Semi Trailer Dolly Archives

Is “Lidar” the Next Big Thing in Transportation Safety?

The Next Thing for Transportation Safety

Our battery-powered yard trucks greatly reduce risk of workplace injury for your on-site employees. What about the long-haul drivers who are responsible for transporting large tractor-trailers across hundreds or even thousands of miles of highway?

No matter how skilled and experienced a truck driver is, they can’t account for the actions of automobile drivers sharing the road. Lidar technology is on the verge of creating unprecedented safety features that can act as a driver’s extra “eyes.”

Lidar = Light + Radar

Lidar is an enhanced form of radar that measures distance using pulsed laser lights rather than radio waves. Thanks to the differences in laser return times and wavelengths, the data can actually create a 3D representation of the target.

Combinations of cameras, radar and lidar are currently used for passenger car features such as automatic emergency braking and blind spot monitoring. Velodyne, the Silicon Valley-based company that invented lidar more than 10 years ago, is working with tech companies and truck manufacturers to adapt lidar to large Class-A tractor-trailers.

Making “The Big Picture” Even Bigger

According to Andrew Nelson, North America commercial vehicles manager of Velodyne, lidar can provide a constant 360-degree view at nearly 1,000 feet. Velodyne’s system also uses infrared lasers, making them effective even at night or during poor weather conditions.

As with most new technology, cost has been the biggest roadblock to implementing lidar. Velodyne is focused on bringing costs down to mass-market levels, and Nelson believes companies will recognize that the benefits of lidar far outweigh the investment.

Put Safety First with Yard Trucks from DJ Products

Our Electric Yard Dog lets a single person move trailers up to 100,000 pounds, reducing the risk of common musculoskeletal injuries. Visit our website for more information.

Truck Sales to the Logistics Market Slows Due to Low Supply Against High Demand

In the trucking industry, success leans heavily on logistics. Detailed coordination needs all parts involved running smoothly to function efficiently. From the necessary acquisition of durable, heavy-duty vehicles to the utilization of useful trailer helpers, like a semi trailer dolly, every working piece needs to fit correctly to sustain a well-oiled profit-making machine.

Lately, the need for immediate product acquisition and delivery services has been steadily climbing. A recent article describes a disturbing trend that reveals the trucking industry is at a crucial time in its history – a veritable tipping point! High demand is creating real concerns for those in trucking and logistics as employers scramble to meet the needs of their customers.

Unwrapping the Rear Axle

Trucking business owners are keeping their used trucks close to the vest rather than trading them in for newer models. And they are purchasing newer models as well. The need is growing for reliable new and used semis so tractor/semi-trailer manufacturers are racing to keep up. It’s vital to businesses inherently dependent on their ability to deliver freight quickly to ensure there is no slow down in the logistics process.

Logistics emphasizes the need to acquire and retain reliable machinery to help deliver products on time and with care. Get rid of the confusion, safety concerns, labor costs and increase your potential to deliver freights. Quality inventions like a semi trailer dolly can take up the slack when a portion of the process falters.

DJ Products Keeps Freight Moving

Premium quality machinery solves difficult issues with ingenuity. When demands are high and supplies are low, the right products allow you to meet higher levels of expectations. DJ Products continues to reach across a multitude of industries to provide tested solutions to complex problems.

Logistics Industry Tries to Boost Participation from Women

Having More Women In the Industrial Industry Has Its Benefits.

Our motorized trailer dollies are designed to be easily used by anyone, regardless of size or gender. Modern working conditions are just one of the strategies being used by trucking companies to recruit female employees in what is still a male-dominated industry.

Women Helping Other Women

In March, fleet management tech company Omnitracs sponsored an online roundtable discussion headed up by prominent women in the trucking industry. Talk centered on industry obstacles to recruiting women and ways to overcome them.

According to data gathered by Omnitracs, women make good drivers because:

– They stay with their companies longer than men do

– They travel nearly 1,000 miles per month more than male drivers

– They have fewer preventable accidents than men do

Educating Women About the Changing Face of Trucking

Ellen Voie, president and CEO of Women in Trucking, challenged the industry to dispel the misconceptions women may have about the truck driving profession.

