Tag: vehicle movers

Pentagon Changes the Face of Its Workforce Though Contractor Usage

Large warehouse
Government Contracting

Since 2012, the Pentagon has faced congressional pressure to reduce DoD spending on civilians and contractors. While the DoD hit benchmarks the first few years of the mission, it has begun increasing its spending on contractors. The DoD projects an increase of $1.2 billion spent on contractors from fiscal year 2014 through 2016.

A showdown or new changes may be looming, as the civilian federal employee union AFGE fights proposed moves to re-classify civilians such as commissary employees and reduce their pay. A consulting group has recommended such changes to the DoD.

For DoD contractors, the increased spending means solid and steady work for now. The AFGE and some DoD spending watchdogs would argue that civilian employees should be performing more of the jobs carried out by DoD contractors and military personnel, however.

If the DoD agrees to change course and cut contractor spending, the next step would likely be contract reviews to determine the necessity and efficiency of the service provided by each contractor. Larger contracts would yield greater scrutiny.

The Pentagon has generally indicated a focus on overall DoD spending, rather than specific concerns for whether various roles are carried out by military, civilians, or contractors. For DoD contractors, this means that cost-effective bids are the surest path to retaining and securing work.

DoD contractor equipment may be one area to strategically spend on overhead to make tasks more efficient and require fewer personnel. Vehicle movers, aircraft caddies, and equipment carts with battery-powered motors from DJ Products are GSA-approved for defense contractors. Take a look at DJ Products DOD contractor equipment for more information.

Vehicle Pushers Reduce Injury Risk

DJ Products’ ergonomically designed vehicle pushers, movers and tugs can significantly decrease the risk of injury in the plant, out on the lot and on the assembly line. These products provide the perfect solution for vehicles or equipment that have straight wheels or are moved on a rail. They can be used in any application where no turning is involved or where an operator will turn the wheels.

Why risk costly injury to workers or damage to vehicles? Our vehicle movers push vehicles safely from behind, preventing workers from straining or over-extending muscles. The push pad on our vehicle movers is made of a soft, durable, padded material designed to prevent scratching or damage to the vehicle.

We produce several vehicle pushers to meet a variety of material handling needs:

CarCaddy. The battery-powered CarCaddy car and vehicle pusher is perfect for moving stopped or stalled vehicles that do not need to be steered and have pneumatic tires, including cars, trucks, campers, buses and machinery. The CarCaddy is the perfect solution for moving vehicles at dealerships and service centers and along highways. It excels in moving vehicles or equipment from station to station down a production line.

TrailerCaddy. The heavy-duty electric TrailerCaddy can be used to push and pull equipment trailers, RVs, campers and boats. It’s designed to move vehicles that must be lifted at one end before maneuvering that are usually pulled down the highway by a car or truck. The Trailer Caddy is the ideal solution for moving vehicles around a show room or trade show floor. It’s also ideally suited for moving trailers down an assembly line. A trailer lift kit is available.

DealerCaddy. The ideal vehicle mover for car and truck dealerships, this multi-purpose, battery-powered car, truck and trailer pusher can move vehicles up to 10,000 pounds. The adjustable-height push pad was created to contour to the rear bumper of any vehicle. Flip it back to expose a ball hitch for pulling cargo or trailers. With a heavy duty flat bed for hauling heavy tool boxes, equipment and supplies, the DealerCaddy does it all.

CartCaddyLH. A battery-powered electric tug, the CartCaddyLH has enough juice to manage your heaviest equipment loads. Designed to push and pull 10,000 to 50,000 pounds, the heavy-duty CartCaddyLH can push or pull just about anything on wheels. Compact and maneuverable, the CartCaddyLH has a 5th wheel option and customized attachment to provide multiple solutions.

Auto Industry Retooling Should Include Ergonomics

The U.S. auto industry is starting to make its comeback. The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded the first loans from the $25-billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program authorized by Congress to support the U.S. manufacture of energy-efficient cars and automotive components: 

  • Ford Motor Co. was granted $5.9 billion to retool factories in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio to manufacture fuel-efficient vehicles.  
  • Nissan North America received $1.6 billion to retool its Smyrna, Tennessee manufacturing plant to produce electric vehicles.
  • Tesla Motors got $465 million for production of advanced electric vehicles in California.

Other signs of industry recovery include Gestamp Corporation’s $90 million investment in a Chattanooga, Tennessee stamping operation to produce parts for Volkswagen’s new mid-sized sedan, and Ralco Industries’ $6.4 million expansion of its Pontiac, Michigan facility to increase production of welded assemblies  for the auto industry.

It’s a relief to finally see the first twitch of life in the U.S. auto industry. And it’s exciting to see the industry retooling for what promises to be a robust future. But along with forward-thinking changes in their product line, the auto industry should be implementing innovation changes in their production practices. Retooling initiatives should include ergonomic material handling equipment on the assembly line, on plant floors and in factory storage lots to ensure the protection of workers’ health and safety. The workers who made concessions in pay and health benefits to keep the auto companies alive deserve to work in an environment that promotes good health. The citizens who provided the cash that the government is using to fund the loans that are jump-starting new life into the auto industry deserve to know that every possible measure is being taken to create a financially lean manufacturing operation. Ergonomic material handling equipment accomplishes both goals.

Ergonomic equipment like DJ Products’ CarCaddy car and vehicle pusher pushes heavy equipment down an assembly. The CartCaddyLH electric tug can push a vehicle down a rail or be used to push/pull from station to station heavy carts of raw materials or parts weighing 10,000 to 50,000 pounds. The DealerCaddy car and truck pusher easily maneuvers cars and trucks around storage and dealer lots. All DJ Products’ material handling carts and movers are ergonomically designed to prevent expensive and debilitating musculoskeletal injuries. Ergonomic equipment and practices have been proven to cut production time and costs, protect workers’ health and safety, improve worker morale, and significantly reduce the musculoskeletal injury expenses that cost U.S. businesses more than $150 billion each year. Including ergonomics in auto industry retooling efforts just makes sense — for the auto industry, for workers, and for taxpayers.