Savings by the scale

A homemade storing mechanism for portable scales is improving customer service and conserving resources across the state.

The steel stand holds six, 35-pound scales, which are used by rovers with the Port of Entry to set up and weigh vehicles on the side of the highway. With this new stand, rovers do not have to put the scales away in their vehicles each time they use them, allowing them to expedite the process.

“Before we had this stand, we didn’t have any easy way to store them between weigh-ins,” D2 compliance supervisor Ron Morgan said. “It wasn’t uncommon for scales to be damaged when they fell down or were run over.”

With this stand, Morgan said not only is transport and set up quicker and more secure, the scales are also less likely to be damaged. Given that each scale costs $4,500 to replace and the stand only $125 to produce, simple math tells us it’s also a dollar-saving innovation.

Previously, Morgan had purchased carts to solve the same issue, but it was not until he teamed up with D2 machinist Josh Allen to build a prototype of a standing rack that they found a solution. The prototype was later reproduced by a local shop, and now every rover vehicle in the state carries scales via the stand.

“So far, they seem to be working well, and we haven’t had any more damaged scales,” Morgan said. “We’ve only received positive feedback.”

Published 08-24-18