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Semi Truck Washing Has Become A Whopping $12 Billion Industry

When You’re on the Road for Hundreds of Hours, You Rack Up a Heavy Coating of Dirt, and Businesses are Rising to Cater to That!

How clean are your yard trucks? In efforts to protect against the ravages of corrosion, truck washing has become a $12-billion industry in the U.S., and it continues to grow.

Wash Me

Newcomer Fleet Clean USA, a mobile truck cleaning service with over 1,000 businesses in 18 states, has reported growth of 40% annually, on average, since its inception 8-years ago, with a 50% increase in its scrubbing business since last year. The company’s founder and CEO, Scott Marr, touts Fleet Clean’s capacity to save customers time and money, eliminating the need for in-house or wash-bay activities while drivers are on-the-road.

Services are available 7-days-a-week, and offered a la carte, including exterior, interior, and engine bay cleaning. Their service even offers options to meet the needs of reefer trailers, who must conform to strict food-safety regulations. Prices run from $15 to $195 for the full shebang, which includes interior detailing. Most customers schedule maintenance washes 1-2-weeks in the same location.

Touchless

The company and its franchises determine pricing based on a computer program that takes into account travel distance, vehicle type, volume, and other factors. A crew of three can wash 5-8 units in an hour, working out of a custom-bodied Class 6 (non-CDL) vehicle equipped with a system that recaptures some of the 22-gallons of soiled water it takes to clean a tractor-trailer for filtering and later discharge.

Riding the Wave

The business is trying to grow, hoping to add to its 22 franchise locations by year’s end. Startup cost? $150-175,000, which Marr states can be recouped in just 12-24 months.

Wishing you could wash your hands of a little extra work? Save time and boost productivity with the help of yard trucks from DJ Products today.

Changes in Store for Calculation of Carrier Safety Scoring

Changes Are In Store for Carrier Safety Scoring

Transportation industry stakeholders are constantly searching for ways to improve safety. Our battery-powered yard trucks are ergonomically designed to reduce risk of injury when shunting trailers, while the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is focused on safe conditions for drivers.

In 2015 President Obama signed the FAST Act, a five-year transportation funding bill. Last August, in accordance with one of the requirements contained in the bill, the FMCSA filed a report with Congress about proposed changes to the Compliance, Safety, Accountability carrier safety rating program.

Prioritizing Safety in Transportation

The FAST Act included the following mandates for the FMCSA:

– CSA’s public SMS percentile rankings were to be pulled immediately from public view.

– The FMCSA was to contract the National Academies of Science (NAS) to study CSA and offer recommendations to improve its fairness and accuracy.

– Finally, the NAS findings were to be incorporated in a corrective action plan that the FMCSA would then submit to Congress.

Opening the Channels of Communication

In addition, the FMCSA planned a public meeting in late August to get feedback from industry stakeholders about the best methods to incorporate the corrective action plan. Prospective reforms in their 10-page report include:

– Changing the methods of calculating scores using improved data.

– Making the scores more user-friendly for carriers to interpret and calculate.

– Instituting an absolute scoring program that provides a universal standard rather than relying on relative scores.

Testing of the new system was scheduled to begin in September.

Promote Workplace Safety with Yard Trucks from DJ Products

Did you know that most injuries and property damage originate in the yard? Visit our website to learn how our Electric Yard Dog can make workers more productive with a lower risk of accidents and injuries.

Amazon: Changing the Face of Logistics Forever

With the Growing Presence of Technology, It Makes You Wonder How the Future Will be in Twenty Years.

Are your yard trucks scrambling to catch up with Amazon’s fulfillment strategy? Amazon.com has a reputation for changing the shipping industry with its bold, innovative ideas. How will the trickle-down effect of such changes affect your business?

