Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for accurately measuring the weight of a load carried by a truck body which is mounted on a truck frame. The apparatus is located along an interface between the truck frame with the load carried by the truck body and uniformly distributes the weight of the body onto the frame along the interface. In order to measure the weight of the load, the apparatus includes pressure sensors which communicate the entire weight of the load to the truck frame. The pressure sensors provide an electrical signal proportional to the pressure exerted by the load on the apparatus. This electrical signal is processed to calculate the weight of the load carried in the truck body. By providing a pressure sensing apparatus at an interface between the load and truck frame, the weight on the load carried by the truck body can be continually monitored without interrupting the loading, hauling and dumping routine. A sensor processing unit responds to the continually monitored weight data and the like to provide hauling parameters to track the performance of the truck and to provide a data base to a central computer from which data can be gathered for efficiently controlling the movement of a plurality of trucks.

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