christopher Harper, Author at DJ Products

5 Tips to Make Your Warehouse Green

Motorized Trailer Mover for a Green Warehouse — Utilizing Motorized Trailer Movers for a Greener Warehouse

How green is your warehouse? No, it’s not a reference to the color scheme. Green warehousing incorporates eco-friendly practices and equipment such as our motorized trailer mover. Use these green warehousing tips to reduce your expenses as well as your carbon footprint.

1. Use hybrid or electric vehicles whenever possible.

Reliance on fossil fuels is a double whammy. The practice is a significant drain on natural resources and adds pollution to the air we breathe. Increasing numbers of transportation companies are converting gas-fueled fleets to hybrid or electric vehicles. Is your current 3PL one of them?

2. Reuse, repurpose, and recycle storage and packaging materials.

Green packaging materials may appear costly, but they save money in the long run by reducing energy consumption, making them highly economical. Use of green packaging also demonstrates your commitment to environmental awareness to suppliers and customers. If a packaging conversion isn’t in the budget right now, institute a program of reusing and recycling pallets, containers, and other storage and packaging materials.

3. Add eco-friendly structural features.

Cut your heating and cooling bills by improving insulation, installing solar panels, and painting the roof in light reflective colors. Some warehouses are moving to green roofs, which use plants and vegetation for better aesthetics as well as reduced energy usage.
Use LED (light-emitting diode) lights wherever possible, especially in outdoor areas. These lights use up to 75 percent less electricity than traditional bulbs and they don’t need to be replaced as frequently.

4. Limit or eliminate use of paper.

Technology is enabling us to move closer to the long-promised paperless society.

Implement a RFID (radio-frequency identification) warehouse management system in which manual paper-based forms of tracking inventory are replaced with receivers, transmitters, and electromagnetic tags.
Tablets and other devices allow digital storage of data rather than paper documents.

5. Maximize storage space.

Ensure that all products and materials are properly stored and clearly labeled.
Place fast-turning SKUs in easily accessible locations.

Green Your Warehouse with a Motorized Trailer Mover from DJ Products

Our electric tugs, movers, and pushers are designed to be environmentally friendly and safer to use than gas-powered equipment. Contact us today to learn more.

How to Choose The Right Electric Trailer Dolly for Your Business

A Set Of Trailers Waiting to Be Moved with a Electric Trailer Dolly — The electric Trailer Dolly Makes Moving Your Trailers Easy

DJ Products makes a material handling solution for every application, but how do you decide which one is right for your business? Our experienced Sales Engineers share some helpful tips to choose the electric trailer dolly that best suits your specific needs.

Tips for Choosing the Right Electric Trailer Dolly

1. What is the weight capacity?

The whole purpose of an electric trailer dolly is to move heavy equipment, so this is the most fundamental feature. Make sure the one you select can handle the weights you work with. Don’t forget to allow for reserve capacity that will help when moving up and down inclines.

2. What kind of tires does it use?

A suitable trailer dolly should be able to accommodate the types of terrains where it will be operated. In general, single-tire dollies provide superior traction to multiple-wheel designs.

3. Does it have an optimal turning radius?

Moving trailers, automobiles, and other bulky vehicles almost always involves several turns. Look for a dolly with a smaller turning radius that will enable you to navigate tighter spaces more efficiently.

4. What type of controls are used?

No matter how many bells and whistles a trailer dolly has, complicated controls will impair their effectiveness.

Decide which style of controls is most comfortable for your use: joystick-type, remote control, or manual.
Review the instructions. Are they difficult to follow, or would a new user be quickly up to speed?
Look for ergonomically-designed controls that will help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive-use injuries.

5. Is it durable enough to withstand regular use?

In addition to moving heavy loads on a repetitive basis, a trailer dolly should be able to hold up under variable weather conditions. Look at the maintenance recommendations to ensure your company has the capability to commit to them.

6. Does it fit within your budget?

The best solution is a trailer dolly that fits your needs at a reasonable price.