Rapid Response

Amazon’s dominance in the retail industry is courtesy of its uber-efficient supply chain, which it’s continuously evolving to deliver products in the quickest way possible. Their 2005 introduction of 2-day ‘Prime’ shipping changed the industry, leaving competitors scrambling to keep up. (When they did, Amazon introduced 1-hour shipping.)

Accomplished via sophisticated information technology, a vast network of warehouses, multi-tier inventory management, and unparalleled transportation has Amazon’s supply chain at the head-of-the-pack worldwide.

A Logistics & Retail Giant

Amazon’s supply chain relies heavily on outsourced inventory management: Third-party sellers comprise 82% of sales. However, it doesn’t rely on third-party shipping logistics, insourcing shipping via its own delivery vehicles for same-day/1-hour shipments.

Amazon also offers greater shipping options, including 1-hour, 1-day, 2-day/Prime, first-class and ‘free-super-saver.’ Warehouses are strategically placed with location and size key to success. Each warehouse is ever-closer to metropolitan/city centers: 70 fulfillment centers nationwide and a staff of 90,000 make the most of its ‘pure-push’ strategy for warehouse-sourced sales.

Storage is divided into 5-areas:

– Prime books/magazines

– Pallet/full-case Prime high-demand storage

– Prime high-demand items (less-than-case)

– Irregularly-shaped/low-demand inventory (reverse-storage)

– Modern-demand, small items

Amazing Automation

Amazon Robotics pick/pack without human assistance, speeding shipments. 45,000+ robots bring goods to people for picking. (Next-gen robots will pick, and drone-based delivery testing continues…)

Manufacturing to Support Retail Sales

Amazon’s realization it could provide third-party items more cheaply/quickly to customers have prompted Amazon to enter the manufacturing arena as well.

Scrambling to keep up with Amazon’s shipping standards? Give your operation a boost with yard trucks from DJProductstoday.

The Warehouse Automation and Robotics Market Is Hot!

With Advancing Technology, Is a Completely Robotized Warehouse System in Our Future?

Robots were once a staple in science fiction films, but the fantasy has become reality. Sophisticated technology, growth in e-commerce, and increased demand for automation have made robots a hot commodity in today’s warehouse equipment.

How Robots Are Transforming Warehouse Logistics

The speed, efficiency and accuracy of robots makes them a cost-effective option for warehouse tasks such as transporting and packing items. Some robots have intelligent programming that makes them fully autonomous, while others work in conjunction with their human counterparts.

Allied Market Research projects that the warehouse robotics market will reach $5.186 billion by 2023. This figure represents a compound annual growth rate of 11.6 percent from 2017. Not surprisingly, Amazon has been in the forefront of the warehouse automation movement with its Kiva robots, which use sensors and algorithms to pick up and drop inventory at various points.

What’s New in Warehouse Automation?

Here are some other recent innovations in warehouse robotics:

– In June 2018, Mobile Industrial Robots rolled out its MiR 500 to transport pallets and other heavy loads. In addition to a lifting capacity of 1,102 pounds, the MiR 500 features laser scanning and 3D cameras to prevent collisions.

– S20 is an interweaving sorting system from Geek Plus Robotics. Artificial intelligence and machine-learning technology make S20 a superior method of sorting parcels.

– Much like its namesake, the Butler PickPal from GreyOrange serves as a valuable assistant to a human worker. The two work side-by-side on order picking, consolidation and fulfillment.

Choose DJ Products for Your Warehouse Equipment Needs

Whether your warehouse is large, small or in-between, we have the battery-powered tugs, movers and pushers to accommodate any application. Visit our website and learn more from our sales engineers using the handy online chat feature.

Trucking ELD Mandate – Myths Debunked

Questions About the New ELD Trucking Mandate? We Can Help.

There are many technology unknowns within the trucking industry. According to an informative article, the newest time-logging solutions known as ELDs(or electronic logging devices) have been under intense scrutiny and myths have emerged as a result.

Why veer away from the more traditional method of paper logging? Does new technology cause irreparable harm? What is a myth and what is real?

