Ever had to transport a vehicle from one location to another as a part of an international relocation, and having to deal with an array of processes to weigh it before you ship it off? Then you might already know quite a bit about tared weight and related terminology.
As you may know, calculating tare weight is important to ensuring the safety and accuracy of your shipping process.
But for the uninitiated, let us start with the tare weight definition, and then dive deeper into its importance in shipping and the challenges associated with it. Let us get started.
What is Tare Weight?
Tare weight aka Tare, or Tare Mass refers to the weight of an empty container or vehicle. Tare weight as a term is generally used in reference to shipping containers but in some cases, it can also refer to cargo containers, railway cars, or vehicle trailers. Now, if you are wondering about kerb weight vs tare, you should know that the only difference is in the fullness of the fuel tank.
It is important to calculate the vehicle tare weight as a part of your courier services, when you are trying to maintain the accuracy of your billing and shipping processes. It is also used for getting an accurate weight measure of just the product. The ratio of tare weight to your net weight or gross weight is represented in the form of percentages.
For instance, if the tare weight of a trailer is 20% of the total weight, then the net weight of your product can be calculated as 80% of the total weight. Simple enough, right?
Remember to not confuse container tare weight with deadweight, which refers to the sum of the weight of the container as well as the products contained in it.
Importance of Tare Weight
After the tare weight meaning, we will now look at its importance in shipping processes and overall businesses. Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy by calculating vehicle or truck tare as a part of your shipping process:
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Accuracy of Billing: By calculating the gross vs tare weight, you will have an accurate picture of the actual weight of the goods sent to customers so that you can bill them accordingly. As a result, you will be able to avoid disputes and maintain trust with customers.
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Compliance With Regulations: You will be able to ensure that you are compliant with the shipping and transportation regulations by having an accurate number for your tare weight. Some regulations might require you to mention the exact weight and dimensions for safety and legal paperwork.
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Optimisation of Load Management: Load management is a tricky part of the shipping process, and is often the aspect that companies get wrong. When you define tare weight, you will be able to have a more accurate measure of net weight and enable more efficient and safer load distribution in load vehicles.
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Cost and Fuel Efficiency: With a better idea of the exact tare truck weight that is on the road, you will be able to prevent costs associated with excessive weight, fuel consumption and emissions. As a result, you will be able to reduce your spending on shipping and transportation.
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Quality Control: You will be able to control the quality of the goods that are being shipped by knowing the exact weight of the product and packaging. As a result, you will be able to prevent any damages or issues that are caused by improper handling or overloading.
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Ensure Safety: By knowing the accurate tare vs gross weight of your container and cargo, you will be able to prevent the vehicle from being overloaded, which can cause accidents. You will also be able to learn the correct amount of fees and taxes associated with the shipment so that you can ensure a seamless transit.
Understanding Tare Weight Limit
Now that you know the definition and benefits of tare weight, let us understand what the tare weight limit or Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) is.
Tare weight limit refers to the maximum weight that a shipping container can handle without any goods or shipments inside. Understanding the tare mass definition is important because it will tell you more about the amount of freight cargo you can ship in that specific container as a part of your international courier freight process.
Disregarding the tare weight vs gross weight while loading up the container can cause your shipping partners to overcharge you for exceeding the limit. The GVM vs tare weight will vary from container to container and the limit is set by the shipping company. The total weight of your shipment will be a sum of your tare weight and the weight of the product you are shipping in the container.
You have to however calculate GVM vs tare, and ensure that the latter favours your ability to stay under the prescribed limit.
How to Calculate Tare Weight?
As we already discussed, the tare weight refers to the weight of your container sans the contents. When you are calculating it, you should also know more about net weight which refers to the weight of the product itself. The gross weight on the other hand, refers to the sum of the weight of your container and all the contents that will be shipped in it if you are comparing gross weight vs tare weight..
If you find yourself in a situation wondering “what is tare weight of a car?”; it is really quite simple.
Calculating the tare weight is pretty straightforward as long as you know the gross weight and net weight.
So the formula of Tare weight is as follows:
Tare weight = (Gross Weight of the Container + Contents) - (Net Weight of the Product)
Let us understand the calculation of tare weight even better with the help of an example. For instance, say the gross weight of a container on a truck and its contents is 2000 kg. You calculated the net weight of your product to be 1850 kg, which means that the truck tare weight for that particular shipment is 150 kg.
Common Challenges in Measuring Tare Weight
Before we dive into weighing your container, or calculating your tare weight, you should know about the following challenges and the corresponding solutions you can use to deal with those challenges:
#1 Inconsistency in Measurement Results
You will not always have the same weighing equipment or environmental conditions when you are weighing your container or vehicle. Moreover, there is also a scope for human error if you go about the process completely manually. Consequently, the results of your measurement might see quite a bit of variability and inconsistencies, and even lead to you paying for excess baggage. The good news, however, is that there are several ways in which you can solve this challenge.
To begin with, you can standardise your weighing equipment and calibrate it properly so that your measurements will always be accurate. You will also need to maintain consistent environmental conditions, train your staff properly so that you can always accurately measure your tare weight vs GVM.
#2 Measuring Large or Irregularly Shaped Items Can Be Difficult
When you are dealing with items that are quite large or irregularly shaped, you cannot use your regular weighing equipment to measure the tare weight. Depending on the goods you are most likely to ship, you will inevitably deal with weirdly shaped or large containers to ship your goods.
Since most weighing platforms can pose size or space constraints and balance issues, you will find it difficult to measure them. To prevent this issue, you can use specialised equipment and modular weighing platforms for accuracy of measurement. You should also make it a practice to take measurements at multiple points, you will be able to get an average for getting close to accuracy.
#3 Costly Equipment and Maintenance
When it comes to weighing containers and vehicles, the equipment required to do so is not that easy to come by and definitely does not come cheap. You need high-quality equipment to measure your container so that you can get an accurate value for your tare weight. This equipment can be quite costly to purchase and to maintain.
There are several solutions to dealing with this challenge, and one of the main ways is conducting a cost-benefit analysis. You should also consider drawing up appropriate maintenance contracts, and leasing options so that you can save on the ongoing costs associated with the weighing equipment.
How Do You Weigh Your Container or Vehicle?
Now for the most actionable part of this article detailing the way in which you can weigh your equipment. There are two approaches that you can take towards weighing your container or vehicle. You can either use a weighbridge or use container weight sensors to weigh your container and measure its tare weight.
For the uninitiated, weighbridges are scales that are large and heavy-duty, and let you weigh entire trucks, containers and even trains. You will be able to find these weighbridges typically at ports, terminals and other places that utilise them to weigh large vehicles.
On the other hand, container weight sensors are much smaller devices that are attached to individual containers or vehicles. These sensors can help you weigh the contents of a container separately without having to weigh it alongwith the container.
It is important to keep in mind that the accuracy of the tare vs kerb weight calculated with sensors and weighbridges can be affected by several factors such as the type of scale, weight of the container, or even environmental conditions. The best way around it is to calibrate your weighbridges and sensors regularly, and standardise their usage for calculating your tare weight.
Concluding Remarks
When you are calculating tare weight, there are plenty of factors to consider for you to even get an accurate measurement. Measuring your tare weight will ensure that you get a more accurate picture of the net weight of your shipment as well as the overall gross weight. You will just need to ensure that you have the right weighing equipment and solutions to some of the common challenges associated with the process.
If you are dealing with a lot of shipments, consider getting a quote from our website and discuss your requirements with us to see how we can help you out.