Tell someone you’re in the caster business and more times than not, the first question is, “What’s a Caster?” Once you explain, the inevitable response is something like, “Oh yeah! I see those everywhere.” The truth is that casters are one of those products that are absolutely everywhere – and absolutely essential – but are seemingly invisible. So, we thought it would be interesting – and fun – to create a series of e-newsletters that detail some of the more unusual, unoticed and unheard-of uses for casters. 

At the start … and at the finish line.

When Algood president Craig Guttmann gets asked the question above – “What’s a caster?” – he answers by saying, “You come into this world on casters and you’ll leave this world on casters!” We thought that was a great topic for our very first issue of Wheels Revealed.

Bassinets in hospital maternity wards get moved all the time. Babies are taken to and from their moms, put under lights to prevent jaundice, transported to specialty departments and placed in the nursery so that friends and family can ooh and ah. Imagine the lives of those who work in maternity departments if babies had to be walked from area to area. Even with all that, who has ever noticed the casters on a bassinet cart? The answer is no one, other than caster geeks.

And, on the other end of life’s journey … Anyone who has ever served as a pallbearer will tell you how surprised they were at the weight of the casket. The average coffin weighs about 200lbs. empty. Adding a body to that creates a significant amount of weight. Coffins are moved to and from areas within funeral homes, to separate venues for memorial services and on to cemeteries or mausoleums.

It’s no wonder then that the coffin cart was developed. Without them, funeral directors, undertakers and morticians would be spending more time visiting the chiropractor than tending to the deceased. And, without casters, that coffin cart would be absolutely useless. Does anyone ever notice the casters on a coffin cart? Nope. Well, maybe Craig does.

So, there you have it. Wheels revealed – from delivery to demise, casters are part of our lives.