Factual Foresight

The facts acknowledge that ELDs solve complexities in logging, count driving times to the minute, and allow dedicated drivers to devote their time and energy to their deliveries. Similarly, DJ Products yard trucks use the newest advancements to take on the complex role of heavy-duty organization.

Progress continues to improve and eradicate the idiosyncrasies that cause costly mistakes. Likewise, yard trucks and ELDs bring an added sense of control and consistency to an industry fraught with the unexpected.

Are there areas in your business that need quality machinery to improve the work environment? The trucking industry is realizing that lower labor and logistics can go hand-in-hand. The right tools take the pressure off dedicated employees and allow them to manage their time wisely.

Well-designed, high-quality technology is the only solution to an industry that is racing to be current and applicable. The world is rife with the unexpected. Yard trucks are high-tech and the reliable constant in a constantly moving industry.

Fast-Forward to Success

It’s the age-old battle of familiarity versus progress. Don’t be left behind! Technology drives demand and demand drives technology. It’s important to safeguard the dedicated workers you have from extra labor and potential injuries on the job.

DJ Products can be the go-between solution for labor-intensive tasks that add unneeded strain on warehouse workers and drivers. Visit us today and discover high-tech problem-solvers!

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.

Machine Learning Tools Provide Welcome Fast Hauling Quotes to Shippers

Fast Truck Hauling Quotes with Machine Learning

Are you searching for innovative answers to delivery dilemmas? Now, reducing labor through data platforms and technologically advanced machinery is becoming the norm. If you’ve been waiting for progressive ideas and inventions to accommodate your business plan, wait no longer. The trucking industry is gaining steam on the technology front, utilizing automated “middleman” tactics instead of implementing traditional labor-intensive solutions.

Choosing On-Trend

People who are involved in producing and/or delivering products gain access to pricing tools and time-saving instant truckload booking when using machine learning tools. Similarly, innovations in machinery like our terminal tractors, are leading companies to utilize time-tested battery-operated answers to navigate and solve age-old questions.

Endless phone calls, distracting emails and hours of saturated research between carriers and shippers can cause efficiency errors and safety concerns for those involved. With the right tools, you can cut back on your concerns and increase positive results.

How To

You can protect your employees’ loads and interests by utilizing data collection and analytical technology to widen your business scope and decrease safety issues. Terminal tractors can facilitate safeguards and lower labor costs when you depend on DJ Products’ high-quality machinery to multi-task.

Dedicated employees using our terminal tractors can spend their quality time completing other duties, maximizing efficiency. A simple solution made of many premium moving parts caters to a growing need for simplicity in an often complex industry.

DJ Products’ Simple Solution

If you are seeking a solid answer to continual open-ended questions in your business, DJ Products can help. Terminal tractors and their creators have put in the extra effort so you don’t have to. Help your employees and your business with solutions that are worth the investment! Visit DJ Products today and we’ll get you started!

Livestock Haulers Look to New ELD Exemption

Looking for an ELD Exemption

Here’s to lookin’ at the cargo staring back at you from your powered trailer dolly:

A hot-button issue, the Senate Appropriations Committee is seeking electronic logging device (ELD) exemptions for livestock and insect haulers, set to be required by law October 1st. Though the issue isn’t specifically addressed in the 2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) bill, report language encourages the Department of Transportation to further consider ELD rules and exemptions for this segment.

MOO-ve Over

The unique challenges presented by transporting live animals and insects, such as bees, critical to the agriculture industry for pollination, fall hard on the trucking industry. Hauling live organisms, far different from inanimate objects, requires the ability to keep the animals and insects safe from exposure and environmental stressors. If the ELD exemptions are not granted, drivers transporting live organisms more than 150-air-miles from their loading point will be required to turn on the devices, and prohibited from driving more than 11-hours at a time.

