Author: christopher Harper

A Car Pusher Could Make the New Year Easier for Auto Shops

Moving cars and trucks around on crowded lots can be a pretty difficult chore at any point during the year but the cold, snowy and icy weather of winter tends to make it an even more difficult task. 

Injuries are a very common occurrence when auto shop employees are required to manually push automobiles from the lot into a bay for inspection or repair.  If the lot is covered with ice or snow, control becomes an issue and the possibility of injury becomes even greater.

At many auto repair centers, employees will resort to pushing one car with another.  While this practice can reduce the risk of injury and make the work environment a bit safer for employees, it can cause dents and scratches that will require mechanics to perform additional work on the vehicles.

Busy auto shops and car lots can certainly benefit from having a piece of equipment that was specifically designed to safely move vehicles over short distances, like the Car Pusher from DJ Products.  The Car Pusher completely eliminates the stress and strain on employees who are responsible for moving stalled vehicles from one location to another.  The battery powered Car Pusher from DJ Products has plenty of power to move stalled cars, trucks or campers without any extra exertion required from valuable employees.

The Car Pusher is also much safer to the vehicles than other means used to get them from one location to another.  The push pad is constructed of a soft material that is very forgiving and that will not cause the scratches, dings and dents that often come from moving one vehicle with another.

Census Information Shows Many Americans are over Ninety

The US census has found that over 1.9 million people in the United States are over ninety years old. This fact shows that a need for more assisted living centers and other health care facilities is going to continue to increase.

The current amount of this kind of living space has been called inadequate in larger population centers such as New York City. Not only is there a shortage of living space for the future nonagenarians and those who are younger, the number of health care workers will also be feeling the strain. This can already be seen and there doesn’t seem to be any real plans to do much about it.

The average rehab centers, nursing homes and hospitals may be understaffed but that shouldn’t prevent basic care duties like supplying clean bed clothes and towels. One way to increase efficiency in this area is to use motorized carts to help employees move the large carts that carry the folded laundry to the patient’s rooms.

These carts have variable speeds and a smooth operation that makes handling them in tight hallways safe and secure. There is also an emergency stop switch on the handle that ensures both employee and visitor safety when maneuvering in tight hallways during visiting hours. The battery powered cart can work for sixteen hours straight and it only takes one person to handle it.

There is an adjustable customized attachment that can be used to link this motorized cart to any number of different carts and pieces of equipment. The battery powered cart is also designed to look less industrial than other products to make it blend in better with the health care facility surroundings.

OSHA Could Stiffen Penalties

OSHA could levy tough consequences on employers who ignore worker safety if Congress passes legislation currently under review. In legislation introduced late last year by Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, employers who disregard hazards that result in worker fatalities could face felony prosecution and stiff prison sentences. The maximum penalties currently levied by OSHA are 6 months in prison for a willful violation resulting in death and/or $70,000 for a willful violation and $7,000 for a serious violation. Hearings about the proposed legislation are being conducted by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The bill is expected to move through Congress this year.

“Employers who ignore their employees’ safety should pay a penalty that will force them to change their negligent ways,” Sen. Kennedy said. A report issued by Kennedy’s staff titled Discounting Death: OSHA’s Failure to Punish Safety Violations that Kill Workers states that a median penalty of $3,675 was assessed for workplace fatalities last year. “Workers’ lives are obviously worth far more than that,” chided the Senator.

Each year 6,500 American workers die from workplace injuries. According to OSHA estimates, forklifts are responsible for 85 fatalities a year, 34,900 serious injuries and 61,800 non-serious injuries. An estimated 11% of all forklifts in operation in the U.S. are involved in an accident each year. Over their useful life, 90% of all forklifts will be a factor in a workplace accident. Over the past 20 years, forklifts have been the major cause of industrial fatalities and accidents in the U.S.

With stricter enforcement on the horizon, it could be prudent to consider replacing the bulk of your forklift fleet with safer, more maneuverable, ergonomic electric carts and motorized cart pushers. Reasonably-priced cart movers come in a variety of sizes designed to perform many of the same tasks done by forklifts but with increased efficiency and superior safety for workers. Power tuggers offer maximum versatility in moving loads of up to 3,0o0 pounds while cart movers can muscle heavy 50,000-pound loads. Don’t place your workers or your business at risk, click here to learn more about ergonomic electric and battery-powered carts and tugs.

