Weighty Work

When 200 trucks a day spent so much time on the scale that the Collier County, FL, landfill had to extend hours to accommodate them, the management knew it was time for a change. In addition to weighing trucks coming in and out for billing purposes, hazardous waste is tracked.

The Collier County landfill, which serves more 253,000 residential accounts, is a full-scale operation handling residential MSW garbage, most of it hauled by Waste Management, although mom-and-pop collections are also received.

During an upgrade at the landfill in 2007, the decision was made to change management systems to SMS Turbo by Creative Information Systems. “With the old system, the trucks were on the scale a long time,” explains Teresa Riesen, revenue manager of public utility billing and customer service for Collier County, near Naples, FL. “Now we never have to keep the landfill open after hours.”

The system in use was not a Microsoft product. Neither was it user friendly, Riesen says. “We needed a user-friendly system.” When the county went out for bid on a new system, she traveled to Tacoma to look at a $2 million SAP program. Instead, the county opted to spend $150,000 on the SMS Turbo.

It was the right decision for them, she believes. The SMS Turbo system has organized them. There are no more lost tickets; they remain in the system forever. Tickets show each customer’s balance, allowing both the customer and the landfill to view the status of an account. It has also ensured PCI compliancy for credit card payments. “It streamlines billing,” Riesen sums up. “That’s very important for us.”

Collier County took advantage of the customizable system to build its own reports and it’s currently working to create a program to track money due the county. “We don’t extend credit to anyone,” Riesen says. “They can’t come in without paying.” If a customer is current on payments, a coder reads the customer number and opens an automated gate “in one second.” Trucks then proceed to the three scales, one of which is designated for vendors and is unattended.

Most customers prepay, but it is a time-consuming process by phone or at the window, so the next step for the county is to go online so the customer can prepay. “We want to let them manage their own accounts.”

There have been annual enhancements since the system was installed, and there are features of which Collier County has yet to take advantage, such as the ability to add a camera. Riesen said they are proceeding deliberately, with consideration being given to the effects of any change. “It’s a very automated system,” she says. “You have to think about setup because everything you touch affects something else.”

Functional Simplicity
The software systems for scales are so complex and sophisticated, the extent of options available can be overwhelming. Jim Gottliebson, president of Interface Logic Systems in Columbus, OH, suggests determining your needs. “There are the minimum requirements: weight in, weight out, net weight. Everything else is either business or regulatory. Who’s paying? What is the material?”

Interface Logic Systems offers programs that aggregate business information with weight information for various departments, such as Finance for invoicing, Operations for EPA compliance, and even Analytical Reports for inventory and sales tracking. It creates custom reports and exports files to a choice of printer, Excel spreadsheet, computer screen, e-mail, or accounting software program.

In fact, there is a suite of standard reports. “It’s a small list,” Gottliebson says. Customers also have the option to design on the fly on demand, which is useful for new jobs. Because accountability is critical in the public sector, it provides an audit trail: data for an audit. In the private sector, where generating profit is the goal, it helps with future bids or to entice haulers to the customer’s landfill through price customization.

“It saves having a person key in the data,” Gottliebson indicates. That in turn saves labor and time and eliminates errors. Saving money is another important aspect. Although the return on investment depends on the features used and the specific application, Gottliebson mentions one power plant that went from an attended scale to remote printers with an automatic system, achieving an ROI in nine months. “It usually provides a quicker return than most hardware-software packages.” It also lasts a long time. The technology doesn’t become obsolete, so some customers haven’t updated in 10 years.

With the stated goal of delivering efficiency and effectiveness, Gottliebson says the most important product his company sells is information the customer can understand. Their software and application-specific hardware interface with any system, and while the core program is the same for all bulk weighing applications, it can be customized to provide the type of information desired in the MSW industry.

For example, unattended systems at transfer stations automatically identify city trucks and regular waste haulers, allowing them to get in and out quickly. “A ticket is printed, the driver grabs it. There’s no need for an attendant,” Gottliebson says. Allowing regular haulers to use automated scales enables the facility to avoid paying overtime to an attendant during longer summer hours. “You extend productivity without a cost burden.”

RFID tags on the trucks allow them to be tracked at the landfill in order to assess efficiency. “We were one of the first to use radio frequency for weighing applications,” Gottliebson says. “It indicates how long a truck was in the yard and why.” The yard time monitor came from a customer request, he reports. “We incorporate customer feedback in our designs. They know how they want to run their business; we give them the tools.”

