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Three weighing modes: two-stage, automatic and manual
The weighing module is most often bought for two-stage weighing. The vehicle stops on the weighbridge on entry and again on exit, and the mass of the goods comes from the difference. Nobody does the subtraction in their head, nobody hunts for a tare weight from three hours ago, and nobody has to remember whether that rig had a refrigerated trailer.
Automatic weighing handles regular traffic without an operator: the system reads the weighbridge indicator, links the reading to the vehicle recognised at the gate and records the ticket.
Manual weighing remains for when the weighbridge breaks down or a vehicle has to be weighed outside the normal process. A manual entry is recorded separately, with a note that the weight was entered by a person. In an inspection or a dispute with a business partner, you can see straight away which figures came from the device.
Weighbridge ticket linked to the entry
In TraxSystem every weighing ends with a document linked to the vehicle’s visit. The weight belongs to the same history as the booking, the driver, the scanned consignment note and the dwell time, so a year later a single transport can be found with a single search.
Weighing reports export to Excel and PDF, with the visibility scope applying to the export as well.
For shipping containers, the system also handles the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) required for sea freight, although that is not an area we build our offer around.
The entry type decides which vehicles go on the weighbridge
In TraxSystem, whether a vehicle has to be weighed is decided by the entry type set for the purpose of the visit. A raw material delivery can require two-stage weighing while a service visit drives past the weighbridge without stopping, and the operator does not have to remember which deliveries get weighed. With automatic weighing, the weighbridge reading goes to the vehicle recognised at the gate, so in regular traffic the driver does not wait for anyone from the staff.
Weighbridge software as a TraxSystem module
Weighing is a module added to the TraxSystem base package, with a limit on the number of weighbridges. The base package includes the entry log and gates, so from the first day every weighing belongs to the vehicle’s visit history rather than to a separate program at the weighbridge. The platform and the indicator can come from any supplier, because the software connects to the indicator already on site. The pricing configurator shows the price for your own number of weighbridges and gates.
What the weighbridge module does not do
TraxSystem reads what the device indicates and does not carry out legal verification of the weighbridge. Calibration, legal verification and the technical condition of the weighbridge remain the owner’s responsibility, just as they were before the deployment.
Nor does the system correct readings. An automatic reading is recorded exactly as it came from the weighbridge, and correcting a weight is a separate, manual action that is visible as such. It does not issue invoices: it provides the weight and the weighbridge ticket, and commercial settlement happens outside the system.
Without a connected weighbridge the system cannot weigh anything. What remains is manual mode, meaning a record of what someone read off and typed in.
Questions about weighbridge software
Will our weighbridge connect?
Usually, yes. We support the typical indicators found on truck weighbridges, and the weighbridge is connected through the interface its indicator provides. Before quoting we ask for the indicator model, because that is what decides the connection, not the make of the platform. There is more about connecting to the indicator on the supported hardware page.
What happens if the weighbridge stops responding?
Device monitoring reports the loss of connection, and staff switch to manual mode. Weighings done by hand are flagged, so after the repair you can see which period the failure covered.
Can the driver handle weighing alone?
Yes, for regular traffic with automatic weighing. With two-stage weighing and documents, an operator usually steps into the process, because someone has to confirm what is on the vehicle.
Does the weight go into the rail documents?
Yes. Wagon weights come from weighings or from the transport documents and are shown in the wagon list. The wagon list is described on the railway siding operations page.
Related
Yard management systemVehicle entry controlTransport documentsRail trafficReports
Further reading: Two-stage weighing: net weight without subtraction · When automatic weighing pays off · What a weighbridge ticket must contain · Weighbridge failure: what to do