Electric Material Handling Solutions from DJ Products

We offer a full line of tugs, movers, and pushers appropriate for any industry and application. Contact us at 800.686.2651 for more information.

Improve Trailer Yard Efficiency and Safety with an Electric Trailer Mover

Improved Trailer Yard Efficiency with a Powered Trailer Mover

Trailer yards are often filled with trailers that need to be moved around in order to get them ready to transport goods. This can lead to delays that affect your company’s efficiency. Using trucks or similar equipment to move trailers can result in safety risks, while also being time-consuming. An electric trailer mover provides a great solution for boosting safety and efficiency in trailer yards.

Improved Productivity

Electric trailer movers only need one person to operate them. This helps free up other workers to handle other tasks in your trailer yard. Instead of having a few or more staff members move trailers around, one worker can do that while the rest focus on loading, unloading, or doing other tasks. This helps increase productivity in your trailer yard.

Easy Maneuverability

Having to move trailers in smaller areas or make tight turns can be tough when using a truck. Electric trailer movers have a compact size that fits these spaces better. These movers are also easy to maneuver, even when making tight turns in trailer yards. This helps ensure that staff have a safer way to move trailers with a lower risk of accidents.

Versatility on Different Surfaces

Trailer yards can be covered in ice and snow or have slick surfaces due to rain. Some yards have inclines or slopes that make it harder to move trailers around. Electric trailer movers have tires that allow them to go up and down sloped surfaces with ease. They can also handle icy, snowy, or wet surfaces. This helps reduce the risk of injuries and accidents when moving trailers around your trailer yard, resulting in safer and happier employees.

Cost-Effective Solution

Trailer movers that run on electricity don’t require diesel or other fossil fuels to power them. This helps lower the cost of using this kind of equipment. Cost savings combined with improved safety and better efficiency make electric trailer movers a smart choice for trailer yards.

If you’re ready to invest in a trailer mover for your trailer yard, contact DJ Products. We can assist you in choosing the most suitable solution for improving efficiency and safety in your trailer yard.

Make Moving Your Aircraft Easier with a Powered Aircraft Caddy

Image of a Small Aircraft in Need of a Powered Aircraft Tug — Move Your Aircraft Safely with a Powered Aircraft Tug

Having to move aircraft around your hangar requires the right kind of equipment. Otherwise, you run the risk of damaging your aircraft or ending up with injuries. While a tow bar is often used for moving aircraft, a powered aircraft tug offers better handling.

Tow Bar vs. Powered Aircraft Tug

A tow bar provides a manual way to push or pull aircraft. When using one, you need to be careful not to damage the propellors, wiring, and other aircraft components. It’s also possible to injure yourself when trying to move an airplane with this kind of equipment.

A powered aircraft tug provides an easier way to handle aircraft. Instead of having to strain muscles pushing or pulling, you can let the tug do most of the work. These tugs are able to move aircraft of varying sizes and weights.

Benefits of a Powered Aircraft Tug

Using this type of equipment to move aircraft comes with many important benefits, including improved safety and better maneuverability.

Increased Safety

Powered aircraft tugs, such as the AircraftCaddy, provide a safer way to move airplanes from one location or space to another. Rather than relying on physical strength, the tug handles the task of pushing or pulling aircraft. This helps lower the risk of muscle tears and other kinds of injuries.

Simple Operation

These tugs are easy to use, making them an ideal choice for anyone who has small to medium-sized aircraft to move around. High-tech speed controllers and other features offer simple ways to control the tug and move aircraft as needed.

Better Handling

Powered aircraft tugs are designed to be easier to maneuver. This makes them a great choice for hangars of all sizes. With better handling, you can move aircraft in tighter spaces without having to worry about damage or injuries.

Reduced Risk of Aircraft Damage

Using a powered aircraft tug helps keep your airplane safe from potentially costly damage. These tugs are made to move aircraft as smoothly as possible.

With a powered aircraft tug, you don’t have to deal with the challenges of manually moving an airplane. Contact DJ Products to learn more about our aircraft moving solutions.

