Day: September 8, 2015

Boat Sales Made Easier with a Trailer Mover

Spring is here and the weather is heating up and that means one thing for boat dealers – the chance for more sales.  Fisherman, divers and folks who just love to relax out on the open water are all more likely to be looking to head out boat shopping now that the weather is more suitable for those activities.

While an increase in sales is certainly welcome in any business these days, increased activity on the lot could pose some issues for a boat dealer that isn’t prepared with the appropriate equipment.  Boats are easy to transport when they are hooked to the back of your truck, but dealer lots are often far too cramped for employees to be able to use a full sized vehicle for maneuvering stock. 

A piece of equipment like the trailer mover from DJ Products can instantly make the task of moving new and used boats around the lot faster, safer and easier.  The small frame size and tight turning radius of the trailer mover make it a very convenient option for navigating cramped and crowed lots.  The trailer mover is very easy to control which could result in a dramatically reduced risk of accidents on the lot.  This helps to keep valuable employees safe from injury and valuable inventory free from damage.

Using a trailer mover on a lot also allows employees to easily and safely rotate stock when new inventory comes in.  This means that lot owners can constantly put the most desirable boats directly where prospective customers will be sure to see them.

In order for a boat dealer to keep up with increases in traffic and to maximize profits in the process there needs to be a safe and effective means available for moving inventory.  A piece of equipment like the trailer mover will instantly make a boat lot safer and allow employees to adequately and attentively serve any customer that walks through the door.

Moving an Airplane Can Be a Solo Mission with an Aircraft Tug

From the paper airplanes you made as a child to taking a cross-country flight, the ability to see something soar through the air is quite a thrill. When an airplane flies, part of the reason it is able to stay up in the air is that the air moving over the top of it is going at a faster speed that the air that is moving below the plane.

An airplane is a remarkable and rather expensive piece of equipment. For that reason, you can’t just use any old machine to move an airplane around. DJ Products’ airplane tugs make it possible for one person to safely and easily maneuver aircraft in a tightly stacked hanger or staging on a ramp. While you wouldn’t think of moving a plan on your own, you can do so with our aircraft tug. Just like flight, that is nothing short of amazing! One person can push or pull an aircraft that weighs in at up to 35,000 pounds with one of our aircraft tugs.

Our airplane tugs have a smooth acceleration and braking system. And the quiet electric motor means that the person operating the airplane tug will not be distracted by noise and can concentrate fully on the task of getting the aircraft from point A to point B.

While we focus on providing ergonomically correct, safe, and cost effective solutions to transport some of your most important products, we have a lighter side too. You can customize your aircraft tug or aircraft tow with a custom logo if you wish. There is no reason that your equipment can’t be useful, safe, and fun all at the same time.

Trailer Movers: Small Products that Make a Big Difference

The DJ Products Trailer Mover is a little piece of equipment that can do big things.
You don’t need something the size of a trailer to move a trailer. What you do need is a material handling solution that has been ergonomically designed to prevent the pain and strain that may otherwise occur when someone tries to move a trailer on their own or with the wrong equipment.

It can be tempting to think that you or one of your employees can just move a trailer a short distance but taking on such as task can cause more damage than you may realize. First, overextending the body when you manually lift and move a trailer from one location to another can cause significant strain on the body…the kind of strain that may seem to go away, only to flare up later. Second, trying to move a trailer, boat, or RV without adequate equipment may cause damage to whatever is in the surrounding area. You can overestimate the amount of control you have over large objects and not realize until it is too late that you did not have the grip or space needed to really maneuver something as large and as heavy as a trailer.

Our TrailerCaddy trailer mover can push or pull an RV, a camper, an equipment trailer or a boat. It is less bulky than traditional electric trailer puller products and offers increased control in tight areas. You can use our trailer mover to move a trailer or boat across a parking lot or just a short distance in a showroom.

A Powered Carpet Dolly is a Dream Come True for Carpet Installers

In early written instances of someone using a flying carpet, the purpose of having a carpet with magical powers is for people to be transported from one place to another quickly. However, if you have ever needed to transport a carpet itself, you may have wished it could fly. In the real world, we have ways to transport ourselves, but moving carpet and rugs is not always so easy. While you cannot get a carpet to float in the air or fly, you can certainly make your work a lot easier with a DJ Products carpetcaddy.

A CarpetCaddy Powered Carpet Dolly can take was traditionally a job for two or three people and make it into something that one person can do. Instead of having to send out a team of people to load, transport, and install carpet, mats or rugs, you can have one person do work that used to require several people. Even if you need to send a team out, one person can take care of transporting the carpet or rug while other team members concentrate on other tasks.

