April 2, 2019 - DJ Products

Truck Weigh Stations – How Do They Work?

What to Know About Weigh Stations

Weigh stations are used to calculate taxes on freight and also to ensure that trucks are below a maximum weight rating. In the U.S., trucks cannot weigh more than 80,000 pounds, and local areas may have lower limits.

Taxing by weight largely eliminates the need for time-consuming inspections. Our powered trailer mover can handle up to 100,000 pounds, but you’d better lighten the load before you drive up to the weigh station!

Truck Weigh Station Methods

Now, about how truck weigh stations work. It’s a lot different than a bathroom scale. Truck scales may be underground or inside of pads, but they all use one of these methods:

– Load-cell systems embedded with wires that sense a difference in electrical resistance depending on the weight

– Bending-plate systems that look like rubber or steel pads and have strain gauges inside

– Piezoelectric systems that use conductors to sense changes in voltage caused by the pressure above

Older technology requires the truck to stop several times with each axle on a scale, but it’s more common to see large scales that look like little landline strips and only require one stop.

As most drivers have noticed by now, there are also “weigh-in-motion” scales that don’t require truckers to stop. Simple versions are pads that truckers can slowly drive over, while more sophisticated technology allows for weigh-ins at freeway speeds.

Tow Trailers Up to 100,000 Pounds

Need a better solution for towing semi-trailers to the dock? DJ Products has beefed up our popular TrailerCaddy to operate as a powered trailer mover that can handle tank trailers, reefers, and even shipping containers.

Save time, improve safety, and avoid the high costs of shunting trucks with a powered trailer mover from DJ Products. Contact us for details.

What to Know About Uber Freight

Whether you’re an independent driver or a warehouse manager, Uber Freight is quietly changing your industry. Just like the ride-sharing app, the Freight version matches customers to drivers. Shippers can book a load with a few clicks, and owner-operators can always make themselves available to drive.

With freight truckers on demand, a distribution center can simply use a semi trailer mover to line up each load in the yard. Hail a driver from your phone or tablet, and the load is already prepared for departure.

How Uber Freight Works

Initially, the app was made available to truck drivers looking for work. The goal was to help drivers find loads on return trips instead of making deadhead trips.

Now, the Uber Freight platform is fully featured for both carriers and shippers. Distribution firms can enter a few details and get a firm price, then schedule the driver. Drivers can choose to accept a load knowing their pay and without haggling.

The app includes tools for real-time freight tracking, simple documentation, and automated payment after proof of delivery.

Using Uber Freight for Shippers

Given the ongoing driver shortage, Uber Freight seemingly has the potential to help shippers in a pinch. The reduction of paperwork and phone calls also allow you to spend more time on your business.

Are you always looking for more drivers? Do you need to expand your capacity seasonally? DJ Products can help your business succeed with the Uberization of freight, thanks to our Electric Yard Truck semi trailer mover. Dock workers can easily tow and park trailers up to 100,000 pounds to prepare for your Uber trucker’s arrival.

Do You Need a Warehouse Consultant? What to Know Before You Hire One.

What to Know About Warehouse Consultants

At DJ Products, our mission is to help customers find their ideal warehouse equipment solutions. But when it comes to warehouse operations or special projects, do you go it alone?

Many companies of all sizes have successfully used warehouse consultants to advise on layout design, process optimization and other business aspects. Here are some tips to help you decide if your company could benefit from hiring a warehouse consultant.

What Does a Warehouse Consultant Do?

Warehouse consultants have a wide range of expertise applicable to all facets of operations. Some of the issues for which companies seek help include:

– Layout design and space optimization

– Inventory management

– Locating and designing new or additional warehouses

– Order picking

– Improving cash flow

– Maximizing integration of two or more companies

– Calculating activity-based costs (ABC)

– Selecting and implementing a warehouse management system (WMS)

– Outsourcing services

What to Expect Working with a Warehouse Consultant

Warehouse consultants use well-established methods that have been proven to work. Since they deal with warehouse change management projects every day, they understand how to adapt these methods to best suit your operations and customers.

