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For trucking companies, an overweight truck is costly. Knowing the weight of the truck before it heads out of the distribution center is key to speeding up operations and preventing cost overruns and accidents.
Today, almost anything can be ordered online with the click of a mouse. Consumers can even order large appliances for home delivery, and expect them to arrive within days. METTLER TOLEDO AxlePassTM weigh-in-motion (WIM) scales help many of these heavy orders to arrive safely.
As more consumers expect quick delivery of even the heaviest of orders, companies are setting up regional distribution centers for efficient delivery of their products. Semi-trailer trucks are hauling much of the goods from factory or port to these distribution centers. Given the fast pace at which regional distribution centers have to operate, weighing trucks quickly without stopping the vehicles speeds up customers' operations and helps reduce fleet maintenance costs. To help them, trucking companies are discovering the AxlePassTM weigh-in-motion scale -- a new, highly accurate solution that captures axle and gross weights of vehicles moving at reduced speeds. (Smaller trucks and vans deliver goods from distribution centers to homes but do not normally have weight issues.)
Why trucks need to be weighed
As trucks travel from distribution centers to stores or warehouses, they add wear and tear to roadways. In addition, overweight trucks are harder to maneuver and take longer to slow down, risking accidents. To minimize deterioration of roads and bridges and to keep transportation safer, governments have set maximum load weights for trucks. Trucks are then monitored using a variety of weigh stations along highways and expressways. Overweight trucks receive fines. So avoiding the mistake of overloading a truck saves everyone time and money. No trucker wants to get assessed a penalty for driving an overweight truck.
Without an AxlePass scale, companies take longer to weigh their loads on static scales, put more strain on their equipment driving to a private weigh station, or sometimes drive without knowing their weight, risking extra charges and potential accidents.
With an AxlePass WIM scale, trucking companies can save time, ensure safety, and avoid fines. So, when drivers leave the distribution center, they pass over the scale at speeds up to 15 mph (~26 km/h), read the displays, and immediately turn back if overloaded. Drivers also appreciate saving fuel and truck maintenance costs by eliminating unnecessary stopping and starting. In the end, consumers benefit from these efficiencies and timely deliveries.
AxlePass delivers peace of mind to busy trucking companies and is one of many transportation and logistics solutions provided by METTLER TOLEDO.