A curtain-side trailer carrying 26 UK pallets of beer in glass bottles arrived at a distribution centre with several stacks leaning after hard braking on the motorway. Goods-in halted the delivery, because a collapsing pallet of glass is dangerous to unload. Our recovery team rebuilt the unstable pallets, screened the stock for broken glass and returned 23 pallets to the delivery.
Situation
The load was travelling from a brewery to a centre supplying retail and wholesale customers. One emergency stop was enough: four pallets were leaning against their neighbours, stretch wrap had torn and cartons had slid out of position. Glass raises the stakes. A stack that falls during unloading does not just dent boxes, it fills the trailer with broken bottles and spilt beer, and the whole delivery risks rejection as contaminated. The receiving team refused to unload and the trailer was classed as a distressed load.
What we did
We inspected the trailer pallet by pallet: stack stability, carton alignment, wrap condition and any sign of leaking cartons. The verdict was 18 pallets needing a full rebuild, 5 a partial one, and 3 sound. The damaged wrap came off, cartons went back into the correct stacking pattern layer by layer, and every rebuilt pallet was wrapped again.
Because the product sits in glass, restacking alone was not enough. After the rebuild we checked cartons for cracked or leaking bottles and pulled anything compromised, so no broken glass travelled on into the supply chain. Finally the pallets were re-spaced inside the trailer to give forklifts a safe line to every stack.
Outcome
23 of the 26 pallets went back into the delivery and the trailer was unloaded safely. The sender received photographic documentation and inspection reports for the insurance file. Without the rebuild, the likely outcome was a full rejection: a trailer of beer going back the way it came, with the costs following it.
What this means for shippers
A load of drinks in glass is one hard braking event away from a refused delivery, and every hour a refused trailer stands still costs money. The economics of recovery are strong: across our recovery work, more than 92 percent of the loads we take in return to the supply chain. How the service works day to day is described in our article on pallet re-stow and load rearrangement. If your trailer has just been turned away, describe it in the contact form. We work 24/7 from Milton Keynes.
