>question: Cannot truck haulers move barrels of honey anymore without
>putting onto wooden pallets?

Sure but the drums need blocked with wood to keep from shifting.

>What happened to using barrel trucks and barrel movers and just straight
>roping in where needed space wise?

roping is still used with beekeepers in conjunction with blocks and many put
down cardboard to keep drums from shifting on metal floors but most
commercial haulers prefer pallets (Usually with the pallet banded). No ropes
but flatbed haulers use straps.

Myself and friends prefer drums on floor of a flatbed. Load and unload with
forklift and barrel mover.

Hand barrel jacks are only used in the smallest of operations. I will say
there are some new barrel jacks (expensive) which handle heavy drums easy,
The old jacks at times slip off or out from under drums (personal
experience).

An independent driver might balk at you sitting a load of drums on the back
and he two wheeling to the front. Quite a bit of work and time spent
(compared to the way we handle drums today) . You would have to provide the
jack to move the barrels.

>.Wooden pallets seem so unstable....................when did things change?

Oak pallets are very stable but the drums are best banded. For traveling I
prefer drums on floor and blocked in.

I have found myself in very strange situations delivering drums of honey to
places without docks or equipment. The Missouri Amish community comes to
mind. Now I would bring a forklift and forklift jack and barrel jack.
Problem solved.

bob

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