In Motion Weighbridges: Your Guide

Why Use In Motion Weighbridges?

Over $750 billion worth of goods are transported through Australia every year. Semi-trucks are one of the most common vehicles used to carry this precious cargo.

Every load needs to be weighed as soon as possible to ensure it’s not too large. It’s the only way to avoid legal issues, load discrepancies, accidents, and other problems.

An in-motion weighbridge is one of the best solutions on the market today. It calculates a vehicle’s weight while it’s moving. This is a convenient way to prevent overloads.

Read our in-motion weighbridge guide to learn how they work, why you need one, and where to get one.

What Is a Weighbridge?

A weighbridge is a portable scale that vehicles can drive over to detect how much their loads weigh.

There are several different weighbridge types, including concrete, steel, portable, and portable axle. They each have their own advantages, and it’s important to decide which one is best for your job site.

One of the most effective types is the in-motion weighbridge. Unlike other types, it gathers weight information while the vehicle is in motion, preventing the need for frequent stops.

Why Do I Need a Weighbridge?

Investing in your own weighbridge is a major process that requires steps such as research, installation, and record-keeping. There are several reasons it’s worth your while.

A weighbridge can help you avoid legal issues, prevent load discrepancies, and improve safety.

Legal Issues

Overloaded trucks are a major safety issue and affect the economy. These reasons and more explain the need for overloading laws.

Australia categorizes its overloading offenses into 4 major categories. They include minor, substantial, severe, and critical breaches.

A minor breach includes an overload of less than 5%. It costs individuals and corporations $1,100-$5,500 for their first offense and $2,200-$11,000 for all others.

A substantial risk breach is an overload of 5-20%. It comes with fines of $2,200 for the first offense and $11,000 for subsequent offenses for individuals. Corporations face $4,400 for first offences and $22,000 after.

Severe risk breaches include overloads of 20% or more. The fines are based on how severely overloaded the vehicle is.

These breaches cost individuals $5,500 plus $550 for each overload percentage for the first offense and $11,000 plus $1,100 for every extra percentage afterward.

Corporations have to pay $27,500 plus $2,750 per percentage for the first offence. Subsequent offences cost $55,000 plus $5,500 for each additional percentage.

If you want to avoid these major fines, a weighbridge is the only way.

Load Discrepancies

It’s an unfortunate fact that not all drivers, delivery sites, and business partners are honest. They may lie about the size of their load or keep some of the goods for themselves.

Weighbridges help you catch all load discrepancies. If there’s a significant change in a vehicle’s load before and after they leave the site, you’ll know something is wrong.

Safety Issues

Overloaded trucks are a safety risk for several reasons.

The heavy load puts a strain on the breaks, tires, and other essential systems. This makes the vehicle more difficult to control.

A semi-truck already needs 40% more time to stop than a car. Overloading reduces its stopping ability even further.

Overloading is also one of the most common reasons for accidents. It can cause the truck to flip over or jackknife. Jackknifing is when the trailer exceeds a 45° angle and contacts the tractor.

What Is An-Motion Weighbridge?

An in-motion weighbridge is a great option for almost any job site. It’s one of the fastest, most convenient ways to collect and store load weight information. It helps you maintain compliance and keep your vehicles safe.

Knowing how to use an in-motion weighbridge helps make sure that you get the best usage out of the product throughout its lifetime. It will provide you with a range of benefits if properly implemented.

How to Use an In-Motion Weighbridge

An in-motion weighbridge allows vehicles to get weighed without stopping. It works by using embedded sensors. They calculate the weight of each axel on a moving truck.

This type is one of the most durable on the market because of the strong components that make them up. They use a stainless steel load cell and a reinforced heavy floor plate.

Benefits

Advantages of an in-motion weighbridge include increased automation, lower labor costs, permanence, improved productivity, and environmental durability.

Specialized software allows you to automate the entire weighing process. It takes and records weight and alerts the driver if they’re overloaded. You don’t have to hire any staff to monitor it, leading to reduced labor costs.

If you run a high-traffic job site, an in-ground, in-motion weighbridge is the perfect solution for you. Every vehicle can roll over it to get weighed without having to stop.

You’ll notice an increase in productivity after installing an in-motion weighbridge. The weighing process will go much faster, and you’ll be able to fix overweight problems as they happen.

An in-motion weighbridge can handle a weight of up to 20 tons. It’s also powerful enough to stand up to the harsh climate of Australia.

How to Choose

Consider what type of job site you need the weighbridge for when deciding which one to purchase. An in-ground in-motion weighbridge is best for permanent job sites that see heavy vehicles going in and out every day.

Look for a weighbridge that includes or is compatible with the necessary software.

Find technology that allows you to store and immediately alert drivers about all load weight information. It will automate the process and make it much more productive.

Once you decide that an in-motion weighbridge is the best option for your job site, the next step is to find the best provider to purchase it from.

Where Can I Get a Weighbridge?

Getting a weighbridge for your business is essential if you frequently use large vehicles. It calculates and monitors the weight of each axel on large vehicles like semi-trucks. This prevents large fines and improves safety.

There are several different types of weighbridges, but in-motion varieties are one of the most convenient. It weighs trucks while they’re moving and can quickly gather information about every truck that leaves a site.

Weigh More is the best solution for all of your weighbridge needs. Get a quote today to see what model is best for your business.