Some of the things the customers want include functionality that synchronizes automatically with the office server, the ability to manage attended and unattended scales simultaneously, and the capability of analyzing staffing requirements based on volume.

There are many more things the system can do, Gottliebson says. It can do tasks as diverse as generating notes on tickets if the hauler is behind on payment or sending birthday greetings to the driver. “The scale house is the nexus.” While on one hand, it minimizes time-consuming interaction between scale operators and drivers, as well as errors, on the other hand, it offers a different and very effective method of communicating from the office to the driver. “There’s so much potential and capability.”

From Billing to Regulatory Reporting
Capability is something Brad Whitty, utilities analyst with the City of Santa Maria, CA, appreciates. Until the city went live with Carolina Software Inc. on October 1, 1996, it was using “homegrown” software to prepare bills at the landfill.

The 300-acre site about an hour north of Santa Barbara is served by its own fleet of 26 trash trucks, which haul garbage, recycling, and greenwaste recycling collected from a population of roughly 100,000. Open seven days a week, it’s busiest on the weekend.

One of the landfill’s three lanes serves the public with window service; the other two are automated for their fleet and regular haulers. The unattended lanes move traffic quickly, using fewer personnel. Billing proceeds just as quickly and smoothly, automatically sent to the finance department to allow the landfill to bill residential customers for the service through their regular utility.

If customers question a transaction, Whitty says, they can easily pull up the ticket. They even have cameras at the new, modern, covered scale house. “The biggest thing we like [about Carolina Software] is its accountability. Money trades hands at the scale house, but the ticket doesn’t disappear. It keeps people honest.”

The system also keeps the books accurate. The software “does the math” on tare weights. It does even more, Whitty points out. The software is used to track 30-40 current material codes-and new ones as they are added for the hazardous waste program.

“Originally, we used the software just for financial transactions, but now we use it for regulatory tracking,” Whitty explains. “With the regulatory atmosphere, we track everything.”

In 1996 the city landfill accepted trash only, but in 1999 it brought recycling in-house-recycling that must be tracked to meet regulations. A recycling park added in 2009 allows haulers to dump metal, glass, wood, and textiles before proceeding to the landfill. It has contributed to a 50% diversion rate in recycling.

Thrift stores earn credits that allow them to bring trash for free in exchange for collecting textiles that are shredded into rags to be sold in automotive stores as rags or sent to Africa to remanufacture. “Textile recycling is big,” Whitty says. “The software keeps track of who gets credits.”

It also keeps track of how much is being recycled. Private contractors are weighed on the way out to determine the diversion. “Other landfills estimate by volume and weigh sample loads,” Whitty says. “We have no sample days; 100% is weighed. We know everything going in and out. That’s key. We report the amount of trash buried and handled quarterly.”

It’s key because the landfill pays a fee to the state for tonnage buried. The cost of running a landfill comes from this expense. Whitty proudly notes that the landfill hadn’t raised rates in 11 years until 2012.

Because the Carolina Software system has been so effective, the city will add it to a new site for household hazardous waste a mile away. “It’s a small-quantity generator program, required by the state,” Whitty says. “Using fiber optic lines, we can just run it off this system.”

Durable Accuracy Is a Weighty Matter

If software is the accountant, the truck scale is the cash register of the operation. It must remain accurate and reliable, through weather and time. Old analog load cells were inaccurate and drifted over time, claims Craig Nickoloff, vehicle scale product specialist with Mettler Toledo in Columbus, OH. “There’s a move away from analog,” he says.

New sensor technology exceeds Weights and Measurements requirements. As verified by third-party certification, digital load cells protect against the typical causes of failure: temperature, lightning, rodents, flood, and other harsh environments common to the waste industry.

Digital load cells, which have been on the market for 20 years, provide longer life, high definition, and a clear signal with fewer problems and generally lower repair costs-attributable in part to the fact that they eliminate the junction box.

Dave Nathaniel, marketing manager for heavy-capacity products, explains that Mettler Toledo combined technology and design to eliminate the types of failures so routine that many customers accept them as a cost of doing business. “Typical cost of ownership includes the load cell, junction box, load cell lines, terminal failure, and weigh bridge issues. Low total cost of ownership and accurate measurement are our focus.”

