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Not far behind the cost of labor and fuel, tires are among the top operating expenses for most beverage fleets. Looking at just maintenance costs, tires rise to the top of the list.

Beverage route drivers endure one of the most physically demanding jobs in the delivery industry, according to Carl Boettcher, chief executive officer and founder of HTS Systems Lock N Roll LLC, Scranton, Pa.

As the truck industry's single-largest event, the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS), which takes place each year in Louisville, Ky., is the focal point for new product introductions by truck manufacturers and suppliers.

It’s fairly common in business, psychology and elsewhere to incentivize the type of behavior one desires. Within the beverage industry, sales and marketing departments rely on numerous incentive programs, both internally with staff and externally with retailers.

Direct-store-delivery (DSD) solutions no longer are the clunky order-entry devices of times past, notes David F. Giannetto, senior vice president of performance management for Salient Management Co., Horseheads, N.Y.

A facility that contains packaged product, equipment and people has been called many things; however, that big “barn” generally is referred to as a warehouse. These facilities also will vary in size, layout and capabilities.

The old TV commercial where the oil filter technician said “You can pay me now or pay me later,” implies that saving a little money up-front might cost much more in the long run.

“SKU proliferation is the largest change the industry has seen in the last decade,” says Aaron Corcoran, account executive for Westfalia Technologies Inc., York, Pa.

Although SKU counts are expanding and other market forces are impacting logistical strategies, beverage distributors are increasingly looking at equipment changes to gain a competitive edge.

The case for reusable containers is getting stronger. The ability of beverage-makers to ship products in reusable cartons — some of which also function as in-store displays — is resulting in potentially powerful cost savings while also giving companies an environmentally friendly aura.