christopher Harper, Author at DJ Products

Is Your Supply Chain Keeping Step? Smaller, Digital and Nimble are Key.

Supply chains have embraced tools such as our battery-powered yard trucks that make physical tasks easier. But when it comes to adapting digital technology, the industry has remained behind the curve.

This attitude has been showing signs of changing, as factors including a labor shortage and rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) are driving supply chain managers toward smaller, digital and more nimble operations. Here’s a look at some of the ways technology is changing the supply chain industry.

Move to the Cloud

Experts predict that by 2020, planning systems will remain on premises while 90 percent of spending for execution systems will be for cloud-based applications. The IoT will provide the means to create a digital network allowing for data flow from start to finish of operations.

Improved Forecasting

Another benefit of the IoT is the ability to replace short-term forecasting with demand sensing, which uses advanced math techniques and near real-time data for more accurate forecasting.

Preventing Disruptions

Shippers with a more resilient supply chain will be better equipped to identify and manage risks, making them less vulnerable to reduced capacity and inventory problems.

Shift to Micro-Logistics

Following Amazon’s lead, many manufacturers are evaluating a transition to micro-logistics, which entails a group of small, localized warehouses rather than the traditional DC model.

Less Is More

Whether due to financial struggles or strategic purposes, consolidation among transoceanic shipping companies, third-party distribution services, and over-the-road carriers will likely increase. As a result, 3PL agreements will center on value rather than price.

Move Trailers Safely and Quickly with Yard Trucks from DJ Products

Our Electric Yard Dog is less expensive than a new yard truck or shunting service and reduces risk of damage and injuries. Call 800.686.2651 for more information.

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Issues Final Statement on Rail Modernization Standards

Railroad companies are now able to pair technological advancements with more current standards of safety protocol at railroads across the nation. The FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) has recently finalized more modern performance-based safety standards.

This recent initiative has begun paving the way for faster railway speeds. In an era where speed is a requirement, safety procedures and innovative efficient machinery have to rise to meet those demands.

Being Swift to Safety

Increased efficiency due in part to implementing speed-enhanced procedural changes can be a positive addition to any transaction or logistics-based company. In the same measure, speed can also bring with it an uncontrollable element.

How do you emphasize the importance of efficiency without compromising quality or the safety of your employees? You incorporate effective multi-functional barriers. Investing in high-grade machinery like a railcar mover can facilitate speed and safety in one simple transaction.

A railcar mover utilizes durable materials and advanced technology to fulfill difficult tasks. If you’ve discovered the only way to increase efficiency safely is to implement tested quality machinery into your daily procedures, you’ve joined the thousands of companies across the nation that understand the current market.

Do you have tasks that require the moving of hundreds of thousands of pounds indoors and outdoors? At DJ Products our railcar mover couples an industry standard heavy-duty coupler with a battery operated system to guarantee quality and ease of use.

Test DJ Products

If you agree that an extra hand makes light the work, our railcar mover has the ability to provide help where it’s needed. Keep your operations running smoothly and speedily with machinery that is made to meet your highest expectations. Visit DJ Products today and watch your productivity speed up the rails towards success.

OSHA’s Cold Stress Guide – Considerations for Warehouse Staff

Loading and Unloading Packages In the Winter can Cause Stress on Your Fingers and Other Extremities.

The Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) maintains a broad directive that employers are required to provide “a workplace free from recognized hazards.” While elements such as quality material handling equipment are easy to control, cold weather presents a more abstract health risk.

OSHA recognizes cold stress as a genuine workplace hazard. Here are tips on how to recognize and prevent cold weather-related injuries and illnesses.

Common Cold Stress Conditions

– Hypothermia is a rapid loss of body heat during which body temperature drops below 95°F. A person suffering from hypothermia will shiver initially, but the shivering actually stops as the condition grows more severe.

– Frostbite results when frigid temperatures cause skin and underlying tissues to freeze. Feet and hands are most susceptible to frostbite, which is characterized by numbness and reddened skin marked with gray and white patches.

