Load locks for beer loads

Funny looking beer

 

Beer is easy load.

 

Straps/chains do no good in side box or headache rack.

 

For all that work, you should just run flat bed. What, no tarps on the pallets?

 

Yada Yada.

 

These days, Miller in Milwaukee won't let you out the gate unless you have at least 2 load securement devices installed. Those securment devices don't have to be within 5 feet of the freight, but they have to be there. Very rarely have I ever been able to get straps in at a position they would do anything for loads coming out of Milwaukee.

That said I've only had two claims on beer loads. The first was a cross border load that had gotten held up at customs - in July. Several of the pallets had busted cans which proceeded to create massive amounts of mold. On the second the ball valve on a keg failed. Close enough to the consignee that it was still pissing beer as they unloaded.

 

Many load locks are too short unless you use a 4 inch block depending on trailer height inside.

 

I hauled a lot out of Pabst, but by then, it was mostly specialty beers ( Pabst in a different can) Fact is, I hauled one of the last loads out of Pabst on 6th and Juneau. Biggest problem I had with beer, is they wanted to put 50grand in the box. We had a max of 46K so we always had to cut 2 pallets. That left a space on the back,( they wouldn't single any for obvious reasons) so it was go around the scales anyway. I'm sure you've heard of "Miller Curve"? That ramp from S 41 to W94 by the stadium, they'd lose one a week on that ramp.

 

The more things change, the more they stay the same. We were contracted for a max of 44k, and they would usually be 45.5k. My truck with a newer, lightweight trailer is 34,500 with full tanks. With an older trailer I'm 35,000 empty. I needed to get at least a third of my loads reworked, which meant missing the appointment time, which Miller logged as a service failure. I'm not sorry we lost that account.

I never really used the 94/41 interchange before it was rebuilt, but there are so many roads in and out of that brewery that a 70 foot, 80k vehicle shouldn't be traveling I'm surprised there are as few accidents as there are.

Anyplace that has buildings that clearly used to be stables is usually one "interesting" customer.