The placement and use of weighbridges in Australia extend from road to rail transportation. The purpose of weighbridges makes them essential in promoting road safety and protecting transportation infrastructure from damage.
The Importance of Weighbridges
It is important to access a weighbridge in the course of traveling. Fortunately, there are both paid and free public weighbridges, so there is no excuse to miss out on the benefits of weighbridges.
Some owners and managers of large fleets have privately owned weighbridges due to the nature of their businesses. Here are some benefits of weighbridges.
1. They avert accidents
An overloaded vehicle, such as a caravan or a truck, can tip over and roll during driving manoeuvres. Such accidents can turn out fatal and damage the vehicle and its cargo.
Besides establishing the overall weight of the vehicle and its load, a weighbridge checks the weight of each vehicle axle. It confirms the even distribution of the weight on the vehicle. Unevenly distributed weight is another related cause of accidents.
2. It is part of the compliance
Close to 70% of vehicles were found to be overweight during impromptu weighing exercises. Insurance firms have grounds to decline resulting claims if such a vehicle has an accident and suffers damages, maims, or kills people.
Therefore, using a weighbridge is part of compliance for a driver or owner. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator in Australia enforces controls on the weight vehicles can transport on various roads.
This regulation protects national roads. In some countries, it guides taxation policies. Impounding overloaded vehicles does not bode well for a company’s image.
3. To protect the vehicle
Excessive or uneven loading of a vehicle puts a lot of stress on some parts, eventually compromising their functionality and the vehicle’s general performance. Bearings, dampers, shock absorbers, and springs are some parts that take the brunt of this weight mismanagement.
Motor vehicle parts wear out frequently, and the consequent breakdowns and the constant demand to replace them waste time and money for the owner or business.
4. They protect the integrity of a business.
A weighbridge is a money saver for the establishment that can afford to install their weighbridges. The data collected from a weighbridge should be accurate. Fleet managers find it cheaper to have private weighbridges where they can measure and verify weight several times before releasing their vehicles from their premises.
Additionally, a weighbridge on the premise can help verify the weight of goods delivered, reducing fraud and theft. Overloaded trucks have a reduced engine performance and consume more fuel.
The profit margin for a freight business goes down due to fines from impounding caused by overloading.
An underweight vehicle is uneconomical because the company has not maximised the weight of goods it should carry per litre of petrol and driver hours, creating logistical inefficiency.
5. They create jobs
Although automated weighbridges exist, any weighbridge needs a clerk and a manager. They create jobs from their manufacture, installation, maintenance, and operations. These load regulatory solutions provide employment opportunities.
Wrapping Up
Apart from making transportation safe and efficient and protecting road and rail networks, weighbridges create a livelihood for many and protect the integrity and performance of freight businesses. They also guide insurance and taxation policies.
Also read: 6 Crucial Factors for Choosing the Right Concrete Weighbridge
