christopher Harper, Author at DJ Products

The “Need for Speed” Hits Supply Chains – What to Know

With Amazon, Target, and the like offering increasingly faster shipping times at little to no additional cost to entice customers, the pressure is on. Those moving goods from the docks via terminal tractors, toting it via tractor trailer, and delivering door-side are all under a time crunch. As the ‘need for speed’ becomes increasingly pressing, how can your business keep up the pace?

Five Supply Chain Logistics Tips for Meeting ‘Instant Gratification’ Needs:

1. Get Closer

Instead of one large distribution center, consider a number of smaller centers to place yourself closer to customers/shippers and speed the flow.

2. Invest in the Right Equipment

Instead of constantly waiting on hostlers, invest in terminal tractors that can be driven by any employee – no CDL or Health Card required. Not only do these motorized trailer dollies offer faster movement, but they improve safety and control, reducing the risk of injury and damage.

3. Make Friends

If you’re a smaller firm, increase your shipping range with the help of a partner, such as local couriers or ShipBob. This nationwide service holds goods in its warehouses, picking, packing and shipping them for small-to-medium sized companies to nearby consumers, shrinking shipping times.

4. Embrace Tech

This includes a number of recent innovations, including:

– Data analytics for better planning.

– Visibility tools that allow you to quickly identify what/where your inventory is.

– Internet of Things (IoT) tools that enable better inventory tracking, segmentation, and placement.

– Predictive analytics to uncover disruptions before they occur.

5. Automate

Sorters, conveyors, and robots are a great way to speed up a range of distribution and fulfillment processes, as are autonomous vehicles.

Running behind? Get your supply chain running a little faster with the help of terminal tractors from DJ Products today.

Encouraging Congress to Take Action on “Super Slab” Improvements

Are your terminal tractors lugging loads destined for a road to nowhere? You don’t have to tell anyone in the shipping logistics industry that America’s roads, highways, tunnels, and bridges are in serious disrepair. Cementing the need for attention, the American Society of Civil Engineer’s 2017 report gave the nation’s transportation infrastructure a D+.

Deteriorating Infrastructure Is Impeding America’s Ability to Compete Globally

To safeguard our country’s future, timely action must be taken. While some progress has been achieved, reversing the trajectory of degradation due to under-investment in infrastructure over decades relies on the actions of the Congress, states, infrastructure owners, and American citizens.

‘Transportation Has Always Been Bi-Partisan’
– Ray LaHood, DOT Secretary Under Barack Obama

Far from a partisan problem, this national issue has not been addressed since 1993, the last time Congress increased the federal fuel tax – the primary funding mechanism for financing the majority of transportation infrastructure projects. Today, the issue remains, and is centered on the need for true long-term legislation able to attain the revenue necessary to finance the infrastructure projects of America’s crumbling highways, roads, bridges, and tunnels.

Bridging the Partisan Divide

A timely solution could help the nation capitalize on the current level of soaring economic momentum. As stated by Mr. LaHood, ‘There are no Democratic or Republican roads or bridges.’ And President Trump agrees, ‘We have a lot in common on infrastructure.’ Rep. Peter DeFazio notes, ‘We can’t pretend. There has to be real money, real investment, and it needs to be done soon.’ However, it’ll cost money at a time money is tight. A challenge that will be hard to surmount without everyone’s support.

Pave the way to a brighter future. Learn more about terminal tractors from DJ Products today.

Feds Lower Barriers to Autonomous Long Haul Semi Trucks

Say Hello to Self-Driving Semi Trucks

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the idea of autonomous vehicles on the road. It seems strange to think that cars and trucks might be able to get from point A to point B without a human driver. But, this is the reality of the world we’re living in today.

In today’s world, federal trucking rules are stating that the term “driver” can refer to artificial intelligence operating the trucks on the road; even those that are long hauls. This means that while companies may use terminal tractors and manpower to get the trucks ready to leave their warehouses, that same manpower isn’t necessary on the road.

