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.

How many of your vans might be overloaded?

Two weighing exercises in recent weeks with two very different clients, one a utility company the other a housing association, but both operating very similar 3.5t vans.

The objective with both was to determine what if any incidences of overloading they were experiencing.

Both were aware of the dangers of overloading – it affects the brakes, steering, clutch, suspension, tyres and the basic safety of the vehicle – so were hoping that no issues would be found.

Using portable weighpads we arranged for a number of their vehicles to be weighed at different locations under supervision to ensure the pads were used correctly.

Checking for Van overloads Using Portable Weighpads

Whilst finding no overloads would have been ideal it was perhaps inevitable that some issues would be found.

Much to the clients’ disappointment, there were quite a few vehicles that caused concern. In one case 16% and in the other a staggering 20% of the vehicles were over their permitted weight.

Many more were very close to the limit and the addition of a passenger, more fuel or even marginally more in the load space and they would have been overloaded.

Most of the overloads were fairly minor and in isolation unlikely to attract a prosecution. But it has been known for insurance to be invalidated if an overloaded vehicle is involved in an accident and persistent, minor infringements would certainly attract the attention of the authorities.

Sometimes these weight checks can provide peace of mind but without going through the exercise operators are usually unaware if they are running legally laden or not.

One of these latest clients also operate larger vehicles and whilst the smaller 3.5t vans are not on the ‘O’ licence, any overloading offences must be reported to the Traffic Commissioner and could affect an application or renewal at a later date.

Are your vans running legally laden? If you think a free weight check might be useful help then contact us and we’ll be delighted to help.

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.

Another clients experience with weighpads

Almost every conversation we have with a new client involves the subject of portable weighpads at some stage. 

It’s a common misconception that weighing even the largest vehicles just involves putting some plates on the ground and running axles over them.

It is though a much more involved procedure than that which, in many cases, is a more costly, time consuming and labour intensive option using weighpads than a permanent axle weighbridge.

Portable Weighpads - Great for some tasks.

Talking through a project that requires a dynamic axle weighbridge the other day, the client mentioned that they had portable weighpads which they used to monitor vehicle weights at depots around the country.

The pads were a useful tool for spot checks and driver training but were not without their problems.

The biggest bugbear was that it took two people plus the driver to weigh a single vehicle. And if the driver did it wrong, he had to go round the one-way system to do it again. Sometimes more than once.

A minor issue on the face of it but the procedure is tying up three people and the vehicle isn’t out on the road doing its job.

The pads themselves cost around £10,000.00 to purchase so that plus the labour plus the time element all adds up to a not insignificant ongoing cost to weigh vehicles.

So with a depot development in the offing it makes perfect sense to install a system that the drivers can use themselves in a fraction of the time.

With the added benefits of a longer lifespan, a permanent system can easily last 40 years against a typical lifespan of around five years for weighpads, plus far greater accuracy.

The permanent dynamic axle weighbridge is also future proofed in that it will not only weigh every vehicle type they currently run but any bigger vehicles they may obtain in later years.

As we always advise, weighpads have an important role to play but there’s often a more cost effective option available.

Some times good news travels slower than bad news

And sometimes good news is hard to find but there was plenty of good news for us at the CV Show last week.

We were delighted so many existing customers visited our stand all of whom had nothing but positive things to say about their experience of Axtec and its products.

Most of those customers had been buying our systems for a number of years so it was great to hear that even after an extended period they had no complaints about the products or service they were getting.

And most importantly were happy to continue buying.

Very much good news all round.

From the customer with hundreds Axtec OnBoard systems who visited us to appraise us of his future requirements to the Dynamic Axle Weighbridge customers who wanted to arrange meetings to discuss new installations at new premises.

We had them all visit us on our stand together of course, with a whole raft of potential new clients.

There was much of interest at the NEC but so many clients made straight for our stand to talk through their axle weighing concerns.

Discussing Axle Weighing at the CV Show 2017

Some of those new contacts were looking for a replacement supplier after they’d had a previous poor experience, but most were looking for a solution to an overloading issue.

From operators of needing OnBoard Indicators to keep their vans legal whilst out on the road to major players in the logistics industry with distribution centres needing Dynamic Axle Weighbridges.

Bodybuilders, facilities providers, consultants, parcels companies – they all took time out of their busy schedules to visit our stand and discuss their vehicle weighing problems and requirements.