Buzz-Off

A top issue among ranchers and farmers who want to expand the exemption radius to 300-air-miles, the future of ELD exemptions for livestock and insect haulers remains in question. It will likely be ironed out between the House and Senate, and potentially used as a negotiation tool.

Critics against the exemption argue safety, the known consequences of tired truckers, and the industry’s continued problems surrounding compliance with hours of service regulations, with segments are already shirking requirements. Truckload Carriers Association Vice President of Government Affairs David Heller agrees that exempting parts of the industry from complying with rules and regulations is not the answer. He advocates further engagement in discussions to find alternative ways to improve compliance and safety.

Make safety an integral facet of your organization. Uncover the benefits of a powered trailer dolly from DJ Products today.

A New Partnership Between Drivers and Self-Driving Semi Trucks

The Future is Self-Driving Trucks

What will the future hold for the trucking industry once automated driving technology further enters the picture? As it turns out, your yard trucks will still be moving cargo for haul by the human labor pool, albeit with a slightly different chain-of-custody. Self-driving truck technology developers are working to ensure a future where drivers and automated vehicles work in-tandem for the safer, more efficient transport of goods.

A Gradual Pathway to Automation

Self-driving trucks won’t be equipped to handle all driving tasks anytime soon. But how human being and automated systems will work together remains an open-ended question, one with many possible answers. What is known: As self-driving trucks start carrying cargo, their limited operational capacity will leave them heavily reliant upon the assistance of drivers in conventional vehicles.

Potential Models:

– Transfer Hub Model
Long-haul trucks tote freight between exits on freeways, then trailers are swapped to local drivers at designated transfer stations.

– Tele-Operation
Autonomous trucks are monitored by remote/offsite backup drivers.

– Truck Platooning
Mixed convoys of piloted and autonomous haulers.

Human Labor Will Remain a Necessity for Trucking Tasks

Current technology will continue to build on readily functional active-safety and driver-assist technology with more automated steering functionality, advanced sensors and software. Eventually they’ll morph into ‘autopilot’ systems – with or without a human backup.

Although structural operations are sure to evolve alongside technology, change will occur at a slower pace as companies tailor their methods of transporting specific types of freight. Technology is expected to move toward a ‘hybrid’ business model – one, hopefully, with more desirable short-haul jobs.

Are you ready for the future? Advance your operation, saving time, manpower, and improving safety with yard trucks from DJ Products today.

Daimler Creates New Automated Truck Research and Testing Center

Pioneers in the trucking industry continue to emerge, as now Daimler Trucks seeks to discover and invest in new frontiers like automation and electric freight liners. The inception of an entirely fresh platform is creating a stir with those in the various industries affiliated with technology and freight delivery.

As the industries continue to spread and create opportunities through research and advancements, machinery like semi trailer dollies become necessary to facilitate their growth.

New Opportunities, New Uncertainty

How do you keep up with the latest developments in a burgeoning industry? Don’t let progress intimidate your business plan or determine your success. If you feel uncertain as to what electric trucks and automation mean for your operations, invest in problem-solving solutions.

Trust in products that can withstand any upheaval in the industry, to help you keep your labor costs down, and worker morale up. Longevity in business can be as simple as utilizing machinery that won’t fail you when the unexpected happens.

Advancing Your Business

Semi trailer dollies reduce risk to your business. An investment in new technology may come with a learning curve, at least in the near term. Similarly, trusting in new employees to develop expertise with these dollies comes with a risk. But thankfully, entrusting new hirees with DJ Products machinery isn’t a difficult task. Semi trailer dollies are so simple to operate anyone can do it.

You shouldn’t have to risk life or limb to get tasks done correctly. For industries that buy and move in bulk, easily maneuverable products protect your employees from muscle strain and exhaustion and your interests as well. Stay up-to-date and far from worry by utilizing DJ Products’ smart machines. They do the heavy-duty tasks so your team doesn’t have to!

Tag: Yard Trucks