Best Practices for Your Daily Walkaround

Having a daily forklift inspection may seem like such a simple task, but operators can be tempted to skip having this daily walk around. Finding a small issue with your forklift now, can prevent a larger problem from taking place later on. This not only protects your operators, but as well as any pedestrians and product that your forklift will be around. Not to mention, it is also stated in OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 standard language that forklifts must be inspected before being put into service at the beginning of a shift or daily where vehicles are in round-the clock use. Here are some of the best practices when performing your daily forklift inspection. Have a checklist Whether you?ve created the checklist, or the manufacturer has provided you a sample, having one helps ensure that your operator is looking over every part of the forklift. If you are improvising your required daily walk around, you may miss something important. Make it a Routine We understand things get busy and every facility gets hectic, but if you can implement an inspection at the beginning of every shift, it will eventually become a habit. Get into a routine, and stick to it. If you?re an operator, you?ll be more comfortable knowing you?re driving a forklift that is in safe, working order. If you?re a manager, you?ll have peace of mind that your operators are using forklifts that will work, maintain efficiency, and keep them safer. If a Problem is Found, Pull the Forklift If you do find an issue, don?t run the forklift. Tag it out of your operation immediately. Safety should always be your first priority. You may be losing some money while the forklift is down, but you also may be protecting yourselves, or your driver, from something worse. Small problems can quickly turn into bigger costs and safety concerns. And downtime can be mitigated by having a full-line forklift supplier who provides excellent and timely service. Keep in mind, different forklifts require different inspection check lists! If you have a large fleet with many different forklifts, make sure they have their own specific inspection sheets. Original Post : Lucas Collom, Digital Projects Administrator, Toyota Material Handling, USA

Introducing Toyota Industries Group

For every challenge, a reliable solution. What challenges does your business face? Are you facing rising operation costs? Are you in need for more skilled workers? Are you not reaching the efficiency levels needed? At Toyota Industries Group, we understand that every business faces a unique set of challenges. Our job is to ensure you are equipped with a team of experts to help face those challenges with solutions. Toyota Industries Group brings together the collective strength of industry leaders in their specific solution spaces. Four companies with one strategic vision ? Toyota Material Handling, Vanderlande, Bastian Solutions and Raymond ? means our customers have every resource and innovation they need throughout their operation. Our goal is always to be the best provider possible, to be able to help customers solve any problem with the right solution. Toyota Industries Group delivers on that promise. By coupling Toyota Industries Group?s industry-leading expertise with its flagship brands, Toyota Industries Group offers a wide range of solutions in areas such as automation, forklifts, telematics, and robotics. If it?s a more versatile forklift and warehouse fleet you need, we can help. If you need small scale automation and robotics, we can help. If you need massive automation overhauls, we can help with that, too. And if you need a combination of these things, our four major companies and other strategic operations are partnered to offer one integrative approach. TIG is at the forefront of advancements in digital technologies and innovations that are driving massive change and creating efficiencies in the supply chain industry to meet demands in e-commerce, inventory management, warehouse operations, and more. Toyota Industries Group is commitment to continued innovation is helping prepare customers for the challenges of tomorrow. From the factory to the field, Toyota Industries Group meets the diverse needs of customers all around the world. For every challenge, Toyota Industries Group has a reliable solution. Original Post : Sarah Nolting, Marketing Manager, Toyota Material Handling