5 Things The Shipping Industry Should Expect From 2024

As with most industries, maritime shipping faced a number of challenges in recent times due to the pandemic and its effect on the supply chain. What do the next 12 months have in store? Our staff at DJ Products, makers of the motorized trailer dolly, takes a look at predictions for 2024.

1. Reduced rate levels

Factors such as access capacity, weak demand, and a sluggish world economy will result in lower average rate levels for Transpacific Eastbound trade. In order to manage capacity, carriers may implement strategies such as slow steaming, in which cargo ships travel at less than maximum speeds, and blank sailing, which involves canceling sailings that were previously scheduled. Unfortunately, these strategies often lead to reduced service reliability.

2. Change in pricing behavior

While the past few years have seen a relatively uniform pricing policy, that will most likely end in 2024. Larger carriers with greater capacities will become more aggressive in their pricing to put a squeeze on smaller carriers.

3. Consolidation of carriers

In the face of declining profits and pressure from price-driven competition, smaller operators will struggle, leading to carrier consolidation to avoid financial disaster. In addition, consolidation improves scalability and global reach, two attributes that will be crucial in weathering upcoming challenges.

4. Reversal of fortune in East Coast and West Coast ports

Difficult labor negotiations caused West Coast ports to lose significant volume to East Coast and Gulf ports. This year, the pendulum swings to the other side due to expiring port labor contracts in the East combined with issues in the Panama and Suez Canals.

5. Continued greening of the shipping industry

Alphaliner, a shipping industry database, reports that global container lines reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 12 percent between January and July 2023. The new year may bring regulatory guidelines, such as an end date for constructing fossil fuel-only vessels.

Lighten the Load with an Eco-Friendly Motorized Trailer Dolly

Protect your workers and the environment with our battery-powered motorized trailer dolly. Contact us at DJ Products to learn more about our full line of electric tugs, movers, and pushers with options for any application.

How to Teach Your Warehouse Staff Proper Lifting Procedures to Prevent Injuries

Warehouse Ergonomics Improved with a Motorized Trailer Dolly — Improve Warehouse Ergonomics

“Lift with your legs, not your back” is an oft-repeated piece of safety advice for warehouse workers, but that alone isn’t enough. Did you know that, after the common cold, low back pain causes the second-highest number of work absences? Show your staff that you prioritize their health and safety by using a motorized trailer dolly and sharing these useful tips for proper lifting procedures.

Techniques for Safe and Efficient Lifting

Prior to lifting, warm up your back and legs with some simple stretching exercises. “Cold” muscles are tight and more likely to tear. Focus on the lower back, hamstrings, and Achilles tendons.
Have an idea of the approximate weight of the object and plan how you will perform the lift.
Enlist help if necessary. One advantage of a motorized trailer dolly is that it allows a single worker to lift and transport loads weighing thousands of pounds.
Receive training before using forklifts, hoists, or other lift aids.
Clear the path of any obstructions and make sure surfaces are dry.
When performing the actual lift, place your feet far apart with one foot forward and slightly to the side of the object for optimum balance. Be sure to grasp the item firmly with both hands, each one on opposite sides.
Pivot your feet to avoid twisting, which places undue strain on muscles and joints.
People often have a tendency to hold their breath with physical exertion. Focus on breathing naturally.
Keep the object being lifted in the “power zone” by holding it directly in front of you at waist level.
Always wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including glasses, gloves, and shoes or boots.
Avoid any moves that could pinch fingers or toes.
Aim for smooth and steady movement without jerky, start-and-stop motions.
Pushing a heavy load is preferable to pulling it.

Improve Your Safety Record with Our Motorized Trailer Dolly

All of our tugs, movers, and pushers are ergonomically designed to reduce stress that can lead to musculoskeletal injuries. They also operate under battery power, which benefits the safety of our environment as well. Contact us at DJ Products to find the right material handling solution for your application.

