christopher Harper, Author at DJ Products

Coffee: The Long Haul Driver’s Friend for Safety

Coffee: Your New Best Friend

Sleep has no substitute, but coffee really does help you drive safely. Long-haul drivers can focus better and reduce errors with the help of caffeine. Those prone to swerving out of lane should consider a caffeinated chewing gum or cup of joe every few hours.

Worker safety in warehousing and transportation has become a publicized issue lately. Distribution companies should consider all their options for improvement, including motorized trailer dollies for the shunting yard and driver education to reduce accidents.

Coffee Fights Cognitive Fatigue

In addition to keeping you awake, caffeine also produces an adrenaline response that helps with focus. Brain fatigue makes hours of driving feel so tedious. Coffee counteracts that feeling so truckers can have an easier time maintaining a consistent speed, checking their mirrors, and staying in control of the vehicle.

Hit the Road with Caffeinated Chewing Gum

Studies have found the best results with caffeinated gum. The effect kicks in faster and lasts for a predictable 90 minutes. Drinking coffee has less reliable effects (not to mention the associated pit stops).

Trailer Dollies Also Improve Safety

With so much emphasis on driver fatigue and safety protocols, it’s easy to forget that safety starts at the terminal. Drivers and warehouse workers often get injured at the dock while loading or moving trailers.

Replace your shunt trucks with motorized trailer dollies for better sight lines and more precise steering. Any worker can operate a TrailerCaddy, so your truck drivers can save their physical and mental energy for the road—after they’ve caffeinated of course.

Read up on the safety features of our motorized trailer dollies and call 800-686-2651 to speak with a sales engineer about how DJ Products yard trucks can make it very inexpensive to increase workplace safety.

Experienced Long Haul Truckers Share Their Top Driver Tips

Checking Your Vehicle Periodically While Doing Long Hauls is Essential for Proper Safety and Maintenance.

Your yard trucks are hauling cargo destined for a dangerous journey. Are your long-haul truck drivers prepared to make it to their destination safely?

Experienced Long Haul Truckers Share Their Top Driver Tips
Truck driving is a lifetime skill that requires refinement over time. Here are a few lessons from seasoned veterans for those new to the arena:

Look at your truck after leaving it.
Are your hazard lights or blinkers on? You’re not done after parking.

Know where your trailer is at all times.
Drive your trailer like your cab. If it wanders outside the lines, you aren’t driving safely. Lives are at stake.

Don’t shirk pre-trip inspections.
Check the lights, tires, pins, valve stem covers, the fifth wheel, and be mindful of inspection dates. You never know when a DOT officer will be verifying your work.

Have an exit plan.
As you exit for a truck stop, take the time to look at signs to see how you get back on the highway, otherwise you could miss it and end up lost after taking a wrong turn.

Don’t swerve to miss that animal.
Not only is it often a safety department policy, that animal is not worth your life or that of the family in the vehicle next to you. Your vehicle is 80,000-lbs, and the odds of swerving quickly enough to miss it are stacked against you. It’s a sad reality, but holding the wheel tightly and slowing down are sometimes the best you can do.

Ask for help when you need it.
No one is in it alone, and it feels good to pay it forward when others are in need.

Keep your employees safe. Learn more about yard trucks from DJ Products today.

Hotel Technology Trends to Watch – Making Guest Feel at Home

The Frontier of Comfort and Hospitality is Always Being Expanded. What’s New?

Hotels continue to refine the guest experience as a way of standing out from the competition. Equipment such as hotel supply movement carts improve staff productivity and room turnaround times, while high-tech innovations add to guest comfort and convenience.

Here are top communication trends expected to impact the hospitality industry during 2019. Is your hotel up-to-date with these features?

Mobile and Room Phone Synergy

The prevalence of mobile phones has resulted in hotel room phones being limited to room service and wake-up calls, but technology is in the works to pair the two as a central communication hub. Guests will be able to use their mobile phones for functions such as TV remotes and message centers.

