warehouse tugs Archives

Revolutionize Your Warehouse Efficiency with a Motorized Trailer Dolly

In the fast-paced world of warehousing, efficiency is key. Warehouse managers constantly face the challenge of meeting growing demands while maintaining smooth operations. One innovative solution transforming the landscape is the motorized trailer dolly. This blog post will explore how scaling fulfillment operations with a motorized trailer dolly can boost efficiency, reduce costs, and streamline operations.

Understanding the Role of Motorized Trailer Dollies in Warehousing

Motorized trailer dollies are specialized vehicles designed to move trailers and heavy loads with ease. Unlike traditional forklifts, these dollies offer greater maneuverability and safety. By incorporating motorized trailer dollies into your warehouse operations, you can handle larger volumes of goods more efficiently.

Versatility and Flexibility

Motorized trailer dollies are incredibly versatile. They can be used for various tasks, from moving trailers to transporting pallets. This flexibility makes them an ideal choice for warehouses of all sizes.

Safety Enhancements

Safety is a paramount concern in any warehouse. Motorized trailer dollies come equipped with advanced safety features, such as automatic braking systems and collision avoidance technology. These features reduce the risk of accidents and injuries, creating a safer work environment.

Cost-Effectiveness

Investing in motorized trailer dollies can lead to significant cost savings. Their ability to handle multiple tasks reduces the need for different types of equipment, lowering maintenance and operational costs.

Improve and Scale Your Warehouse with a Motorized Trailer Dolly

Motorized trailer dollies are transforming the way warehouses operate. Their versatility, safety features, and cost-effectiveness make them an invaluable asset for any warehouse looking to scale its fulfillment operations. By understanding the benefits and successfully integrating these dollies, warehouse managers can create a more efficient, safer, and productive work environment. Explore our Customized Dolly Solutions page to learn more about how motorized trailer dollies can revolutionize your warehouse operations.

Why Electric Warehouse is Equipment is Better

Electric Warehouse Movers

Have you made the switch to electric warehouse movers yet? If you’re still on the fence, consider these important advantages you can gain choosing electric over diesel.

1. Easy to maintain

Electric movers generally have fewer parts than diesel equipment, so maintenance is less complicated and time-consuming. In addition, repairs are less costly because there are not as many parts to malfunction. With electric movers, your warehouse doesn’t have to take a hit in productivity due to equipment that’s out of commission.

2. More eco-friendly

Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) regulations specify that maximum carbon dioxide content allowed in warehouses is 50 parts per million as an eight-hour average. Electric movers run cleaner, resulting in only trace emissions. Your warehouse stays in compliance while employees enjoy safer working conditions.

3. Less vibration

Diesel equipment is often prone to a significant number of vibrations during operation. This affects warehouses in two different ways:

Vibrations create excessive stress that creates a greater risk of damage.
Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) can have short- and long-term effects on the health of your employees.

Electric movers experience a minimum number of vibrations, moderating the danger of these side effects.

4. Low center of gravity

Objects with lower centers of gravity are more stable, reducing the chances of tip-over accidents that can injure workers and damage products. Electric warehouse movers are also anchored by a heavy battery pack that keeps them upright.

5. Longer lifespan

You can get more bang for your buck with electric movers, which last up to 12 years. That’s 50 percent longer than the eight-year lifespan of diesel equipment.

6. Extended battery life

Depending on the size of the load, batteries in an electric mover can last for a full eight-hour shift. Recharging batteries is a simple process that allows for less downtime.

Quality Electric Warehouse Movers from DJ Products

We have a full line of movers that are suited for a wide range of applications, including warehouse and industrial, hospitality, and automobile dealers. For more information, call 800.686.2651 or use our handy online chat feature to contact our knowledgeable Sales Engineers.

Warehouse Injuries Statistics for 2021 – Amazon is a Dangerous Place to Work

Warehouse Safety

Not surprisingly, warehouse workplace injuries are a frequent occurrence. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, freight, stock and material movers are second only to healthcare workers in the number of incident-related days away from work.

Many companies take steps to protect employees with stronger on-site safety protocols. But a recent report indicates this may not be the case at one of the country’s largest employers.

Amazon: A Question of Safety

The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) is a coalition of four major labor unions that represent more than four million workers. In their published report, based on 2021 data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), SOC turned the spotlight on Amazon’s questionable safety record.

