6 minute read
Diverseco on weighing up the options
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.
Diverseco 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.
Above-ground weighbridges are a commonly sourced solution for accurate truck weighing.
it’s not the only solution and may not necessarily be the right solution for a given application.”
He notes that weighbridges – essentially large scales for weighing trucks – have not changed fundamentally over the last 100 years, but what has changed are the “smart” capacities attached to them.
“The electronics, the smarts, the data you can get from weighbridges – that has changed,” Gregor says. “And Diverseco is a leader in that regard.”
But while Diverseco can build extremely sophisticated weighbridges for complex operations and their high data requirements – Gregor cautions that they’re not necessary for everyone.
“If your only requirement is checking axle group weights, there might be better solutions, such as our weighin-motion scales – where you drive your vehicle over the scale at a slow speed and it measures the weight. It’s not trade-approved, but it’s accurate enough for CoR,” he says. “Or you might use axle scales – which are essentially weighbridges, but they weigh only one axle group at a time.”
To install a weighbridge, Gregor says, customers need space enough for three times the length of the weighbridge.
“If you’ve got 40-metre B-doubles or B-triples, that means you need 120 metres of space – and not everybody has that,” he says. “So, what we offer is the best solution for the customer. When someone comes to us and says, ‘I need a weighbridge for COR’, our first question is, ‘That’s great that you’re thinking about the issue, but first let’s see if there are other ways of solving your unique challenge before we consider the weighbridge option.’”
Bill Ambrose notes that Diverseco has a competitive advantage in the field We are a genuine integrator and solution provider,” Bill says. “We run the full gamut of project management. We look upon understanding what the application is and what is the best solution we can deliver for a client so they can realise success. We have a holistic approach and can tailor and customise precisely because we design and manufacture ourselves. ”
because, while it is proudly an Australian owned and operated manufacturer, it can also import solutions from around the world.
“We are a genuine integrator and solution provider,” Bill says. “We run the full gamut of project management. We look upon understanding what the application is and what is the best solution we can deliver for a client so they can realise success. We have a holistic approach and can tailor and customise precisely because we design and manufacture ourselves. We’re in the luxurious position of having every major weighing company supplier around the world wanting to supply us equipment. If we believe something is best for the Australian market, it’ll be on our shelf within about six weeks.”
Both Bill and Gregor agree that whether it’s a weighbridge or something smaller, it’s important to talk to the right people, as it’s an area where “off the shelf” solutions can easily be oversold. Indeed, Bill points out that weighbridges are not the only chain of responsibility solution, and that Diverseco is interested in assessing which weighing and measuring solution is appropriate for the business now and in the future.
“A scale that weighs a pallet is still a chain of responsibility solution,” he says. “A forklift that has a weighing system on it is still a chain of responsibility solution. Sure, we would love to supply a quarter-milliondollar weighbridge to somebody. But the reality is, if they’re packing the same thing day-in, day-out, then maybe all they need is to weigh the pallet correctly.”
“We’ve been in the business for about 150 years,” Gregor concludes. “We have a lot of experience in a lot of industries across different jurisdictions. Diverseco has really carved out a name as a company that builds great products and that you can trust to provide the best unique solution with the backing of a wealth of experience.” ■
