Drive-over truck scales are essential to monitor inventory in a feeding operation. Here are a few points to consider when implementing a drive-over scale.
Location
Truck scales should be located in a convenient spot to allow for easy crossing when delivering both forages and feed deliveries throughout the year. Thus, consider placement of the scale on the main drive into the feed center. The scale needs to be located on a flat location with enough space before and after for trucks to maneuver. It should be placed where water will drain away and snow and ice can be easily removed. Consider the traffic flow entering and exiting the truck scale, ensuring enough room for the truck driver to maneuver on and off the scale. Make sure there is plenty of room for regular maintenance and inspections and leave plenty of space for queue lines and parking. Consider your future throughput and capacity needs as you determine the best location.
Scale House
The addition of a scale house can be very convenient, however, the location of this will need to be relatively close to the truck scale and any peripheral equipment, such as traffic lights and kiosks. The scale house should have the functionality to monitor forage dry matter content during harvest and house any electrical and conduit needs.
Weight Tracking System/Feeding Software
When implementing a scale, it is best to implement a scale system to help track weights especially during busy harvest seasons. Several systems are on the market. These systems utilize different functions to track the different trucks and their weights throughout the harvest. Exploring systems that can input weights directly into inventory in feeding software should be considered. Without an autonomous system, an alternative system should be in place to promptly enter inventory into the feeding software to help monitor shrink and assist in ordering deliveries.
Some different systems include the following:
Scale companies:
Photos below: Axle weigh system. This system works best with plenty of space for the trucks to drive up on prior to the weigh system. The farm below has 165’ (50.3 m) long pad of concrete for the scale area. This is a simple and effective way to weigh forages coming in from the field, but accuracy is not as good as a certified platform scale system.
More examples of truck scales, scale equipment and signage:
Information on this website was compiled by GPS Dairy Consulting as part of their FeedFIT program. Company links and mentions do not indicate endorsement by The Dairyland Initiative, the University of Wisconsin, or GPS Dairy Consulting. They have been included for informational purposes only.