State Laws are Barriers to Technology

Of course, not every state shares this viewpoint, and many are hesitant to agree. But federal laws will overrule states’ laws. DOT regulations stand in the way of progress because humans are limited in the amount of time they can drive long hauls. Autonomous trucking technology solves several problems that logistics companies all over the country are facing. And there are even more benefits to the industry as well.

The Benefits of Autonomous Trucks

Millions of dollars can be saved by implementing this new technology. In fact, in 2016 Uber conducted a test in which an 18-wheeler drove 120 miles to deliver beer. The company stated that by using an autonomous truck, they could potentially save $50 million per year. That’s excellent news for the economy. Lives might even be saved by removing humans from trucks altogether because of the long hours that drivers often work, which can lead to fatigue and unsafe driving.

It might take some time before this is implemented in your state. Until then, if you need terminal tractors, contact us!

It’s Time for Your Warehouse Safety Audit – How to Get Started

It’s Time for Your Safety Audit

Warehouse safety and forklift safety go hand-in-hand. Is your workplace compliant?

Creating a Safe Environment

Implemented by your company and maintained by OSHA, Safety in warehouses and forklift environments should be standard, not optional. Pedestrian workers, forklift operators, and supervising managers should all feel safe and secure. To achieve this, careful attention must be given to the following areas of your warehouse, not just pre-audit, but year-round:

Workspace Safety

To safeguard employees, keep workspaces uncluttered and walkways clear, remaining vigilant of tripping hazards. Keep all areas well lit, ensuring maximum visibility. Clean up spills immediately to keep slip and fall hazards in check.

Electrical Safety

Make sure all outlets function properly and aren’t overloaded, avoiding the use of extension cords which present multiple safety risks, including trip and water/fire hazards.

Equipment Safety

Well maintained, easy to operate warehouse equipment that is routinely inspected prior to use is integral to warehouse safety.

Fire Safety

Remove any/all fire hazards. Keep fire extinguishers in easily accessible areas. Test/replace them regularly, ensuring they’re in good working condition and employees know when/how to use them. Clearly mark all exits, keeping them free of obstructions.

Hazmat Safety

Ensure a clear path to eyewash stations and keep them in good working order. Clearly label all chemicals, keeping material safety data sheets (MSDS) on hand and easily accessible for rapid response in the event of an emergency.

Emergency Procedures

Knowledgeable employees are safe employees. Clear instructions on what to do in the event of accident, medical emergency, fire, or weather-related disaster are essential.

Do you have the right warehouse equipment and features to enhance worker safety? Protect employees from serious injury and improve efficiency with the help of DJ Products today.

Beyond the Dumpster: The Interesting Ancient History of Recycling and Garbage Part One

Beyond the Dumpster: The Interesting Ancient History of Recycling and Garbage

Think recycling is new? Both literally and figuratively, recycling is old news. With an interesting history, the recycling of trash has been in play on and by the earth since the days of dinosaurs decomposing into our favorite fossil fuels.

500 B.C.

Think moving waste without your dumpster mover is tough? In early Athens, Greece, city inhabitants were required by law to dispose of waste at least one-mile from city walls.

1031 A.D.

The first recorded reuse of paper waste was seen in Japan; recycled into new paper and resold in small family-owned shops nationwide.

1690

Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Mill introduced recycling using a manufacturing process that transformed fibers from cotton and linen rags into paper.

1776

The British are coming… And American rebels turned to recycling to fuel the materials necessary for the War of Independence.

1865

The Salvation Army in London, England began collecting, sorting and recycling unwanted items; later migrating to the U.S. in the 1890s.

1897

NYC established a materials recovery facility where rubbish such as paper, carpet, burlap, twin, rubber, and metals were sorted for recycling and reuse.

1900s

‘Waste as wealth’ programs promoted the ability to earn money by sorting/reselling items found in household garbage.

1904

America’s first aluminum can recycling plants opened their doors in Cleveland and Chicago.

1916-1918

‘Don’t waste it, save it’ referendum was promoted by the government to circumvent the massive shortage of raw materials in WWI.

1930s

Peddling rags, metal, etc. helped many survive the Depression.

1940

Rationing and recycling helped support war efforts.

Don’t throw away productivity. Put your employee’s assets to better use with the help of a dumpster mover from DJ Products today.

