Semi Trailer Movers Archives - Page 4 of 5

Less than Truckload (LTL) Shipping – Is It Right for You?

What’s in the trailer your terminal tractors are hauling? Less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping is on the rise due to its potential for cost savings. However, with a reputation for complexity, it’s not for everyone. Is it right for you?

LTL is Seen as Challenging for a Number of Reasons:

– More dynamics to juggle
Freight classification, cargo weight, and pallet count increases in complexity with LTL hauling.

– Benchmarking challenges
Direct comparisons with other shipping operations can be challenging.

– Ignorance to cost drivers
Accepting LTL at face-value, and not digging into shifting patterns of supply and demand, prevents businesses from realizing the true potential of LTL.

However with the Right Data & Pricing, LTL Offers Tremendous Potential
Tariffs, or rate bases, published by carriers on an annual basis, are commonly used in calculating shipping costs. LTL costs aren’t quite as cut-and-dry, however, with LTL carriers offering discounts. Making discounts negotiable (and in correlation with freight volume/revenue) is common. Minimums are also commonly negotiable.

Avoid Pricing Obstacles
The biggest obstacle to surmount in LTL classification and pricing, is avoiding overuse of FAK cargo designation on invoices. Obscuring shipment data by lumping it under this classification prevents you from gleaning essential data as to the specific classes of cargo shipped and relative cost, increasing the chance of inaccuracies.

Incomplete or obscure data is the proverbial wrench-in-the-works for LTL shipping ventures. Capturing essential data elements effectively is key to effectively calculating and streamlining pricing, as well as improving network efficiency and ensuring profit.

Are you equipped for LTL shipping success? Ease moves, improve speed and efficiency, and boost profit potential with the help of terminal tractors from DJ Products today.

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.

Self-Driving Trucks Hit the “Big Slab” Starting in Arizona

DJ Products Supplies Equipment for Moving Semi Trailers in Your Yard

Self-driving trucks sound like the things that futuristic movies are made of. However, it might not be long before they’re as commonplace as tractor trailers are on our nation’s highways.

Uber now has self-driving commercial trucks that are moving freight in Arizona through the Uber Freight network. These trucks can be seen traveling along Interstate 40 in both directions. They’re using dry van trailers, although the companies that are using their services have not yet been named.

Are Self-Driving Trucks the Start of a New Industry?

The goal is for long haul self-driving trucks to work with conventional trucks to improve the efficiency of the trucking industry. Experts believe that the use of this technology may save lives and improve the quality of life for our country’s truck drivers.

Currently, these self-driving vehicles will remain on the highway. They’ll still rely on drivers to complete the start and the end of each trip, which keeps humans behind the wheel for the more complex work.

The Role of Motorized Trailer Dollies

Motorized trailer dollies can be very useful in Uber’s new venture. The trailers have to be swapped at some point once the highway travel has been completed. Using manpower to do this can be time-consuming, but it can also be dangerous for the driver. With the right tools, trailers can be moved easily and quickly, getting both vehicles back on the road in no time.

The Future of Automated Trucks

Right now, every Uber self-driving truck has a driver in it at all times. They’re working toward making them completely driverless. There’s no telling what the future holds.

Will you be a part of it? If you are, DJ products can help make it happen. Contact us to learn more!

US Railways Are Flourishing As an Alternative to Semi Freight Hauling

Road Accidents are a Big Cause of Death. Moving Loads By Train Could be a Great and Safer Alternative.

The idea of railroads often conjures up romantic images of days gone by, while semi trucking offers a more pragmatic picture of workers using motorized trailer dollies. Passenger rail travel has certainly fallen out of favor, but the freight rail industry is robust, thanks to its status as a viable alternative to semi freight hauling.

Today’s Thriving Railway System

Freight rail may seem old school, but the U.S. railway system is the envy of other countries around the world. Approximately 40 percent of all intercity cargo is transported via the 140,000-mile railway network.

Unlike many other elements of the U.S. infrastructure, the railroad industry is self-sufficient. President Barack Obama’s 2009 stimulus bill provided major support for freight-rail initiatives with sizable grants, but as a private entity, the industry maintains and improves itself without the help of taxpayers’ money.

In fact, freight rail makes significant contributions to the economy. The industry employs more than 200,000 across the country and pays taxes on the $60 billion it generates each year.

Benefits of Freight Rail

– Freight rail transport is more eco-friendly than long-haul trucking. Trains are three times more energy-efficient than trucks, reducing pollution and dependence on fossil fuels.

– Moving freight by rail means fewer trucks on the road. That, in turn, results in less congestion and fewer vehicle accidents.

– While trucks are preferable for time-sensitive shipments, rail transport is a more efficient way to move heavy loads over long distances, such as raw materials.

Improve Safety and Efficiency with the Electric Yard Dog

Is an outside shunting service costing you time, money and productivity? Visit our website and chat with our friendly sales engineers to find out why motorized trailer dollies from DJ Products are the best solution for your company.

Trucking Firm with the Big Heart Strives to Feed Hungry Children

The nation’s food supply depends on truckers, so it’s fitting that C.R. England is going the extra mile with a food drive for hungry kids. Through its One Initiative, the firm aims to provide a million meals for children throughout the country facing hunger. For every load delivered by a C.R. England driver and every transaction by England Logistics, a meal will automatically be funded.

At DJ Products, we love seeing the distribution industry recognized for its profound contributions. We support the field by offering affordable motorized trailer dollies that make the job easier around the shunt yard while reducing injuries.

C.R. England’s Donations for Childhood Hunger

Known on the road for its coat-of-arms logo, C.R. England started its crusade against hunger to help feed the 13 million children in the U.S. who don’t always know where their next meal will come from.

Everyone is getting involved, too. Truck drivers not only get the satisfaction of helping out, but they also get to choose where each donation will go. C.R. England partnered with 19 food banks around the country, so drivers can send a meal to a child close to home.

C.R. England has donated hundreds of thousands of meals to date, with more fundraising and community efforts planned.

Do More with Distribution

What could your organization accomplish if operations were more streamlined at the distribution center? The TrailerCaddy Electric Yard Dog costs a small fraction of a shunt truck, yet is safer and more maneuverable. Our motorized trailer dollies don’t add to your driving logs, and dock workers can get trailers up to 100,000 pounds towed into prime position, even at tight shipping docks.

Find the right trailer movers for your needs at the DJ Products website.

Tag: Semi Trailer Movers