DJ Products, Inc.

You’ve seen those guys at the truck shows who strap a rope around their chest and pull a mega-ton truck across the ground, their muscles bulging and popping with every step. Well, you can do that too, and you’ll only need one hand! With the aid of the DJ Products’ TrailerCaddy, anyone can move multi-ton trailers with ease. Just click here to watch a You Tube video of our TrailerCaddy in action.

The DJ Products TrailerCaddy is a powered mover designed to push or pull trailers that require lifting on one end before maneuvering. Designed to move equipment short distances, the TrailerCaddy makes it possible for any employee to move an equipment trailer, RV, camper or boat across a show room floor, from one point to another in the plant, into position at a trade show or to a new position in the lot. The TrailerCaddy does not require bulging muscles or super-human strength. The caddy does all the heavy lifting. All your employee does is steer.

Our powered TrailerCaddy is less bulky and more maneuverable than traditional electric pullers. This cost-efficient electric puller will decrease fuel and maintenance costs. Maximum operator control and maneuverability, particularly in tight spaces, means minimal damage to surrounding parts and equipment. Ergonomically designed for easy use, the TrailerCaddy decreases accidents and prevents worker injury associated with muscle strain. You’ll save in decreased medical expenses, insurance costs and workmen’s compensation claims. Visit our website for complete information about the TrailerCaddy. �

Warehouse safety begins at the receiving and shipping docks. Safe dock procedures set the stage for the safe unloading, handling and storage of materials as well as the packing, loading and shipping of product. Identifying and addressing ergonomic challenges on the dock can directly impact worker safety and dock productivity. “You have to look at everything from what kind of trailer you’re going to receive, to whether the load is floor-loaded or unitized to what happens to it after it comes off the truck. Even the temperature inside the facility and the weather are important,” explained Brent Tymensky, VP of design engineering for Fortna Inc.

Dock safety begins with attention to five important issues:

• Trailer access. The length, width, height and suspension system of a trailer generally determine the dock equipment needed. Other considerations include whether the trailer is dry or refrigerated and whether the load is unitized and fully cubed.
• Dock conditions. Temperature and weather impact dock worker safety and efficiency. A canopy that keeps out cold, heat, wind, rain and snow improves working conditions and worker comfort. Air-inflatable dock seals can form a tight barrier around a trailer, keeping out the weather and reducing energy costs.
• Personnel issues. The age, experience and physical condition of your workforce are factors that determine how and when automated and manual equipment are used. Adjustable conveyors that reach into a trailer can assist with manual unloading and loading procedures, reducing the physical strain on workers. While some palletized loads can be off-loaded as is, many pallet loads must be broken down manually into their components for use or proper storage. Adjustable carts and tuggers can make this work both easier and safer for dock workers.
• Dock safety equipment. Vehicle restraint devices prevent trailers from exiting prematurely while workers are still on the trailer. Restraint devices range from simple wheel chucks to automated systems that bolt into the cement dock and attach to the trailer’s rear guard. A newly marketed interlocking device attaches to the trailer brake emergency airline to prevent the trailer from moving until the dock ramp is removed and the dock door closed.
• Productivity and efficiency. Dock levelers, extendable conveyors and palletizing equipment all increase efficiency in retrieving and loading materials and goods. Trailer drop can significantly hinder the transition from the trailer to the dock. Levelers and vehicle restraints that support the rear of the trailer can eliminate trailer drop as equipment is moved into the trailer for loading or unloading.

You feel sorry for them when you see them in the parking lot struggling with a long line of shopping carts. Cart retrieival has got to be the least-liked job among grocery store, big box and other retail employees. It might not seem like too bad a job on a nice spring day, but cruising the parking lot for carts in the blistering July heat or the pouring rain or driving snow can be brutal.

Have you ever watched a cart retrieval operation? Workers walk hither and yon in a time-consuming search for carts, gathering them into an every increasing line. Often, carts tossed into corrals must be wrenched apart with force so they can be nested together correctly for the push back to the store. Some workers will try to muscle a line of carts half an aisle long, straining to push and pull what has become the equivalent of a fixed-wheel piece of heavy equipment. They use brute force to jerk the line of carts this way and that as they try to maneuver them into the store.

Manual cart retrieval is an open invitation to worker injury. Strained muscles –  particularly back, leg and arm — from muscling carts across the parking lot are common. Wrists can be sprained trying to jerk carts apart or force a line of carts into a curve. Smashed fingers are a daily occurrence. And all those injuries cost an employer money in medical bills, insurance premiums, workmen’s compensation and lost man-hours.

The shopping cart retriever system eliminates the drudgery, hard work and potential health concerns associated with rounding up shopping carts. The shopping cart retriever attaches to the back of a line of carts and can push up to 50 shopping carts, far more than even the strongest employee can attempt. With the cart pusher attached to the back of the cart train, an employee standing at the front of the line can easily steer the line of carts into the store using a remote control device to operate the retriever. Pushing the carts from behind, the retriever does all the heavy work, protecting your employees from possible injury. Click here to find out more about the handy shopping cart retriever.