Guest Apps

Apps are a great vehicle for one-stop access to information. Hotel guest apps have the potential to host loyalty programs, special rate notifications, and other valuable functions while also providing data that can be used to personalize the guest experience.

Tech Lounges

Guests traveling for business appreciate the opportunity to work or relax in other parts of the hotel for a change of scenery. Tech lounges provide a comfortable spot where people can conduct business or unwind while keeping WiFi connectability.

Social Listening Tools

In a matter of minutes, hotel guests can share their experiences with a vast audience of social media users. Social listening tools like Hootsuite and Brandwatch let you monitor mentions of your hotel and other relevant keywords. You can then use the collected data to engage in conversations and fine-tune your marketing strategy.

Streamline Hotel Supply Movement with Powered Carts from DJ Products

Our hotel supply movement carts boost staff efficiency and reduce risk of job-related injuries. Contact us for more information.

A Look Ahead into Barcoding and Labeling Usage in Warehouses for 2019

Barcoding Use in Warehouses

The rise in E-commerce has resulted in customer demand for greater speed with less room for error. Reliable material handling equipment and accurate barcoding and labeling are necessities to stay ahead of the competition.

Here are the barcoding and labeling trends experts are seeing today. How does your system measure up?

Flexible Usage

Product demand, return volumes and seasonal fluctuations cause frequent changes in product slotting for maximum efficiency. Many barcoding and labeling systems are moving to materials that are easy to remove and reposition.

Advance Planning

When planning a warehouse layout, the barcoding and labeling process is often regarded as a secondary issue that can be handled on the fly. Putting it off until later can result in confusion, errors and delays. Make sure barcoding and labeling is part of the initial planning process for any new construction or renovations.

Color-Coding

Colored barcode labels are more visible, making them particularly helpful with tiered racking systems. Color-coding also provides consistency across a network of warehouses or distribution centers.

Environment-Specific

Different conditions present different challenges for barcoding and labeling. For instance, a label that works in ambient temperatures may be insufficient for freezer use. Consider the environment that labels will be used in and be sure they can stand up to the conditions.

Full-Service Suppliers

As warehouse space grows to accommodate inventory levels required for E-commerce, barcoding and labeling becomes more complex. Full-service suppliers can handle the project every step of the way, from planning and preparation to creation and installation.

Modern Material Handling Equipment for Today’s Warehouses

As a satisfied customer put it, our battery-powered tugs, movers and pushers are like adding another person to your warehouse staff. Contact DJ Products to learn more about our full selection of material handling equipment.

Five Important Fleet Safety Tips All Managers Need to Embrace

Fleet Safety for Managers

Fleet safety protects more than just cargo. It’s about keeping your drivers safe even when they feel rushed or pressured to meet the demands of the job. You can control some things at your location, such as by using terminal tractors to safely tow trailers around the lot. Managers should also be hands-on when it comes to safe dock areas and safe driving.

Time to conduct an in-house safety audit? Implement these five tips for fleet safety.

Safety orientations: Teach new hires and refresh veteran employees annually with a little classroom training. Everybody should know the best safety practices for their job as well as the workers they interact with so that everyone is on the same page.

Regular feedback: On at least a monthly basis, review your drivers’ and warehouse employees’ safety and performance records. This takes away the feeling of confrontation when you need to address things like customer complaints or aggressive driving.

Technology and equipment: Make use of fleet trackers, telematics, and boots-on-the-ground equipment like electric terminal tractors. Focus on solutions that are easy to use and which your employees will actually want to use.

Team effort: Ask top employees to host those safety orientations or conduct ride-alongs. Make safety a team effort. Offer prizes for clean safety records or other goals.

Corrective action: Make your policies well-understood, and follow through with corrective training for bad driving or reckless behavior.

Easier, Safer Trucking with Terminal Tractors

A disproportionate amount of worker injuries occur around the dock. The Electric Yard Truck’s safety features streamline the task of backing up trailers to the dock and towing them around the lot. They can be operated by non-CDL workers with easy speed control, braking, and steering.