Why Are Ergonomics Important in the Warehouse Industry

The Importance of Warehouse Ergonomics and How a Motorized Trailer Dolly Helps — The Importance of Warehouse Ergonomics

Making sure employees are safe and improving efficiency are among the top goals for any warehouse. Ergonomics plays a key part in achieving these goals. This refers to designing or using equipment, such as a motorized trailer dolly, that helps staff do their jobs safely and efficiently. Find out more about the importance of ergonomics in the warehouse industry.

What Is Ergonomic Design?

This is a design approach that involves reducing fatigue and strain for workers when used in the warehouse industry. Many kinds of equipment are designed with ergonomics in mind, which helps improve productivity and reduce the risk of injuries and accidents.

Types of Ergonomic Warehouse Equipment

Warehouses are filled with different kinds of workspace environments, including industrial workstations and offices. Ergonomic equipment in warehouse offices often includes chairs and desks that allow workers to sit comfortably in order to reduce muscle strain and eye strain when working on computers.

Industrial workstations use ergonomic equipment that helps ease physical strain involved with moving heavy loads from one area to another. This might include the use of motorized trailer dollies instead of forklifts to make lifting and moving heavy pallets or other loads safer and easier.

Benefits of Ergonomics

Using ergonomics in a warehouse can go a long way toward raising productivity and employee morale overall. Some of the top benefits of using ergonomic equipment include the following.

Ensures Worker Safety

Warehouses have a high risk of accidents and injuries due to the physical nature of this kind of work. Using ergonomic equipment helps keep employees safer on the job, resulting in higher job satisfaction, lower turnover, and reduced costs for workers’ compensation and related expenses.

Increases Efficiency

The use of ergonomics in warehouses helps boost efficiency. This allows workers to be more productive on the job, so they can accomplish more in a shorter amount of time. An increase in efficiency helps keep warehouses functioning smoothly with lower risks of downtime and productivity loss. This helps warehouses meet goals and stay on schedule.

The right motorized trailer dolly can boost ergonomics in your warehouse. Contact DJ Products to learn more about our products.

Tips to Negate the Effects of Inflation on Your Warehouse

Improving Warehouse Efficiency with a Motorized Trailer Dolly

Over the last two years, inflation rates in the United States have had consumers and business owners on a roller-coaster ride. Some distribution facilities have seen their spending increase by nearly one-third. Our experts at DJ Products, makers of the motorized trailer dolly, share tips for keeping inflation from playing havoc with your warehouse budget.

1. Revisit financing options.

Are you hampered by current equipment leases? Look into the possibility of renegotiating the financial terms.
Thanks to high demand, used equipment sells for as much as 50 percent of the cost of new equipment. Sell existing equipment and lease it back as needed.

2. Prioritize power and equipment maintenance.

How much are you spending to power forklifts and other fuel-driven equipment? Battery-powered material handlers such as our motorized trailer dolly can operate a full shift on a single charge.
As the saying goes, prevention is better than the cure. Regular maintenance checks extend the life of equipment by catching problems early, allowing you to get maximum value and forestalling the need for new equipment.
On the flip side, promptly replace any equipment that is beyond normal repairs. Using faulty equipment is throwing good money after bad. More importantly, employees are at risk for injuries, for which the costs are more than financial.

3. Focus on employee retention.

For most companies, labor is the one of the larger costs in the operating budget. Constant turnover negatively affects productivity due to lack of experienced workers and reduced morale.
Company culture is a significant factor in attracting and keeping first-rate talent. Employees interpret the use of defective or unsafe equipment as a lack of concern for workplace conditions and, by extension, their safety. Providing safe and effective equipment goes a long way toward fostering job satisfaction.

Save Money and Time with a Motorized Trailer Dolly

Our trailer dolly allows a single employee to do the work of two or more, while battery power makes them economical and eco-friendly. The electric yard truck is only one of our full line of tugs, movers, and pushers. Call 800.686.2651, where our cheerful Sales Engineers are ready to help find the best solution for your application.