– Thanks to modern technology, equipment is much easier to learn and use.

– With safety being a major concern for women, many truck stops have improved their facilities to be more female-friendly.

– Weeks-long stretches on the road are no longer the norm. Companies have slip-seating and other policies that allow drivers to be home more often.

According to Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, president and CEO of Garner Trucking, selling the job itself is only part of the process. Companies need to offer mentors and peer support to help women manage the lifestyle of a career in trucking.

DJ Products: Making Your Workplace Safer and More Productive

No special license is required to operate motorized trailer dollies such as our Electric Yard Dog. Learn more from our sales engineers by using our handy online chat feature.

eBay Invests to Speed Deliveries with Logistics Joint Venture

In the highly competitive digital marketplace, expedited shipping is one of the ways a company can set itself apart from the competition. A motorized trailer dolly and other sophisticated equipment are useful for making shipping processes more efficient.

In an effort to boost its cross-border logistics network, eBay has entered into a joint venture with Citic Private Equity Funds Management Co. Ltd. The ultimate goal is to speed delivery service to eBay’s customers around the globe.

The Debut of SpeedPAK

Orange Connect Holding, a unit of Citic, and eBay have agreed to start a company called Orange Connex Ltd. (OCL). In their first order of business, OCL has rolled out SpeedPAK, an eBay shipping program focused on cross-border activity and China-based eCommerce vendors.

Currently, SpeedPAK offers a total transit time of eight to 12 business days across all regions of the U.S. In the second quarter, the company plans to initiate service to a number of other countries. including Australia, United Kingdom and France.

How SpeedPAK Will Benefit eBay

John Lin, eBay’s global vice president of international cross-border trade, praised the partnership with OCL, saying that it will give eBay “end-to-end management of shipping processes” for a superior customer experience. He added that more buyers will be able to purchase high-quality, competitively priced products from China.

eBay is actually the second online retailing giant to take this proactive approach. In September 2017, Alibaba Group Holding announced plans for a $16 billion investment toward creating its own global logistics network.

The Yard Dog Motorized Trailer Dolly from DJ Products

Do you want to improve turnaround time in your warehouse terminal? Visit our website and find out how the Electric Yard Dog can improve safety and efficiency in the workplace.

Freight Companies Book a Whopping 14.9% Increase in Sales

The 2017 numbers are in, and transportation performed even better than many thought. After growth of 3 percent in 2016, last year saw a 14.9 percent jump in freight sales. Profit margins jumped, too, nearly doubling to 6 percent.

So, where’s the money going? Large shippers have the most leverage, but small freight companies can compete with smart scaling and agile adjustments, using the tools at their disposal such as a motorized trailer dolly for efficiency around the docks.

What’s Fueling Growth in the Freight Industry?

Booming e-commerce and a healthy overall economy created strong demand for shipping and distribution. A looming driver shortage keeps prices high, as well.

As Forbes has noted, experts forecast the strong sales figures to continue for several years. As the president of KSM Transport Advisors has said, you’d have to be making mistakes to lose money right now.

Keep Operations Lean with a Motorized Trailer Dolly

Of course, things can change quickly. High margins may indicate that your competitors have room to slash prices. If a firm struggles to retain good drivers, operations could slow down. Smaller firms, in particular, need to stay ahead of the curve on efficiency gains.

At DJ Products, we know how material handling equipment can improve your bottom line. Our TrailerCaddy Terminal Tractor does just that by increasing warehouse efficiency.

A motorized trailer dolly offers more maneuverability and control than a typical shunt truck. And because it’s not a truck, you don’t need to log hours on a CDL driver. TrailerCaddy products cost less to purchase and operate while helping to keep your trucks and trailers on the road more.

Visit the DJ Products site for more info or request an onsite demo of the TrailerCaddy motorized trailer dolly.