– Trench foot, sometimes referred to as immersion foot, occurs when wet feet are exposed to cold temperatures for extended periods of time. As blood vessels constrict to conserve heat, they also cut off oxygen and nutrient supplies to the skin.

Tips to Prevent Cold Stress

– Train employees to recognize and treat common cold stress symptoms.

– Make sure workers are dressed appropriately. Wearing layers of loose-fitting clothes keeps skin dry and well-insulated. Accessories such as hats, gloves and boots should also be worn.

– Cold stress can cause people to become disoriented and lose coordination. Assign workers in pairs so they can monitor each other for symptoms.

– Provide a warm break room and keep warm, sweetened beverages on hand to prevent dehydration.

Put Safety First with Material Handling Equipment from DJ Products

Electric tugs, movers and pushers such as our best-selling CartCaddyShorty improve productivity in any type of weather. Call 800.686.2651 for more information.

Winter Trucking Tips to Revisit with Your Drivers

Winter driving conditions require a specific skillset. Big rig operators must not disregard the need to alter driving habits in such dangerous conditions. Before your terminal tractors deliver another trailer for haul, ensure drivers make smart decisions by revisiting these essential winter driving safety skills.

Slow Down

Driving in snow and ice is riskier due to poor traction, increased stopping time/distances, reduced visibility, and the unpredictable nature of other drivers. Slowing down should be a top priority for every driver. Speed is the top cause for at-fault accidents. Speed kills!

Personal Space

Drivers should leave plenty of room between the vehicle in front of the truck (and those beside, when possible). Likewise, avoid moving ‘in packs,’ traveling alone to maximize the distance around your vehicle.

Don’t ‘Follow the Leader’

Remember Lemmings? If the vehicle ahead makes an error, so will you. Besides, when visibility is low, seeing the taillights of the vehicle ahead means you’re too close.

Know When to Get Off the Road

If the weather is so severe you wonder if you should get off the road – just do it. Delivery pressures may be high, but safety and lives are paramount. Don’t feel like you’re letting anyone down by playing it safe.

No Hovering

In low visibility situations, don’t stop on the shoulder. Drivers could mistake your vehicle as in-motion and slam into the back of your rig.

Don’t Wing It

Perform ALL necessary safety/equipment/fluid checks before heading off to prevent becoming stranded in winter storms. (And pack an emergency kit just in case. A smart trucker is always prepared.)

Safety issues or late delivery have you on thin ice? Increase safety and productivity with the help of terminal tractors from DJ Products today.

Our January Tips to Reduce Costs in Your Warehouse Operation

Does your warehouse staff finish the year in a scramble to bring expenses in under budget? Our industrial tugs maximize labor and reduce costly injuries to provide savings all year long.

In 2019, resolve to make reducing costs a year-round priority. Implement these measures in January to make financial awareness and expense-cutting part of the workplace culture.

Optimize Storage Space

Expansion is costly and time-consuming, especially today with warehouse space at a premium. Review the warehouse layout and inventory storage system to find wasted space and make changes where necessary.

Institute Cross-Docking

The more time product spends in your warehouse, the faster costs add up. Cross-docking, by which incoming products are immediately loaded onto outbound trucks for delivery, dramatically reduces storage, shipping and labor expenses.

Buy Used Containers

Used containers in good condition are often available at significant savings from reputable vendors. Purchasing used containers is a good practice to demonstrate eco-awareness and green workplace policies.

Reduce Energy Usage

Conscientious energy usage is another way to save money as well as the environment. High-quality building insulation, motion-sensitive lighting systems and hands-free faucets are just a few of the methods to cut back on excessive energy use.

Improve Labor Productivity

Labor is often the single largest element of any company’s operating costs. Hiring and training new workers is expensive and disruptive, so start a plan to improve employee retention. In addition, cross-training makes workers feel more accomplished and ensures that absences or temporary shortages won’t impact productivity.

