A world first system for weighing containers on trailer chassis was announced today by Bison.
The new container weigh system comes after recent amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention, forcing shippers around the world to verify the weight of every export container with certified weighing equipment or processes.
The SOLAS rule change has no doubt added cost and complexity to container shipping operations, with many shippers having to adopt inefficient or poorly timed weighing processes such as hauling containers extra distances to offsite weighbridges or weighing every single cargo item before loading into the container.
Bison chief technology officer Dr Mark Fahey says Bison C-Legs solve this problem as they equip shippers to accurately weigh containers on chassis in any location, without reliance on capital-intensive weighbridges, cranes and container handlers, which are not always available at the right time or in the right place.
C-Legs are self-contained scales that attach to and lift a container just clear of the chassis, then transmit the gross container weight via Bluetooth to a feature rich smart phone app. The app confirms the container’s weight distribution, captures photos and shipment details and sends weight certificates and related data via email.
C-Legs are targeted at exporters and logistics companies needing to weigh containers outside of ports and other high volume container hubs. They are compatible with shipping containers of all types and sizes up to 35,000kg, and work with both air and spring suspension chassis. Full OIML certification and type approvals in Europe, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and other countries will be completed by the end of 2016.
C-Legs build on Bison’s pioneering C-Jacks, the portable system for weighing grounded shipping containers.