Incredibly, while Amazon employs only one-third of warehouse workers, they accounted for 49 percent of warehouse injuries. Total injuries amounted to nearly 40,000, which is a 20 percent jump over Amazon’s 2020 injury rate.

How do Amazon’s numbers compare to the rest of the industry? The overall rate of serious injuries is 3.3 per 100 workers, which is nearly doubled by Amazon’s rate of 6.8 injuries per 100 workers. In addition, Amazon’s general injury rate of 7.7 per 100 workers far surpasses the industry average of 4.0 injuries per 100 workers.

Carpal tunnel, back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders comprise the bulk of the injuries. These are usually caused by repetitive motions that put undue strain on workers’ bodies.

Seeking Relief

Ironically, Amazon has proudly proclaimed its goal to become “Earth’s Safest Place to Work.” Authors of the report point to Amazon’s rigid quotas and “obsession with speed” as primary factors contributing to Amazon’s poor safety record.

For their part, Amazon workers have been campaigning to unionize the facilities, driven in part by unacceptable working conditions. Another motivation? As workplace injuries were on the rise, so were company profits, by approximately the same rate.

Protect Employees from Warehouse Workplace Injuries

Our eco-friendly tugs, movers and pushers are easy to use and reduce the physical strain of workplace activities. Contact DJ Products at 800.686.2651 or use our handy online chat feature and let our Sales Engineers help you find the right solution for your application.

Cart Pulling Solutions for Cart Towing in Your Warehouse

CartCaddyShorty

Warehouses are full of materials that need to be transported quickly from one spot to another. If the process gets interrupted at any point, it results in costly delays and reduced productivity. Keep operations running smoothly with the CartCaddyShorty from DJ Products.

Meet the CartCaddyShorty

Are you relying on outdated equipment to move carts and materials around the workplace? This method ties up manpower that could be put to more valuable use elsewhere. Even worse, employees may sustain injuries that cause expensive workers’ compensation claims and a potential labor shortage.

With the CartCaddyShorty, a single employee can safely and easily move loads of up to 3,000 pounds. Our puller works particularly well with carts that have two front swivel casters and two back straight casters, which are commonly found in most manufacturing facilities.

Take a Closer Look

No matter what industry you’re in, whether you’re moving a cart full of cookie dough or a flat bed of steel, the CartCaddy has all the power needed. Its compact size allows for maximum maneuverability around corners and through tight spaces.

Here’s a look at some of the top features of our best-selling cart puller:

* Our eco-friendly cart puller operates on three 12-volt batteries, with a charger that fits 120/220 Hrz outlets. One charge usually provides enough power to last through two shifts.

* The ergonomic design, with features such as a variable speed twist grip, helps reduce repetitive motion injuries.

* A 3 MPH capacity means the puller can easily keep pace with its operator, eliminating the frustration of stop-and-start delays.

* The safety stop switch, conveniently located at the back of the handlebar box, brings the puller to an immediate stop, preventing damage and injury from collisions.

As one of our satisfied customers recently expressed, “The machine has worked reliably for several months and is easy to use. I would recommend it for anyone that needs a small, yet powerful, cart towing truck.”

Want to Learn More?

Find out more about this product and the DJ Products trailer dolly line. We have wheeled cart moving solutions for trailers, cargo trailers, RV’s, semi-trailers, and boat trailers. We have wheeled cart moving solutions for trailers, cargo trailers, RV’s, semi-trailers, and boat trailers.

DJ Products makes a full range of tugs, movers and pushers to solve all your material handling needs. Call 800.686.2651 to learn more from our cheerful Sales Engineers.

The Airbnb Concept Arrives in the Warehouse Space

Companies can scale warehouse equipment and other assets up and down to accommodate changing needs. But a warehouse itself is a fixed property that involves major financial commitments, which can become detrimental to a company’s bottom line.

The warehouse industry is now on the cusp of a major disruption that could put the traditional model in the past. Some innovative companies are taking a page from the Airbnb book to create a warehouse sharing model.

Matching Supply with Demand

One such company is Stowga, a startup in the UK. According to CEO Charlie Pool, they realized that many warehouses had spare capacity while demand for warehouse space was increasing, so why not match up the two sides?

Stowga and US competitor Flexe offer high-tech platforms for companies to rent their unused warehouse space to other companies for variable lengths of time. Germany, Australia, Hong Kong and other industrialized countries are now scrambling to develop their own warehouse sharing services.