So now the CV Show is over for another year and the hard work really starts following up those enquiries over the months and in some cases years to turn them into new business.

And hopefully we’ll welcome those people back to our stand in the coming years to tell us about their own positive experience.

Nothing like seeing it demonstrated

Having vast experience in axle weighing means that we know all about the see-saw effect.

But not everyone, including some that have been in transport a long time are aware of what can happen when the load is incorrectly positioned on the vehicle.

A training exercise for transport and depot managers at one of the major builders merchants produced an interesting reaction from those attending when we showed them what happened.

Placing a set of portable weighpads, correctly set up and on flat level ground, beneath the front axle of a 2-axle rigid we then got them to place a couple of pallets of bricks right behind the cab. With plenty of space left on the load bed our audience were genuinely surprised to learn that the vehicle was now illegal because the front axle was overloaded.

We then put some pallets behind the back axle. And again there was genuine surprise when everyone learnt that, even though the overall weight had increased, the vehicle was now legal.

Weighpads - great for driver and operator training.

The action of putting load behind the back axle had caused the front axle weight to decrease.

The see-saw effect nicely demonstrated.

The issue of load distribution is often overlooked even by those with a great deal of experience in managing a fleet of vehicles but it is high point loads that cause most damage to the road surface.

Which is why there is a national network of axle weighbridges to check not only gross weight, but individual axle weights as well.

A vehicle can be well within its maximum gross weight but could be operating illegally because the distribution of the load is incorrect.

This is often a problem for operators with diminishing loads. The vehicle leaves the yard perfectly legal but as weight is removed from the rear, it is vital that the driver redistributes the load or the front axle can become overloaded.

As we said, even those with great experience may not be aware of this and have to have it demonstrated to them.

If you think your staff could benefit from some free axle weight training, feel free to get in touch.

Another interesting conversation about weighpads

So that’s the RWM show over for another year.

And as with every exhibition it threw up some interesting conversations.

One that stuck in our minds is a conversation we’ve had many times over the years. It was from a company who originally contacted us about three years ago. At the time they felt that they were best served by some portable weighpads which they bought from a competitor.  Not a view we shared as we felt a more permanent solution would be a better option.

Unfortunately, as with many others in the past, they found out the hard, and expensive way, that weighpads weren’t really up to the job they wanted to do. Their weighpads spent more time away being repaired, recalibrated or awaiting parts than actually doing what they had been bought for.

Often seen as a cheap option, and there are plenty of very cheap ones on the market, - hand portable, no special installation work, simply park each axle on the one at a time – they seem the perfect solution for weighing axles.

Weighpads are ideal for many applications and we have plenty of customers who use them very successfully.

Portable weighpads - great for some jobs but not for all!

But for long term, heavy duty use by non-skilled personnel they are rarely the best or most cost effective option. Especially if they are cheap ones of which there are many on the interet.

Driver training and spot checks out on site are perfect examples of where weighpads score. When used by a responsible manager who is going to look after them, make sure the batteries are charged and ensure they are used correctly, they can provide very good results.

But even then they have a limited lifespan, typically five years whereas a fixed system can last for 30 years or more.

We’re happy to discuss and demonstrate weighpads with anyone who is interested in them. Even offer short term trials to determine if they are the right tool for the job.

But we’ve got a long and growing list of customers who have tried them, usually after getting poor advice, and found them to be wanting.

And that customer from the show – we’re off to see him in a few days to discuss a more permanent, less fragile solution for his needs.

Three days and counting....

Next week, everybody who is anybody in the waste industry will descend on the NEC for the RWM exhibition.

Between 13th and 15th September, it's the place to be if you have any involvement in waste and recycling.

Axtec are celebrating their 25^th anniversary this year and we’re proud to have attended every CIWM show in all its formats since day one. This year you’ll find us on stand 5P151 so come and have a chat.

The RWM is an internationally recognised industry event, the only one of its kind in fact,  a great event and as usual will be brimming with new ideas for the waste processor.

Whether you are processing or producing waste there will be new innovations and ideas throughout all the halls and it’s not to be missed. Meeting up with existing clients is an essential part of the show. Some of the projects we are involved in are very long term so keeping abreast of progress and bringing them up to speed with the latest in axle weighing technology is vital.

