When you have multiple trucks in your fleet entering or leaving your facilities with goods, it helps to know exactly how much they are carrying. Effective truck axle scales can provide readings to indicate the overall load of each vehicle. They come in different forms, with some businesses favoring static models and others upgrading to dynamic scales. Are dynamic scales the better option for you?
Dynamic Truck Axle Scales Vs. Static Truck Axle Scales
Before we look at why companies are upgrading to dynamic solutions, we need to understand the difference between the two. All axle scales work the same way to get important data on the loads of trucks. You can use the data to understand how much is in every vehicle in your fleet and relate that to the quantity of goods brought in and out of your facility.
The scales take a measurement from each wheel as it places stress on the plate. It then calculates the weight from each axle by adding together the responses from the wheels and coming up with a gross average. When you add the axle weights across the truck together, you get a good idea of the load of the vehicle.
There are two ways to get these readings. You can go for the static approach. As the name suggests, this means leaving a static vehicle on the plates and getting a reading while it’s not in motion. Dynamic plates can provide readings from the wheels as the truck is in motion. So, which is the better option?
The Benefits Of Dynamic Truck Axle Scales
The first benefit of these types of truck axle scales is all in the name. The static system doesn’t allow for the same smooth flow of traffic as the dynamic system. You may have already noticed that sticking with a static system can lead to bottlenecks and hold-ups with traffic leaving your facility. As a result, drivers who should have been out on the road ages ago can end up stalled in line behind other crew members. You want to get all your trucks out of the depot and on their way to their destinations as quickly as possible so you can meet the deadlines and expectations of everyone waiting at the other end.
The knock-on benefit of working with a new dynamic axle scale system like this is you can handle a much larger fleet with greater efficiency. This is perfect for any company that has increased the number of trucks making collections or deliveries this year. This enhanced fleet should mean that you can handle larger quantities of loads at one time, or send goods out to a wider number of recipients. It all depends on your business model. But it’s not cost-effective to buy all these new trucks and have them all stuck in queues.
This also means it is much easier to shift units you need to move as quickly as possible. If you are at a warehouse dealing with perishable goods, you want those on the road to your clients as soon as possible, not sitting in a hot truck in an unnecessary queue. The same goes for any waste collection or hazardous materials coming into a site for storage. You don’t want that hanging around when it needs to be contained and processed as soon as you can.
On top of this, those fast-flowing streams of traffic are also more cost-effective in the long run. Every new truck is an investment that should help improve productivity and profits. That’s not going to happen if they are left running for excessive periods waiting to be weighed. You’re wasting valuable time with drivers sitting in those trucks – on the clock – as well as precious fuel and other expenses. How much does it cost to keep a climate-controlled truck running to protect any perishable cargo?
The Downsides In Switching To Dynamic Truck Axle Scales
Of course, there are some downsides to working with dynamic axle scales rather than static ones. The biggest issue is the drop in accuracy. This is the leading selling point of those static models. They take a highly accurate reading of the weight of the load of each truck as it sits on the plate. This tells you, as a business owner, and your management team, precisely how much has left or entered a facility. This could be crucial when dealing with valuable commodities and orders with precise quantities and weights attached to them.
Switching to a dynamic system could mean more discrepancies in the readings. In turn, this could lead to problems with your inventory, financial records, and projections for the next quarter. It could also mean under-delivering to clients, breaking a promise on an order, or over-delivering to others. Frequent inaccuracies could hurt those client relationships.
With that said, there will be some business models where precision overweight loads is less important than punctuality and regular services. For example, if you work in waste collection, it might be fine to be a few pounds off as long as you collected everything you intended to from each client at the right time. Inaccuracy may also be excused in time-sensitive situations where all goods must leave your warehouse on time.
The issues with cost-efficiency and static scales are a problem. However, there are also the financial implications of failing to keep track of stock and the costs of materials leaving and entering a facility.
Getting The Smartest, Most-Effective Dynamic Axle Scales Possible
The effectiveness of these scales comes down to their construction and software. The better the product, the better the chance of avoiding major inaccuracies and maintaining that steady flow of traffic. So, you need to be sure that you are getting the best quality scales for your facility.
Strong plates are a must, and many companies use durable and lightweight aluminum. This should hold up to repeated use while also making the scales more portable. You also need the right software to pick up on the pressure changes and create an accurate reading. It might not be as accurate as the static approach, but high-end systems are pretty responsive and effective. You should be able to get a good reading to your devices without any confusion or stress.
Take some time to go over the pros and cons of dynamic scales for your business. If your fleet and productivity rates are increasing, it might be time to make the switch. These plates could make it easier to keep the fleet moving and everyone happy.
