Anheuser-Busch Nightmare

Business 101, I am guessing you missed that course.

Places like Denver, Florida North and South Dakota (and countless others) generally garner a HIGHER inbound rate to off set the lower outbound rate or dead head from that area. By doing that the business owner is able to offset the costs associated with running into a poorer freight lane.

Hope I am not embarassing you with this simple business method.

 

Hauling A-B loads was never one of my favorites either. The security thinks they are working the gates of the federal reserve. I used to stop on the way in and wipe down the back 6 feet of the trailer floor with windshield washer fluid so it would'nt get rejected for being dirty. Worked every time. With A-B using the mega el cheepo carriers to haul their product any money they save is eaten up by the extra packing and pillows, etc. that they have to put around the pallets on the trailer in hopes of keeping it upright in transit.

 

i know usa truck is BIG on making sure any A-B load is secured really well. They have had a lot of load shifts, where 4 pallets of beer are ruined. They have posters up with pictures of the load shifts.

 

Yup. Hard stops, hitting curbs, take the turn a little too fast. Recipe for disaster! The company that I was with would make the driver breakdown and restack all shifted pallets that were rejected by the distributor at their dock or the nearest terminal. He would'nt get paid to do it either.

 

I had thirteen years with a Budweiser distributor before A-B required bulkheads to center the entire load in the trailer with no single pallets down the middle. Never had any trouble. Common carrier drivers would arrive at our dock with several pallets of beer dumped over. Our fork operator would tell them, "Our driver never does that." Railroad tracks crossing the highway at an angle require special caution.

 

I've hauled countless beverage loads from beer and wine to water, juice and soda...cans to kegs...and never had problems with load shift. Regardles of the name on the equipment I was using...Swift, Celtic, Prime or Taiowa. It's not the name on the equipment. It's the driver.

 

You are correct, ma'am.

 

I used to haul a LOT of BUD.
They used to have 3x8 sheets of 1" thick cardboard that went between the pallets.

I have slept MANY hours laying on those stacks beside the dock.
LOL

They didn't like it, but I really didn't care.

You load 4 pallets on my trailer and then make me wait 45 mins til the next one and I'm gonna get comfortable.

 

Kansas City was thirsty. Fedex Purchase Dispatch brought me back with beer on a relay. I've delivered to all of the crazy split up distributors. Gallons and gallons. Skids and kegs. Refer and dry. Beer and beer. I REFUSE to drink InBev now. There is plenty of homegrown brew in TX and everywhere else. Bud hates their truck drivers. True. Think before you buy!

 

And unions: The people that brought you weekends and 12 paid holidays.