Features

KEITH CleenSweep proves to be a winner

Operating three road trains with the KEITH CleenSweep system, Beggs Bulk is enjoying impressive gains in efficiency.

“When you empty the trailers out, there’s no product left inside, so you don’t need to sweep it out. Having the CleenSweep system saves about an hour in cleaning time every trip,” explained Beggs Bulk general manager Ken Beggs.

CleenSweep is a lightweight tarp system, recommended for bulk materials. It eliminates the need for a broom or manual tarp. 

Used in conjunction with a KEITH Walking Floor self-unloading system, the CleenSweep tarp system ‘sweeps’ out residual material as the trailer unloads. The CleenSweep tarp is powered by a winch system and extends down the inside of the trailer, with the load resting on the top of the tarp. 

As the Walking Floor system unloads the trailer, the weight of the material pulls the tarp along the floor, cleaning as it goes. It retracts at the push of a button.

Beggs Bulk runs a fleet of five trucks, specialising in commodities transport for the cattle and feedlot industry, carting out of SA and into southern Queensland; with cotton seed carried on the return leg.

The KEITH CleenSweep system has given the business huge efficiency gains.

Beggs, 70, has two of his own KEITH Walking Floor road trains with CleenSweep systems, with his sons Craig and Mark working alongside him.

“I also have a sub-contractor that trades under the name ComSpread. He’s been with me several years and is integral to the business. He has two AB-triples, and a KEITH Walking Floor road train that’s dedicated to my business, as well as a third AB-triple that is sometimes used to help out.”

Beggs started in trucks when he was 18 but gave it up for a long while before coming back into the game 15 years ago. It was supposed to be a semi-retirement job, but hasn’t turned out that way.

“The business has grown tenfold in the last few years. It was getting too hard running the business from behind the steering wheel, so now I do one week of driving and two weeks at home,” he said.

The Walking Floor road trains average 18,000-20,000km a month. “I had AB-triples for many years and slowly morphed into this particular work I’m doing now. I knew Walking Floor systems would be the best option for the job. The first set of KEITH Walking Floor unloaders I bought was magnificent, so I bought a second set. They were doing so well that my subbie bought a road train set too – so now there are three sets of Thin Wall trailers with KEITH Walking Floor systems in them,” added Beggs.

“Previously I was using tippers, but now with the Walking Floor systems, there’s less work involved – and I’ve picked up work as a result of having them, because they can back into sheds that were inaccessible to the tippers.”

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