A transport puck vertically aligns a caulking cartridge, nozzle-down. The puck includes (i) a substantially solid lower plug portion, having a lead face and a bottom face and an center passageway that is at least partially inverted frustum-shaped that forms a side contact face that tapers from a wider lead face opening to a narrower bottom face opening; and or to a tubular sleeve from the side contact face to the bottom face opening; (ii) an upper sleeve, shaped to receive the caulking cartridge in a desired vertical alignment to the lower plug portion; and (iii) at least one funnel-shaped bore into the bottom face with an inserted connector comprising a head and stem, the head spaced within the bore to define a spacing that has been determined to identify bottom face wear.