Category Archives: Truck Scales

Breakthrough Legal for Trade Onboard Scale Launch Announced

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A breakthrough new Legal for Trade onboard scale is getting plenty of attention in the trucking and transportation industries. From feed and grain to minerals, scrap steel, wood pellets, grease recovery and more, TradeRoute lets drivers bypass the truck scale and conduct business directly to and from their payload, printed ticket and all.

TradeRoute is one of very few Legal for Trade onboard scales available in North America. But what makes it most unique is that it operates solely from a parked position where hydraulics are used to engage the scale. Unlike all other onboard designs, TradeRoute’s load cells support the vehicle’s load only during the weigh cycle, eliminating the potential for premature load-cell wear from constant engagement.

TradeRoute from Rice Lake Weighing Systems is designed to install around the frame of many common straight-truck designs using a combination of frame-hugging weigh modules, a stainless steel junction box, and a weatherproof control center that houses Rice Lake’s 920i® Indicator/Controller and Epson TM-U295 Ticket Printer. The 920i software adds tremendous power and flexibility to each TradeRoute system, which can be customized to the unique needs of each customer.

The potential cost savings are huge with a system like this. Carriers can save an enormous amount of time and vehicle wear by not taking constant trips to a certified scale, and multiply that savings across their fleet. They get detailed numbers from each stop and are able to store and transmit those numbers back to their office electronically.  Avoid a few overload fines and this system pays for itself quickly.

Comprehensive Truck Scale Warranty

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It doesn’t matter if we are looking to buy a television or a treadmill, we all want to buy a product that has a solid warranty. Often times that warranty will only cover the parts that might fail, leaving you to pay for the extra expenses like labor and travel mileage.

Avery Weigh-Tronix has now added an optional warranty which will be ideal for many truck scale customers. They call it the Blue Blanket truck scale warranty and for just a small investment, the optional 5-Year Blue Blanket Truck Scale Warranty (part number AWT97-501690) can be the perfect choice for a customer to protect their investment.

The new ‘blue blanket’ warranty option can really add another dimension of long-term value to your AWTX truck scales. If you were to add this additional protection to your truck scale, the customer now has an option to use scheduled preventative maintenance to extend their warranty. This is great since these days some bid specifications call for a 5-year comprehensive warranty and this option fulfills that requirement. This ‘blue blanket’ includes all weighbridge components and indicator plus travel and labor at standard rates.

New Harvester® Precast Concrete Agricultural TRUCK SCALES

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Cardinal’s new NTEP certified Harvester® precast concrete truck scales come with some eye-popping prices in terms of economic value for agricultural weighing. Engineered specifically for light-duty use on farms with less than 3,000 acres, the Harvester® truck scales feature patent-pending, factory-poured concrete decks with high tensile strength and optimal deck weights. The PSC series features Cardinal’s model CBC stainless steel compression load cells which are NTEP certified.

We think you’ll find that full-length truck scale pricing like this is exceptionally affordable for the farmer who might not have purchased a truck scale otherwise. Optional guide rails for the Harvester® are available as well.

Please note: Harvester® truck scales are not designed for applications outside of light-duty weighing use on farms with less than 3,000 acres. Other heavier-duty type applications outside of these parameters are not acceptable at this time.

MSHA Guidelines for Truck Scales

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The Mine Safety and Health Administration or MSHA (nicknamed “emshaw”) is the government organization that oversees safety at mines, quarries, and related industries. MSHA is headquartered in Arlington, VA, with district offices at six locations around the United States. There are presently over 850 inspectors within MSHA.

Rails for Truck ScaleHow does MSHA impact scales and the scale industry? Legislation has been on the books since the 1970s relating to berms, guardrails, elevated roadways, bridges, and roads on mine property. These regulations, however, have been very loosely enforced with respect to truck scales. Truck scales have just recently been clearly defined by MSHA as elevated roadways and are therefore now subject to MSHA policies regarding guardrails and berms.

In early 2009 MSHA inspectors initiated an aggressive campaign at these facilities, levying significant fines and penalties related to guardrails on truck scales. Compliance has generally been left to the discretion of the local MSHA inspector. MSHA has been vague in the past as to what was expected from scale owners. The most common criteria provided by MSHA up until this time was that “guardrails were to be half the height of the largest tire on a powered vehicle to cross the scale.” Rice Lake and other scale suppliers have provided higher rails to satisfy the requirement—and this appeared to be acceptable to most MSHA inspectors. This interpretation changed with the release of the MSHA policy letter on August 26, 2010.

