Weighing scales, commonly known as "ground scales", are important equipment for weighing vehicles and the goods they carry. They have advantages such as precise weighing, stable operation, and convenient maintenance. They are widely used in industries such as mining, metallurgy, chemical industry, construction materials, ports, logistics, and grain storage. However, due to various reasons, weighing scale disputes are relatively common and may even escalate into disputes over weighing results.
How to come up with a solution that both the suppliers and the buyers can accept and resolve such issues promptly is a difficult problem that scale management personnel have to face in their practical work. On the other hand, the country needs to improve the handling standards and norms for weighing scale disputes, and scholars have rarely studied countermeasures for preventing weighing scale disputes. Users generally urgently need executable standards or reference cases that are easy to implement.
1 
Introduction to the Current Situation
Yongping Copper Mine is located in Lianshan County, Jiangxi Province. It is a large-scale non-ferrous metal mine mainly producing copper and sulfur, along with associated gold, silver, tungsten, and iron. Currently, there are three normally in-use weighing scales, mainly responsible for weighing the entry and exit of bulk raw materials, main and auxiliary products, and waste materials, such as water slurry, lime, steel balls, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, quartz sand, calcium carbide slag, and isobutanol, as well as sulfur concentrate, tungsten concentrate, iron concentrate powder, sulfuric acid, etc. All electronic weighing scales involved in trade settlement are included in the mandatory metrological verification scope for management and are regularly applied for verification to the legal metrological technical institutions. The verification results are qualified. See the table below. After statistics, our unit has accumulated three weighing scale dispute issues in the past three years, which belong to the work links such as steel ball procurement, sulfuric acid sales, and waste iron disposal. Due to adhering to objective facts and following the principles of "fairness, justice, and openness", these weighing scale disputes have been effectively resolved, and no disputes over weighing have escalated into disputes over weighing results.
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2.1 
Handling Examples
Real Case One
Problem Description: On November 24, 2021, at 8:35 am, a tanker truck transporting sulfur for a customer passed the weighing station with a net weight of 32,550 kg. At 10:30 am, the same sulfur tanker truck returned to the factory for weighing with a net weight of 31,600 kg. The driver reported the weighing difference of 950 kg between the two parties by phone to the weighing scale manager.
Handling Process: After the driver reported the issue, the weighing scale manager immediately asked the weigher for the situation and retrieved the video footage of the weighing site. Due to some cameras in the monitoring system being faulty, the weighing scale manager was unable to obtain evidence. However, when reviewing the weighing records of that day, the weighing scale manager found that there was a three-wheeled vehicle weighing the same gross weight as the weighing difference of 950 kg between the two parties, and the weighing time was also similar to that of the sulfur tanker truck. Subsequently, the weighing scale manager promptly asked the driver of the three-wheeled vehicle for the situation. Before the sulfur tanker truck completed the weighing, the three-wheeled vehicle had already driven onto the weighing platform immediately behind it, and the weigher did not notice this situation. The normal reading, pairing, and preservation were carried out. Save.
Outcome: After thorough verification, the measurement department reissued a weighing slip for the sulfuric acid tanker, criticized and educated the three-wheeler driver, and conducted performance assessment for the weighbridge operator.
2.2 
Real Case Two
Problem Description: At 9:00 am on October 14, 2022, a vehicle transporting scrap iron entered the mine for weighing. The gross weight at the weighbridge was 9860 kg. When the vehicle was loading and unloading goods at the warehouse, the discipline inspection department received a phone call from a citizen reporting that the vehicle transporting scrap iron was engaging in random dumping of construction waste and cheating by falsifying data.
Handling Process: After the citizen reported the issue, the discipline inspection, sales, measurement, and security departments attached great importance to it and handled it collaboratively. After verification and evidence collection, the weight of the construction waste was approximately 840 kg. This customer was the first to come to the mine for bidding, and in order to ensure a successful bid, they deliberately inflated the price of scrap iron, significantly deviating from the surrounding market prices. The scrap iron vehicle started loading goods on October 11, 2022, and each time it went to the weighbridge, it first loaded the construction waste into the truck and then went to the weighbridge for gross weight measurement; each time it went to the warehouse, it unloaded the construction waste to the roadside before going to the warehouse to load and unload goods. In addition, the supervising weighbridge operator did not accompany the vehicle to supervise, and the weighbridge operator did not check the condition of the truck bed.
Outcome: After a special study, our unit terminated the contract for selling scrap iron, included the customer in the blacklist of bad credit, cancelled the vehicle's access rights to the mine area, and conducted a warning talk with the supervising weighbridge operator and conducted performance assessment for the weighbridge operator.
2.3 
Real Case Three
Problem Description: At 9:00 am on January 13, 2023, a vehicle transporting steel balls of the supplier left the factory for weighing. The net weight at the weighbridge was 18080 kg. At 14:00, the vehicle entered the mine for weighing and the net weight was 15320 kg. The driver, escort, and others noticed a difference of 2760 kg between the two weighbridges and immediately raised an objection to the weighbridge operator.