Some of the equipment on show, ours included, needs a ‘hands on’ approach to buy. Seeing the equipment in a working environment can be vital. Will it fit to my vans? Can it weigh multi-axle bulkers? How will it fit into my operation? Will it fit at all??

There’s only so much that can be learnt by downloading a brochure from the web and talking to people face to face, arranging site visits and post show meetings is essential when buying axle weighing systems.

Look out for us on stand 5P151 at RWM

Axle weighing is extensively used in the waste industry today and offer a number of advantages. Traditional plate weighbridges still have a role to play, but advances in technology now mean an axle weigher can be a better option. 

Need to save space? A dynamic axle weighbridge doesn’t up anything like as much room as a surface mounted weighbridge.

Making sure your caged tippers are legal out on the road? An OnBoard Load Indicator will do that for you.

Doing spot checks or driver training? Maybe some portable weighpads would offer a solution.

So if you need new ideas for your waste operation, the RWM at the NEC 13^th, 14^th, 15^th April September is the place to be.

And if it’s axle weighing you want to chat about, we'll be on stand 5P151. So feel free to come along and say hello.

More legislation or more enforcement? Van operators in their sights.

Whilst the country appears to have voted to leave the EU, for the moment at least we are still a member and likely to remain so for a number of years. 

So we will be subject to their rules and regulations for a little while yet whether we like them or not.

And with news of new European Commission consultations launched relating to ‘O’ licensing changes, operators in the UK and it seems especially van operators, there could be even more need to ensure your vehicles are not flouting the rules on overloading.

The FTA point out that no new laws are needed and that there are already regulations covering van operators. Members of their own Van Excellence scheme have a strict code of practice to adhere to which pushes up standards and gives confidence to customers about the professionalism of van drivers. They argue that better, more frequent enforcement of existing laws is needed.

New legislation or better enforcement, either way ensuring your vans are not overloaded will become even more important in future.

After all, an overloaded van is dangerous. Many of the major components such as steering, brakes, clutch, suspension, tyres are all adversely affected by overloading. Even if they don’t fail, possibly causing an accident, the increased wear just adds to your costs.

Axtec Static Single Axle Weighbridge- is it right for your fleet?

But which is the right system for your needs? Recognising that not every van operator is doing the same thing, we have designed a range of systems to suit all applications.

Checking that your vans aren’t overloaded before they leave for a job? The Axtec Static Axle Weighbridge could be the answer. Fitted in the roadway unaffected by traffic it can weigh any 2-axle rigid vehicle before it leaves the yard.

Vans on multidrop work with diminishing loads? Axtec OnBoardAxle Load Indicator could offer a solution by monitoring axle and gross loads automatically all the time the vehicle is on the road. And by connecting to a quality tracking system, live reporting can be done.

Or maybe your need is to do spot checks or driver training? Then a set of weighpads to keep in the car or ship from depot to depot might be the answer.

Regardless of any new legislation or toughening up of the current enforcement regime, Axtec have a system that will keep the axle and gross weights on your fleet compliant.

Computer says.... yes, no or maybe?

As usual we had a number of very interesting chats with clients at this years CV Show. Incidentally, you might want to put next year’s dates, 25^th, 26^th, 27^th April, in your diary now.

A subject that came up once or twice was computer loading programs and how they ought to make weighing vehicles unnecessary.

In theory that’s correct. A computer that knows the weight of every product ought to be able to produce a manifest that ensures vehicles do not leave the depot overloaded.

But as is common knowledge, the output from a computer is only as good as the information that’s put into it. And does the computer know everything.

A real life example from a couple of years ago came when a customer with an expensive computer loading program found that he was still being pulled for overloading his vans. Upon investigation, it was found that the marketing department had decided to increase the number of items in a packet by 20% as a promotion.

Do you need an axle weighbridge as well as a computer?

But no one had told the computer which unknowingly carried on producing manifests telling the transport manager his vehicles were legal when in fact they were nearly all on the brink of a prosecution. The installation of an axle weighbridge to check weigh suspect vehicles before they left the yard solved the problem.

Another computer in the field of vehicle manufacturing apparently knew the weight of every nut, bolt and washer on a vehicle chassis. And it was only by check weighing some vehicles that the client discovered there was actually quite a wide margin of error and the installation of dynamic axle weighbridges allowed them to significantly tighten up the specifications on the computer and then check that it was now right.

