Bowmonk sees boost in onboard weighing interest
Norfolk-based vehicle technology supplier Bowmonk-Tapley has reported a recent increase in interest in its On Board Weigh Scales, as hauliers see the benefits of introducing such equipment to their fleets.
“The consequences and financial implications of being caught whilst over their maximum limit are sometimes quite severe, with both the driver and the haulage company being penalised,” said Chris Bailey, UK technical executive at Bowmonk.
“Aside from the legislative requirements, diligence, accountability and duty of care are also areas an operator will consider. Not forgetting, as with any business, there is the important element of profitability.”
Bowmonk’s system will ensure the vehicle does not run overloaded, in so doing avoiding any penalties, he says. It will also allow the vehicle to run to capacity, thus affording maximum profitability.
“Bowmonk recently supplied and installed a number of On Board Weigh Scales to a well-respected livestock haulier in Suffolk – a company who pride themselves on their ability to provide a first-class service to their customers,” continued Chris.
“They specialise in the transportation of live pigs, sometimes making a number of drops during the course of a working day. Until having the kits installed it was very much guesswork when off-loading, with sometimes either the customer or the haulier being out-of-pocket.
“Since having the kits installed, they can now accurately monitor their payload in real time. And with the in-cab printer, they can print the delivered payload, giving a copy to the customer, taking away any guesswork as the printer will print the gross vehicle weight as well as the payload weight.
“To avoid front or rear axle overloads, individual axle weight values can also be displayed on the in-cab reader.”
Another customer operates at a grain distribution plant in Ireland, where the vehicles are loaded before being checked on the outgoing weighbridge.
“If the vehicle is found to be overweight, they are usually fined around 100 euros for every tonne over the limit – in addition to which, the driver then has to U-turn the vehicle and join the queue to offload a satisfactory amount to ensure the vehicle is not overweight, thus reducing the payload capacity,” explained Chris.
“Since having their fleet fitted with the On Board Weigh Scales, they can now be confident their weight is at maximum capacity without exceeding the weight limit.”
Users of the system can access weight data via a range of means and platforms. The aforementioned in-cab printer can provide a delivery report; values shown would typically be the gross vehicle weight, tare weight and product or payload weight.
The weight values can also be relayed to a mobile device, such as a mobile phone or tablet, affording the driver a complete hands-free option, said to be ideal when loading the vehicle and therefore unable to view the in-cab display.
Bowmonk’s system is also able to transfer real-time weight data to an office-based PC through a variety of in-cab telematic systems.
The system supplied by Bowmonk comes ready to install, with no need to purchase extra fittings and connectors, and can be installed in under seven hours.
