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What Should Last-Mile Delivery Companies Do When There’s a Delivery Surge?

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If you work for or operate a last-mile delivery company, you’ve likely encountered delivery surges. These surges are often tied to holidays, but they can pop up throughout the year, sometimes unexpectedly. Surges put a strain on your team, vehicles, and warehouse. What can you do to handle intermittent delivery surges without committing to a large capital expenditure, like expanding your delivery fleet or warehouse space? For some last-mile delivery companies, investing in additional hand truck carts is a viable option. Here are three strategies to consider. Add Extra Shelving to Delivery Vehicles There are many delivery truck shelving systems on the market compatible with box trucks and vans. Shelving systems are configurable and can be installed or removed as your needs change. They can also be configured to easily store delivery tools, like a 2 wheel moving dolly . Shelving systems increase the usable space in a delivery vehicle. Additionally, shelving systems make ...

Quality Material Handling Tools Support Top Tier Service and Team Stamina

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From appliance deliveries to vending machine restocks, the right material handling tools are essential for getting the job done. But it’s not only a matter of completing the task; it’s also about getting it done with a high degree of expertise and efficiency. Every job reflects on your company’s reputation and can impact future business. A high-quality, heavy duty hand truck with the right features for a job can make a significant difference. The best tools support a higher level of service and team stamina. Here’s what you need to know. The Right Tools Are Optimized for the Task at Hand An effective way to protect service quality and team stamina is to invest in material handling tools optimized for what you’re delivering. For example, if your team moves appliances regularly, a dedicated heavy duty appliance hand truck is a must. This hand truck is purpose-built to move larger, cumbersome items weighing up to 800 pounds. It typically features two larger wheels up fron...

3 Ways Aging Equipment Reduces Productivity

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Aging equipment is one of those quiet problems that doesn’t appear on anyone’s radar until it’s too late. It could be a hand cart that needs new wheels or a conveyor belt that just doesn’t go as fast as modern models. Here are a few ways aging equipment can harm productivity, and what you can do to help your employees be more efficient. Unexpected Downtime Frequent, unexpected downtime slows down daily operations. Instead of working, your employees have to fix the equipment before they can resume the task. If the equipment is older, replacement parts may be harder to find, which can cost even more time for your team. Your best bet is to upgrade the equipment to something more modern. For example, a premium hand truck with powered propulsion is easy to maintain with parts that are easier to source in case something breaks later on. This helps reduce downtime so your team can stay moving. Reduced Efficiency on the Job As with downtime, older equipment is often simply slowe...

Retain Frontline Talent with Safer, Smarter Tools

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Your frontline talent moves items and operates machinery daily. From delivery drivers to warehouse workers, these employees rarely sit behind a desk, and they play a crucial role in your company. One of the easiest ways to retain them is to support their work with the right tools. Ergonomic or powered tools, such as customized dolly carts , can help them do their jobs more safely and more effectively than the competition. Upgraded Ergonomics Improved ergonomics reduces excessive bending, lifting, and reaching. Tools like an appliance moving hand truck can help eliminate team lifts, which not only tie up at least two of your employees but also cause physical strain.  Instead, a heavy duty hand truck can enable a single person to move loads up to 800 pounds, quickly wheeling large items like couches and ovens into place. It’s the smarter, safer way to complete the task. By improving ergonomics, your frontline workers can move safely and reduce injury risk. Powered Mater...

How Magliner Hand Trucks Help Packaged Gas Teams Improve Cylinder Handling

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Every packaged gas team could operate more safely and efficiently. Magliner hand trucks are the solution, with specialized features designed with these unique needs in mind. A hand truck with powered propulsion is perfect for warehouses, while a heavy duty powered stair climbing dolly is ideal for home deliveries. Here are a few ways Magliner tools can help with control, stability, and efficiency when moving gas cylinders. Find Magliner material handling tools for your packaged gas teams at https://www.magliner.com/ Contact the Magliner tools team at (866) 329-4737 Keep Gas Cylinders Safe During Movement Moving cylinders across a yard or warehouse is no easy task. A Magliner hand truck with powered propulsion makes the job much safer and more efficient, with a 1,000-pound weight capacity. The hand truck can do most of the work for the operator, effectively moving heavy cylinders across long distances. Cylinders are not all the same size, with some bigger than others, but...

What You Can Learn From Stop-Level Insights About Possible Delivery Issues

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If your goal is to increase efficiency among your delivery personnel, stop-level data gives you valuable insights into where and how you can establish new and improved efficiencies. Every stop tells a story and reveals material handling pain points that on-time metrics might not expose. This data might reveal repeat obstacles, unnecessary touchpoints, or show the need for more adaptable delivery tools, like a hand truck with convertible platform . Do Drivers Encounter Repeat Issues at the Same Stops? Stop-level issues that go underreported may be connected to repeated issues at stops. They may be underreported because they’re expected. Frequent obstacles include uneven curbs and sidewalks, long carries from the truck to the door, tight or obtrusive entryways, and stairways. Even for on-time deliveries, these crucial friction points reveal that greater efficiency is possible. Route managers can invest in tools ideal for addressing these kinds of repeat issues, such as a h...

Reduce Movement Delays in Your Fabrication Shop without Forklifts

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Fabrication shops can be a flurry of activity. Between shipping and receiving, the materials floor, and employee workstations, there is a lot of in-plant movement. There’s also potential for congestion, delays, and friction between different areas of the plant. How can you improve fab efficiencies and reduce delays without adding a forklift or other obstructions? The answer may be as simple as equipping your team with an electric dolly or heavy duty aluminum hand truck . Smaller, nimble tools help maintain worker safety, maximize floor space, and improve daily efficiencies. Why Put the Focus on Reducing Movement Delays? In any fab, large or small, even the smallest movement delays add up. Friction between the materials floor and fab stations can mean time and money wasted. Delays can stem from many sources, including forklift use. It’s easy to become overly reliant on the forklift, even when it’s not strictly necessary. From moving minor materials to covering short dist...