Use a Trailer Mover to Bring an RV Out of Storage

Spring is just around the corner and it will soon be time for RV owners to get their RVs ready for warm weather use. Since an RV is not an all-weather vehicle, they have likely put their RVs under some kind of protective covering until they can use them again. If you own a garage or some other storage facility that is used to store RVs and you know that RV owners will need to move their vehicles short distances, you can offer them the use of a DJ Products Trailer Mover to get the job done. Remind them that they will want to take care as they move their RVs from your facility to the vehicle they use to for towing.

With our trailer mover, one person can push or pull an RV, camper, equipment trailer, or even a boat without the assistance of another person. The powered trailer mover is less bulky than the traditional electric trailer puller product, which results in fewer accidents and lower maintenance costs. Increased control over the trailer mover in tightly confined areas also causes minimal damage to surrounding parts and equipment compared to other electric puller products.

In addition to offering the use of a trailer mover, you can also be sure to advise people that most RV enthusiasts would recommend checking on a trailer periodically during the winter to make sure that it has not suffered any damage due to cold weather or snow. And whether they have been checking on their vehicles throughout the winter season or not, they should certainly inspect their RVs for any damage before they get ready to move them.

RV Industry Predicts Strong Boosts in Production for 2016

Trading Houses For RV's
Trading Houses For RV’s

A variety of trends are coming together to push the RV industry to new heights. Production of motor homes, travel trailers, and fifth wheels has increased and may set new records in 2016 and beyond. For auto dealerships and related companies, this means a greater need for logistics and handling tools like a car pusher and trailer mover on site.

The boom in RV sales has several key factors:

  • Younger generations are seeking outdoor recreation, and many are choosing agile, mobile lifestyles instead of settling down in one place.
  • Aging Baby Boomers continue to downsize and hit the road. Older Americans are trading in houses for RVs to tour the country and visit grandchildren.
  • Technology has innovated the RV market with new features that appeal to both dedicated campers and new RV owners seeking luxury features — increasing demand for both new and existing RV consumers.

Handling the Increase of RV Production

RV manufacturers will reach shipment numbers not seen since before the great recession that began in 2007. For dealerships, this means accepting and storing inventory levels far beyond what has been the norm in recent years.

Material handling equipment like a motorized trailer mover can help employees safely and effectively move RVs like fifth wheel trailers and travel trailers. Motor homes and other heavy vehicles can also be pushed or pulled more easily with a powered trailer mover.

For dealerships and transport companies, the benefits of a vehicle pusher can significantly impact the bottom line by preventing workplace injury and streamlining daily operations. Visit DJProducts for more info on truck and trailer movers to handle RVs and other vehicles.

Flooded Cars From Early Summer Rains Start to Flood Car Lots

Flooded Car Lots
Flooded Car Lots

When mother nature slams an area with flooding, auto dealerships and consumers face a flood of heavily damaged vehicles. After extended rains that drenched Central Texas and much of the country this summer, it’s time to be on the lookout for flood-damaged vehicles that have been cleaned up and entered into the used car market. 

The Texas floods have recently left countless cars and trucks submerged in several feet of water. In some cases mechanics can quickly spot signs of the damage. But in many cases, the vehicles have been cleaned up, transferred to family members in other areas, and passed off as good-condition. 

The damaged vehicles may appear normal and drive soundly at first, but the flooding may have ruined the engine and electrical wiring. Sooner or later, these vehicles will suddenly become un-driveable if not properly restored. 

Handling Flooded Cars at Dealerships

Once on the car lot, any car/truck/trailer with possible flood damage needs to be thoroughly inspected and, if possible, repaired. 

As Tampa-area news coverage recently reported, a Carfax report can help make dealerships and buyers aware of damage. Of course, accident and insurance reports will not include unreported damage. This heightens the need for moving used cars around lots — pushing the car/truck/trailer to the service department, or moving the vehicle to salvage.

If your car dealership faces a sudden increase in used vehicle inventory after storm damage, a motorized car/truck/trailer pusher can help. This compact and easy-to-use equipment offers a safe and fast alternative to manual pushing, even in tight spaces.

More info on motorized vehicle movers can be found at DJ Products.

DJ Products Offers Versatile Material Handling Solutions

When we say that we make material handling solutions, we mean that we make products that can be used for more than one application. With some minor configurations, our products can be adapted for almost every heavy cart pushing or pulling application. And you don’t have to figure out these adaptations on your own: If you check out a product on our website and wonder if it can be used in a fashion other than the one mentioned, call us at 800-686-2651 and speak with a Sales Engineer who can help.

Many of our products are walk-behind units that eliminate the pain and strain of manually pulling and pushing a heavy cart and wheeled equipment. Also, our material handling solutions are less costly, smaller, and more maneuverable than traditional powered equipment.

