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As part of an industry that promotes safe and responsible use of its product, Ben E. Keith Beverage strives for safety at its facilities.
Ben E. Keith (BEK) is part of the distribution network for Budweiser and other nationally known brands and is Budweiser’s largest privately-owned distributor.
When it comes to safety at the loading dock it is that short trip from the warehouse to the truck bed that needs the most attention. To minimize the risk for its drivers this Dallas-based beverage distributor equipped 14 remodeled dock positions with the SERCO equipment.
The additions at its Record-Crossing facility include Serco 45,000 lb. capacity hydraulic dock levelers, Universal Truck-Chock In-Ground wheel restraints and Serco Ultra Seal dock seals. For additional safety and ease of operation, these products are tied together with the Serco Master Control Panel.
The same line-up of doors services both inbound and outbound traffic around the clock. From 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, 30 to 57 truckloads of beer and other beverage products arrive at the dock. Crews then load BEK trucks in the late evening and into the early morning for shipments to stores throughout Texas the next day.
Having the trucks securely in place for all this traffic is important to management. Until the remodel the BEK Beverage crew threw rubber wheel chocks in front of the wheels in an effort to keep the trucks from moving. According to facilities manager Johnny Jones, “we found that didn’t work. A couple of years ago we had a truck that crept away from the dock as the brakes leaked and we’ve worked hard to not run that risk again.”
The management team saw the Universal Truck-Chock in-ground wheel restraints at a nearby facility and along with the safety the equipment provides they liked how the flush in-ground mounting did not interfere with driveway traffic. In addition, the in-ground wheel restraints can handle any style of truck that pulls up to the BEK dock for deliveries.
The hydraulically operated in-ground wheel restraints have a 16” high steel wheel chock that engages the rear tire of the trailer and provides continuous restraining force. By capturing the rear tire, the restraint is able to reduce the probability of landing gear collapse, trailer creep or trailer walk.
For ease of maintenance, the hydraulic pump and motor is mounted inside the building above each doorway. The conduit runs through the foundation wall, is imbedded in the driveway and runs to the wheel restraints, providing a cleaner installation.
Operation of the in-ground wheel restraints is automatic. Once activated, the system seeks the rear tire and automatically adjusts the amount of power applied to the wheel while the red/green LED light system communicates to the dock attendant and truck driver. Serco provides LED lights on their equipment to ensure a clear view of dock status regardless of visibility from the weather.