christopher Harper, Author at DJ Products

In an Unusual Move, Delaware Changes Truck Weight Rules for Road for Local Residents

Truck Weight Rules Changes in Delaware Locality

The term “yard trucks” may have taken on new meaning for residents near Delaware’s Port of Wilmington. For years they have complained about commercial vehicle traffic on their two-lane road, citing an obscure rule from Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT).

Late last year, DelDOT had an official response to the complaints. Unfortunately for local residents, it’s not what any of them anticipated.

Truck Traffic in Residential Area

Pyles Lane is a road frequently used by trucks entering and leaving the facilities of Port-to-Port International Corp., which is in the business of shipping used and wrecked vehicles to Central America. People living on Pyles Lane have complained about incessant noise, vibrations and emissions from the constant traffic.

DelDOT instituted a rule in 1971 saying trucks over 5,000 pounds were forbidden to travel Pyles Land from Del. 9 to approximately 200 feet from Port-to-Port’s entrance. The only exception made was for local vehicles making local deliveries.

Are Truckers Breaking the Law?

The rule made it virtually illegal for trucks to access Port-to-Port’s facility. Residents of Pyles Lane have been insisting that DelDOT enforce their law and forbid commercial vehicles to travel the road.

In a surprise move, DelDOT affirmed that trucks going to and from Port-to-Port qualify as “local vehicles making local deliveries” and are thereby exempt from the rule. They also moved the restricted line another 200 feet, freeing up access to Port-to-Port’s entrance.

C.R. McLeod, spokesperson for DelDOT, explained that banning commercial vehicles on Pyles Lane would effectively put Port-to-Port out of business, something the agency was not prepared to do.

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Powered Boat Dolly:TrailerCaddy

DJ Products, Inc. of Minneapolis, the worlds leader in walk-behind battery powered tugs and powered boat dollies, has introduced a new powered boat dolly for pushing and pulling large boat trailers. The TrailerCaddy powered boat dolly can easily maneuver boat trailers in and out of a garage, a storage warehouse, marine showroom floor, or a boat and rv show.

The TrailerCaddy powered boat dolly assists in delivering boat trailers to more wide open areas or in and around a storage warehouse for repairs or rearranging. The powered dollies compact size, maneuverability, and variable speed make maneuvering trailers in confined areas easy. The powered boat dolly is a more affordable alternative when compared to a fork truck or a possibly injury resulting from operators manually moving boats or trailers.

For more detailed powered boat dolly information, please visit us online at www.djproducts.com or call one of our sales engineers at 800-686-2651.

Beyond the Distribution Center: Tips for Going Green

In All We Do on This Planet, Thinking Green Can Only Help.

As a key cog in the machine for retail and industry, distribution centers can make an enormous impact by going green. Yet it’s hard to justify investing in something for the environment if it doesn’t improve your own bottom line. So let’s talk about how going green with smart warehouse equipment and energy-saving choices can help the planet, your employees, and your business.

The Basics: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Businesses can reduce their footprint by going digital to use less paper and implementing recycling bins for bottles and glass. Warehouses can go green even more by reusing and recycling pallets, cardboard boxes, packing materials, and more.

Try charting your progress to boost employee morale, and make it known to customers that you’ve gone green so they can feel good about doing business with you.

Less Carbon, More Comfort

Any steps to improve heating and cooling efficiency can also make the warehouse more comfortable for hardworking staff. Try these:

– Add insulation

– Install industrial fans

– Insulate ductwork

– Paint the roof white

– Switch to cooler LED lighting

Better ventilation, cleaner air, and a healthier work environment make your employees more productive. That’s good for retention, reducing sick days, and thus being more profitable. Lower utility bills help, too!

Electric Warehouse Equipment

Smart warehouses use less energy because they’re more efficient. If you’re using a diesel forklift, an industrial cart mover can potentially replace it. If you send out less-than-full truckloads, smarter logistics can fill the truck and get more out of every gallon of fuel.

DJ Products makes ergonomic, battery-powered warehouse equipment for today’s needs. While helping you go green, our CartCaddy and other material handling equipment will also help make your warehouse a healthier, more injury-free zone. Contact us for more info.

Lidar Technology Being Used to Improve the Safety of Warehouse Robots

New Technology Arrives in Warehouses

Robots are the ultimate material handling equipment, but their application in the warehouse environment is still limited. While robotic workers are being developed to handle increasingly sophisticated tasks, they lack the ability to sense and react to their surroundings.

This obstacle may be overcome soon, thanks to a Massachusetts tech company. A system known as lidar could be the solution for safer warehouse robots.

Solving the Problem of Robotic Safety

Lidar is a high-tech method used to detect nearby objects, much like radar, but it uses laser light rather than radio waves. While lidar has a a number of applications, it’s gained attention recently as a navigational system for self-driving vehicles.

Massachusetts-based Veo Robotics came up with the idea to use a similar system with industrial robots. Veo’s proprietary lidar program generates real-time 3D maps of warehouses and factory workspaces. The data is used to stop robots if humans are approaching or the robots can’t sense what’s going on around them.

