So curiousity got the best of me. I use to be a scale master for National Controls, the company that use to manufacture the scale components for Toledo as well as many others. (it has since been sold to Toledo). Seems most truck scales are no longer certified for legal for trade. The word certified is only used as a marketing tool. The only one that guarantees accuracy is CAT and that's used for marketing purposes only. However, the components are the same and they are all likely built using the same components.
Times have changed since I was in the scale business. That was my point. Apparently the only guarantee of a scale accuracy is from the scale owner which is CAT, J, etc. CAT does guarantee their accuracy. That's why so many companies try and steer their drivers to CAT scales. I don't know if Flying J guaranteed their scale accuracy or not. It's a moot point now, tho, since they're being converted to CAT scales. The mechanics and operations of the scales are the same. Both are installed and calibrated, maintained by Toledo Scale. The load cells for all these scales (the heart of the system) are built by National Controls, now owned by Toledo. I use to maintain scales (ran the weight truck) for NCI back in the early 80's, and we maintained truck scales, state hiway scales and private heavy capacity scales all over WA, OR, CA, ID, WY, NV, MT, AZ. I know we did more, but I wasn't involved with others. NCI (who I worked for) and Toledo were the only heavy capacity scale companies that were certified by the National Bureau of Standards to calibrate these scales 'legal for trade'. Between the two companies, we did them all. There were plenty of private scales that weren't calibrated regularly, but I can't think of ONE truck scale in a truck stop, or certainly any state scale that wasn't calibrated at least every 6 months. We were required to calibrate annually to 'seal' the scale. That's where the state inspector was on hand to certify the scale was legal. State hiway scales were done quarterly. Apparently, these scales aren't 'legal for trade' anymore, which means they are not sealed by the state. That doesn't mean they aren't accurate. It just means people don't pay the state for that funky little seal like you see on the meat scale in the grocery store. I talked with a friend who still does this work and he told me they still calibrate J scales and CAT scales semi annually or if there is a challenge to the accuracy. CAT 'certifies' their scale with a guarantee. Read the back of your weight ticket. It simply says if you scale out at one of their scales and get an overweight ticket from the state, they will send an 'expert' witness to your court hearing to testify on the accuracy and calibration of that scale. I don't know if J scale did that or not. it's a marketing thing. I can only remember once or twice where someone challenged a scale's accuracy, and we went back out and checked the scale, then recalibrated it. In both instances, the scale was within accuracy standards. Those were 1/10th of one percent. So that meant if you weighed out at 80,000 pounds, you were accurate to within 80 pounds. States won't issue a ticket within that range because they can't certify their scales any closer. So if you weighed out at 12,060 for your front axle, they might tell you 'you appear to be a bit heavy', but they won't cite you because their scale could be off 80 pounds and that's still within standards. Clear as mud?
Seriously, I'm new here so I don't want to be argumentive with anyone, but this is what I do for a living and I'd like to know where you got that info. The scales themselves are NTEP Certified (US Government decides they are worthy of that title), then after the scale is installed they are certified with the local governing agency. The county of the particular state of which the scale resides is responsible for verifying the accuracy as per Handbook 44 specifications on behalf of the state Weights and Measures (sometimes they are a part of Agriculture and Markets division of the state) NTEP is the "National Type Evaluation Program" which is issued by the "National Conference of Weights and Measures". After the NCWM does thier laboratory testing (whether on a bench or in the field depending the weighing device) they will issue a Certificate of Conformance (CC) which makes that particular MAKE AND MODEL certified legal for trade, but not the specific serial number of the scale you are driving on. This is where the local Weights and Measures crowd gets their hands on the pie. There are lots of regulations on these things that we could talk about forever, but if it has a sticker (same as the sticker on the diesel pump) then you can rest assured that in the USA it is "certified for trade) We are talking about the USA here right?
FWIW, General Mills in Joplin, MO will not take a scale ticket from anywhere other than CAT scales. The closest truck stop to them is the J in Joplin, but you had to go down to exit 4 and go to the Petro. Loves, or Pilot. I asked one time why you couldn't scale at the J and come back if you were overweight, and they told me that the scales at the J were not correct. Not sure of the accuracy of that though,
I dont really know forst hand I suppose it really does not matter, The guy that used to own the Giant Truck Stops "Paul" he had told me that the scales were his, but he had to pay CAT SCALE on a contract basis for the signs and that CAT had to come out and certify them monthly. I dont really know but that was his story. After he sold the Mojave truck stop the signs were covered to the first good wind. (nothing here stays covered long).
My point was that most scales are not 'sealed' any longer. They don't have those 'stickers' and they are not required as technically, the scales are not selling product. I haven't seen a truck scale 'sealed' by Weights and Measures in a long time. I know they use to be when I was in the business, but now they're simply 'certified' by the scale company.