Benefits of Warehouse Sharing

– Warehouses are transformed from long-term, static assets to short-term, variable ones.

– Companies can be more agile in terms of expanding into new markets and pulling out of unprofitable ones.

– Warehouse sharing fits perfectly into the PAL (personalized, automated, localized) supply chain concept.

– Costs will be lower when companies can obtain warehouse space in proximity to their customer bases rather than remaining locked into cumbersome, far-away distribution chains.

– Fewer companies will need to rely on outdated, expensive and rigid solutions such as offshore manufacturing and global supply chains.

Warehouse Equipment for All Applications

Battery-powered tugs, movers and pushers from DJ Products are well-suited to carry your company from today’s warehouse models through future innovations. Visit our website where our friendly sales engineers are ready to assist you.

Forklifts Embrace Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology

Our eco-friendly tugs, pushers and other material handling equipment use rechargeable batteries instead of costly and emission-laden fuels. A third option is on the horizon – green forklifts that incorporate hydrogen fuel cells for cleaner operation and higher productivity.

The Science of Fuel Cells

The “fuel” used by fuel cells is actually a mix of hydrogen and oxygen, which the cell then converts to electricity. Unlike gasoline and other traditional fuels, this form of energy produces only water vapor and heat as byproducts rather than toxic emissions that damage the environment.

Hydrogen is available in gas form, which is suitable for low-volume usage, as well as liquid form, which is recommended for heavier usage.

Benefits of Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Powered Forklifts

– Lead acid batteries currently used in most forklifts must be replaced or recharged in a cumbersome process that can cost a minimum of 20 minutes downtime each four- to eight-hour period. In contrast, hydrogen fuel cells can be refueled in as little as three minutes.

– Hydrogen fuel cells provide a consistent level of energy, allowing for maximum forklift performance throughout the charge, while productivity of lead acid battery-powered forklifts drops as the charge wears down.

– Lead acid batteries have approximately three to four years of useable life and disposal can be problematic. On the other hand, hydrogen fuel cells last for 10,000 hours, making them more cost-effective.

– Not only are hydrogen fuel cells completely emission-free, generating hydrogen on-site can result in a 33 percent reduction in harmful greenhouse gases as opposed to lead acid batteries.

Go Green with Material Handling Equipment from DJ Products

Our electric tugs, pushers and movers provide superior performance for any application. Contact us to learn more about our wide range of material handling equipment solutions.

Tips for Removing Grease from Concrete Floors in Your Warehouse

Have you ever struggled to remove stubborn grease stains from laundry? Oil and other fluids from warehouse equipment cause the same problem in porous concrete floors. The difference is that greasy floors in the workplace are a serious safety hazard.

Fortunately, the floor isn’t doomed. Protect your workers from slip-and-fall accidents by using these tips to remove grease from concrete warehouse floors.

Removing Grease from Sealer

A sealer is often applied to the surface of concrete floors to help prevent liquids from penetrating. If there is a sealer on the warehouse floor, it’s difficult to tell just by sight whether the grease is trapped in the sealer or it’s actually seeped through into the concrete.

Remove the sealer with a citrus and soy oil-based stripper, taking care to ventilate the area and use personal protective equipment. If the underlying surface is clean, simply reseal the floor.

Removing Grease from Concrete

You may find that the grease stain has migrated into the concrete, or perhaps your warehouse floor doesn’t have a sealer in the first place. In that case, most commercial cleaners and solvents will loosen the grease particles.

Once that’s done, there are a couple of options for removing the stain.

– Wipe the area with cotton rags soaked with solvent.

– Steam-clean the floor and scrub with a degreaser.

After the floor has been thoroughly cleaned, coat with a grease-resistant sealer. Consider adding a top coat of finishing wax for easy maintenance and greater protection.

Top Quality Warehouse Equipment from DJ Products

Our electric warehouse equipment lets your workers move heavy loads up and down inclines, around tight corners and through narrow aisles. Request our free demo trial to see why our warehouse equipment is the solution to your specific needs.

Plan Ahead for Cold Weather by Winterizing Your Warehouse Now

Winter is on the way and warehouses are more vulnerable to cold temperatures than most workplaces. Employees and warehouse equipment alike can suffer decreased productivity without appropriate seasonal preparations.

Don’t leave your warehouse “out in the cold” this year. Use this checklist to plan a successful winterizing strategy for all operations.

Winterizing Your Warehouse

• Forewarned is forearmed. Walk through the warehouse from one end to the other looking for potential trouble spots. Pay special attention to areas that have had past problems.