Lidar Hits the Industrial Market

In late 2017, Veo raised $12 million in capital from venture investment firms to finance their project. Kuka is one of several robotics companies allowing Veo to test their technology on their machines.

The completed system is expected to begin shipping to customers this year. At $40,000, the system is roughly one-tenth of the cost of industrial robots and requires less than a day for installation.

Veo co-founder Patrick Sobalvarro projects $1 billion in annual revenue within five years. Sobalvarro hails Veo’s system as the “end of fear” around bulky but fast-moving industrial robots.

Let Material Handling Equipment from DJ Products Do the Heavy Lifting

Our material handling equipment improves workplace safety in any warehouse. Contact us for more information.

Process Improvements Help to Improve Damaged Stock Realities

Reviewing the Process Can Reduce Accidents and Damaged Materials

Damaged stock is one of the primary factors reducing warehouse and supply chain profitability. The impact can be direct, as in the case of incomplete orders, or indirect, such as when an accident injures an employee.

Anywhere from two percent to 11 percent of products received are already damaged, but the problem isn’t simply a matter of chance. Experts recommend use of tugger carts as one of the proactive ways to reduce the amount of damaged stock in your warehouse.

Improve Workflows

How is stock typically handled during day-to-day operations in your warehouse? Review the process from start to finish and look for areas of improvement, such as reducing the number of times a case is touched.

Use Material Handling Equipment Whenever Possible

Material handling equipment involves a significant financial investment, but the costs will be more than offset by less product damage and fewer job-related injuries.

Reassess Racking Systems

If the racking system is inadequate, it could result in improper storage which is a leading cause of damaged stock. In addition to upgrading racks, consider installing safety equipment such as column protectors and aisle shields.

Train Employees

Employees are on the front lines when it comes to handling and processing stock. Incorporate product awareness into your ongoing safety training workshops.

Build a Culture of Cleanliness

It sounds simple, but employees sometimes become lax about keeping the warehouse clean, whether it’s due to work deadlines or thoughtlessness. Create and enforce standards of cleanliness and hold employees accountable.

DJ Products Makes Tugger Carts to Solve Any Need

No matter what types of products are handled in your warehouse, we have a wide range of tugger carts to improve safety and productivity. Use our handy online chat feature to learn more.

February Brings Snow – Tips to Share with Your Fleet on Driving in Bad Weather

Share Our Snow Driving Tips with Your Fleet

When your fleet is on the road, they don’t have the advantage of yard trucks to help maneuver through winter driving conditions. Snow, sleet, wind and hail create treacherous roads resulting in costly and time-consuming delays, accidents and injuries.

Make bad weather awareness a regular focus of communication with your drivers during winter months. Professional truckers offer helpful tips for dealing with major hazards of winter driving.

Freezing Rain

Freezing rain, also known as sleet, is one of the more challenging winter conditions as it often produces black ice and low visibility. Once ice begins forming on mirrors and windshields, the best course of action is simply to pull off the road until the freezing rain stops.

Heavy Snow

Snow can be unpredictable, especially when traveling through high altitude areas, and it can take a while before roads are clear enough to travel. Fuel up before beginning a trip and keep tire chains, food and extra clothing on hand.

Strong Winds

When crossing wide open spaces on the highway, even heavy trucks have little protection against strong winds. If winds are making the truck difficult to control, find a truck or rest stop and park between two van trailers.

Intense Cold

When temperatures drop low enough, it can interfere with the truck’s engine running properly. If you’ll be stopped for a while, it might be a good idea to leave the truck on high idle to keep the engine warm.

Save Time and Boost Productivity with Yard Trucks from DJ Products

Time is one of the more valuable resources in the transportation industry. Our Electric Yard Dog is ready when you need it most. Visit our website to learn more about yard trucks and our other tugs, movers and pushers.

Reminders About Tire Chains for Safety and Snow Performance

It’s winter again, and like every year it’s time to think about the safest ways for truckers to travel on the road. One of them is chaining, and it’s something that will keep your fleet going through the toughest weather.

At DJ Products, we know you rely on us to provide you with top products like your fleet’s semi trailer mover. But we also want to you know that we’re here to help with all aspects of safety.

How to Know if Chains are Ready to Use

First, you will want to make sure that you’re meeting all of the chain requirements for the states you will traveling through. Once you know you can do that, it’s time to inspect the chains.

You can start by laying them out next to each other. Make sure they’re the same size and in good repair. Make sure to inspect the cams, cross links and connectors. Also, take a look at your bungee cords. You need two cords per chain at a minimum. Make sure that none of them need to be replaced.

Driving With Chains

When you are driving, make sure to follow these guidelines:

– Don’t exceed the speed limit.

– Keep at least one window partially down so you can hear if there are any problems with the chains.

– Maintain extra distance between you and other vehicles to give yourself enough time to stop.

Consider Other Products to Keep Your Drivers Safe

There are so many ways that truck drivers can get hurt during their shifts. As you know, it’s important to keep them safe, and we have a lot of products that can help you with that. Now is a great time to pick up a semi trailer mover! Contact us!

