Exceeding your vehicles maximum axle weight is a punishable offence and can result in substantial financial penalties depending on your circumstances. 

The table below displays a brief overview of these charges: 

It should be noted that vehicles are given a 5% margin of error in which a punishment will not be issued however, if this difference exceeds more than one tonne, you may incur a charge.  

These restrictions are put in place not only to regulate the weight of commercial vehicles but, also, to prevent unbalanced vehicles from causing undue stress on road surfaces. 

As a result, it is paramount to ensure company vehicles comply with their predefined maximum weights in order to avoid incurring penalties and this can be done by using an axle pad system that is regularly calibrated. 

Commercial vehicles such as vans, lorries and coaches can be stopped by both the police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) – formally known as the VOSA - who will then carry out relevant checks to identify whether your vehicle is compliant. 

How to tell if your Axle Pads are due calibration

Axle pad systems should be calibrated regularly to maintain their accuracy. Here at Solent Scales we recommend calibration and certification to be carried out annually as a minimum.  

The date the calibration was undertaken will be clearly stated on the last Calibration Certificate you received, so this would be the best place to look.  

Some scale servicing companies provide stickers which can be written on and stuck to the axle pad/indicator that has been calibrated. This is a simple and efficient way of keeping track of your scale’s service due date.  

Another way to find out when your axle pads were last serviced would be to contact the company who carried out the work. A quick email enquiry or phone call to your scale servicing company will provide you with the information you need. 

How are axle pads calibrated?

The design and size of an axle weigh pad means it is impossible to take them up to a high enough capacity using test weights. An engineer could only take them up to 500kg safely using cast iron test weights which is no-where-near the load that they should be tested up to. 

This is where a specially designed test rig comes in, which enables an engineer to safely load up to 20t and perform accurate calibration to ISO9001 standards. 

What do we need to do to organise calibration?

So, you want to go ahead with axle pad calibration? Fill in our enquiry form or give us a call on 01243 697372 for a quote, prices vary depending on whether you have a two pad or four pad system. 

If you are happy to go ahead with the quote, you will be responsible for getting the weigh pads to our workshop in Chichester, West Sussex. This will include the Axle Pads, Cables and Digital Weighing Indicator (if applicable). Ramps are not needed but please do make sure your pads & indicator’s batteries are fully charged. 

We will let you know once the calibration has been completed and you have the option of arranging collection yourselves to avoid carriage charges. 

Within a few days of completion, you will receive a PDF calibration certificate for each axle pad calibrated to keep for your records. 

Your axle pad system is then ready to weigh your vehicles without the worry of whether they’re accurate. 

Want to purchase or hire Vehicle Weighing Equipment? Request A Quote or Contact Us.