Choosing a shipping scale can be daunting if you don't know what to look for. There are so many different types and manufactures, that some people just don't know where to start. In this article we will help you understand what to look for when purchasing shipping scales. We will also discuss some of the major manufactures. Which ones are established and reliable, and which ones to watch out for. When shopping for a shipping scale, there are three main questions you need to ask yourself:

• What kind of shipping volume can I expect to do?
  
• What kind of capacity do I need?
  
• Does my scale need to be NTEP certified? (Legal For Trade)

Shipping Volume:

It's always a good idea to take the number of packages you expect to ship per month, and add 25% to that figure. After all, you do plan on growing your business don't you? After you've figured out how many packages you plan to ship, it's time to determine if you need an industrial grade scale or a consumer grade scale.

Anything over 600 packages a month would need an industrial grade shipping scale. An industrial grade scale is usually made completely out of steel, and is designed to handle the wear and tear of consistent every day use. These types of scales usually have a higher division rate, interface with shipping software and have a much more user friendly design. A few of the most well know industrial scale manufactures are Mettler Toledo, Detecto, Ohaus and Salter.

Anything less than 600 packages a month would only need a consumer grade shipping scale. Consumer scales are typically smaller in size, have a plastic body and lack most of the advanced features an industrial scale has. Some reputable manufacturers of consumer scales are Pelouze, My Weigh and Weighmax.

When purchasing a consumer scale, beware of unknown companies. Many times a Chinese company has pushed out a line of scales with little to no experience, and have lured customers into purchasing their products at discounted prices. A year later when the company has moved their goods, they disappear with a wake of angry customers.

Capacity:

The capacity of your shipping scale is defined as how much weight the scale is designed to hold while still producing an accurate reading. For parcel shippers it is a good idea to get a scale that weighs up to 150 pounds. The cut-off limit for Fedex, UPS and DHL ground services is 150 pounds, so that would be an ideal capacity to start off with. For those that do mostly mailings, I would still suggest a minimum of 20 pounds to start off with. You never know when you will need to ship that larger package.

For companies shipping freight, you will generally never need more than 5,000 pounds. Most freight companies limit the pallet weight to about 2,000 pounds on a 4 foot by 4 foot pallet. Larger pallet sizes go up accordingly, but never above 5,000.

Legal For Trade Shipping Scales

A NTEP certified (Legal For Trade) shipping scale is needed when you receive money for goods and services based on weight. For example, if you ship a package at your local Fedex Kinkos you are charged a price based on the weight of the item you are sending. That scale would need to be NTEP certified for commercial applications. If you will be using your scale in an environment like this it is very important that your scale is NTEP certified. Each state has a department of weights and measures, and it is their job to routinely check these types of businesses. If you are not in compliance with these laws, you could be fined or even have your business shut down until you produce the correct type of scale.