
Do you know the full-load accuracy of your scale?
A calibration check report is intended to show the accuracy of a truck scale. The report is verification that your scale performs within the accuracy tolerances required by law.
The report is also incredibly misleading.
Keep reading to learn why.

The calibration problem
Truck scale calibration checks are performed using certified test weights. In most countries, those weights equal just a fraction of the weight of a loaded truck. That means the report only looks at a small portion of the scale's weighing range—a fraction of the actual weight you use your scale to measure. In other words, the actual weighing errors on your scale are likely 2-4 times more than the report indicates.
Here is why you should be concerned: Many scale owners lose an entire truckload of goods every 2-4 months from weighing errors, even though their scale is certified legal-for-trade. Is your scale helping your business, or harming it?

Full-load accuracy testing
METTLER TOLEDO teams in Thailand conducted full-load accuracy testing on 2 truck scales. They used 40 metric tons of test weights to equal 100% of the weight of a fully-loaded truck.
The results speak for themselves:
Scale 1: Analog load cells
Weighing system: | Competitive analog load cells |
Use: | Aggregate / concrete |
Certified legal-for-trade: | Yes |
Last calibration: | 2 months prior to test |
Weighing error at 40 t full load: | 40 kg (~88 lbs) |
![]() |
Scale 2: POWERCELL® load cells
Weighing system: | POWERCELL® PDX® load cells |
Use: | Agriculture: Eggs, chicken feed, fertilizer |
Certified legal-for-trade: | Yes |
Last calibration: | 2 years prior to test |
Weighing error at 40 t full load: | 0 kg |
![]() |

But that's not all
Data from nearly 3,000 field calibrations shows that scales with POWERCELL systems offer 3-4 times more weighing certainty than those with analog systems.
On most truck scales, errors increase as more load is applied to the scale. Only METTLER TOLEDO offers advanced POWERCELL weighing systems. A POWERCELL scale protects weighing accuracy (and your profits) on every load.
What could the POWERCELL advantage mean for your business? Learn more about the accuracy difference in our new on-demand webinar.