When the Swiss company Mettler merged with Toledo Scale, the two created a complete solution of load cells, software, and weigh bridges that is used by the big names in the waste industry, including Republic, Waste Management, Waste Industries, and Allied Waste.

Mettler Toledo’s PDX power cells have withstood high temperatures, floods, and other extreme conditions for 20 years. Now, a third-generation version is available, providing even higher durability and accuracy.

Accuracy is critical, although often taken for granted. Lack of accuracy can add up to significant losses, even if it falls within acceptable tolerances established by the government. “The difference between meeting those tolerances and being as accurate as can be is immense,” Nickoloff says. “If you’re off by 20 to 60 pounds per truckload, it adds up. For example, a 60-pound error is in tolerance with state regulations, but it amounts to a $28,800-per-year loss with 100 trucks per day.”

Hermetically sealed for underwater use and featuring a rodentproof stainless-steel sheath covering, they are suitable for use in a range of terminals, both attended and unattended. At transfer stations where material is pushed into the truck from above, they can monitor weight as the truck fills, helping a driver make sure his truck meets regulations by measuring the weight over each axle as well as the gross capacity.

In addition to reading weights, they are useful as radiation detectors for hazardous materials and provide other useful information. “They can lock out unwanted loads and identify drivers to ensure they’re up to date on safety courses,” Nickoloff elaborates.

With the recent trend of big firms buying smaller firms, a new focus is on reporting, tracking, security, verification, and the expansion of electronic billing options, claims Joe Everman, business manager for software solutions and services. At the same time, unattended scales and “drive-by” recycling are compelling the market place to reduce labor costs. Transactions must be processed quickly and accurately, and they must be transparent, particularly if a customer has multiple sites. Clients want to see what’s going on in their operations on a daily basis.

For mom-and-pop or 1- to 2-scale operations, Mettler Toledo recommends its SS version, a “simple ticket entry-level system for little money,” Everman says. What makes the brand-new data bridge unique is the self-supporting tutorials available. The MS data bridge allows database sharing for multiple sites or in order to have redundancy for outages so there is no interruption of onsite data. The ES data bridge benefits municipalities with multiple facilities. It manages invoicing and accounts receivable, and can pull tickets in real time with remote capabilities.

Gone Wireless
Rodents are the No. 1 enemy of scales, claims Fred Cox, vice president of sales with Cardinal Detecto. “They love the coating on the cable.” While Mettler Toledo went with a stainless steel covering, another way to get around the rodent problem is to go wireless.

That’s exactly what Cardinal Detecto did. The single-source supplier based in Webb City, MO, introduced new technology for truck scales: a plug-and-play wireless application. “The truck scale and remote display are wireless,” Cox says-a benefit in a volatile environment where hazardous materials are present, because sparks can cause damage to wires. The system connects to a customer’s network up to 1.5 miles away, within the line of sight.

Savings come from the ability to skip costly cables and bypass trenching and resurfacing. Servicing the system is also less expensive, not to mention easier. “Look at your previous invoices: what cost the most in maintenance?” Cox queries. Properly installed, this system has a 20-year life and is easy to maintain. “Diagnostics is huge; you can see each cell in the weigh house by looking at the weight display.”

Scale houses are lightning-prone areas because of the pits filled with water. “Lightning is a big issue,” Cox indicates. “It’s a huge draw; you’ve got a 70-by-11 steel scale with water under and around it. But lightning can’t hurt a hydraulic scale.” Cardinal Detecto’s stainless steel hydraulic scale, which weighs on load cells with hydraulic fluid, is sealed, making it impervious to water as well as lightning. Others are alloy-based. In addition, the Guardian series has no power to the scale; that’s important, he says.

Safety is a basic requirement, but accuracy is key to successful business. Accuracy depends on the load cell, as well as the design of the scale and electronics. “We have a good junction box and electronics. According to Weights and Measurements certifications, our system is accurate to within 20 pounds,” Cox says, adding, “The load cell is the most critical part of the scale.”

Cox recommends looking for a “complete package” that fits the customer’s business needs. The Cardinal Detecto Windows-based system comes with standard reports, but is “customer configurable.” Transaction files and data can be exported to the customer’s system. Another labor-saving device gets trucks in and out through an unattended system quickly by swiping a “proximity badge” to read each hauler’s ID.