A Guide to Shipping Containers

Shipping containers are typically used to store and transport goods. However, they?ve gotten a second life lately as low-cost housing, retail building, and even swimming pools. As shipping container use continues to increase, you might see more of them in your city, far away from the ports where you expect to see them. Let?s explore the history and specifics of shipping containers, and the innovative ways people are using them today. Who invented the shipping container? The first shipping container was invented and patented in 1956 by a man from North Carolina named Malcolm McLean. What is a shipping container? Shipping containers are often called ?The Box.? Most of them are made of steel with hinged doors and are typically used to store goods and stack on container ships for transport. What are the measurements of a shipping container? The standard measurement for a shipping container is called TEU. It stands for twenty-foot, equivalent unit. In other words, a twenty-foot container is one TEU. A forty-foot container is two TEUs. The width of a shipping container is always eight feet, although their heights can vary. How much do they weigh? Per ISO standards, shipping containers can weigh up to 11,000 pounds when empty and up to 68,000 pounds when loaded. Where do you usually find shipping containers? Many companies use shipping containers, but typically you see them at ports, rail yards, offsite storage facilities and manufacturing plants. How has the expansion of the Panama Canal changed cargo transport? With the completion of the expansion of the Panama Canal, ships capable of holding over 12,000 TEUs can now make the passage. That?s almost triple the previous capacity! The completion of the expansion is expected to increase the number of TEUs being handled by approximately 5 percent per year, with the majority of the growth occurring on the East Coast. The increase in ship size will drastically reduce the shipping time and cost from Asia to the East Coast and the growth will require more equipment to handle the increased volume. It will also improve business for the railroads and other support industries like storage yards. What other ways do people use shipping containers? Beyond housing, retail building and swimming pools, people use shipping containers as indoor gardens, saunas, portable toilets, fire training facilities, schools, and emergency hospitals. Original Post : Samantha Horton, Content and Communications Consultant, Toyota Material Handling USA

A Forklift For Every Application

Whether it?s navigating through narrow aisles, moving pallets or picking large paper rolls, various environments present unique challenges for material handlers. IC and electric forklifts are divided into seven different classes that handle a wide range of needs. The types of forklifts in each class include: ? Class I : Electric motor rider forklifts are typically suitable for loading and unloading tractor-trailers and handling pallets. They?re ideal for indoor applications because they are quieter than other forklifts and create no emissions. ? Class II : Electric motor narrow aisle forklifts ( reach trucks , order pickers ) have maneuverability features that allow them to operate in tight spaces and narrow aisles. Typical uses for this class of forklifts include picking and storing inventory. These trucks provide users the ability to increase racking space without expanding their current warehouse. ? Class III : Electric pallet jacks, stackers and tow tractors comes in both rider and walk-behind models, often used to unload deliveries and move loads to a staging area where they can be handled by other types of forklifts. ? Class IV : IC cushion tire forklifts are IC-powered sit-down units designed for a wide range of indoor applications. Their solid, cushioned tires provide a smooth ride on indoor surfaces and they?re puncture-proof since they are not air-filled. Some of the specific applications in this class include forklifts built specifically to lift paper rolls, lifts designed for use in railcars and lifts that can move steel coils. ? Class V : IC pneumatic tire forklifts are similar to those in Class IV but were built primarily for outdoor use, including lumberyards, construction sites and other outdoor applications. ? C lass VI : Electric/IC engine tow tractors includes electric and IC engine tow tractors. These machines are most commonly used for towing loads rather than lifting. Trucks in this class are ideal for use at airports but are also commonly used in assembly line areas. ? Class VII : Rough terrain forklifts feature large, tractor-style tires and are powered almost exclusively by diesel engines for outdoor use in rugged terrain. Class VII trucks are most commonly used at lumberyards or construction sites to lift building materials to elevated work sites. Of course, the types of applications will help determine which forklift is ideal for each operation. One of the other important considerations includes the cost of battery charging infrastructure vs. fuel expenses.

Who is Toyota Advanced Logistics?

For the past 50 years, Toyota Material Handling has been working to bring you everything you need to help with your material handling needs. In an effort to innovate, TMH is proud to collaborate with Bastian Solutions, a Toyota Advanced Logistics (TAL) company. TAL was formed in 2017, when Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO) acquired Bastian Solutions, LLC to better align with market changes and customer needs in the area of logistics. TAL focuses on effectively blending advanced warehouse automation with material handling solutions TAL companies are working towards bringing technological enhancements to our customer?s facilities and provide solutions to clients to excel in their markets. Together with Toyota Material Handling, the North American leaders in forklift manufacturing and automation technology work as one to deliver quality and success in a new era of material handling solutions. What are Advanced Logistics? Logistics needs are shifting across industries to respond to a changing, internet sales driven era. When we speak of advanced logistics, we mean providing companies with technologies that respond to increased demands of the market and providing integrated material handling solutions that marry automated processes to manual operation. This could be many different things, from automated guided vehicles, to conveyor systems, and even different types of automated order picking machines. There are plenty of technologies that companies can use, and you can work with TAL professionals to see which types would work best for you. What else does Toyota Advanced Logistics Offer? As well as offering products to increase your throughput, TAL also offers several services that can assist you in achieving logistics success. Bastian Solutions, for example, can assist with conveyor design, labor management, distribution facility design, and fleet optimization. TAL and Bastian leadership understand the importance of ensuring that your operations are running at maximum efficiency, even after the implementation of the new technology. Operator and Supervisory training, change management, and workforce planning and forecasting are available. Toyota Material Handling and TAL want to make sure you receive a total logistics solution before, during, and after the automation process is installed. As you can see, Toyota Material Handling and TAL are partnered to deliver on the promise to be the complete solution to your material handling needs. With so many different solutions, we are bound to help your operations increase efficiency, make use of your space, and continually help you reach your highest potential. Original Post : Lucas Collom, Digital Projects Administrator, Toyota Material Handling