• Stock up on snow shovels, de-icing products, first aid supplies and other necessary winter materials. Store them in a spot that’s readily accessible to all employees.

• Develop a contingency plan to allow for short-handed days due to weather or illness.

• Have the HVAC system inspected to make sure it’s in good working order and head off any unexpected breakdowns.

• Check plumbing for leaks and make sure to properly insulate any exposed pipes.

• Schedule regular cleanings of drains and gutters to prevent overflow.

• Keep docks, walkways, vehicle paths and workspaces clear of snow and ice.

• Check seals on doors to keep the heat in and cold out. Consider installing air curtains or high-speed doors to limit exposure to the elements.

• Compensate for shorter daylight hours by adding light sources as needed.

• Provide cold-weather gear for workers and keep additional sets on hand.

• Designate a heated area for lunches and breaks.

• Have a meeting for all employees to discuss winter safety tips. Review the signs and symptoms of frostbite and other weather-related health concerns.

Warehouse Equipment for Year-Round Needs

All warehouse equipment from DJ Products is designed for maximum safety so your workers can be confident of its performance in cold or hot weather. Visit our website for more information.

Top Safety Tips for Your Warehouse – A Great Review

As the warehouse industry gains new facilities in response to the demands of online retailing, companies are taking on inexperienced workers to fill their staffs. Employee onboarding should include training on warehouse equipment as well as appropriate safety tips.

There are basic safety procedures that apply to all warehouses regardless of size and products handled. Protect new and experienced employees by incorporating these safety tips in your company culture.

Top Tips to Prioritize Warehouse Safety

– Safety training is essential for all new hires, but it should also be ongoing to ensure that workers stay current with policies and protocol. Specific areas of focus include warehouse equipment operation, handling of hazardous materials and emergency procedures.

– Is your warehouse organized for optimum safety? Review workflows periodically and make any necessary adjustments to maintain a logical layout.

– Cluttered aisles, dirty warehouse equipment and liquid spills are unsightly and pose serious injury risks. In addition, a sloppy warehouse affects morale and leads to decreased efficiency. Establish cleaning checklists and schedules for all workstations.

– Fire detection and extinguishing systems are set by building codes, but additional measures may be required if hazardous or flammable materials are stored in your warehouse. All fire escape routes should be clearly marked and kept free of obstructions.

– Employees are involved in the day-to-day operations of the warehouse, putting them in a good position to identify hazards that may develop over time. Instruct supervisors to maintain transparent channels of communication with workers so they feel comfortable reporting any problems.

Reduce Workplace Injuries with Warehouse Equipment from DJ Products

We have a battery-powered tug, mover or pusher to accommodate any application in your warehouse. Our friendly sales engineers are available to help you via our convenient online chat feature.

Warehouse Technology Trends for 2018

How are Warehouse Operations Changing ?

Will driverless trucks be making their way to your warehouse docks anytime soon? As technology constantly improves, material handling equipment and supply chain procedures reach levels that were once considered a distant dream.

So what changes can you look forward to in the near future? Experts weigh in on the top warehouse technology trends of 2018.

DIY Last-Mile Deliveries

Customers are demanding faster delivery times, leaving retailers scrambling to stay competitive without increasing costs. Industry giants such as Amazon and Walmart have begun handling last-mile deliveries in-house, with other companies following suit in order to save the expense of third-party delivery services.

Shift to Regional Warehouses

Expedited delivery has also made warehouse location more strategic than ever. Companies around the world, once again led by Amazon, are moving from large warehouse hubs to smaller regional warehouses. In addition to putting product closer to delivery points, these smaller facilities get approved more quickly and they’re easier to build.

Rise in Cybersecurity Concerns

Safety has always been a major concern in warehouses, but now managers are in the position of protecting something they can’t even see. As more data is collected and stored in warehouse management systems and other digital applications, companies are looking for solutions to eliminate electronic poaching of proprietary information.

Experimentation with Alternate Logistics Options

Innovations in technology are encouraging companies to experiment with unconventional logistics methods. In addition to the aforementioned driverless trucks, drone delivery and robotic workers are just two of the high-tech options being tested.

Time-Tested Material Handling Equipment from DJ Products

Our battery-powered pushers, movers and tugs incorporate cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art ergonomic design. Visit our website and learn more about why the time is always right for material handling equipment from DJ Products.

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