Changing the Game
Having experimented with onboard scales on its collection trucks with less than satisfactory results, the City of Phoenix did without-until a pilot project in 2010 with the Cleral Kiload onboard weighing system changed the game.

The all-in-one onboard weighing system is designed for straight- or rigid-body trucks, but can be used on articulated trucks as well. The device works on spring-ride and air-ride suspensions without truck modification. Simple and user-friendly, the backlit monitor is installed on the dash, leaving views unobstructed.

“The Kiload system was recommended to us by a neighboring city,” says Rodney Merrill, solid waste administrative analyst for the City of Phoenix, Solid Waste Field Services Division. “Based on their recommendation, we began a pilot program and installed them on five trucks.”

After testing them for about a year with good results, they decided to add the scales to their fleet. Retrofits began in 2011. Currently, the system is installed on approximately 250 trucks in varying axle configurations. “I expect to receive my first new truck with the system installed within the next few weeks,” Merrill adds.

His department services just under 400,000 households every week, each of which receives two weekly collections: one for refuse, one for recycling. These collections are done entirely with automated sideload equipment. Households also receive quarterly bulk item collection, performed by rearloaders and articulated tractors.

“Our benefit of the system comes down to making the most out of every load we take in,” Merrill says. Because they are proactive about keeping loads within federal bridge law limits, before they had a way of verifying the load in the field, drivers played it safe by bringing in light loads to avoid going over the limit. “That meant we were making too many trips to the transfer station and not being as efficient as we would have liked. With the Kiload scales installed, the drivers can stay on route until the load is full and be confident that they are within the limits. Most of the light load problems have disappeared, and we are keeping our loads legal.” Furthermore, he says, by eliminating many light loads, it saves equipment miles, maintenance fuel, and employee overtime.

Getting Onboard With Scales
Giving the drivers tools to make their jobs easier, safer, more efficient and legal is the goal of most scale and software manufacturers. “Drivers need to know what they weigh long before they get to the transfer station or landfill,” insists Michael Ferguson, refuse national accounts manager for Air-Weigh in Eugene, OR. “It’s all due to legality and safety-handling, braking distance… If an overloaded truck is in an accident, there’s significant liability.”

Safety is to humans as maintenance is to trucks. Every time the truck is overloaded, it puts wear on it. Wear leads to unplanned downtime. Downtime costs money. If they’re overweight on route or at the landfill, they face potential fines, penalties, and time-outs.

LoadMaxx onboard scales help solid waste collection fleets manage legal weight compliance. Drivers get accurate axle and gross vehicle weights in the cab on the easy-to-read LCD display in real time. Warning and overweight alarms notify drivers at weight thresholds and at maximum weight to help monitor vehicle loading.

Without onboard scales, routes are designed so the trucks can’t be overloaded. “That means they never load to capacity,” Ferguson points out. “It’s not economical.” Onboard scales allow haulers to maximize routes, add routes or even eliminate routes and trucks.

LoadMaxx scales can be retrofitted on existing vehicles or included on new orders and last the life of the vehicle. They work on vehicles with walking beam, air-ride, or mechanical suspensions. Deflection sensors measure flex for axles with leaf-spring suspensions, and air-pressure sensors measure pressure in the air springs.

Designed for the harsh conditions of the waste industry, Air-Weigh onboard scales offer several advantages. One is its internal compensation for temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, and altitude, all of which affect accuracy. The dual-point calibration feature provides accurate and reliable weighing in any environmental condition.

“Accuracy is vital,” Ferguson says. “Twenty years ago, the No. 1 complaint was that onboard scales require calibration frequently.” LoadMaxx is accurate to within 2% of gross vehicle weight or axle group weight for vehicles with mechanical suspensions, and to within 300 pounds for each air-suspension axle group.

Accuracy might be even more vital in the frontload fork scale system Air-Weigh unveiled in September. When a container weighs only 500 pounds, a hauler can’t afford to be 200-300 pounds off. BinMaxx is a more efficient frontload arm system that weighs each container and provides route management. “It was developed for a large customer because other systems are expensive and don’t stay calibrated,” Ferguson reveals. With field testing reporting accuracy within 2%, he receives daily requests for it.

The Future of Scales and Software
Air-Weigh’s new onboard scale won’t be the last development in scales and software for the waste in