Here are some of the ways our products have been used for various applications:

• A motorized cart pusher can be loaded up with linen just as easily as it can be loaded up with food.

• A powered trailer mover can of course move trailers, but it can also pull cannons.

• A battery powered car pusher will help you push cars, campers, trucks and buses, and it can also assist you as you push anything on wheels.

• A motorized carpet mover will get your carpet where it needs to be, but it can also push other cylinder-shaped items.

• A trailer pusher not only moves standard ball coupler, gooseneck, and kingpin trailers, you can also use it to move your trailer equipment too.

• A powered hand truck and help you transport heavy test weights, dies, carts and other equipment.

Cut Down on Squeaky Wheels with an Electric Cart Pusher

DJ Products offers material handling solutions that allow employers to help their employees complete work tasks safely and with fewer sprains, strains and other injuries. For employers these products present an economic advantage since employees can be more efficient and are less likely to become injured at work. However, our products have other advantages that may not be immediately obvious.

In an article about how the abundance of noise in hospitals makes it difficult for patients who need to heal to get the rest they need, an Associated Press reporter commented:

“…the pagers and phones, the hallway chatter, the roommate, even the squeaky laundry carts all make for a not-so-restful place to heal.”

While we cannot guarantee that our products will make absolutely no noise, we can tell you that they are well made, efficient and could cut down on the squeaky wheels that patients may hear as they convalesce. Our cart pushers are small, maneuverable and come with plenty of power to handle nearly all push or pull applications within a hospital.
A motorized cart mover like the electric CartCaddyShorty cart pusher can play an important role in your hospital—aiding workers as they transport equipment, move food carts, maneuver laundry bins, and complete other daily tasks.

Your business, your employees and your customers can all benefit from your decision to use our battery powered “walk-behind” units because they are ergonomically correct, safe and cost effective. Please take the time to find a specific electric cart pusher on our website, or call our Sales Engineers at 800-686-2651 for a recommendation on your proper solution.

Cart Pullers and Cart Pushers Lessen Chances of Hospital Drama

Are you a fan of ER or Grey’s Anatomy or other dramas set in hospitals? Well, the drama in real hospitals would reach new levels if a hospital found that a number of staff members were indisposed because of the kinds of strains and injuries workers get when they use material handling solutions that are not designed with ergonomics in mind.

Weighty Matters
An Electric Tugger cuts down on the chance of overexertion and will allow your employees to move fully loaded carts quickly and easily. Electric Tuggers also help to keep residents safe by allowing the staff to keep rooms and hallways clear. The Cart Puller from DJ Products is powerful enough to easily haul carts weighing up to fifteen hundred pounds without putting any undue stress on employees.

Better Handling
No matter how heavy or how light the loads your employees are transporting, it is crucial that they be able to move with ease. The term hospital corners normally refers to a method of making beds but when you are transporting a load of linens or medical supplies, tight hospital corners are the ones that you must travel through without running into anyone or losing what is being carried. A cart pusher like the CartCaddyShorty attaches to the swivel-castered end of the cart and provides the pushing and pulling power necessary for easy turning and intricate maneuvering.

With Hospital Carts from DJ Products you can leave the hospital drama to the people on TV. Call us at 800-686-2651 to speak to a Sales Engineer and learn more about our material handling solutions for hospitals.

Transport Spring Cleaning Safely with a Motorized Linen Cart

In most of the United States we have just pushed our clocks ahead one hour. This means that we also get less sleep, although the effects of losing that hour normally wear off after the first week of Daylight Saving Time.

So now that we have sprung ahead and your employees will be up an hour earlier getting their work done, why not examine the equipment they use to make certain that it is up to the task? It is okay for us to spring forward in hours but it is not okay for your employees to use clean linen carts that lurch forward at odd times, sending clean laundry to the floor. And laundry is not the only thing that may be damaged if your allow your employees to use rickety laundry carts to transport clean laundry: there is the possibility that your employees themselves may get hurt if an unstable laundry cart is overturned.

The Motorized Linen Cart eliminates the manual pushing of heavy clean linen carts, especially where carpeting makes them difficult to push. The powered cart is motorized for moving clean linens used for daily duties in hospitality and hospital environments. It can haul loads of up to 700 lbs. It’s variable speed twist grip allows the operator to travel forwards or backwards at speeds between 0 and 3 miles per hour, all while maintaining control.

Watch this video to see our motorized clean linen wire cart in action. And if you have further questions about this or any of our other material handling solutions, feel free to call us at 800-686-2651.