There can be all sorts of variables that the loading computer might not know. How heavy the driver is, how much fuel is in the vehicle, will the vehicle be doing collections as well as drops or will some drops be missed?

So the sure fire way of ensuring your vehicles aren’t overloaded is to install the appropriate axle weighing system for your needs with details on our website.

After all, it’s you that might have to appear before a magistrate to answer an overloading charge not the computer.

The CV Show - THE show for those in transport

Less than a month away from the transport industry event of the year, the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC.

Axtec are celebrating their 25^th anniversary this year and we’re proud to have attended every single CV Show in all its formats since day one.

It’s a great event and the perfect showcase for anyone with products to sell into the commercial vehicle field.

Regardless of the type of fleet you run, there will be new innovations and ideas throughout the show and it really is a ‘must visit’ event. Even meeting up with existing suppliers can bring new ideas to help improve efficiency.

Money can be saved by buying on line of course and we all do that extensively these days. But some products don’t lend themselves to that sort of purchasing arrangement. In depth discussions might be need, site surveys completed and plans drawn up. All of which require meeting sellers face to face and what better place to do it than at the CV Show?

All things axle weighing from Axtec at the CV Show

Getting out for a day and, after the show, attending meetings and surveys is all time consuming and costly and the temptation to buy something on line is great. But trying to short circuit the buying of highly technical products can very often prove to be a false economy in the long run.

Axle weighing is a greatly misunderstood field, we’re still earning even after a quarter of a century in business, and we often chat to buyers who maybe didn’t talk to someone face to face, bought something off the internet and later regretted it.

Even if you have no new products to launch, the Show is a great way of showcasing your existing products buyers who are currently using a competitor. What better way to demonstrate how superior your offer is than face to face in a business environment?

Meeting up with existing clients can also be fruitful. Everyone is so busy that it can be hard to catch up with old contacts but the CV Show is a great place to bump into them. And it often results in new business as they may bring a colleague or someone from another depot. And so a new conversation starts.

So if you’re in the market for transport related products or just searching for new ideas, the CV Show at the NEC 26^th, 27^th, 28^th April is the place to be.

And if it’s axle weighing you want to chat about, we'll be on stand 5A79. So feel free to come along and say hello.

Which axle weighing system is the right one for me?

The registration figures for vans would appear to have hit record levels in 2015 according to figures issued by the SMMT.

One notable trend is that buyers are increasingly opting for larger vehicles. Is that to improve productivity or down to a possible shortage of drivers?

Professional operators will always opt for the right tool for the job and many have the ability to specify larger vehicles if their job demands it. But all operators need to maximise loads to squeeze profitability out of their vehicles but in so doing they may run the risk of inadvertent overloading.

Ensuring you get the maximum load on your vehicle is essential but the penalties for exceeding weight limits can be quite severe. The fine is only part of the cost. Sending another vehicle and driver to a prohibited vehicle is very costly especially if you have to hire them in.

The late delivery of your products won’t endear you to your customer possibly leading to loss of business, and the affect on your reputation and your ‘O’ licence shouldn’t be underestimated.

Vans may not be on the ‘O’ licence but if you operate larger vehicles as well, any offences down to your van fleet will affect it.

Axtec OnBoard Load Indicator prevents van overloads

Keeping a close watch on your vehicle weights, including vans, is essential if you are trying to maximise payloads.

But no single type of axle weighing system will solve every problem.

For example, vehicles on multi-drop work could be weighed at the depot, but what happens when the load changes during the day? How does the driver know that when he’s made his first drop from the back of the vehicle, that the front axle hasn’t become overloaded?  What about vehicles which collect rather than, or as well as delivering?

That’s why we provide the full range of systems; dynamic, static, on-board and portable. We work with operators to find out if there is a problem to solve, lend or hire equipment to evaluate, and advise on the best technical solution. 

Regardless of fleet size, we can provide a full support service.

So if you’re trying to squeeze an extra pallet, case, box or anything else onto your vehicle but worried about overloading it, maybe we might be able to help?

Because the costs of getting it wrong could be enormous.

Another interesting weighing execise

As mentioned a number of times in this blog, weighpads are frequently enquired about but rarely the right system for the job. 

