Truck Scales for Over-the-Road Trucks

What is a Truck Weighbridge?
A truck weighbridge, also referred to as a truck scale, weighbridge, lorry scale or vehicle scale is a large scale used to weigh trucks.

How Big is a Truck Weighbridge?
A vehicle scale can range anywhere between 10 feet and 100 feet or more depending on the application for which it is being used. If it is only weighing small box trucks, a smaller single module scale can be sufficient. Special applications such as 'road-trains' in Australia – where a truck may be several cars long, will require a longer scale with multiple modules.

What is an 'over-the-road' truck scale? 
A truck scale that is used for over-the-road purposes must meet certain capacity, accuracy and durability requirements. These scales will only ever have to weigh trucks which driver over the public road. This means the scales will not have to handle large off-road vehicles such as mining trucks etc. The truck scale should also meet the accuracy requirements to determine if a truck is meeting the legal over-the-road limits for that region. Finally, these types of truck scales should be prepared to handle a high level of traffic as they can see high volumes of trucks depending on the operation.

What kinds of over-the-road truck weighbridges are available?
Truck weighbridges typically come in two distinct offerings: concrete deck or steel deck. The decision of scale deck is up to the specific operation and their needs. Some considerations include:

• Concrete deck has a longer wait time to a working scale because concrete typically takes up to 30 days to set
• Concrete deck and steel deck can be effected in different ways by corrosive material. Salt for example is bad for concrete. But certain chemicals can erode steel. Application should be considered for this reason.
• Concrete can generally provide more grip in slick environments. For this reason, areas that get a lot of rain, snow, or ice can sometimes prefer concrete deck. This is relevant both for the truck tires gripping the bridge, and for operators who may have to get out of their truck to complete a transaction.