5 Ways to Improve Your Distribution Center’s Focus on Sustainability

Motorized Trailer Dolly For Improving Sustainability in Your Trailer Yard. — Improve Sustainability with a Motorized Trailer Dolly

Becoming more sustainable can help your distribution center save money, attract more business, and improve efficiency. Focusing on sustainability also helps ensure that your company stays in compliance with the latest government regulations. From using more eco-friendly equipment, such as a motorized trailer dolly, to doing energy audits, find out how you can make your distribution center more sustainable.

Conduct an Energy Audit

Boosting sustainability involves knowing where to cut back on energy usage. A professional energy audit can reveal what uses the most energy in your distribution center, such as your HVAC equipment or forklifts. This audit can help you determine which changes to make in your business for greater sustainability.

Switch to Sustainable Packaging Materials

The materials used for packaging products can end up causing a considerable amount of waste. Switch to using packaging that’s more sustainable, such as packaging made from recycled materials. Reducing packaging size as much as possible also helps cut down on waste.

Replace Older HVAC Equipment

An older HVAC system doesn’t offer the same energy efficiency as new models. Replace HVAC equipment that’s nearing the end of its lifespan with energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. This change helps promote sustainability, while also lowering your energy bills.

Change to Energy-Efficient Lighting

The kind of lighting in your distribution center can affect how sustainable your company is. Replace traditional bulbs with more energy-efficient bulbs, such as LED lights. For even more efficiency, consider using lighting with motion sensors to help cut down on energy usage. These sensors turn lights on and off as needed throughout the workday.

Invest in Eco-Friendly Equipment

Forklifts and other traditional equipment used in distribution centers typically run on gas or other fossil fuels. They also use a significant amount of energy. Consider making the switch to more eco-friendly equipment, such as a motorized trailer dolly. These trailer dollies run on electricity rather than fossil fuels. This offers a cleaner source of energy and helps reduce energy consumption.

Need help choosing the right motorized trailer dolly to boost sustainability in your company? Contact DJ Products to learn more about our material handling solutions for distribution centers and other businesses.

Improve Your Trailer Yard with an Powered Trailer Dolly and a Management System

A Busy Trailer Yard in Need of a Motorized Trailer Dolly — Improve Your Trailer Yard

While warehouse operations are frequently run with the help of powerful management systems, workers in the trailer yard are often left to fend for themselves. Boost the productivity in your own trailer yard with the one-two punch of a Powered trailer dolly from DJ Products and an effective yard management system.

Warehouse Management vs. Yard Management

In general, anything between the dock doors and the gates constitutes the trailer yard. According to Colin Mansfield, vice president of Yard Management Systems, many companies treat the yard as a supersized parking lot in which the only goal is to find an open spot for trailers and containers.

With little rhyme or reason as to how loading and unloading are conducted, drivers can be left cooling their heels for hours waiting for their truck to be ready. These delays result in a trickle-down effect that can slow down other steps in the supply chain.

Today, automation can be found in everywhere in warehouses, from management systems to robotic order pickers. As sophisticated as operations are inside, Mansfield points out that yard management is still done via spreadsheets, radios, and other low-tech solutions.

Tips for Integrating a Yard Management System

Mansfield explains that incorporating a yard management system (YMS) is neither difficult nor expensive, especially if you follow these tips:

Solicit feedback from companies that are successfully using YMS.
Conduct due diligence in researching vendors.
Look for stand-alone systems with robust features that will integrate well with current systems.

Benefits of a Powered Trailer Dolly

So how does a trailer dolly help to streamline the yard?

It can be operated by a single person, freeing up employees for other tasks.
Compact size and easy maneuverability make it easy to navigate small spaces and tight turns.
Solid-tread tires enable the dolly to be operated up and down inclines and on wet or icy surfaces.
Trailer dollies are battery-powered, making them less expensive and eco-friendly.

Your Top Choice for Material Handling Solutions

DJ Products has a tug, mover, or pusher to accommodate any application. Use our online chat feature to get friendly and experienced assistance from our Sales Engineers.