LYLE — Dennis Whalen saw a need and created a product to fill the niche.
Whalen grew up on a farm near Lyle, served in the Vietnam War and worked in the construction business for 25 years. When he retired, he started running the grain cart for a neighbor. They were having problems with underloading and overloading the semitrailer because of the variations in the test weight of corn, he said.
Fines for an overweight truck can run $1,000 to $3,000 and running underweight is costly, too.
So, Whalen created the Whalen Truck Scale to solve the problem.
The scale is mounted under a trailer and bolted to the trailer frame. It runs with a 12-volt direct current power supply that is hooked into the running lights of the trailer, and a 3/8-inch air line is hooked into the air bags of the trailer. The digital image display area is 2 inches high and 8 inches long, making it visible from 100 to 200 feet away. The digital numbers are red, making them easily visible at night from the seat of a tractor or combine cab, Whalen said. The scale has a 99,999-pound capacity.
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Promotional materials say the scale has an accuracy rating of plus or minus 2.5 percent, but Whalen said if loaded evenly, the accuracy has been running at plus or minus 1 percent in their testing.
The Whalen Truck Scale has a water-proof and shock-proof enclosure. The American-made instruments are rated for a temperature range of 40 below to 140 degrees, Whalen said.
The truck scale is his first invention, and he learned a lot in the process of taking it from idea to marketable product. He started by contacting people he knew who did the type of instrument work required to make a scale, and they introduced him to Powermation, a St. Paul firm. He worked with Powermation to create the scale designed to work in the harsh environment underneath an air-ride or fixed-axle trailer. The process was filed with a lot of trial and error, Whalen said. He's been experimenting with the scale for a couple years.
He designed the product specifically for farmers who load off the farm and don't have a scale on the farm.
Whalen hasn't sold any scales yet, but he does have sales pending.
"There's a lot of interest in it," Whalen said.
He has demonstration models in use.
"I just installed one on a livestock trailer last fall. We're working with them, and that's working out very well," Whalen said.
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He also is working to spread the word about the new product that is custom made for each client. Scales sell for $3,495.