Industrial Tugs from DJ Products: “Like Adding Another Staff Member”

Why assign two workers to handle heavy loads when one can easily complete the job with the help of one of our battery-powered industrial tugs? Learn more by calling 800.686.2651.

Tips for Bringing Seasonal Workers Up to Speed Fast

Our safe and efficient electric tugger carts are easy to use, but training seasonal workers involves a number of activities and concepts that are much more involved. Time is of the essence during the limited holiday season, further complicating matters.

Seasonal workers should improve, not hinder, productivity. Use these helpful guidelines to optimize training for temporary employees and get them up to speed quickly.

Before Hiring

– Document job requirements and duties for all positions so you know what to prioritize in applicants.

– Even though they’re around for a short time, temporary employees can disrupt the teamwork and camaraderie of permanent staff. Screen candidates carefully to make sure they fit both the job and the company culture.

Onboarding

– Have specific yardsticks to measure success. Communicate this during training and schedule follow-up checkpoint meetings to see how employees are progressing.

– Include training on company culture to help workers see where they fit in while internalizing your mission and goals.

– Experienced employees should participate in the training process and serve as mentors to the new hires.

– Whether it’s by observation or hands-on, tailor training to a worker’s preferred learning style as much as possible.

On the Job

– Training doesn’t end once a new hire walks onto the warehouse floor. Set goals, recognize achievements and maintain open communication.

– Give interactive feedback. Ask employees how they would handle a particular problem, then explain to them what works and what doesn’t. This approach empowers workers to think for themselves.

Tugger Carts: A Year-Round Solution from DJ Products

Battery-powered tugger carts, such as our best-selling CartCaddyShorty, let even temporary workers move thousands of pounds with ease, freeing up experienced employees for other activities.

Visit our website and use the online chat feature to learn more.

Software Proactively Controls Truck Driver Breaks and Planning

Your motorized trailer dollies might not need a break, but your workers do. From drivers to dockworkers, break planning is essential to compliance with labor laws. However, keeping up with this task can be difficult. Step-in workforce management software Deputy, and its recently released Break Planning feature.

Help for Navigating the Tricky World of Compliance Requirements

Increasingly complicated and highly regulated meal and rest breaks suffer a lack of transparency with regard to how time is managed, accounted for and compensated. States like California, Washington, Oregon, and Massachusetts, which now require mandatory meal breaks and multiple rest periods, can be especially challenging when it comes to crafting employee schedules around these requirements while ensuring coverage.

How Does Deputy Software Solve Such Issues?

Compatible with a wide range of devices, Deputy’s Break Planning feature centers on compliance, helping businesses more easily manage, schedule, and track both paid and unpaid food and rest breaks, such as necessary driver breaks, providing tools to help employers more easily manage and account for breaks upstream. With an AI-driven (artificial intelligence) platform, devising schedules makes compliance easy, while the software provides employees the transparency often lacking surrounding entitled breaks and rest periods.

Break Planning Software Features:

Break scheduling
Schedule multiple paid/unpaid breaks within a shift, relying on pre-created shift templates in states with strict laws, or manage on-site with custom enforcement/attestation.

Break tracking
Logs all break details, providing easily-accessible records.

Employee visibility
Showcase eligible breaks via templates.

Enforcement
Software prevents early clock-in/return.

Risk management
Software proactively flags workers who short/miss breaks and pose compliance risks.

Hostler on break? Don’t get left hanging. With no need for a specialized operator, ensuring coverage is easy with motorized trailer dollies. Contact DJ Products to learn more today.

Tips for Creating a Snow and Bad Weather Attendance Policy for Your Warehouse Staff

Our rugged warehouse equipment is designed to perform under a wide range of conditions, but it’s not always so easy for people to operate in bad weather. Snow, ice and other treacherous winter conditions can make it dangerous to be on the road.

Use these tips to create a clear and comprehensive snow and bad weather attendance policy that protects employees while minimizing work interruptions.

Know the Law

At a minimum, your policy must meet the parameters set forth in the Fair Labor Standards Act. Rules differ for exempt and non-exempt employees, so set yours accordingly.

