These 2 you see pulling the short single or tandem axel trailers, I assume doing the pub beer deliveries. I always notice 2 things about the trailers (other than they are short). 1/ is they aren’t square, the sides are tapered towards the top. 2/ they always looks properly battered, especially the curtain condition.
Does anyone know what the trailer shape has to do with anything? I assume they aren’t made to be tapered towards the top just to look different and it does it actually serve some purpose?
Mate of mine used to drive for a brewery and he always claimed that the trailers are tapered because, for breweries, you have to get into a lot of little side and back streets where it’s still not unusual to find signs etc sticking out of the buildings. They don’t need the trailers to be square, so they angle them so that the drivers don’t have to worry about demolishing signs while delivering.
Don’t know it’s true or not but it seems to make sense!
DickyNick:
These 2 you see pulling the short single or tandem axel trailers, I assume doing the pub beer deliveries. I always notice 2 things about the trailers (other than they are short). 1/ is they aren’t square, the sides are tapered towards the top. 2/ they always looks properly battered, especially the curtain condition.
Does anyone know what the trailer shape has to do with anything? I assume they aren’t made to be tapered towards the top just to look different and it does it actually serve some purpose?
They’re battered because they get plenty of use and the breweries aren’t in a hurry to replace them - particularly as they tend to specialist designs which aren’t much cop for general use (meaning they can neither be bought nor sold second-hand).
I’ve been led to believe they’re tapered to secure the barrels and reduce the risk of them leaning against the curtain and then falling out when the curtain is released.
DHL use tapered one’s K&N use standed ones,Tapered ones are a old design used to pull the kegs in at the top(remember the old Federation 40 ft’s out out of Gateshead).
Both design use inner nets as well as outer curtains.
Single axle trailers are urban artic,easy to get around town,always look battered as they don’t get replaced as often as standard trailers,don’t really do the miles as a normal trunking outfit.
I deliver beer in anything from 7.5t Isuzus, DAF LFs and Mercedes Antos, none are tapered. It is true we have to get into some tight streets but even a tapered trailer can catch some street furniture. Both K&N and DHL Trade Team have tapered trailers and I’m under the impression its to make things easier for unloading as they’re lower than the standard bed. I’ve been at a drop before in our Antos at the same time as K&N and Trade team and its easier to grab things off the back of their trailers than it is with our Antos.
I cant imagine the design is to keep kegs in at one end, coming back from Greenock I went round a roundabout slightly too fast and heard the thankfully empty double stacked kegs fall off the pallet (driver error obviously) but even full kegs can move around easier than you’d think especially when the floor is wet!
Ghiabox:
I deliver beer in anything from 7.5t Isuzus, DAF LFs and Mercedes Antos, none are tapered. It is true we have to get into some tight streets but even a tapered trailer can catch some street furniture. Both K&N and DHL Trade Team have tapered trailers and I’m under the impression its to make things easier for unloading as they’re lower than the standard bed. I’ve been at a drop before in our Antos at the same time as K&N and Trade team and its easier to grab things off the back of their trailers than it is with our Antos.
I cant imagine the design is to keep kegs in at one end, coming back from Greenock I went round a roundabout slightly too fast and heard the thankfully empty double stacked kegs fall off the pallet (driver error obviously) but even full kegs can move around easier than you’d think especially when the floor is wet!
The kegs touch curtain as they get higher,old Bulmers,Federation and Fergy’s of Blyth(think they pulled out of Fed) used to run them in 40ft format,no tight streets for them,the bed of trailer is lower to help crews unload on the urbans,thats not tapered though,it means the trailer(if looking from the back goes up like a triangle shape).
Ghiabox:
I deliver beer in anything from 7.5t Isuzus, DAF LFs and Mercedes Antos, none are tapered. It is true we have to get into some tight streets but even a tapered trailer can catch some street furniture. Both K&N and DHL Trade Team have tapered trailers and I’m under the impression its to make things easier for unloading as they’re lower than the standard bed. I’ve been at a drop before in our Antos at the same time as K&N and Trade team and its easier to grab things off the back of their trailers than it is with our Antos.
I cant imagine the design is to keep kegs in at one end, coming back from Greenock I went round a roundabout slightly too fast and heard the thankfully empty double stacked kegs fall off the pallet (driver error obviously) but even full kegs can move around easier than you’d think especially when the floor is wet!
The kegs touch curtain as they get higher,old Bulmers,Federation and Fergy’s of Blyth(think they pulled out of Fed) used to run them in 40ft format,no tight streets for them,the bed of trailer is lower to help crews unload on the urbans,thats not tapered though,it means the trailer(if looking from the back goes up like a triangle shape).
Doh, not long been up when I wrote that no idea why the back end is like that and I cant think of any way it would help with anything. I’ll ask next time I see them and post the answer in here
If your ever behind a K&N or Tradeteam primary lorry at a roundabout they usually crawl around it,only takes a wheel up on curb or taking it too quick and it’s game over
RE the sloping sides: isn`t it because the vehicles have sloping floors too?
The truck has the rave higher that the centre of the bed, and has a divider running down the center of the bed. The crates slope in towards the center of the truck. Much more stable when cornering. Dividers between the pallets too I think. Corona used to have door to door delivery trucks like that, once upon a time.
Only ones i’ve seen with a divider down the middle is Downton’s for the AB Inbev stuff,but Inbev is stacked on pallets,sort of 5 kegs a pallet 5 kegs e.t.c no wrap,K&N is HUK work and kegs straight on the bed,DHL is Coors keg on the bed no divider on trailers and flat floors,the old tapered ones in 40ft format used to have centre posts running down middle but also had flat floors,limited what you could get on as posts used to get in way though(i.e 11 gal kegs).
Franglais:
RE the sloping sides: isn`t it because the vehicles have sloping floors too?
The truck has the rave higher that the centre of the bed, and has a divider running down the center of the bed. The crates slope in towards the center of the truck. Much more stable when cornering. Dividers between the pallets too I think. Corona used to have door to door delivery trucks like that, once upon a time.
I’m fairly sure Tradeteam and k&n dont use pallets on their dray vehicles and the floor does slope but only towards the back, cant remember seeing the beds sloping inwards. They load their kegs on with a clamp truck straight onto the bed, I do have a friend that was working for Tradeteam I’d ask him but I’m sure his phone is always off lol
no idea why the back end is like that and I cant think of any way it would help with anything. I’ll ask next time I see them and post the answer in here 