National Measurement Institute

Operating a public weighbridge 

A weighbridge determines the mass of a vehicle, including the prime mover and any connected trailers. A public weighbridge is open for use by the public, generally for a charge.

To conduct public weighings and issue a ticket, you must have a public weighbridge licence.

You can nominate weighbridge operators to issue tickets under your licence.

If you are a public weighbridge licensee, you must:

  • follow the requirements of operating a weighbridge used for trade 
  • ensure at least one of your operators holds a statement of attainment for weighbridge operations 
  • let the National Measurement Institute (NMI) know when an operator or contractor starts or ceases employment and provide their personal details.

You do not need a public weighbridge licence when you use the weighbridge in any of these ways:

  • to determine a measurement for road safety purposes or vehicle registration
  • where the weighbridge controller has contracted operation of the weighbridge to another party to only perform weighings for transactions which they are a party to (Note: a controller cannot contract the operation of an automated weighbridge to another party)
  • as part of the weighbridge controller’s business, including to weigh goods in which the weighbridge controller trades.

Find a public weighbridge.

Measurement tickets

You must record public weighings on a measurement ticket.

If you use an electronic ticketing system you can keep a hard copy booklet of measurement tickets as backup if your system fails. The backup booklet must be in the measurement ticket format.

You can use more than one booklet or pad of measurement tickets at the same time if: 

  • you limit their use to regular customers as long as the tickets have a different series of numbers
  • they are not used for any other client
  • you issue the tickets in all books or pads sequentially
  • you record all other public weighings sequentially in one book of tickets.

See an example of a measurement ticket: 

Automated public weighbridges

You can modify new and existing public weighbridges to include an automated system as long as it complies with the Guidelines for weighbridge control systems.

You must submit a declaration that the automated weighbridge complies with these guidelines to tmlicensees@measurement.gov.au when:

  • modifying a weighbridge that has an existing licence
  • applying for or renewing a licence.

Operator training 

We provide training for weighbridge operators or you can provide training to your operators. 

Statement of attainment

Every public weighbridge needs at least one operator who has successfully completed our weighbridge operator’s recognition kit and holds a statement of attainment. This operator needs to have regular involvement and oversight in operating the weighbridge they are licenced under. They can be the sole operator with a statement of attainment under more than one public weighbridge licence if either:

  • you have more than one public weighbridge licence at a particular site
  • you are a business or local government agency with multiple public weighbridges.

In-house training

If your operators do not hold a statement of attainment, you must provide in-house competency training and assessment for them.

Public weighbridge licensees must ensure that all of their weighbridge operators are able to:

  • comply with all legislative requirements relating to operating a public weighbridge
  • accurately measure vehicles or the goods they are weighing
  • issue measurement tickets correctly.

Your training program must meet the performance criteria outlined in PSPTRP002 Operate Weighbridges unit of competency.

The Weighbridge Operators Manual explains how to operate weighbridges for trade. You can use the manual but its use does not qualify you as having completed the training.

If you would like help developing your internal training program, contact us on 02 8467 3789 or email training@measurement.gov.au.

Auditing

During an audit, the licensee must provide an NMI Inspector with evidence that each operator has been trained and they have assessed their competency.

For training provided by NMI, provide the certificate of attendance.

For in-house training, provide:

  • a copy of the training program
  • training details, including the date and location
  • a copy of the competency assessment (including copies of all materials the operator produced during the assessment)
  • a copy of what they sent the operator to notify them of the assessment outcome.

Operator changes

Licensees must submit a public weighbridge operator nomination and change of details form within 14 days of:

  • a new or current employee or contractor becoming an operator (provide their name and residential address)
  • an employee or contractor ceasing to be an operator (provide the last day you employed the operator to operate the public weighbridge)
  • change of employee details (name, address or contact details).
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