For a waste receiving site, the weighbridge is more than a scale. It is the point where every load is identified, weighed, classified and accepted, and where almost every record the site keeps begins. With digital waste tracking becoming mandatory for receiving sites in October, the quality of that record matters more than ever.
Here is what we think good weighbridge software for a waste site should do.
Produce a complete ticket for every load
Each transaction should capture the vehicle registration, haulier, customer or supplier, project reference, material and EWC code, gross, tare and net weights, the disposal site and the time — completed at the gate, not reconstructed later.
For a more detailed breakdown, see our guide to what goes into a waste receipt record.
Check the haulier and vehicle at the gate
Gate staff should pick hauliers and vehicles from a list of verified records rather than typing details in. That keeps carrier information consistent and stops loads being accepted from carriers who should not be on site.
Flag problems before the vehicle leaves
Overweight vehicles, materials outside what the site accepts, or a haulier account that has run out of credit should raise an alert while the vehicle is still on the weighbridge, when it can still be dealt with.
Keep evidence
A photograph of the ticket or the load gives an extra layer of verification when a record is queried months later.
Feed everything else from the same record
The weighbridge record should drive the waste transfer note, the digital waste tracking receipt, customer reporting, invoicing and the site’s returns. Each separate copy of the same data is another chance for the numbers to disagree.
Give the right people visibility
Site managers need live views of loads and tonnage by site and material. Customers and suppliers want to see their own loads without phoning the gatehouse. Both should come from the same data, not from a spreadsheet exported at the end of the day.
Why this matters for digital waste tracking
Every receipt reported to the Digital Waste Tracking Service starts at the weighbridge. If the ticket is complete and accurate, the receipt largely is too. If it is not, the site is left correcting submissions after the event, against a two-working-day reporting window.
Sentinel is weighbridge and waste management software built with a working UK waste site. Explore Sentinel weighbridge software for UK waste sites to see how it supports gatehouse operations, or request a demonstration.