MHD SUPPLY CHAIN
WEIGHING UP THE OPTIONS Diverseco has been manufacturing and delivering weighing and measuring solutions for more than 150 years. With chain of responsibility growing in importance, MHD talks to Diverseco’s Bill Ambrose and Gregor MacNamara about the company’s holistic solutions.
D
iverseco has two basic lines of solutions to help companies with chain of responsibility (CoR) concerns, says Bill Ambrose, Executive General Manager for Measurement at Diverseco. The first are drive-on vehicle weighing solutions, and the second are onboard vehicle weighing solutions. Both are getting – and should get – more and more relevant as requirements and expectations around CoR evolve, he says. While Bill notes that recent changes to national laws and regulations have “solidified” CoR requirements in greater detail, the thrust towards greater CoR accountability is being driven by the industry. “Clients of ours want to be compliant for a multitude of reasons,” Bill says. “But the main three are, firstly, to be compliant against the letter of the law; secondly, both to be and be seen to be a good corporate citizen who is looking out for workers and for others throughout the supply chain network; and third, to avail themselves of the greater efficiencies and returns on investment that you get with CoR compliance.” One factor that Bill says is sometimes overlooked is that proper CoR compliance actually delivers positive benefits other than simple risk mitigation. “One of the things that our solutions for CoR delivers is greater carrying
capacity,” he says. “If a customer is utilising a CoR solution, some states will actually allow them greater carrying capacity. So, if they’re using a tradeapproved weighbridge or if they’ve got an approved or recognised measurement device on board, it will allow them to have higher actual group loads depending on the scheme. It also gives the client the ability to be able to load to capacity as well. Rather than running around at 85 per cent load – because they’re worried about being tested and fined or being overloaded and a vehicle having an accident – with our CoR solutions it allows those companies to be able to run much closer to capacity because they know that they’re just safely under capacity.” This can make a literal truck-load’s worth of difference. “When transporting goods from A to B, some clients have realised they can get away with 10 rather than 11 trucks – because the space on board is being utilised optimally as well as safely,” he says. In keeping with this move to greater emphasis on CoR, there are growing greater pressures – both on the legal enforcement end as well as from supply chain partners – to ensure standards are met. “I’ve definitely seen a move on the east coast towards state roads authorities becoming more proactive,” Bill says.
“Whether it be in fixed locations or visiting remote areas – roads authorities are doing a lot more vehicle testing. “And on the other side, suppliers are finding that they can’t keep going to sites and meeting their contractual obligations if they’re constantly delivering overloaded trucks. Take, for example, a big supermarket retailer. They get a multitude of suppliers coming to their stores. If a supplier isn’t delivering within the bounds of the legislation, that supermarket can turn around and say, ‘We’re not accepting your product on site anymore.’”
THE RIGHT CHOICE Gregor MacNamara, National Product Manager for Weighbridges at Diverseco, says that customers will consider getting a weighbridge for one of two reasons. The first reason is measuring for trade – a customer is trading based on the value of what they’re measuring. The second is for CoR compliance. But Gregor notes that Diverseco is interested primarily in ensuring that the customer gets the right product – whether weighbridge or otherwise – for their purposes. “We have a range of products when we talk about weighbridges,” Gregor says. “The weighbridge is a great product, and the right type of weighbridge can meet both trade and CoR requirements. But
Pit and semi-pit weighbridges are designed for use in narrow spaces.
MHD FEBRUARY 2022 | 21
