When investing in large equipment for your business, such as a truck scale, it can be easy to get caught up in the price tag. While the upfront cost can be significant, it’s important to remember that this is a long-term investment. If you take the time to invest in the right equipment at the right price point, the ROI should be significant.
Poor research or neglecting to account for ongoing costs can impact your business’ ability to generate a net profit on your investment, or significantly delay the date when you do in fact see a positive return. Furthermore, failing to invest in the right equipment will impact future operational capacity, equipment needs and maintenance costs, all of which can impact your bottom line.
From design to the foundation, there are many different factors that impact both the upfront and ongoing costs of a truck scale. To inform your choice, we’ve laid out the key factors that impact the price of a truck scale and what you need to consider in the purchasing process.
Material: Steel vs Concrete
While the material your truck scale is built with doesn’t have a significant impact on the price of the weighing device itself, it does produce cost differences based on the installation process, lifespan and resale value.
Installation Process and Costs
The installation cost of a truck scale with a steel weighbridge is lower than a concrete scale. Steel deck truck scales can typically be installed in just one day. The scale is manufactured off-site, then transported to the scale’s location to be installed in place. The scale can be immediately calibrated and brought into service with little delay.
Concrete deck truck scales, on the other hand, have a much longer and costlier installation process. This type of truck scale requires a concrete foundation to be poured, typically by a third-party contractor which requires extra cost and time for coordination.
After the foundation is poured, it must be left to cure for 3-4 weeks before the scale can be calibrated and brought into service. The need for the foundation to be poured along with the delay in being able to use the scale adds significant cost to the price of a concrete truck scale.
Impact on Lifespan
While how you maintain your truck scale has a significant impact on its lifespan, the weighbridge material plays a role too. The longer the lifespan of your scale, the higher your long-term ROI will be and the more years you have between needing to invest significant costs in retrofits or new installations.
Concrete weighbridges are significantly heavier than steel ones. This improves the scale’s load distribution and ability to withstand the forces and stresses of everyday use. As such, concrete truck scales tend to have a lifespan that is 5-7 years longer than steel ones.
Impact on Resale Value
On the other hand, steel truck scales tend to have higher resale values. Because they are lighter than concrete scales, they are much more portable and require less time and work to relocate.
If selling your truck scale is a possibility for the future, the best return may ultimately come from a steel one.
The Design’s Impact on Cost
While, as mentioned above, the material used doesn’t have a significant impact on the sticker price of a scale, the design of the scale can. The design of the scale will impact the amount of material needed, and as such, the overall purchase price.
A truck scale with a wide flange l-beam weighbridge design will typically have a higher steel content than one with an orthotropic, bent plate or steel tubing design. The more steel used, the more the scale will cost.
Similarly, the number and size of beams in a weighbridge can also impact steel content. Designs that place larger beams closer together offer more support for vehicles than designs with smaller beams placed further apart.
Over the years, this added support will help ensure the accuracy of the scale preventing costly problems or lost revenue.
The Impact of Quality on Cost
Quality craftsmanship also contributes to a truck scale’s integrity. Purchasing from a company that invests in engineering and manufacturing ensure that there is a highly skilled team behind each and every truck scale.
The components that make up a truck scale are just as important as the team behind it. Companies who take the time to source high-quality load cells, steel, cables and other components often have a higher quality product.
Cost of Installation
The installation process can also impact the final price of a truck scale.
Beyond pouring a concrete foundation when required, there may also be costs involved with excavation, off-loading and positioning the scale, installing electronic components and accessories and the cost of the initial calibration. The condition and location of the worksite will all impact the ease, and as such, cost of installation.
It should go without saying that your truck scale needs to be installed by the dealer or an experienced truck scale installation expert. The cost of installation will be far lower in the long run that the costs of problems, damage or even injuries caused by a poor installation.
Scale Environment
Beyond the installation process, the environment and working conditions your scale will operate in will impact costs over the long-term. The more wear and tear and exposure to extreme elements, such as harsh climates or corrosive materials, the more maintenance your scale will require and the lifespan will likely be shorter.
In a nutshell, don’t forget to take your environment into account when choosing your scale and predicting the lifespan and ongoing costs required.
Ongoing Maintenance and Calibration
Maintenance and calibration are both an expense and a cost-savings method. A lower-quality scale or a scale that operates in harsher conditions will require more frequent maintenance to ensure its accuracy and reliability.
You may balk at these maintenance costs, but think of what will happen if you don’t do proper maintenance and calibration?
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The cost of maintenance and calibration services will be far lower in the long run than the costs involved with unexpected repairs and downtime, lost revenue from inaccurate measurements, fines for overweight trucks and a shorter scale lifespan than a properly maintained scale.
Determining the cost of a truck scale is not a simple task, given the factors that impact the upfront cost and the long-term costs involved. Use this guide to take all of the necessary considerations into account so you can choose the truck scale that will be best for your operations and your bottom line.
As the largest Canadian manufacturer of electronic truck scales with more than 4,000 installations complete, Active Scale can supply your facility with a reliable weighing system that will help you generate an excellent ROI. Contact us today to find the right solution for your truck weighing needs.