A good warehouse consultant will present you with an analysis of options that address your particular needs. Each one will be based on trade-offs between factors including workforce, space and costs. Consultants are also aware of common problems that can arise in each scenario, so they can guide you on the most streamlined ways to put solutions in action.

DJ Products: Your Warehouse Equipment Consultant

Our knowledgeable sales engineers can help you find the right warehouse equipment for your specific applications. Use the convenient online chat feature on our website for prompt and cheerful assistance with any questions about our comprehensive line of tugs, movers and pushers.

What Fleet Managers Need to Know About Electronic Driver Log Books

What to Know About ELD

At the end of 2019, the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate will be fully in effect. The grandfather clause for older e-log devices will run out, at which point virtually all fleet drivers will need an FMCSA-compliant logging device.

Hours of Service rules cause a cascade of effects on the transportation industry. If you’re short on drivers or time, you’ll need to get creative. Using battery-powered terminal tractors that don’t require a CDL license offers one easy solution for time management.

Approved Electronic Logging Devices

The mandate includes several necessary specs for an ELD. The device must connect to the truck’s engine and know when the vehicle is moving, and it must be able to transmit data by USB, Bluetooth, or the web. Drivers can log their on-duty or off-duty status, but otherwise the whole tracking process is automated.

ELD Costs and Savings

Each device will set you back hundreds of dollars. Most are around $500, but they vary from about $200 to $800.

The FMCSA and industry groups both find that the ELD mandate will provide long-term cost savings. Reduced paperwork and fewer truck accidents will save more money than the initial outlay.

One wildcard to consider: if your drivers have been fudging their time sheets, adhering to the HOS rules might mean that you’ll need to hire more drivers or avoid wasting your CDL drivers’ time.

Save Time for ELD Compliance

Many drivers are only struggling with ELD and HOS compliance because they waste too much time in the truck at warehouses. Electric terminal tractors make it easy to tow trailers from the dock to the yard—so your CDL drivers can simply pick up and go.

Contact DJ Products to learn more about TrailerCaddy Terminal Tractors.

Reducing Logistics Costs Through the Use of Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT Will Revolutionize Warehouses

The global supply chain already relies on smart technology to speed up distribution, reduce paperwork, and allow customers and vendors to track shipments. Next up, the Internet of Things for logistics is reducing costs by improving tracking and data.

Some retailers are moving closer to on-demand manufacturing. Others are reducing wait times and stagnant inventory by taking advantage of the smallest details, like using yard trucks to prepare trailers to go out even before customers have actually placed the order.

How IoT Affects Logistics

Traditionally, supply chain logistics has been about making the best of push-based systems that require manufacturing parts or products months or years before a product will ever be sold. Missing data and guesstimation lead to high costs.

Connected devices provide better data that makes several cost-cutting and efficiency goals attainable:

– Pull-based ordering and manufacturing

– Solving understock and overstock issues

– Analytics to predict customer demand

– Identify slow parts of the supply chain

– Map inventory from raw materials to delivery

Examples of Supply Chain IoT

Smart devices for the supply chain range from simple products like RFID and GPS sensors to more advanced robotics. The data you collect is just as important for analytics as it is for on-the-ground operations.

Once your supply chain is on the Internet of Things, you can enact measures for better operational efficiency at the warehouse. It’s all about getting things out the door on time – not a moment too soon or too late.

Electric yard trucks allow workers to park trailers at the dock and maneuver them around the lot for immediate pick-up. DJ Products makes powered trailer dollies like the TrailerCaddy yard trucks that any employee can use, even without a CDL.

What to Expect in 2019 in the Logistics and Transportation Industries

What to Expect in the Rest of 2019

What is the best way to use big data in logistics and transportation? In 2019 and beyond, businesses are under competitive pressure to turn the data they have into effective results. From overseas manufacturers to the terminal tractors and trucks at your warehouse, every piece needs to be in sync and taking advantage of the latest technology and data.