Handling Process: After the problem occurred, the measurement department first asked the driver, escort, weighbridge operator, etc. to understand the on-site weighing situation and reviewed the weighbridge monitoring video. After investigation, the steel ball vehicle was waiting for weighing at the mine when its front wheels were parked on the end cover plate of the load-bearing platform for a long time, and the weighbridge weighing instrument also displayed a "negative weight" alarm prompt. The weighbridge operator eliminated the "negative weight" alarm prompt by repeatedly pressing the reset button.
Since the supplier belongs to an internal unit of the group company and the driver, escort, and other personnel are long-term fixed employees; the steel ball vehicle has been unloaded and stored in the warehouse and is difficult to re-weigh; the purchasing party can provide the calibration certificate of the weighbridge, while the supplier cannot provide the calibration certificate, so the purchasing, measurement, production, and security departments jointly counted the quantity of steel balls in stock and negotiated a handling plan for the incident.
Outcome: After the inventory verification, the measurement department reissued the weighing slip, the supply department continued to fulfill the purchase contract, and the production department actually listed the purchase expenses; the driver, escort, and others violated the management system of weighing bridge operation, and were held directly responsible and given a warning talk; the weighbridge operator violated the operation technical regulations of the equipment, and was held secondary responsibility and given performance assessment.
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Prevention Countermeasures
The reasons for the weighing disputes caused by the weighbridge are complex and may be due to equipment failure and inaccuracy of one party, differences in measurement methods between the supply and demand sides, or various reasons such as goods being exposed to rain, spilled, stolen, or fraud by illegal individuals [1]. To reduce the occurrence of weighing disputes caused by the weighbridge, in addition to doing a good job in daily basic work, it is also recommended to take the following preventive measures actively.
3.1 
Install Monitoring System
The monitoring system is a very practical security facility that can effectively curb cheating behaviors by illegal individuals. We should install high-definition infrared monitoring systems at the weighbridge site, especially at the ends of the load-bearing platform of the weighbridge and the control room, and should be able to monitor from multiple angles without any blind spots. Constantly capture or record images, and save the surveillance system's footage for a long time, so as to be able to access the weighing site pictures, videos, etc. at any time.
3.2 
Apply for metrological verification
According to the national directory of mandatory managed measuring instruments, the truck scales used for trade settlement belong to the mandatory metrological verification measuring instruments. Users can enjoy the preferential policy of exemption from verification fees. We should actively apply to the legal metrological technical institutions for periodic verification to ensure the accuracy and legality of the measurement data, and rely on this powerful legal weapon to safeguard our own legitimate rights and interests.
3.3 
Carry out interim verification
In order to ensure that the weighing process of the truck scale is under control, we should regularly conduct interim verification, focusing on checking the personnel, equipment, and other influencing factors. If
There are standard weighing devices and other measurement standards. Personnel who have received professional training or possess the corresponding qualifications can conduct internal calibration in accordance with national measurement technical specifications. If the conditions are truly limited, a random sampling comparison method can be used to verify whether the equipment and data are normal.
3.4
Strengthen transportation management
After the vehicle is weighed at the supplier's location, the goods are picked up and loaded, and then weighed again at the gross weight. Subsequently, the vehicle is transported to the demander's location for weighing again at the gross weight, inspection of the goods, and weighing again at the tare weight. Each of these steps may lead to weighing disputes or controversies. But
During transportation, problems occur most frequently, and even drivers, escorts, and other personnel are unaware of them. Therefore, both the supply and demand sides should make demands on the logistics units responsible for transporting the goods. For example, before transportation, the tarpaulin should be covered to prevent rain and spillage; during transportation, the speed of the vehicle should be controlled, and potholes should be avoided to prevent vehicle jolting and goods falling; and it is also advisable to avoid parking for a long time in hotels, guesthouses, etc., to prevent parts of the goods from being stolen or lost.
3.5 Severe punishment for cheating and fraud. Some lawbreakers, driven by interests, are accustomed to cheating and even colluding internally and externally, deliberately causing "shortage of weight". The cheating methods are diverse, including modifying water tanks, changing license plates, not fully weighing on the scale, and installing electronic remote control cheating devices [2]. We should establish a mechanism for honesty and dishonesty, improve accountability and responsibility pursuit measures, increase assessment and punishment efforts, ensure that violations are investigated and penalties are imposed, and adhere to only recognizing facts and showing no leniency. Only by promptly and thoroughly eliminating these "villains", can the strictness and authority of measurement management be maintained [3].
4 Conclusion
The management of truck scales is an extremely important and complex task,
which is closely related to the economic interests and reputation of both the suppliers and the buyers. Therefore, we
It is even more necessary to consciously adopt a preventive mindset before the event, and take preventive countermeasures in advance. For instance, purchasing monitoring systems, conducting regular traceability and evidence collection, strengthening transportation management, and severely punishing cheating and fraud, etc. These measures can ensure that the critical checkpoint of weighing goods entering and leaving is well guarded. If there is a weighing dispute, we should also be attentive, meticulous, and patient, carefully understand the on-site situation, promptly retrieve video evidence, carefully analyze the cause of the problem, which will help clarify the facts and distinguish responsibilities. Moreover, actively communicating and friendly negotiation will make it easier for both supply and demand parties to reach a consensus.