Over The Hill said:
I worked in one a few eons ago.
About once a month the police would set up a layby and pull in lots of trucks to be checked. We could always guess right if they were over or not just by the look somehow. One had to off load some kitchen units to get within his weight. They all disappered very quickly.
Driver is legally required to not drive over weight but is allowed to drive to the nearest weighbridge to check. So they do.
We sold gravel and tarmac by the ton so weighed it out of the yard and could do cars if they wanted to fill their boot.
As well as the total weight there is/was a limit on each axle for a truck. It is about 10 tonne per fixed axle and 5 for each steering axle. You can weigh each axle if the truck drives on one axle at a time.
We had one at my last employer...the operators could also tell when a truck was overweight.
It used to be a good source of revenue...they half jokingly said it was the most profitable area of the site
It used to be my job (being 'slim') to get under the bridge to refix any loose plates. Shimmy on my back, head first, down a tiny manhole and work your way, still on your back, to the loose plates and tighten the bolts up. You couldnt do it if you were claustrophobic and i doubt you can now anyway...i read the fumes can settle in the bottom of the pit all the gubbins sits in. No-one told ME that
It did used to occur to me...WTF happens if i passed out or something....there's about 5 or 10 tonnes of bolted down steel between me and the rescuers.