Shell’s Fuel Efficient Concept Semi Truck is Sleek and Aerodynamic

One look at the new high-efficiency concept truck from Shell Rotella, and you’ll understand why they named it Starship. The sleek, sloped tractor-trailer developed in partnership with AirFlow Truck Company looks like it came from a sci-fi movie.

Starship trucks won’t be on the road immediately, but you can still get a jump on improving efficiency and cutting costs for transportation. Our motorized trailer dolly replaces the need for a shunt truck so you can maneuver trailers in and out of dock areas and keep your semi trucks on the road more.

The Shell Rotella AirFlow Starship

The Starship was built by AirFlow, a truck company founded and run a former owner/operator who’s been obsessed with aerodynamic truck design for decades.

A highly custom carbon fiber cab that looks like a cockpit highlights the sleek design of the Starship, but there’s more to it than aerodynamics:

– Cummins X15 diesel engine and Eaton transmission

– Solar panels to power the air conditioning, wipers, etc.

– Hybrid electric axle for uphill power and greater efficiency

– Automatically inflating tires to maintain even greater efficiency

Soon, the Starship concept truck will make a transcontinental trip to demonstrate its fuel ratings. We’ll be interested to see how the Starship stacks up against the Tesla semi truck.

Make Efficiency Gains with a Motorized Trailer Dolly

While distribution enterprises await the Starship, we can all benefit now from using a motorized trailer dolly at shipping docks and truck yards.

The TrailerCaddy Terminal Tractor requires no CDL or hour logging. Dock workers can easily operate it with safety and precision, so your trailers can always be ready to get back on the road.

Contact DJ Products for more info or to request a free demo of our motorized trailer dolly.

DHL Executive Touts 1.5 Year Payback on Investment on Electric Tesla Semi Trucks

Is your yard outfitted with enough motorized trailer dollies to manage the upcoming robo-trucking boom? Tesla is so sure that its autonomous semis CEO Elon Musk is already on the record touting the payback on an all-electric Tesla semi is a mere 1.5 years.

True or Tripe?

The payback period, the time it would take to pay off the difference in initial costs compared to a human-driven diesel, is based on energy and lower maintenance cost, according to DHL Supply Chain President of Transportation, Jim Monkmeyer. Given the engine’s simplicity in both complexity and number of parts, maintenance savings are purported to be enormous on the leaner, greener robo-hauler.

Presuming all goes well with the 10 Tesla units in DHL’s pilot testing program, a much larger order is expected from the shipping giant.

Potential Problems

Monkmeyer noted the industry has a few potential problems. The largest? How the shipping grid is provided, supported, and the capacity to create a nationwide network, not just across America, but globally. This is referring to the so-called ‘Megacharger’ network foretold by Tesla, which is expected to mirror the firm’s ‘Supercharger’ network for personal vehicles.

Questioning the Math

Musk’s math assumes the fuel economy and costs will remain static, however predictions of advances in diesel technology purported to boost fuel efficiency could limit the savings advantage touted by Tesla. With recent reports of diesel vehicle producers cheating the system, however, eyebrows are raising. Either way, if Tesla comes out on top with its truck, it’s expected to come down to the quality of the product and its support structure, not diesel efficiency.

Is your efficiency waning? Save time, boost manpower, and prevent injuries with the help of a motorized trailer dollies from DJ Products today.

Congress and Senate Advance Bill to Boost Truck Weights for Some Sectors

Mississippi legislatures have passed a trucking bill (Senate Bill 2418) that increases the weight limits for hauling farm products and timber on many of the state’s roads. Supporters of the weight increase say it helps independent truckers and trucking companies by allowing them to haul more with fewer trucks.

A motorized trailer dolly from DJ Products is one of the most economical and easy ways trucking companies can maximize manpower and lower the risks of worker injuries.

Weight increase for some commercial trucks

The bill raises weight limits for vehicles with state-issued harvest permits and is scheduled to take effect July 1. Its five percent increase concerns many local officials according to Melinda McGrath, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

McGrath says there is already a five percent tolerance above the weight limit on each axle for trucks with a harvest permit. Senate Bill 2418 raises the tolerance to 10 percent. Critics of the weight increase assert that allowing more weight on each axle significantly increases the weight on a much smaller pavement area, and that is highly destructive to roads and bridges that are already in need of repair.

