Now that Krueger has manufactured a load restraint curtain that can be opened and closed a the push of a button, transport companies like BLW no longer need to spend precious time fastening every single buckle when the trailer has reached a destination – a first for the family-owned company.
For 25 years, the 10-man business has been operating in and around regional Victoria, delivering beer and recyclables to over 250 outlets including supermarkets, restaurants and motels. “From Bendigo we cover the area between Woodend, Mildura, Daylesford and Shepparton,” says BLW’s Manager, Ian Chalmer. “We mainly cart recycling goods down to Melbourne and then bring back beer – we are always loading supplies wherever we go.”
To cater to all possible load sizes, BLW’s diverse fleet comprises three prime movers, one semi-trailer, and one tipper trailer. More recently, Ian added two new sets of B-double taut liners, courtesy of Krueger.
Ian says that choosing Krueger equipment was important to keeping up with the company’s growing workload. “We currently bring in approximately 200 pallets of beer a week at 1200 kegs, that’s about 400 a week, and 100 kegs during the summer period. We try to run good, modern, efficient equipment all the time. So if there’s an opportunity to make an upgrade here and there, we won’t hesitate,” Ian explains while explaining his association with Krueger. “We’ve worked with Krueger before, so when we got in contact with them again recently we were interested mainly in the curtain-siders, because we were trying to figure out a way to reduce the time spent on locking down the curtains and not having to lift any gates.”
After consulting Krueger, Ian purchased two full sets of Krueger’s B-double taut liners fitted with Krueger’s buck less curtain system. Both trailers can cart up to 12 pallets on the lead trailer and 22 at the back. “We acquired the first B-double in February and the second one in March,” he says.
According to Ian, the new buck less solution is based on an air-operated push button design to make the locking and unlocking process as convenient as possible. The curtain is reinforced with a high-strength, carbon fibre material that can actively prevent load shifts. “We basically want a quick turnaround time and achieve savings in all departments. Krueger’s buckle less system effectively saves one hour on a round trip,” Ian says. “When you don’t have to lift gates or individually strap down a curtain tight, it saves so much time, which eventually makes all the difference. Plus we feel fuel efficiency will also improve over time, because the curtains are so tight that they don’t flap at all.”
Ian adds, “The increased operation speed is the biggest change we have noticed since we have had the new trailers. When we go into a factory, the load time is still the same time as with any another operator. By the time they are still checking off their load and locking their gates in, we’re already pulling out.”
But, even the mere loading time has been improved, according to Ian. “The fact that there are no load binders required has provided us with improved efficiency and productivity across the board. “
Another pressing issue Ian feels that Krueger’s buckle less curtain system has addressed is in the area of safety and security. Without his operators having to physically exert force to secure the load, it has improved the OH&S factor. “The system is a lot safer,we haven’t had to address any work cover claims – no sore backs at all,” Ian says. “Plus we can lock the curtains as well, which means if a truck comes in late, the trailer can be locked down and no one can enter it. The carbon fibre insertions also increase the security angle of it, which is very important when carting large quantities of beer.”
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