Sometimes though they really are the best product for the job as long as the user is aware of what they can and cannot do.

Recently we were approached by a customer who had been trialing weighpads from other manufacturers and been disappointed with the results. The reliability of one product was an issue but what was concerning them most was the lack of accuracy.

We decided that the best way to assist would be to visit them and show them how to do it properly. Not only would this demonstrate the correct procedure for using weighpads but it would also illustrate how time consuming and labour intensive it can be to get an accurate weight.

Using our contacts with DVSA, arrangements were made to visit one of their enforcement sites so that we could ensure accurate weights on the perfectly flat concrete approaches but also so that we had a calibrated axle weighbridge for comparison purposes.

Portable Weighpads - ideal for some jobs when used correctly.

The whole exercise, weighing just one vehicle, took a whole morning with five people on site. As a minimum three people are needed; one to drive the vehicle and two to manoeuvre the weighpads,  but at least the exercise was done correctly and accurate, repeatable weights obtained.

One of the most interesting elements of the task was taking the weighpads off the perfectly flat concrete approaches and using them on an adjacent piece of ground with a slight incline. We did this as, having proved the pads were accurate in ideal conditions, it was useful to try them in a more typical working environment.

The difference in results was quite marked. Using the weighpads correctly on a perfectly flat concrete approach produced good results but using them on a piece of ground on an incline meant that weight distribution was changed and different axle weights recorded.

It was a very good method of not only demonstrating how accurate weighpads can be when used properly but also the limitations of them as a product.

This particular customer was delighted that we’d taken the trouble to demonstrate not only the pros but the cons of using weighpads and, now they are fully aware of what is involved in doing it right and what the pitfalls are of doing it wrong, an order is on its way to us.

You’ve got to know what you’re doing with weighpads.

We had another interesting call the other day from a long standing customer. 

Having invested heavily in our OnBoard Axle Load Indicators to avoid overloading, he was naturally perturbed to be told by someone that the front axle on a 3-axle rigid was apparently overloaded even with the vehicle empty.

Keen to establish the facts we sent a trained engineer with a set of calibrated weighpads to ensure that all was well. Sure enough, we found nothing amiss with the OnBoard Indicator working well and displaying all of the axle weights accurately.

Certainly the front axle was heavy with a large crane mounted just behind the cab but even at full load it was still legal.

One interesting aspect was the amount of apparent overload; a tonne is quite a significant difference between what was being indicated and what the customer had been told the axle weighed. Given that considerable time and effort had been taken to design the vehicle prior to it being ordered it seemed unlikely that the calculations were out by such a wide margin.

Upon investigation we discovered that a third party had weighed the vehicle using a set of portable weighpads .This inevitably worried our customer as we had set his OnBoard Indicator up using a set of weighpads, standard procedure when we are calibrating a new system.

To set the customers mind at ease we arranged for the vehicle to be weighed at a calibrated enforcement axle weighbridge  and, sure enough the weights obtained there proved that the front axle wasn’t overloaded.

Portable weighpad. Is it being used correctly?

The conclusion we all drew was that the third party who had weighed the vehicle had done it incorrectly; not unusual if, as many people do, the weighpads are used incorrectly by simply placing them on the ground and parking an axle on them.

It’s more complex than that and you have to know what you are doing.

Having satisfied our customer that his OnBoard Indicator was correct and that we had correctly set it up using our weighpads we have now arranged for the other company to be trained in how to operate weighpads properly and avoid any future issues.

Regular visitors to this blog will know that the subject of weighpads and their potential pitfalls comes up quite often. Weighpads are an excellent tool that have many uses but they have to be used in the right circumstances and in the right way if they are to provide accurate information.

Who sold you that then??

 Buying the right tool for any job is important and buying an axle weighing system is no different.

If you needed to weigh a vehicle to 2% accuracy, you’d buy a weighing system that was accurate to 1% and feel pretty confident you’d made a good choice, correct?

You may be surprised to learn that that’s not always correct.

All scale manufacturers express accuracy as a percentage of the capacity of their machine. So a 10,000kg capacity weighpad with an accuracy of 1% could be up to 100kg out and still working to specification. If you had two weighpads, the pair could be up to 200kg out and still within specification.