The new policy as it relates to truck scales applies specifically to all mining operations and businesses located on mine property, including aggregate facilities, sand and gravel, bulk cement, concrete plants, asphalt operations, strip mines, tipple operations, coal loadouts, and other related businesses. These policies apply to both metal and non-metal mine facilities. Continue reading →

What Does Class III Refer to When Discussing NTEP Requirements?

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Handbook 44 from NIST spells out rules and regulations for the weighing industry and separates weighing devices into five accuracy classes. Depending on the number and value of scale divisions, equipment can be either class I, II, III, III L, or IIII, with Class I having the highest precision. All Legal-for-Trade scales fall under one of these five classes.

Table 7a of Handbook 44 breaks down the description of each class. Class III states: “All commercial weighing not otherwise specified, grain test scales, retail precious metals and semi-precious gem weighing, animal scales, postal scales, vehicle on-board weighing systems with a capacity less than or equal to 30,000 lb, and scales used to determine laundry charges.”

NTEP scales

Basically, what it’s saying is anything that doesn’t fall elsewhere would go in this weight class, providing the device meets the criteria for the quantity and size of divisions. Class III covers many different types of scales, making it a bit of a catch-all. Produce scales would be one type of Class III application. While some jewelry scales are Class III if the resolution is appropriate for the application, meanwhile, a more precise jewelry scale could be Class II. It all depends on the number of divisions and capacity. Precision laboratory devices usually fall under Class I.  

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Class III L, which covers heavier capacity on-board applications, truck scales, livestock scales and railroad scales. Class IIII applies strictly to axle scales and wheel loader devices for highway weight enforcement.

Get Started With Central Carolina Scale

At Central Carolina Scale, our philosophy has always been to work directly with customers to help them choose the proper weighing equipment. If you have specific questions about scale classes, call us at (919) 776-7737 or email us at info@ccscale.com.

Truck Scales Webpage updated

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When you need accurate truck weights and unsurpassed durability, it only makes sense to call Central Carolina Scale, Inc. Truck scales are available in either full-electronic or electromechanical types with either concrete or steel platforms, above ground or pit.  Now, it is easier than ever to search for the specfic types of truck scales you are interested in.

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What will it cost me if I don’t buy a good scale?

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Choosing the right scale and the right scale company for your application is extremely important. Whether you are looking for a small Ohaus balance or a large Rice Lake 80 foot long Truck Scale, you can save a lot of time and headaches by choosing the right company from the start. Even in today’s tough economy, consumers need to understand the total cost of ownership. For example, downtime often is the most significant cost incurred in industrial settings. In operations like landfills, aggregates, and quarries, many vehicle scales act as the “cash register.” If the scale isn’t Continue reading →

Become more efficient with a fork lift scale

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Rice Lake CLS model fork lift scales are factory calibrated and delivered with innovative packaging that allows safe and fast installation. Compatible digital indicators can accept data wirelessly from the two-channel digital iQUBE® junction box, located on the scale carriage. Or, if you choose, the wired version communicates weight data via the coil cable provided with the scale. For wireless versions, the communication electronics are protected in enclosures mounted to the back of the indicator and in the junction box. Both models are designed with a separate on/off switch to conserve forklift power and will display battery hours remaining before a recharge is needed.

The CLS has a 5,000 lb capacity that is electronically and mechanically supported by two 5,000 lb stainless steel load cells and mechanical overload protection. The centering pin is welded directly to the scale instead of using mounting bolts that often break. The welded centering pin ensures proper Continue reading →

CUSTOM SIZED FLOOR SCALES MANUFACTURED

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Need odd sized floor scales for unique applications or to fit an existing pit without modifying it? Have special loading requirements? Point loading? Let us quote and design a custom floor scale for you or your customer!

Due to the unique engineering and manufacturing capability at our suppliers facility in Terre Haute, Indiana; we are adept at providing special designs at standard pricing, usually with only 3 to 4 week lead times. Continue reading →

Quality versus Price

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Sometimes ideas about what to write on this blog just fall right into my lap. I just got off the phone with a potential customer who was asking for a price on a scale system. Once I told him the price, he immediately questioned me and wondered why my item was so much more expensive than a “similar” item he had just seen on another website. I Continue reading →