To learn more about the safety benefits of electric terminal tractors, contact DJ Products.

Warehouse Management Tips: How to Be Prepared for When Predictions Fail

Be Prepared When Predictions Fail

Technology has put more information than ever before in the hands of warehouse managers. Unfortunately, not everything is as reliable as quality warehouse equipment. Even the most knowledgeable predictions can fail to materialize.

How do you keep erroneous predictions from throwing operations off course? Follow these three helpful tips to be prepared for curves in the road.

Manage Costs Carefully

The boom in online retailing has been something of a mixed blessing. Sales have gone up, but profits are shrinking due to free shipping, competitive pricing and other costs of gaining customers.

– High-tech improvements are necessary but expensive, so focus on the long-term return on investment.

– Don’t be afraid to let shoppers bear some of the costs. Stricter return policies, free-shipping minimums and focus on high-value items are strategies to indirectly reduce costs while still providing customer satisfaction.

Maximize Square Footage

When is the last time you reviewed your warehouse layout? Do a careful analysis to identify dead space, optimize placement of high-volume SKUs and make any other changes needed to ensure full productivity of the entire footprint.

“Listen” to Your Customers

National news and market data provide an outlook on the general business climate, but it paints a picture in broad strokes that may not apply to your business. Take advantage of the detailed customer data that you have to watch for even slight changes that may indicate an upcoming positive or negative trend.

Cost-Effective Warehouse Equipment from DJ Products

Labor is your costliest and most important resource. Maximize productivity and reduce disruptive warehouse injuries with safe and efficient warehouse equipment like our best-selling CartCaddyShorty.

Visit our website and use our convenient chat feature to let our cheerful sales engineers find the best solution for your specific application.

Amazon Warehouse Staff Exercise Their Right to Protest

With Amazon’s far-ranging network of facilities, robust infrastructure and labor force of more than 600,000, it’s not far-fetched to compare the retailing giant to a self-contained country. Amazon has begun using its stature to wield influence among governments both here and abroad.

Continuing the parallel, “citizens” of Amazon are seeking to be heard on topics ranging from warehouse equipment to global warming. What issues are causing employees to raise their voices in protest?

Amazon Becomes a Political Force

Last year, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos enjoyed a private summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and it was later announced that Amazon would open a new office in Vancouver employing 3,000 people. In the United States, Amazon caused a frenzy with its search for a city to host its second headquarters.

The “contest” was ultimately won by Washington, D.C. and New York City, although the latter eventually declined. It’s expected that a facility in the nation’s capital will give Amazon a stronghold for increased lobbying as well as efforts to obtain Department of Defense contracts.

Employees Flex Their Muscle

For their part, several Amazon employees are taking an ethical stand against certain products. Workers are joining civil rights groups such as the ACLU in objecting to use of Amazon’s facial recognition software for “authoritarian surveillance.”

In a development that bears watching, some Amazon employees are taking advantage of stock holdings in their compensation packages. As shareholders, they have filed a resolution demanding that Amazon create a plan to deal with climate change.

Warehouse Equipment for All Applications

Your company may not be the size of Amazon, but your employees deserve quality warehouse equipment. Visit our website and chat with our sales engineers about our line of electric tugs, movers and pushers.

What to Know About Inbound vs Outbound Logistics

Logistics is an umbrella term encompassing the process of transporting and storing products. The concept can be broken down into inbound or outbound logistics based on whether items are being received or shipped.

Equipment such as our powered trailer mover can be utilized on both sides, but inbound and outbound logistics also differ in several important ways. Here are factors to consider for optimizing your logistics program in both directions.

Supply Chain Side

Companies develop supply chain partnerships with suppliers on the inbound side and customers on the outbound side. In many cases, companies choose to work with third-party distributors on either or both sides.