Hybrid AI Models May Be Best for Supply Chain Planning

As technology continues to impact warehouse equipment and other facets of supply chain, artificial intelligence (AI) is seen as the next wave of the future. AI is being used to pilot industrial vehicles and make predictions based on data gathered from containers and machinery.

Some predict the eventual arrival of a fully autonomous supply chain, but is that actually possible or even desirable? Experts say a hybrid AI model is the best solution for optimum efficiency and productivity.

The Role of AI in Supply Chain Operations

While the popular concept of AI is tied to machine learning, supply chains have already been using AI in applications such as operations research and fuzzy logic. The common denominator is that all involve gathering and processing historical data.

Where AI comes up short is decision-making. Based on the quantity and high level of data amassed, AI can make accurate predictions related to customer demand and other variables. But making a final decision requires context, something only humans can provide.

Combining AI and Human Intelligence

Analytics fall into four broad categories with increasing degrees of difficulty and importance:

– Descriptive (What happened?) and Diagnostic (Why did it happened?) are where historic data comes into play.

– Predictive (What can happen?) and Prescriptive (What should we do?) involve processing available data to determine how best to move forward.

AI is invaluable in the first three steps. When it comes to decision-making, a human can take data and apply external factors, such as weather or season, to determine the optimum course of action.

Cutting-Edge Warehouse Equipment for Today’s Supply Chain Operations

Make sure you have the right warehouse equipment to implement more productive processes. Contact DJ Products for information about our selection of electric tugs, movers and pushers.

Fleet Manager Tips: Preventive Maintenance Protects Your Truck Investment

You already rely on the use of a powered trailer mover to protect your trucks and trailers from damage, but are you dropping the ball on maintenance? Keeping your fleet in top shape ensures productivity, safeguarding your organization’s sales and service goals.

Keeping Your Fleet Road-Ready with Preventive Maintenance is a Worthwhile Investment

With regular preventive maintenance, unscheduled downtime and unexpected repairs are easily avoided. This includes pre-travel safety checks (fluid levels, tire pressure) to ensure a road-worthy vehicle. Sadly, this is often the only time the vehicle gets an all-over once-over!

Keep Drivers In-the-Know

Fleet managers are not the only ones responsible for preventive maintenance (PM). Make sure all drivers know their PM responsibilities, including scheduling and policies on how to handled the need for repair, roadside assistance, or accidents. Common areas of concern include:

Proper Spec’ing: Usage, operating conditions, and the nature of the goods carried must be carefully considered to control cost. Operating an over-spec’d vehicle will inflate costs. Under-spec’ing leads to roadway incidents and damage to goods.

Tire Pressure/Wear: Heard often and practiced rarely, adjusting tire pressure is essential. Affecting tire wear, gas mileage, handling, and vehicle/driver safety, tire pressure should be regularly adjusted for weather.

Use Preventive Maintenance to Protect Your Investment Dollars

When a preventive maintenance schedule is routinely followed, it’s easy to see when maintenance and repair needs rise with vehicle age. The way manufacturers’ warranties cover maintenance and repair will affect your total cost of ownership. Comparing maintenance with vehicle worth will help you realize when selling the vehicle makes more sense than the cost of repairs.

Wish everything worked as easily as your powered trailer mover? Simplify things with the help of the industry experts at DJ Products today.

Fleet Manager Tips: Using In-Cab Video to Improve Safe Driving

Are your drivers equipped with the intel they need to navigate the highway battle zone they face daily? It’s a jungle out there, and without the right preparations you could be sending them unprepared into an extremely hazardous situation.

WATCH OUT!!

Drivers face a host of tactical hazards. In a University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute study, the actions of 81% of motorists in investigated collisions were identified as ‘assigned factors’ in accidents. The study found automobiles the ‘encroaching vehicle’ in 89% of head-on collisions, 88% of rear-end crashes, and 88% of opposite-direction side-swipes.

WATCH THIS!

Unlike a motorized semi trailer mover, which requires little-to-no training for accident-free operation, safely operating a semi requires a unique skill set, especially in a world of auto-driving ‘amateurs’. To circumnavigate an on-road ambush, Custom Ecology Inc. fleet safety director Rob Arbeiter is turning to in-cab video training.

Mimicking the infamous movie, Arbeiter’s ‘Top Gun’ style training is highly-effective. Using DriveCam-captured in-cab video clips to showcase hard-braking and other incidents, pre and post ‘flight briefings’ are administered to enhance driver skills, protecting drivers, reducing accidents, and saving money.

Show-and-Tell

The in-cab videos often exonerate drivers, such as those involved in accidents where other autos run stop signs or worse: Purposefully ramming into tractor-trailers falsely claiming driver negligence for a payout. Here, a simple ‘I’ve got it on video’ eliminates shenanigans. Videos can likewise help correct driver habits, such as when a driver isn’t at-fault, but could’ve prevented an accident with more frequent mirror checks, helping sharpen skills and ultimately protecting the livelihood of drivers.

Emerge victorious in the battle zone at your loading dock. Eliminate accidents, protect workers and speed the process with a semi trailer mover from DJ Products. Learn more today.

Author: christopher Harper