Now consider weighing a 32 tonner one axle at a time. That’s four axle weights you’ve recorded all of which could be 200kg out. So that’s potentially an error of 800kg on the whole vehicle.

But what if you needed to weigh an unladen 32 tonner to within 2%? Assuming your 32 tonner weighs 12,000kg unladen, you need to weigh it to within 240kg.

So you need to weigh your chassis to within 240kg but you’ve been sold a system that will only weigh it to within 800kg? Sadly it happens all the time and we read about just such an occurrence only this week.

It’s something we would never do.

Is this the right system for your needs?

Contrast that with the visit we made to a site in Birmingham last week. A customer was very keen on our product and wanting the latest technology. The system would have fitted in his yard and could have produced accurate axle weights.

However, it became clear during the discussions that there were issues with the site. Turning circles, site access and similar which meant that our system wasn’t going to be the best option. So we explained the issues to him and pointed him in the direction of a company with a product better suited to his needs.

We walked away from a sizeable order.

Selling the wrong product for the task is something we would never do. We know our products, their accuracy, their pro’s and their cons, and we thoroughly investigate the customers’ needs.  And if our systems are not right for the job we will say so.

Who would you rather deal with? An organisation that will sell you anything just to make a quick buck or because they don’t have the in depth knowledge needed or one that will give you an honest opinion on what is right for your job?

We think it’s the right thing to do and means you really will get the best vehicle weighing system for your needs.

How much does YOUR supplier know about axle weighing?

There aren’t any really big global players in the field of axle weighing. One reason is that it’s a bit of a niche market and not something that is required by all.

Another is that it’s more complex to get right than it appears.

So many companies don’t understand how much work is involved in accurately weighing axles. After all, how hard can it be? Just put four load cells under a piece of metal in a hole in the ground and away you go.

Or just measure the distance between chassis and axle and hey presto you’ve got yourself an onboard weighing system.

Knowing about weighing systems isn’t enough though. A detailed knowledge of vehicles, suspension systems, the application and place of use are all vital.

Some manufacturers have even gone so far as to claim that they make systems which don’t need calibrating such is their lack of knowledge of the subject.

With an onboard load indicator that simply can’t be the case and shows a fundamental lack of understanding about what is going on.

All the most cost effective onboard systems monitor the vehicle’s suspension. This provides enough accuracy to prevent vehicles from being overloaded. But what happens when the vehicles suspension wears as it inevitably will simply by being used?

Any onboard indicator measuring the suspension will start to indicate incorrect weights. It’s not the fault of or caused by the load indicator but is simply a reaction to the vehicle being used. The suspension will lose it’s ‘newness’ and move a lot more in reaction to loads.

What happens to these springs when they wear?

Thus a simple means of correcting the change in weight is required. It’s a routine task that will need doing from time to time, typically every six months.

If the customer can do it himself, then it greatly reduces the cost of owning the system. If you have to call for a service engineer to come and do this routine job then the cost could be considerable over the life of the vehicle.

It’s not just the cost. Keeping vehicles in the yard waiting for a service engineer is inconvenient and costly in itself. The vehicles ought to be out doing the job they were bought for.

And what if a vehicle is in for repair or otherwise unavailable? Does the engineer come back another day, at additional cost, just to calibrate the onboard indicator?

Making re-setting a simple customer function is quick, cheap and convenient.

It’s not unusual for manufacturers who claim to make axle weighing systems to be ignorant of what can affect accuracy. It’s something we’ve seen many time over the years.

Or maybe they’re not ignorant? Maybe they’re trying to hide the real cost of owning equipment? Or possibly claiming that a competitor is using components which cause inaccuracy?

It’s more likely to be ignorance and is the reason we have seen so many companies come and go in the axle weighing game in our time.

Some statistics and how to avoid becoming one of them

A couple of interesting statistics hit the transport press this week.

Firstly, the number of PG9’s issued in 2014 was quite eye opening. The figures for London alone for instance show that 41% stopped during the year were issued with an immediate prohibition. Another area, Yorkshire and Humberside, had more than half the vehicles issued with a PG9 were immediate prohibitions.

Secondly, DVSA is rolling out a ‘next generation enforcement’ regime which will increase the targeting of operators as opposed to carrying out random checks. A no brainer really given that for 2013/14 the prohibition rate for random checks was 10.2% and for targeted operators, 37.1%

How many of those were inadvertent overloads it doesn’t say.