Be Consistent with Company Culture

Policies should always reflect company values. Is your culture more traditional or does it embrace flexibility? Whatever your identity is, keep it in mind as you compose the bad weather policy.

Consider All Employees

First of all, many companies have several locations that may require individual policies. Second, even within a common workplace, employees have different considerations such as travel time and mode of transportation. Aim for a policy that encompasses all situations.

Define “Bad Weather”

Everyone has their own perception of what constitutes bad weather. Choose a specific but fair method of triggering the bad weather policy, such as a minimum amount of snowfall or when schools are closed.

Have an Action Plan

A complete bad weather policy should set out precise steps for actions including notifying employees, alerting customers and implementing a virtual office set-up.

Safety Comes First

Regardless of the formal policy, let workers know that you value their safety. Be flexible with issues like start times and dress codes.

Reliable Warehouse Equipment from DJ Products

No matter what the weather is outside, our warehouse equipment is always ready for duty. Contact us for more information.

You Can Damage Your Plane with Improper Manual Handling – What to Know

When you have a smaller aircraft, pulling or pushing it by the propeller might seem like an easy and convenient way to move it around. However, this manual handling can end up causing significant damage to your airplane. Find out why you should use an aircraft caddy for moving your plane around instead of moving it manually.

Damage Risks

Grabbing your airplane by the propeller and pulling or pushing it to where you need it to go can result in damage to the blades. For example, pulling or pushing the propeller’s tips can cause them to become bent, which affects their ability to work properly. Even when you have others to help you, it’s important to avoid manually handling your airplane by the propeller blades.

Using an aircraft caddy allows you to move your airplane smoothly without risking damage to any part of it. Keep in mind that damage to your propeller can make your aircraft unsafe to operate.

Injury Risks

Pushing or pulling an airplane manually can put you and others at risk of having injuries. From pulled muscles to more serious injuries, it’s important to avoid taking this risk when you need to move or reposition your airplane. Moving your airplane with a tug that’s designed to support its weight helps eliminate the risk of personal injuries.

Our tugs and caddies offer safer and more convenient ways to pull aircraft around or move them to a different location, whether you need one for a 4,000-pound airplane or one that can move up to 35,000 pounds.

If you’re looking for an aircraft caddy, please contact DJ Products. We carry a wide range of high-quality aircraft tugs to make it easier and safer for you to move your airplane.

Tips for Preventing Expensive Forklift Accidents in Your Warehouse

Forklift accidents can cause costly damage to warehouse equipment, but that’s not even the worst possible result. Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) indicates that 85 deaths and almost 35,000 serious injuries due to forklift accidents occur each year.

Reduce the risk of damage and injury with these five proactive tips for preventing forklift accidents:

Ensure Adequate Ventilation

People generally associate forklift accidents with mechanical operation, but forklifts also emit carbon monoxide at levels that can lead to poisoning. Make sure there is sufficient ventilation, especially if forklifts are used in enclosed areas.

Provide Secure Parking

No matter how busy the day is, forklifts should always be returned to their parking spaces with keys removed. This keeps the forklift from being an obstacle and prevents unauthorized use.

Conduct Regular Training and Inspections

– Train all new hires in proper forklift operation and continue to promote awareness and safety precautions.

– Schedule regular inspections and perform maintenance as needed.

Failure to observe these two practices can result in OSHA citations and fines.

Load Forklifts Correctly

Forklift loads should be balanced, with larger and heavier items on the bottom, and they shouldn’t be stacked too high. In addition, forklifts should never be used to raise employees to upper shelves.

Remove Obstructions

Poor sight, operator error and driving off a loading dock are all common causes of forklift accidents. Make sure forklift operators have a clear path and nothing is obstructing their sight lines.

Turn to DJ Products for High Quality Warehouse Equipment

Show your commitment to safety with eco-friendly tugs, pushers and movers from DJ Products. Our warehouse equipment is easy to use and ergonomically designed to prevent repetitive motion injuries.

Visit our website to learn more.