscience?

A lot of the time, the drivers are just trying to do their jobs and the van is just a mobile toolbox.

Sometimes it’s not only drivers that need convincing about overloading but senior management as well.

Which is why we often offer to help with surveys, loans of weighpads even free trials at the premises of customers with axle weighbridges.

Armed with information cleaned using their own vehicles in a working environment, it can often be much easier to convince the powers that be that there is a serious problem there to be solved.

So if you think you have concerns about vehicle loading and think doing some trials might be helpful, feel free to contact us and we’ll certainly be able to help.

Usually at no cost.

And as for that client, we’re now in the process of installing axle weighbridges at his major depots around the UK.

Any vehicle can be weighed.

The perception may be that only heavy goods vehicles can be stopped at a weight checks. They are after all by definition heavy.

But in fact any vehicle can be overloaded and can be pulled in and weighed.

Figures show that in 2012, 24 cars were weighed for instance. And 19 of them were found to be overloaded.

Car, HGV or anything in between, overloading affects all the major components making vehicles potentially unsafe and in danger of being prohibited. The worst cases could end in a prosecution.

It is not unknown for the insurance on an overloaded vehicle that has been involved in an accident to be invalidated.

Any vehicle can benefit from being weighed.

As in all areas, technology is improving and that includes the detection of overweight vehicles.  The installation of sensors in the road coupled to ANPR cameras ahead of enforcement sites means that an overloaded vehicle is more likely to be detected.

Recent statistics show that the number of these sites are now into double figures and that number could well grow meaning that more overloaded vehicles could be detected.

This is good news for law abiding operators in that they ought not to be diverted from a busy day into a weight check but also because more of those illegal transport companies will be caught.

But many operators find there are positives to weighing their vehicles too, particularly those who err on the side of caution and underload them.

Running vehicles at full legal weight is a good thing. It means you are maximising the capacity and running at peak efficiency.

One of our clients found he could get a staggering 30% more material on each vehicle after he installed his own axle weighbridge.

Imagine reducing your running time by a third.

There are plenty of systems available to prevent overloading. Whether they are weighed back at the depot or out on the road where the load may change throughout the day, there is a suitable system in our range to help.

And reducing the underloading can only add to your profits.