Albertsons Makes a Ten Electric Tesla Semi-Truck Purchase

Say Hello to Tesla’s Newest Fleet Additions. Add to Your Fleet Today!

Southern California grocery giant Albertsons will soon be facilitating the delivery of goods via Tesla’s latest all-electric semi truck technology. Ten trucks will grace the ranks of the food and drug retailer’s semi-trailer fleet under the Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions names. Will your business’ semi trailer mover and fleet soon be juicing-up side-by-side?

Meeting Supply Chain Efficiency & Sustainability Goals

The purchase of the vehicles is part of Albertson’s commitment to safety, sustainability, and social responsibility. A supporting partner of the EPA’s SmartWay program, Albertson’s fleet of 1,400 trucks are all SmartWay certified, as are 93% of its third-party carriers.

The truck purchases will aid the company in reducing their carbon footprint, upholding their commitment as a positive community partner and steward of the environment. Helping Albertson’s ensure a brighter future, the base and extended-range models of the electric semis, priced at $150,000-$180,000, provide a 300-mile to 500-mile range on a single charge, respectively, using less than 2-kW of energy per mile even with a fully-loaded trailer.

Forget the Noise

The purchases come as a surprise to some, given ongoing negative news surrounding the company including a number of executive departures, speculation of possible financial troubles ,and issues regarding the Tesla Model 3, which left the viability of the company’s semi line in question.

Volvo And Daimler electric models will start delivery as early as next year. NFI Industries, a third-party logistics provider which also ordered 10 Tesla semis, expects delivery some time in 2020, while the production and timing of the delivery of the Albertson’s purchase remains unknown.

Looking for new ways to reduce your carbon footprint and improve your business’ supply chain safety and efficiency? Learn more about the advantages of a semi trailer mover from DJ Products today.

Decrease Injuries in Your Warehouse with a Focus on Ergonomics

A Focus on Ergonomics Prevents Injuries in Your Warehouse

Workplace injuries put employees’ well-being at risk and can cost your business a considerable amount of money. Adopting ergonomic practices and investing in tugger carts and other equipment can help reduce these risks. Keep the following in mind in order to improve workplace safety at your warehouse.

Placing Items

Warehouse workers are at risk of injuring their back or other parts of their body while picking up items and moving them to another location. You can reduce this risk by having employees use lifting mechanisms to retrieve items that are heavy or large. Using carts for picking items that are on or near ground level also helps lower the risk of injuries.

Packing Items

Items that are bigger or heavier can put workers at risk of being injured while they are packing them. Workers can also be hurt after items are packed if they are not in a secure crate or container. Ensuring that workers have equipment for packing large or heavy items and putting them in secure crates or containers helps keep employees safe from injuries on the job.

Shipping and Receiving Items

Workers can become injured while removing large or heavy items from pallets. Ergonomic practices that reduce this risk include having mechanical equipment available to handle the task of lifting and moving heavier items. Making sure that items being shipped are placed in secure containers and crates can also help lower the risk of warehouse employee injuries.

If you are interested in tugger carts for your warehouse, please contact DJ Products. Our carts can make it easier and safer for employees to move heavy equipment and items.

Warehouse Injuries – Pallet Rack Collapse Tops the List

Watch Out Above You for any Potential Hazards – Like Falling Wooden Pallets.

You stock your facility with the warehouse equipment necessary to keep employees safe. Unfortunately, even small issues can result in serious injuries to workers when overlooked. Though accidents will happen, making staff aware of safety hazards and arming them with the proper training and tools minimize risks.

Four Commonly Overlooked Warehouse Hazards

The most common warehouse hazards are:

1. Pallet Rack Collapses: Pallet rack collapses occur when materials aren’t stowed in an orderly manner. They are exceptionally dangerous when resulting from high tiers, where even small items can become dangerous projectiles with momentum. Stacking items/pallets with the heaviest/largest items on the bottom and lightest/smallest on top, firmly positioned and wrapped with adequate space between pallets for lift truck access can prevent dangerous, costly accidents.

