A weighmaster has three areas of responsibility: weigh materials, inspect scales, and quality control. Weighmasters are very common in industries where the price is driven by the weight of the material, and when that material is difficult to quantify independently. For example, this role is very common in wineries, scrap metal yards, feed mills, and livestock dealers.
Most weighmasters work for government agencies, a weighmaster firm, or a company that requires this service on a regular basis. There is no specific post-secondary education degree program to become a weighmaster, but there is a certification program that is required. Look at the requirements for your state to determine who the certification agency is and what its requirements are to obtain certification.
People who are detail-oriented, are naturally outgoing, and who have a strong sense of fairness, report the greatest satisfaction as a weighmaster. In this career, you will meet with a wide range of sellers, buyers, and brokers. It is important to maintain a strong code of ethics and independence as a weighmaster. The primary role is to provide independent assurance that the scales are not doctored and the weights correct.
The primary responsibility is to weigh materials. This function is usually required at the point of material receipt or shipment. The weighmaster can bring his own scale, or can use their equipment and expertise to verify the existing scale is accurate and unaltered. They supervise the weighing of the materials and are responsible for ensuring that everything is above board.
Inspecting scales is another important responsibility of a weighmaster. Most states have laws surrounding the frequency of the inspections, qualifications of the inspector, and the exact tests to be performed. The types of scales inspected include gas pumps, grocery store scales, bar code scanners and a range of other related products.
Quality control is a very important part of this job. Although scales are inspected on a regularly scheduled basis, weighmasters must respond to consumer complaints about scales, how bar code readers work, and computerized pricing programming. Random, surprise audits are performed by government agencies to measure the depth of compliance and to assist in complaint investigations.
Demand for this role is increasing, along with the scope of responsibilities. Originally, a weighmaster's area of focus was strictly related to scales and measures. Over time, it has expanded to include any method used to calculate the price of any object. This includes gas pumps, utility metering equipment, bar code scanners and computerized cash registers.