Straight ahead: by staying abreast of the latest developments in technology, Coastal Beverage Company is keeping its operation among the tops on its field - 1990 Microbrewery Report

Modern Brewery Age, May 14, 1990 by Chris Barlow

STRAIGHT AHEAD

By staying abreast of the latest developments in technology, Coastal Beverage Company is keeping its operation among the tops in its field.

As a wholesale beer distributor with operations covering quite a bit of territory out of two locations in North Carolina, Coastal Beverage Company has to be able to rely on its fleet. And according to Philip Stump, fleet manager, when it comes to specing the fleet's equipment not only does consideration have to be given to efficiency, but also its ability to withstand the daily grind of stop and go delivery service.

"The amount of territory we have to cover, directly affects the operation of our fleet," Phil notes. "Needless to say, we pay pretty close attention to our specs, and once we find something that works, we tend to stay with it. That's not to say, however, that we won't change if the situation warrants it."

Starting off his career in trucking as an independent driver, Phil later switched to heavy truck sales and eventually to the engineering side of the business before moving into his present position at Coastal 11 years ago. "The company's been around since 1960," Phil explains, "and since I've been here, I've tried to use my background to help in putting the fleet's specs together."

One thing Phil's done at Coastal is to update and standardize the fleet. Since 1980, Coastal has been buying only Ford LN-8000 tractors for delivery operations. The fleet now includes 13 LN-8000s based at its main location in Wilmington, NC, and another seven in a second facility in Wilson, NC. "We do have some other older tractors," Phil states, "but we're gradually phasing them out in favor of the Fords." "Our specs have stayed pretty much the same since 1987," Phil continues, "and we've kept the same basic frame, axle and front end since 1980. We put a lot of hard mileage on the equipment, and because our drivers are more salesmen than truck drivers, we spec them on the heavy side."

Coastal's first Fords, according to Phil, were powered by Caterpillar 3208 engines and equipped with five-speed transmissions and two-speed rear axles. The newest tractors, however, are outfitted with Ford 7.8-liter diesels, rated 240 HP at 2600 RPM, which the fleet started specing in 1987. Other standard specs include a Fuller 6106, six-speed transmission and a Rockwell 23,000-lb capacity single rear axle with 4.89 ratio.

Coastal is currently operating three of the Ford diesel-equipped tractors in Wilmington and four in Wilson. "When we bought the beer distributor in Wilson a few years ago," Phil relates, "we inherited a real mess as far as equipment was concerned. That's why a greater percentage of our newer equipment is based there. In both locations, though, we've been very pleased with the performance of the Ford diesels. And our mechanics say they're real easy to work on."

Standardized Specs

"With everything pretty much standardized we know just what's needed when it's time to reevaluate our specs which we last did in 1986 for the route trucks." At that time the decision was made to stay with the Ford tractors, according to Phil, after field testing the Fords and another tractor. In addition to standardizing the tractor specs, Phil also notes that Coastal has switched from straight trucks to tractor trailers on its routes.

The annual mileage Coastal's drivers put on the route trucks varies greatly, according to Phil. "We can run anywhere from 6,000 to 37,000 miles a year," he explains. "Our average is around 20,000 miles, which is really quite high for our type of operation. The national average for a beer distributor is around 12,000 miles, so you can see we're really hard on our tractors." One of the ways Coastal tries to compensate for its heavy use of equipment is to have an open road speed limit of 58 MPH as company policy. "We feel the engines ought to be run at about 200 RPM less than they're governed at," Phil states, "so we set the limit of 58 MPH at 2400 RPM. Since we've subscribed to that philosophy, it's served us well and that's one of the reasons the engines have performed as well as they have."

Coastal's tractors are also ordered with premium electrical systems. "We need them because in our business we're very hard on starters and alternators and wind up rebuilding them every year," Phil notes. "We also thought about specing automatic transmissions," he adds, "but we just couldn't justify the cost. Instead, a synchonized six-speed transmission is working well and they're much easier to drive. When we see technologies have changed, we do reevaluate our specs. But in this type of operation, what's good for us, may not be best for someone else.

Hot Summers

"We also have some unusual operating circumstances to consider," Phil continues, "especially with cooling systems in the hot, humid summers. As a result, we test coolant inhibitor levels during normal service, change thermostats, clamps and hoses every other year, and all belts are replaced annually. As part of a comprehensive annual checkup, our radiators are flushed every other year as well and removed for further cleaning if necessary. We use Phillips antifreeze exclusively, because of its low silicone content, spec Eaton fan clutches and all tractors are equipped with air conditioning including older models we've retrofitted with Red Dot units."