In this paper, we compute the cohomology class of certain "special maximal-rank loci" originally defined by Aprodu and Farkas. By showing that such classes are nonzero, we are able to verify the non-emptiness portion of the Strong Maximal Rank Conjecture in a wide range of cases. As an application, we obtain new evidence for the existence portion of a well-known conjecture due to Bertram, Feinberg and independently Mukai in higher-rank Brill--Noether theory.