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 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 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 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 . <EOS>