Transportation experts see organizations taking a “coherent and structured approach” to their newest initiatives. Whether it’s public transportation, warehouse shipping, or last-mile couriers, each segment needs to align its stakeholders under one vision of reliable, efficient logistics.

Logistics trends in 2019 include:

– Smart cities initiatives

– Customized service models

– Money-back guarantees

– Results-based investments using big data

– IoT solutions to solve TL, LTL, and parcel delivery issues

– Driverless vehicles to solve the shortage crisis

– Reducing transportation costs by minimizing loading and unloading delays

Controlling Costs and Improving Logistics Efficiency

New technology and approaches are emerging to cut down on the ever-rising costs of transportation. Once you have the data to identify bottlenecks, prevent overstocking, and streamline the supply chain, you need to put a plan into action.

At the warehouse, the digital age has already made inventory tracking easier. Transportation needs to catch up. All the speed in the world for ordering and picking doesn’t matter if you can’t get the trucks on the road just as fast.

To reduce wait times at the warehouse and move products more efficiently and less expensively, switch to electric terminal tractors instead of shunt trucks. TrailerCaddy Terminal Tractors from DJ Products cost less than a quarter of a shunt truck with lower maintenance, greater safety, and no CDL driver required.

To learn more about battery-powered, semi-trailer tow dollies and terminal tractors, contact DJ Products or call 1-800-686-2651.

Exoskeleton Service Robotics Move Into the Warehouse

The Future of the Warehouse is Upon Us

Robotics, in combination with warehouse equipment, has become a dynamic means of boosting productivity with lower costs. Exoskeleton robots are now poised to become the next big innovation in supply chain and logistics.

Could exoskeleton robots have an application in your warehouse operations? Here’s what you should know about this fascinating technology.

What Are Exoskeleton Robots?

Exoskeleton robots are wearable devices that incorporate electric motors, pneumatics and hydraulics to mimic or augment actual human movements. These devices afford a greater degree of strength and endurance than workers could achieve on their own.

Applications of exoskeleton robots cut across a wide range of fields, from manufacturing and supply chain to healthcare and military. As a result, the market is expected to reach an astonishing $2.8 billion by the year 2023, for a compound annual growth rate of 45.2 percent.

Advantages of Exoskeleton Robot Use

Muscle fatigue and overuse is a primary limitation in a number of activities. An exoskeleton robot lets the user remain functional and productive beyond the point at which they would normally have to stop.

Exoskeleton robots are currently incorporated extensively in two industries:

– Healthcare services use exoskeletons for injury rehabilitation to help muscles recover efficiently.

– The military uses exoskeletons in combat situations to reduce fatigue and injury risk among soldiers.

Full-body exoskeletons aren’t yet ready to be rolled out commercially, but upper- and lower-body exoskeletons have great potential as ergonomic aids for warehouse workers who perform repetitive tasks.

Make Safety a Priority with Ergonomically Designed Warehouse Equipment

Battery-powered warehouse equipment like our best-selling CartCaddyShorty includes features such as variable speed twist grips to prevent common repetitive motion injuries. Use our convenient online chat feature to learn more from our helpful sales engineers.

Replacing Plastic Wrap Rubber Pallet Bands are Trending in 2019

Warehouse Tips

Warehouse managers are constantly searching for ways to improve productivity while keeping expenses low. One solution is our electric warehouse equipment, which reduces operating costs and frees up employees for other tasks.

While technology is the source of many options, one relatively low-tech product is making a splash in 2019. Companies are turning to rubber pallet bands as an effective alternative to costly and time-consuming pallet wrapping.

Small Change, Big Savings

Fastmile Logistics, a last-mile delivery service covering the Southeast United States, had a goal to reduce packaging and disposal costs. The specific target was plastic pallet wrap, which was running an average of $14,000 per year.

Fastmile’s search led them to rubber pallet bands, and in 2014 they began a test program in their Orlando warehouse. According to general manager Brad Ward, average annual product savings have been approximately $5,000.