Liability

Both inbound and outbound shipments are governed by specific agreements between the relevant parties. Free on Board (FOB) is a commonly-used term in which the inbound recipient covers all shipping costs from when the shipment is loaded on a carrier or when it reaches a particular destination.

Supplies and Equipment

Inbound logistics applies to tools, office equipment and other materials used to operate your business, while outbound logistics refers to inventory only.

Supply Chain Integration

Vertical integration is a strategy in which a company takes control over one or more stages of the supply chain. For example, in the 1920s Ford Motor began manufacturing much of its own steel rather than sourcing from outside suppliers. Implementing vertical integration creates a more cohesive supply chain, thereby increasing productivity and reducing costs.

Improve Yard Efficiency with Our Powered Trailer Mover

Are you frustrated with outside shunting services? Boost productivity and safety with the Electric Yard Dog from DJ Products. Our popular powered trailer mover can handle trailers up to 100,000 pounds and it’s ergonomically designed to help reduce injury risk.

Visit our website for more information.

What’s Trending? Online Rentals and Sales of Dumpsters.

You can buy a lot of junk online – and you can also rent a dumpster online when you have more junk than usual. That’s the idea behind online platforms like Dumpster Market and Budget Dumpster. Local haulers list themselves online, and customers can easily find what they need at a competitive price.

For commercial use, it’s never been easier to get however many roll-off containers you need at a given moment. In fact, you can even rent dumpster moving equipment to tow waste containers around your property.

The Boom in Online Dumpster Rentals

Dumpster Market opened in January 2018 with a mission to make the waste hauling industry more efficient through technology. Renting a dumpster works similarly to apps like Kayak and Uber.

Software designed just for this purpose allows haulers to list availability for various sizes of dumpsters. Users can book a container with local pickup and drop-off with just a few clicks.

Remodeling an apartment complex? Need extra dumpsters for a business with seasonal peaks? Rent online for a low price and skip the phone calls and quote requests.

Dumpster Moving Equipment for Improved Waste Management

At apartments and other multi-family housing, most injuries occur in the trash room. Don’t ask your maintenance crews to push or pull several tons of weight on those rickety wheels.

Dumpster moving equipment allows virtually any worker to safely move and park roll-off containers. The battery-powered motor makes it easy to tow a dumpster on inclines and over rough ground. It’s even easier to steer than a lawnmower.

Check out the WasteCaddy Dumpster Tow from DJ Products if your staff needs to haul dumpsters to the curb or if you regularly rent dumpsters for construction and remodeling projects.

For more info about our dumpster moving equipment, call 800-686-2651 or contact us online.

More Warehouse Robots Added at Walmart and Amazon But Not at a Human Cost – Yet

The move toward automation is affecting the retail industry, but is it a threat to employees yet? Retail giants Amazon and Walmart are adding warehouse robots to handle different tasks. While this might seem like a concern for employees, they can still count on being able to do their jobs using warehouse equipment for now.

Amazon Robots

Amazon first made the company’s interest in robotics known in 2012 with the purchase of Kiva Systems. Since that time, Amazon has set up cashierless stores and put robots to work moving items around inside its warehouses. These robots have allowed Amazon to store more inventory and handle customer orders at a quicker pace. This has led to shorter delivery times, making customers happier overall.

Walmart Robots

Walmart also uses robots in warehouses to take care of some tasks and plans to add more. Newer robots will be moving groceries around warehouses at a grocery distribution center in California in 2020, and a New Hampshire location will have automated carts available for moving items that are part of online grocery orders.

Other plans for robots at Walmart include an unloading system that removes items from trucks and sorts them while bringing them to warehouse shelves.

Effects of Robots on Jobs

Adding automation to warehouses is expected to create some jobs, but it could also lead to job losses for some warehouse workers over time. While warehouse workers don’t have to worry about losing their jobs to robots just yet, they should keep an eye on automation news.

If you need warehouse equipment to keep your business running smoothly, visit DJ Products. We have a wide selection of this equipment available to help your employees handle warehouse tasks more efficiently.

Author: christopher Harper