The van comes back half empty
The dray goes out full on a Tuesday and comes back with a handful of empties. The landlord at one stop was not in and the cellar was locked. At another the casks were still on stillage, not vented and not ready. A third pub gave back two of someone else's firkins and none of yours. Next week you are short of casks for the best bitter.
Nobody did anything wrong exactly. The drayman had a delivery list and a vague idea that there might be empties to collect. The pub did not know you were coming for them.
Collections are nobody's plan
Deliveries come from orders, so they are planned. Collections come from what is sitting in a cellar, which nobody in the office can see. Casks in particular have a life of their own: a firkin goes on sale, sits on stillage until it is finished, then waits in the yard. The timing is the pub's, not yours.
- The run sheet lists deliveries only.
- Pubs are not told a collection is expected.
- The drayman does not know how many empties each stop should have.
- What does come back is counted at the yard, not per pub.
- Short collections are not flagged for the next run.
Where it hurts
Short collections mean short fills. You brew to a plan and then cannot rack it because the containers are out in the trade. Extra runs to fetch empties cost fuel and a driver's day. Casks left too long in a warm yard need more work in the wash bay. And every missed collection teaches the pub that it does not matter much when you get them back.
It also muddies your numbers. If you do not know how many firkins are out, you cannot tell whether you need to buy more or simply collect better, and buying more is the expensive way to find out.
How we plan collections into the run
- We work out what each account should be holding from deliveries and past collections, by container type: kegs, firkins, pins, polypins where they are returnable.
- Each stop on the run sheet shows the deliveries and the expected empties side by side.
- The day before, pubs with empties due get a short text or email saying the dray is coming and how many containers you are hoping to collect.
- At the stop, the drayman records what was collected on the phone, including other breweries' containers taken by arrangement.
- Any gap between expected and collected rolls forward onto the next run for that pub and appears on a short list for the office.
- Planning uses your existing route or delivery days; we do not replace your routing tool unless you want us to.
| On the run sheet | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Deliveries | Listed | Listed |
| Expected empties | Not shown | Shown by container type |
| Pub told in advance | Rarely | Automatic message |
| Collected count | Counted in the yard | Recorded per stop |
| Shortfall | Forgotten | Rolls to the next run |
A dray that brings back what it should
Your drayman knows what to ask for at each door. Pubs get a nudge the day before, which is often enough to have the casks by the cellar hatch. The office sees which accounts are consistently short and can raise it on the next call. Fill planning uses a real figure for containers due back this week.
Signs your collections need this
- You regularly have beer ready and nothing to put it in.
- Extra runs go out just to fetch empties.
- The drayman's run sheet has no collection column.
- Other breweries' casks keep turning up in your yard.
- Nobody can say which pubs owe you containers.