Figuring individual axle weight off of a cumulative scale

that sounds like a cisgendered, heteronormative, imperialist, able-ist, anti-colorblind, question. Not once did you address the conditions of the aboriginals in Australia. How dare you sir and or madam

 

They indeed do not. They teach apple core math nowadays.

 

And to really confuse the OP, how you axle on a 60-65 foot single platform scale should depend on if there is a "drop off" at either end. When any axles that are not on the scale are lower or higher then any other axles on the scale, then your weights are going to be off to one degree or another, depending on height difference.

If the exit end has a drop off but the near approach is generally level with the scale, begin taking your numbers .. steer only, complete tractor, then full gross, and do the appropriate math. (Use a little common sense)

If the near approach has a rise up to scale level but the exit end is generally level with the scale, take your numbers as such ... full gross, drives and trailer, trailer only, then do the appropriate math (Use a little common sense)

There are a few other combinations that will work too, and the concept is the same, just do common sense subtraction math with the various numbers to reduce it down to the 3 group weights.

The point is to try and not take weight numbers while a segment of the rig is "hanging off", significantly enough to affect weight numbers. If there is a significant rise to both ends of the scale, good luck. Your axle weights will be questionable at best and you'll probably notice the 3 axle groups sum total does not come very close to the single platform gross total.

To illustrate this in an exaggerated fashion, carry a heavy sleeper sofa up narrow stairway with one person at either end. Which person do you want to be? The guy at the low end or the guy at the high end?

 

The approachs need to be level fairly far out to be accurate if checking the axles coming on. What I've done is weigh the gross, then reweigh with the drives split between the "steer" and "drive" plate, if you're truck isn't long enough to get the steer off you subtract the first ticket steer weight from the second to give you your front drive axle weight. To spilt the trailer axles weigh with the back one off.

 

And of course the air is more dense at sea level than in the higher elevations so let's factor in the elevation...

Give me a freaking break.

 

The pitch will and does effect weight distribution. So an up hill or down hill slope will throw the even balance of weight off.

 

Yeah, if I were more bored, I'd do the math to show how much variance the slope could cause.

But I'm not that bored.

 

Sarcasm is hard to detect online but I hope your being sarcastic. Slope greatly affects the accuracy of your weights, if your tractor is on a level scale and your trailer is downhill it will be off.

 

^^^ if you have pressure gauges on your truck, just watch how far they move when you go up hill or down hill. Or when you brake or accelerate. You'd be surprised how far they will bounce. I've seen as much as 5,000 pounds. Think of it like a teeter totter. If you pick up one end the wgt transfers to the other end.