with a team of more than 200 technicians. Says Dave Webb, service director for Avery Weigh-Tronix: "More and more organisations are aware of the need for accurate onboard weighing, particularly as VOSA cracks down on overloading.
"Our research has shown that many organisations have been let down by poor service and maintenance in the past. This can remove a vehicle from a fleet and the longer it remains off the road the more revenue is lost.
Load cells for on board weighing are typically located underneath a vehicle. They are subjected to water, road grit and salt, mud and stones being flicked up off the road. This means that an organisation needs a robustly designed system plus a carefully planned maintenance programme.
Avery Weigh-Tronix launched a robust digital on-board system last year and have now introduced a service network.
The company claims that by having a large network of technicians they can offer local service on a national scale. Service agreements are agreed on an individual basis depending on need. Factors to consider include how many service visits you require and what emergency cover you need - a four, eight or twenty-four hour response?
Continues Webb: "For service size really does matter. There needs to be enough technicians in an organisation to meet your needs. If someone cannot visit your site then another technician has to be available. They need enough time to complete all of the maintenance required and you do not want them to leave site because someone else has a more pressing need.
"The technicians also need to be properly trained so that they can do the job in hand."
Avery Weigh-Tronix has also recently launched an on-line service portal. Using this secure site, organisations can clearly see when service visits are scheduled and when their systems need major maintenance. Over time an online electronic library will build up, showing how often the systems are serviced. This is crucial information for managing weighing systems and gauging the precise level of service needed to keep them operational.
Concludes Webb: "For onboard weighing you should consider your service package with care. These systems face extremely aggressive environments and you need to ensure that your vehicle stays on the road. At the very least you should examine your existing agreement carefully and ask your provider some searching questions."