TruckWeight Inc. announced that it has applied its Smart Scale wireless onboard scale technology to trucks, tractors, and trailers with mechanical spring suspensions. The scale is designed for vehicles used in bulk distribution, agriculture, construction, forestry, containerized loads, heavy hauling, and other applications that use equipment with mechanical suspensions, the company said.

This is an important step in the evolution of Smart Scale, which was introduced for air suspensions in 2005, said TruckWeight president Peter Panagapko. "With Smart Scale for mechanical suspensions, we’re extending the value of remote weight monitoring," he said. "We now offer a simple, accurate, convenient way to monitor axle and gross vehicle weights on virtually any commercial vehicle."

Smart Scale for mechanical suspensions includes three components: an axle-mounted load sensor, a low-powered radio transmitter, and a small handheld wireless receiver. The load sensor measures subtle changes in the deflection of the axle. It feeds this data to the transmitter, which relays it to the handheld receiver up to 500 ft. (155 m) away. The result is a weight calculation that’s accurate to within 1 percent compared to a certified scale, the company noted.

Smart Scale has several benefits for users of equipment with mechanical suspensions:

• Smart Scale uses AA batteries for power and does not require electricity from a truck or tractor. For the first time, users can actively manage the weight of an untethered trailer as it is being loaded. Fleet managers can deploy their power units where they need them and eliminate the time and inconvenience of hooking up a tractor in order use a scale.

• One handheld receiver can monitor both mechanical spring and air-ride sensors on the same vehicle or combination. This ability to distinguish unique vehicles is ideal for fleets that interchange equipment with air-ride and mechanical spring suspensions.

• Smart Scale eliminates the installation expense and maintenance associated with hardwired scales and load cells.

• The axle-load sensor can be used on a range of commercial equipment, including severe-duty trailers and railcars.

• The low-powered RF signal is intrinsically safe, and the wireless feature is especially useful for drivers who load their own vehicle and want to verify and fine-tune distribution of the payload.

Smart Scale for mechanical spring suspensions is available immediately from TruckWeight and leading heavy-duty distributors. More information is available at http://www.truckweight.com.