2. Slips, Trips and Falls: Although the easiest to prevent, this segment constitutes the majority of general industry accidents, causing 15% of accidental deaths (2^nd to motor vehicle fatalities). Clear, clutter-free work areas, unobstructed aisles/walkways where hazards are quickly cleaned/quarantined, and proper lighting are key to mitigating risk.

3. Hazmat Incidents: Both small and large-scale hazardous material spills threaten worker safety. Here, employee knowledge of proper cleanup and containment procedures leading to the speedy resolution of spills are key, as is access to the proper personal protective equipment and current safety data sheets.

4. Forklift Crashes: Both environmental hazards and operator mishaps contribute to fatal forklift accidents. Proper training on warehouse equipment, inspecting machinery prior to use, knowledge of industry-specific standards, as well as selecting machinery that is easy to use can reduce the risk of forklift-related injuries and deaths.

Move beyond the basics, minimizing employee risk. Boost employee safety and productivity with the latest in warehouse equipment from DJ Products today.

Top Tips for Keeping Your Warehouse Organized from the Dock Forward

Efficiency Works Best When There is Proper Management and Organization.

In the trucking industry, nothing is worse than a disorganized warehouse. It can really slow down your company’s daily operations and put you dangerously behind schedule. But the good news is that there are ways to remedy this.

The right material handling equipment can help you in more ways than you probably realize. We’d like to offer some helpful organization tips that you can put to use right away.

Tips for Organizing Your Warehouse

Keeping your warehouse organized doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, by making a few simple changes you’ll notice that your daily operations will run much more smoothly.

Tip #1: Label everything. It might seem like you’re taking an extra step, but really, labeling everything as it comes through the door will save you a lot of time and frustration in the long run.

Tip #2: Keep any high velocity items in easy to reach places. This will help your workers stay more efficient and you’ll be much more likely to get orders out on time.

Tip #3: Finish all orders before the shift ends. It’s way too easy for orders to get lost or forgotten during shift changes. Make sure your workers have the time they need to get them all finished.

Tip #4: Implement regular cycle counts instead of waiting to do inventory at the end of the year. This one step can change everything for your business. You’ll be able to stay on top of any problems.

Tip# 5: Resolve to use the best in material handling equipment to keep things running efficiently. You might not know exactly what you need, but we can help you at DJ Products.

The best time to get organized is right now. Contact us for assistance!

Nashville Becomes a Hub for Amazon’s Growing Logistics Focus

Amazon is Going to Need a Warehouse to Store all of it Products.

Think your business’ supply chain logistics issues are overwhelming? In recent news, Amazon will be opening an Operations Center of Excellence in Nashville, Tennessee in efforts to optimize its ultra-complex supply chain – one that delivered 5-billion packages in 2017 through Prime alone.

Hello, Paycheck!

Announced alongside its HQ2 location on November 13th, the Nashville operations center is expected to add 5,000 white-collar jobs to the area, sourcing talent from the flourishing region. Considered an up-and-coming locale and hosting a booming job market, the city saw an influx of more Millennials from 2010-2015 than NYC, marking its illustrious reputation as a popular destination. With the potential for an Amazon job with a median salary of $158,000 these figures may continue to rise.

Hot Market

Already a hub for the healthcare industry, many supply chain gurus already call Nashville home, with companies like Dollar General and Tractor Supply likewise utilizing the area as the home-base of their (industry-lauded) supply chain operations. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that schools with leading logistics programs like Auburn and University of Tennessee are nearby. The area is simply in an ideal locale for sourcing and retaining talent.

Room-to-Grow

Could a mega-warehouse be next? Break out your motorized trailer dollies! While Nashville may not a perfect fit, there’s a chance that it may offer a decent market for future warehouses, with access to seaports in Georgia and the Carolina’s. But its not as ideal as the 80-acre warehouse location opening next year in Tucson, Arizona, or prospective locations in Louisville, Kentucky; Charlotte, North Carolina; or Reno, Nevada. Employing 1,500 people, fulfillment sites comprise 20% of Amazon’s workforce.

Location tapped-out? Streamline your operations, boosting efficiency and productivity with the help of motorized trailer dollies from DJ Products today.

Author: christopher Harper