Targeting the rogue operators clearly has to take priority and the inconvenience and cost of a prohibition they suffer is the least they deserve.

Unfortunately, being prohibited with an inadvertent overload has the same expensive, time consuming and inconvenient effect on those operators trying to run legally.

Sometime ago we were approached by a client who found that being caught overloaded really did have serious consequences. He had been approached to supply his product for a makeover TV program with all the kudos and exposure that would generate.

Unfortunately, the vehicle he sent to the job was overloaded and, prohibited at a weight check en route, he missed his delivery, missed his free exposure on TV and no doubt gave the program makers a headache to boot.

Avoid overloading with the Axtec OnBoard Load Indicator

Then of course there was the inconvenience and cost of sending another vehicle and driver to take part of the load followed by the inevitable fine. And having offended once, he changed from being an inadvertent offender to a targeted operator which means more time consuming contact with the authorities.

This customer had been completely unaware of the legislation and indeed the weight of his products. He wasn’t a ‘cowboy’ to be targeted but had through ignorance inadvertently overloaded the vehicle.

The way to avoid this happening to him again was to fit one of our OnBoard Load Indicators.

Fitted to the vehicle, the driver gets his front, rear and gross weights presented to him in colour on a clear, graphical display with any overloads highlighted in flashing red. Flashing red is a danger signal in just about every country in the world and we have been told by operators with a high proportion of foreign drivers that even they understand it means there is something wrong.

Someone in fact pointed out to us the other day that in the natural world, red is seen as a colour of danger understood by even the dumbest of animals and something to be avoided or prevented.

We’ll be at the CV Show at the NEC next week (Stand 5A111), together with all things transport related, so if you want to come and have a chat about how to avoid inadvertent overloading and not becoming one of DVSA’s statistics we’ll be pleased to see you.

Not fit for purpose...

That’s what the customer said when we went to look at his axle weighbridge. He went onto explain that he’d had no end of trouble with it.

Thankfully he wasn’t talking about one of ours. We imagine he was also quite pleased that it was his predecessor who bought it and not him.

We’ve mentioned the difficulties that can accrue from trying to do axle weighing on the cheap in the past and no doubt we will come across many similar installations in the future. Something that looked a very good deal on paper but turned out to be a load of trouble. And expensive trouble at that.

On the face of it, it’s quite a neat looking installation in quite a clean yard and not particularly heavily trafficked. But there are a few features that mean the system will not do what the customer wants.

The load cells and their mountings, which are very good quality by the way, are not the right design for a dynamic axle weighbridge application. The type of mountings will wear simply by using the system. Simply driving vehicles across the plate will lead to frequent failures and expensive repairs as this customer has found out to his cost.

The whole area is on a slope which will affect the accuracy. Any weighing machine is only measuring the effect of gravity and no weighing machine can influence that effect. Gravity will always pull in a straight line downwards and load cells are all designed to see weight going through a predetermined path with the strain gauges attached accordingly.

This axle weighbridge at least is up to the job!

This means if the load cells are on an incline, the load is taking a path through them that isn’t directly downwards an inaccuracy will result.

It isn’t the weighbridges fault. It only measures the effect of gravity it can’t influence it but it’s surprising how many people only listen to what they want to hear. They think that the cheaper an installation is, the more of a compromise it is, the more it can bend gravity to its will! The fact is there is a reason why we design, install and test our system the way we do.

A gentle incline won’t put the system outside of its tolerance as long as it is used correctly but it does mean that proper operation is essential.

This customer also has plans to offer the system as a Public Weighbridge and earn some income from it. The only type of system which can be offered in this way is one that has been Approved for the purpose and this one hasn’t been.

The Axtec Dynamic Axle Weighbridge is the only one which achieves this Approval and can thus be offered for this role.

There will be some cost attached but no more than should have been spent in the first place. So with a few modifications the customer will get what he wants and a system that will last him for years and start earning him money rather than costing.

If you think hiring an expert is expensive....

Just wait until you hire an amateur.

We’ve just priced up a job for a major national company who need to check raw materials arriving at their factory. They’re not claiming that their suppliers are defrauding them but they just want to make sure that what is on the invoice s what actually arrives.

The site presents some challenges, slopes, a two way road, remote printing location amongst others, so to do it correctly means the investment in the project overall will be substantial.

