A load transfer mechanism comprising: a beam elongated along a depth axis of the load transfer mechanism, the beam comprising: a plate comprising a first edge, a second edge and a load-bearing surface extending there between, the plate having a lateral width between said first and second edges; a tube portion including a base wall and a cover and defining a cavity between the base wall and the cover, the base wall laterally extending from a first edge to a second edge that is opposite the first edge, wherein the cover is joined to the base wall at or proximate to the first and second edges (212, 214) and the beam extends a height from the load-bearing surface of the plate to a mounting surface of the base wall and the cavity extends a height from an interior surface of the cover to an interior surface of the base wall; and a neck extending between and joining the plate to the cover of the tube portion, the neck having a height between said plate and said cover and tapering from a wide end at the plate to a narrow end at the cover, the wide end of the neck having a width; a sensing package disposed within the cavity of the beam and under pre-load in engagement with the cover and the base wall, the sensing package configured to measure forces exerted on the load-bearing surface of the plate; and characterized in that: the height of the neck is at least 20% of the height of the beam and the width of the neck at the wide end is at least half (50%) of the width of the plate. a beam elongated along a depth axis of the load transfer mechanism, the beam comprising: a plate comprising a first edge, a second edge and a load-bearing surface extending there between, the plate having a lateral width between said first and second edges; a tube portion including a base wall and a cover and defining a cavity between the base wall and the cover, the base wall laterally extending from a first edge to a second edge that is opposite the first edge, wherein the cover is joined to the base wall at or proximate to the first and second edges (212, 214) and the beam extends a height from the load-bearing surface of the plate to a mounting surface of the base wall and the cavity extends a height from an interior surface of the cover to an interior surface of the base wall; and a neck extending between and joining the plate to the cover of the tube portion, the neck having a height between said plate and said cover and tapering from a wide end at the plate to a narrow end at the cover, the wide end of the neck having a width; a plate comprising a first edge, a second edge and a load-bearing surface extending there between, the plate having a lateral width between said first and second edges; a tube portion including a base wall and a cover and defining a cavity between the base wall and the cover, the base wall laterally extending from a first edge to a second edge that is opposite the first edge, wherein the cover is joined to the base wall at or proximate to the first and second edges (212, 214) and the beam extends a height from the load-bearing surface of the plate to a mounting surface of the base wall and the cavity extends a height from an interior surface of the cover to an interior surface of the base wall; and a neck extending between and joining the plate to the cover of the tube portion, the neck having a height between said plate and said cover and tapering from a wide end at the plate to a narrow end at the cover, the wide end of the neck having a width; a sensing package disposed within the cavity of the beam and under pre-load in engagement with the cover and the base wall, the sensing package configured to measure forces exerted on the load-bearing surface of the plate; and characterized in that: the height of the neck is at least 20% of the height of the beam and the width of the neck at the wide end is at least half (50%) of the width of the plate.