Whether you are new to the industry or have been working in refrigerated transportation for a while, you probably have had a broker requesting an empty weight scale ticket from you. There are many advantages to having an empty weight ticket on hand. In this post, we are going over three ways that they can help increase your profitability and some helpful directions regarding obtaining your empty weight scale ticket.
The Benefits of Having an Empty Weight Scale Ticket
- You are Informed: having an empty weight scale ticket on hand shows you are keeping up with industry standards. You will know ahead of time the types of loads you can haul, and ones that you will not qualify for because of weight restrictions. Transportation providers, shippers, and other interested parties will feel secured that you are working with them to ensure the safe and timely delivery of goods that are in your care. If you share this information with them, they may be more likely to offer you a reload as they will have this necessary information already available to them.
- You Have Accuracy: Scale tickets are provided as heavy weight / light weight, and give the weight of the truck loaded vs. empty. When you use third party state scales, you can rest assured that you are getting an accurate weight. Shippers may offer in-house weight calculations, and these numbers may not be accurate. The best way to obtain accurate weight calculations is to use a third-party state scale, which must be calibrated regularly, has the most up-to date technology available, and is operated by a certified weigh master.
- You Have Rate Protection: by having an empty weight scale ticket, you will be less subject to case adjustments, potentially hauling less than full case quantities for loads, and overnights for delays due to re-working loads, all of which affects your net profit on a load.
When and Where to Get an Empty Weight Ticket
Empty weights should be done at least twice a year, once with and once without chains. Drivers should also do both these weights when their vehicle is at the same fuel level; ½ tank is generally recommended in the industry.
How to weigh you truck
CAT weigh scales have developed a great video to show the weight procedure for a standard trailer configuration. Check it out below:
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And for more information on truckload and weight considerations, check out our previous blog post on that topic: https://unitedworldtransportation.com/truckload-and-weight-considerations/
