Weighbridge System: How It Works, Types and Uses

A weighbridge system is a large scale, also called a truck scale, that weighs road vehicles and the loads they carry. Because the weight it records is used to buy, sell and check bulk goods, it works like a cash register for every truckload. This guide explains what a weighbridge system is, the main types, where it is used and how an unmanned weighbridge system automates the whole weighing process.

What is a weighbridge system?

Weighbridges, also known as truck scales, are commercial scales that can weigh trucks of many sizes. A truck scale is most often used to calculate the weight of bulk products that are bought and sold in truckload amounts, so the reading from the scale is a critical part of the business transaction.

A typical weighbridge system has a steel or concrete platform, load cells under the platform that measure the force, a weight indicator that converts the signal into a reading, and software that records each weighment against the vehicle, material and customer.

Where weighbridge systems are used

Enforcement authorities use weighbridges to make sure trucks comply with road vehicle weight limits. Businesses use them to track incoming and outgoing volumes at places such as:

• Manufacturing plants, steel, cement and sugar mills
• Mines, quarries and aggregate yards
• Ports, container terminals and inland container depots
• Solid-waste collection and recycling centres
• Building sites, warehouses and logistics hubs

Types of weighbridge systems

How an unmanned weighbridge system works

The unmanned weighbridge system (UWS) is a weighbridge automation technology that removes the need for a full-time operator to supervise truck weighing. It combines peripheral devices with an automatic control system that performs the operator’s tasks.

1. Vehicle identification. An RFID tag or number-plate (ANPR) camera identifies the truck as it arrives.
2. Position check. Sensors confirm the vehicle is fully and correctly on the platform.
3. Driver guidance. A display and PA system tell the driver when to stop, wait and move off.
4. Weighing and recording. The weight is captured automatically, with camera images, and saved against the trip.
5. Access control. Boom barriers open only when the weighment is complete and valid.

An unmanned weighbridge system can be added to new or existing weighbridges of any make, for one-way or two-way traffic. Key instruments can be housed in a compact steel tower beside the weighbridge, which removes the need for a separate weigh-room and makes cabling and peripherals easier to manage.

Benefits of automating a weighbridge system

• Round-the-clock operation: weighing 24 hours a day, seven days a week without a dedicated operator.
• Fewer errors and less fraud: automatic identification and recording remove manual entry.
• Lower running costs: a driver-operated interface reduces staffing and maintenance costs.
• Faster truck turnaround: less waiting at the gate and the scale.
• Better data: every weighment is stored and can be shared with ERP and reporting systems.

To compare software options, read our guide on what weighbridge software is and how unmanned weighbridges work. Suraj Informatics integrates unmanned weighbridge systems for plants, ports and logistics hubs in India as part of the GATIVRA platform.

Calibration note: automation does not replace legal metrology. The weighbridge, load cells and indicator must still be calibrated, stamped and verified at the intervals required by the Legal Metrology authorities, and after any repair or relocation.

Weighbridge system: common questions