You can use our powered carpet mover to maneuver around a warehouse, set-up in an event center or gymnasium, or to remove and deliver of seasonal floor mats or rugs.

The size and price of the powered carpet dolly make it a much safer and more affordable solution than a bulky lift truck and its ergonomic design means that one employee can get the job done safely without overextending the body. Call 800-686-2651 to order yours today!

Ergonomic Scissor Lifts You Can Use Safely

In addition to its industrial uses, the scissor lift has been in the news this year for its role in charitable endeavors. In some cities, scissor lifts are being used to store good donated for families in need. And in Washington state, a veteran spent eight days living on a scissor lift “to raise money and awareness for homeless veterans.” His efforts brought in $4,000 and at the end he said was glad to back down on the ground again.

A scissor lift can take people to heights they would not be able to reach on their own. The key is making sure that a person can both be lifted and get back down safely. It is one thing to watch someone being lifted on or using a scissor lift but another thing entirely to be the one entrusting your safety to a manufacturer and your coworkers. We have made many different sizes and shapes of mobile electric lift tables for various applications that, when combined with our PartsCaddy mobile platform truck, eliminate the manual pushing of pulling of these tables with loads on them. And with our mobile electric lift you get 16 hours of continuous use batteries—plenty of battery life to usually last two shifts.

DJ Products offers industrial ergonomic material handling electric carts, including pushers, pullers, and equipment industry that eliminate the strain of manually pulling heavy products, parts carts, or wheeled equipment, or eliminate a bulky, expensive lift truck. You can count on us for:

• Carts with casters
• Carts with 4-swivel casters or wagon-wheel style of turning
• Carts in a straight line
• Platform Trucks & Scissor Lifts

A Powered Cart Can Be Used in a Variety of Workplaces

A powered cart is a versatile piece of equipment that can not only be used in a variety of work environments but can also be used in a myriad number of ways in one workplace. A powered cart can streamline work tasks and reduce the chance of injury in places like: warehouses, hospitals, hotels, resorts, casinos, offices and schools.

The PartsCaddyLite powered cart has enough power to handle most parts-moving applications within a hospital or other hospitality setting, but it is still small and maneuverable enough to be easily pushed through a crowded hallway.

You can use it to move equipment, boxes, books, chairs and other items. This is the kind of thing that will be used constantly in some workplaces, while in others it may not be used every single day but having it on hand will make a huge difference when there is a need to move heavy items from one spot to another.
While a wheeled cart is also useful, there are times when you need something with more power. This is especially true if your workplace has wheeled carts that have been around for a while–with time these carts can become rickety and difficult to maneuver. You do not want employees endangering themselves and risked collisions in narrow spaces. The cart has a variable speed twist grip for forward and reverse directions from 0 to 3 mph.

Watch this video to see the DJ Products PartsCaddyLite in action and you’ll understand just how useful it can be for your business or organization.

The Benefits of Ergonomic Carpet Delivery

In a Dalton Daily Citizen article that extolls the ergonomic benefits of carpet, numerous reasons in favor of softer floor coverings included:

• Employees may experience less pain in their feet, knees, hips, and spine since carpet “cushion the blows and jolts that can occur from even just walking around.” You may not realize it but carpets can contribute to less fatigue and fewer sore joints.

• Using carpet in schools and officers creates better acoustics because sound waves are not bouncing off of floors.

• After spending time chasing little ones around the house, parents benefit from softer floor coverings. And children who like to run around and play will suffer fewer injuries.

The article, which was aimed at people who are in the business of selling carpet, set out to remind those in the industry that the product they sell has many benefits.

We would like to add that for all the ergonomic benefits carpet can produce for homes, schools, and offices, those who deliver carpet should also consider finding ergonomic ways to deliver these benefits.

A powered carpet dolly from DJ Products makes the loading of a carpet roll, a mat, or a rug from a warehouse to the jobsite an effortless job for one person, instead of having it be work that requires 2 or 3 people. And before you imagine that you will need on unbelievably strong person, you should know that our CarpetCaddy eliminates possible injury the installer might get from over extending the body. Also, the size and price of the powered carpet dolly makes it a much safer and more affordable solution than a bulky lift truck.

Get a Trailer Mover to Safely Transport RVs and Boats from Storage

Summer is right around the corner and this is the time of year when people who prefer to be outdoors in warmer weather get out boats, RVs, trailers and campers. If you have yet to take yours out of storage, consider getting a dedicated trailer mover to do so. A DJ Products trailer mover is not as bulky as many electronic trailer pullers and this means you will likely have fewer accidents. With our trailer mover, you will be able to exercise greater control over in a tightly confined area (such as a storage space) and this will decrease the chances go causing damage as you move your trailer. And we when say damage, we mean injury to you or anyone helping you as well as damage to your boat, RV, or camper.