Lawmakers also approved increased funding for bridge and road repair. The Magnolia State typically spends about $1 billion every year for needed road and bridge work. That money comes from trucking fees, an 18-cent fuel excise tax, and federal funding. Senate Bill 3046 allows borrowing an additional $150 million and moving funds from other budgets to pay for bridges, roads, and infrastructure.

How trucking companies can save money

Equipment like a motorized trailer dolly allow any employee to easily move a semi-trailer; no CDL or Health Card needed. Contact DJ Products to schedule a free demo.

Shipping with Amazon Takes on UPS and FedEx Head-On

Will your semi trailer dolly soon be moving loads for Amazon’s latest pet project? In its efforts to expand its shipping and delivery infrastructure, Amazon will be rolling out a new shipping service, “Shipping with Amazon” or SWA, in the Los Angeles market.

Move Over FedEx & UPS!
Geared toward taking-on UPS and FedEX shipping services, SWA services will be shipping packages from third-party (independent) Amazon sellers. Items will be delivered to the doorsteps of customers relying nearly entirely on Amazon’s shipping infrastructure, using USPS and other shipping services for the last leg of delivery when necessary.

Shaking the Shipping Market
Amazon hopes to open up SWA to non-affiliated businesses in the future. The e-commerce giant is stepping into the shipping arena to offer a more affordable means of product delivery for sellers that both do and do not sell on Amazon. Pricing has yet to be revealed for comparison against UPS and FedEx standard rates, but online retailers – and shoppers – are salivating at the potential implications.

Just the Beginning
Grease-up your semi trailer dolly… This is just one of the online giant’s pet shipping projects, with more waiting at the on-ramp. SWA is one of many ventures aimed at giving Amazon added control over packages sold through its website. To date it has its own ocean freights, cargo planes, warehouses and lockers stationed around the globe. Its latest endeavor: Smart home devices allows couriers inside the homes of customers to deliver goods more quickly and securely.

As internet shopping grows in prevalence and popularity, protect your workers from the rigors of daily duties with the latest in tugging technology. Learn more about the time saving, injury preventing possibilities a semi trailer dolly can deliver. Contact DJ Products today.

Feds Eye Rule Change to EPA Regulation of Glider Kit Semi Trucks

DJ Products Supplies Equipment for Shunting Trucks to Move Semi Trailers

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt recently stated that glider kit semi trucks provide a more affordable option for independent operators and small business owners. Pruitt added, gliders also provide a crucial economic driver to many rural areas. With advancements in technology and increased focus on more environmentally friendly ways of doing business, the trucking industry is facing new challenges and being forced to adapt to new regulations.

Trucking industry businesses of all sizes can improve safety, operate more efficiently, and reduce damage to docks and trailer equipment with the electric yard trucks from DJ Products.

The debate over glider kit semi trucks

While Pruitt feels the EPA lacks the authority to regulate glider kits under a proposed new interpretation of the Clean Air Act, the American Trucking Association (ATA) opposes repealing the Obama era rule for medium- and heavy-duty truck standards for the glider industry.

Glen Kedzie, energy and environmental affairs counsel for ATA, responded to the proposed rule change by saying the previous standard was based on sound data and science. Kedzie went on to say that it is perplexing that the EPA would support the continued growth of the glider kit industry because it produces the most polluting equipment on America’s highways.

Under the Trump administration, the EPA states that the unique way gliders are manufactured makes them exempt from the regulations of new motor vehicles. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) also takes issue with the proposed rule change, stating that gliders produce 40 times more pollution than modern semis.

We offer a line of low-maintenance, energy-efficient yard trucks for the trucking industry to help your business operate safely and profitably. Contact us to discuss your business operation with one of our knowledgeable and friendly sales engineers.

Tag: Semi Trailer Dolly