Benefits of Rubber Pallet Bands

Ward explained the multiple benefits he and his employees discovered with the use of rubber pallet bands:

– Band application takes a single employee a matter of mere seconds, compared to other methods which require at least two workers.

– The bands automatically snap into place without damaging the product.

– In addition to product and labor costs, use of rubber pallet bands results in lower trash costs. Ward estimated their warehouse saves at least $200 each year.

– Based on product mix, outgoing loads almost always had to be unwrapped and rewrapped, causing a significant drain on time. Wrapping products with rubber pallet bands has eliminated this inefficiency.

Labor-Saving Warehouse Equipment from DJ Products

What could you accomplish with one extra worker? Visit our website and learn how our battery-powered tugs, movers and pushers let a single employee accomplish tasks that usually take two or more people.

Tips for Managing and Optimizing Your Warehouse Labor Costs

Don’t Burn Money Manage Your Labor Costs

Labor costs comprise the largest and most unpredictable element of warehouse operating expenses. Unlike material handling equipment and other fixed assets, staffing needs are dependent on variables such as fluctuating workloads and employee turnover.

This doesn’t mean resigning yourself to uncontrolled budget expenses. Experts offer the following tips for successfully managing labor costs.

Optimize Warehouse Layout

When was the last time you made modifications in your warehouse layout? Are order pickers wasting a lot of time traveling from one slot to the next? Review the warehouse layout and look for ways to make workflows more efficient.

Consult an Expert

Outside consultants have experience working with all types of warehouse operations so they can provide tested solutions. Objective eyes can also spot problems and opportunities that may not be readily evident.

Automate Manual Processes

People are often reluctant to give up old-school methods, but when it comes to cost management, you have to use every tool at your disposal. Warehouse management systems (WMS) and other electronic data-gathering programs collect real-time data for more accurate and timely decisions.

Integrate Voice Logistics

Voice-driven systems have reached new levels of sophistication. Bluetooth headsets keep workers’ hands free for more efficient picking and other tasks.

Reduce Turnover

Hiring and training workers is a tremendous drain on the budget. In addition to direct costs associated with the process, it creates a ripple effect of indirect costs, including reduced productivity. Incentivize employees with bonuses, recognition programs and other perks for outstanding performance.

DJ Products: Your Top Source for Material Handling Equipment

Customers have proclaimed that using our electric material handling equipment is “like adding another employee.” Visit our website and learn how our assortment of tugs, movers and pushers can improve warehouse productivity and safety.

What’s Trending in Light Sport Aircraft from LAMA – the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association

Light Sport Aircraft in the News

Could your LSA aircraft caddy soon be toting heavier planes? As the industry approaches its 15th birthday, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA) and its partner the U.S. Ultralight Association (USUA) have been pushing to improve opportunities for the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) manufacturing industry and individuals who own and operate light sport aircraft. What’s on the agenda?

Four Core Goals

After 4-years of effort, LAMA narrowed down its long list of industry suggestions to four goals in efforts to advance the industry. These were presented to high-level Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) executives, and ALL will be included in the FAA’s upcoming regulation plans:

1. Allowing special Light-Sport Aircraft to perform aerial work in addition to towing and flight instruction.

2. Introducing the safety and performance benefits provided by single-lever adjustable propellers.

3. Permitting electric propulsion and instruction in aircraft designed for such motors.

4. Solving issues surrounding modern gyroplanes, in that they may only be built as kits, making commercial training impossible.

In addition, the FAA also agreed to look into increasing the gross weight of LSA.

Changes on the Horizon

Though LAMA is hopeful, it’s important to emphasize each of these items is on the FAA’s list for eventual rule making. Eventual being the operative word. Rulemaking could take 3-years and the time it takes for them to go into effect could be far longer, assuming no changes of course.

In the meantime, LAMA has proposed a plan to get the FAA the data they need to speed the process. This will also provide opportunities under controlled circumstances for pilots to gain more rapid access to these new opportunities.

Pushing for change? Improve maneuverability with an aircraft caddy from DJ Products today.

Day: April 2, 2019