But at the end of it, the system will be highly accurate and provide the customer with the information he needs for many years. We maintain some systems which are nearly 40 years old and still going strong for instance.

There are though, plenty out there who will do the job on the cheap. Poorly designed, badly installed and not really up to the job and, in just about every case, considerably cheaper.

A recent enquiry came from a customer who had just been quoted £4,500.00 to replace all the load cells and mountings on his axle weighbridge only four years after he had previously had them all replaced at a similar cost.

Bluntly he’d been persuaded to buy a cheap system which wasn’t really up to the job and unless he invested in a more hard wearing installation he was going to be spending that £4,500.00 every few years for ever.

So that initial investment turned out not to be as cheap as he thought.

Shouldn't that weighbridge cable be in a duct underground??

Not only that, we’ve seen some very sub-standard and in some cases downright dangerous installations as per the photograph.

Unsurprisingly, this is an issue that some of our customers find as well. One provides specialist excavating services and designs and builds a lot of his own equipment. He has similar tales to tell of companies  who make all manner of claims as to what they can achieve at a fraction of the price of the experts.

We all want to pay as little as possible for the equipment and services we buy and driving a hard bargain is something we all do. It’s something we expect our customers to do. But there’s a difference between negotiating a fair price for all and being blinkered to what the experts are saying because someone else has offered a considerably cheaper price.

Some people are blinded by the price and never question why a complex installation is so much cheaper from someone else. There is always a reason for it.

Many of our staff have been involved in axle weighing for over 30 years and in that time we’ve learnt an awful lot about the subject. We look at each application closely and work closely with our clients to make sure we fully understand what information the require and where and how it is going to be used.

Only by doing that and specifying the right system for the job including all the items that are essential for it to work will it do what the client wants and have a long life.

There are though, much cheaper ways of doing it if that’s what you want!

Servicing Expensive? Not always

A question that comes up often is the cost of maintaining an axle weighing system.  We’ve just been advising one customer who had exactly that query before he placed his order.

It’s an important question because whilst buying the system is the biggest investment, there could be ongoing maintenance costs either for routine servicing or repairs.

Most systems need very little maintenance these days although some busier or dirtier applications might benefit regular servicing. That can prove to be a very worthwhile investment for some and there are axle weighbridges that are still in very good order after nearly 40 years of operation.

But some types of system are not best suited to such contracts. Our OnBoard Load Indicator is fitted to thousands of vehicles and sending engineers to do routine maintenance on them would be inefficient and costly.

The Axtec OnBoard Load indicator, like all systems of this type, monitors the vehicle suspension. And simply by using the vehicle the suspension will weaken over time. This can result in inaccurate readings being shown on the weight display. A minor adjustment is all that is needed but it would be expensive for a service engineer to visit every time this happened.

The cost of sending an engineer to check a system on only one vehicle might be prohibitive. But with a larger fleet of vehicles, the cost is only part of the issue.

Whilst in theory it might be possible to get 5, 10, 20 or more vehicles all back in the yard at the same time, in reality it’s rarely possible. Vehicles will be stuck on jobs, away for MOT’s, being repaired etc. But making multiple visits to catch up with missed vehicles for routine maintenance could be a costly and time consuming exercise.

Axtec OnBoard Load Indicator

We recognised that cost and inconvenience were important factors in owning this type of system many years ago. So all Axtec OnBoard Load Indicators allow customers to do their own routine calibrations.  It’s a simple procedure that takes just seconds. Which means customers not only save hugely on service costs but can do it at the time most convenient to them.

Missed  a vehicle because it was stuck on a job?  No problem, just catch up with it tomorrow.

But what about if the system breaks? Well, reliable as they are any electronic system can go wrong. But one reason for faults that we’ve removed is driver interference. There are no knobs, buttons or switches anywhere on the system. Nothing for the driver to fiddle with or break.

And no cries of ‘I don’t know how to use it!’ Drivers just have to look at it the same as every other guage in the vehicle.

Whilst we’re sure all your drivers are paragons of virtue, we know from experience of an early version of the system which had one knob for the drivers to operate, it was only ever that knob that got broken!

So making the axle weighing system driver proof and simple for customers’ to calibrate seemed to make sense and has certainly saved our customers an awful lot of money over the years.