The TrailerCaddy trailer mover is capable of pushing and pulling an RV, a camper, an equipment trailer, or a boat. So if you own more than one of these, you will be able to use the TrailerCaddy to move a number of wheeled items in and out of storage.

Some people are using lawn tractors, garden tractors, dollies, and even retrofitted furniture dollies to move their boats and RVs. You have made a serious investment in your boat, camper, or RV; don’t use experimental pieces of equipment to move them. Why take chances when you can use a trailer mover that is specifically designed to push and pull trailers that require lifting on one end before maneuvering?

Call us at 800-686-2651 to learn more about the TrailerCaddy trailer mover.

Is Absenteeism Hurting Your Bottom Line?

The nation’s 300 largest employers reported in a 2007 survey by research firm CCH Inc. that absenteeism costs their businesses more than a quarter million dollars annually in direct payroll costs. Add in lost revenue from lower productivity and unscheduled absences can have a significant negative impact on a business’ bottom line. In these recessionary times, absenteeism can make already slim profits disappear.

Only a third of all work absences are due to illness, said Susan Frear, director of education for the Dallas office of the Society for Human Resource Management. “The rest of the absences are related to having to be someplace else or they just don’t feel like coming in. So a lot has to do with the culture of the place.”

Changes in management style or corporate procedures can make a significant difference in absenteeism rates. “Take a hard look at the climate,” suggests Barb Ashbaugh, owner of Ashbaugh’s Trade Secret, a performance management company. Authoritarian managers “who make employees feel it’s their way or the highway” cause higher levels of absenteeism, Ashbaugh noted. Companies that count “occurrences” instead of individual days absent encourage employees to sneak in a couple of extra days off, warned Nancy Glube, an Atlanta human resources executive.

Retail giant J.C. Penney Co. is trying a new approach that shows promise for both large and small businesses. With 1,500 workers calling in “sick” and another 1,200 out on disability each day, Penney executives were concerned about the impact of growing absenteeism rates on the company’s profit margin. This fall they began project PowerLine. When an employee is absent for 3 days, the PowerLine team swings into action. They communicate with the employee to determine the nature of the absence and whether the employee qualifies for health insurance, workers’ compensation or short-term disability benefits. The team notifies store and department managers and insurance carriers and sends the employee the appropriate forms to complete. Daily absenteeism rates have dropped dramatically.

What has made the PowerLine program so successful in such a short time is the constant follow-up that continues until the employee returns to work. “I’ve found that when someone goes out on disability, that person undergoes a significant event in their life,” said Penney’s benefit manager Jim Cuva, “and if no one checks on them to see how they’re doing, they could stay out longer than necessary.” The PowerLine program is Penney’s way of “letting them know we care.”

Employees who know they’re valued work harder, are more productive and are absent less frequently. Making the effort to create a positive work environment can positively impact your bottom line. On Monday, we’ll talk about how implementing ergonomic practices in your workplace can improve worker morale, decrease worker injury and boost your bottom line.

Four Tips to Improve Your Warehouse Efficiency

Manager in Lumber Warehouse Holding Clipboard
Improve Your Warehouse Efficiency with These Tips.

Do you believe you have to implement major changes to improve efficiency in your warehouse? As the saying goes, the devil is in the details. Attention to seemingly minor steps will pay huge dividends in the bottom line. These warehouse management tips include four areas you can improve with just a bit of tweaking.

1. Always double-check orders

Even the best employees will occasionally make mistakes. The average cost of resending an order is more than double the amount of sending the original order. Can your company absorb these repeated expenses? Set a policy that all orders must be double-checked before leaving the warehouse.

2. Don’t forget the housekeeping

Look around your warehouse. Are you proud of its appearance, or is it cluttered and disorganized? It’s difficult for your employees to work quickly if they have to search for pick tickets, supplies or other necessary items. Establish a standing time each week to spend an hour or two cleaning the warehouse. 

3. Stay organized

Keeping the warehouse clean will be easier when employees take the time to maintain order with items that are frequently used. Having a home for everything reduces waste and makes optimum use of available space.

4. Have your senior employees walk the floor

It’s always helpful to have some fresh eyes look at the operation. “Outsiders” are more likely to spot a problem that has become ingrained in daily activities.

One of the best warehouse management tips is to provide safe and effective material handling solutions like our CartCaddy5WP. Contact us to learn more about how Team Cart Caddy can help improve your warehouse efficiency.