Supporting the Next Generation of B2B Buyers

Did you know: 10,000 baby boomers will retire today ? and every day ? for the next 10 years? The management and decision-making roles they leave vacant will be filled with the largest group in the U.S. workforce ? millennials. Millennials have spent the better part of their lives online, connecting with friends on social media, conducting research with a simple Google search, and shopping for anything they desire ? all from the comfort of their own homes. To stay relevant with this new generation of consumers, companies must be willing to adapt to the rapidly changing customer expectations. One of my favorite quotes is attributed to Grace Hopper: ?The most dangerous phrase in the language is ?We?ve always done it this way.?? That rings true in many scenarios, but especially when it comes to meeting the ever changing needs of customers. The way business is conducted has changed over the years from face-to-face, to paper, to over the phone, and now to online-centric. The demand for convenient online business platforms will continue to rise as Generation Z enters the workforce. For businesses, this means a higher demand for self-service portals, offering alternative ways to have questions answered without picking up the phone, and making business purchases as quick and easy as buying products at the touch of a button. To hear more about ?The Amazon Effect and the Need for Speed in Forklift Parts and Equipment Delivery?, listen to the webinar featuring Nick Ostergaard, Manager of eCommerce Sales & Operations and Marketing Systems at Toyota Material Handling. Original Post : Kayla Lumpford-Mitchell, eCommerce Marketing Specialist, Toyota Material Handling

5 Reasons To Choose A Toyota Forklift

1. A History of Excellence and Leadership: Toyota?s forklift division began in 1956 in Japan with the introduction of the first Toyota forklift. Today, Toyota is the world leader in forklift sales. 2. Safety Innovation: Toyota introduced the world?s first and only System of Active Stability (SAS) . The system electronically monitors the forklift?s operations to help reduce the likelihood of both lateral and longitudinal tip-overs. 3. Technical Innovation: In 2000, Toyota became the first major forklift manufacturer in the United States to offer AC technology to provide high performance and efficiency. The AC motor contains no springs, brushes, commutators or directional contractors, making is virtually maintenance free. 4. #1 in Quality, Durability, Reliability, Value and Lowest Cost of Ownership: Toyota forklifts are ranked number one in numerous studies conducted by Peerless Research Group. 5. More Than a Forklift Manufacturer, Toyota is a Full-Line Supplier : In addition to a full line of high-quality forklifts, Toyota offers other industrial equipment products including narrow aisle solutions, walkie stackers, automated guided vehicles (AGV?s) and tow tractors. Click here to learn more about why you should consider choosing a Toyota forklift from Dillon Toyota Lift.

Knowing the Difference between a Close End Lease and an Open End Lease

As you research all of the various leasing programs, you will likely run into two terms that have a big impact on your decision-making: Closed-ended leases versus open-ended leases. One of the main differentiators between leases is whether you enter into a close-ended or open-ended lease. At Toyota Industries Commercial Finance, we only offer close-ended leases because they are the most beneficial to the end customer for both liability and Return on Investment (ROI). Please allow me to assist you in navigating the difference: Understanding a Close End Lease: A basic understanding of close end leases means that at the maturity of the lease, it is closed to the lessee. More thoroughly, when engaged in a close-ended lease, the lessee will make their scheduled monthly payments throughout the agreed upon term of the lease and at the end of the lease, the lessee has no contingent liability of the lease end residual. Additionally, the leasing company is under no obligation to sell it to the customer however, the customer may be provided with an option to purchase the equipment. A close end lease provides the lessees with the option to simply return the equipment and move onto their next new lease, which means they will receive the latest equipment technology. On a closed end lease, a customer is required to maintain the equipment in a safe operating condition with no liability for the residuals. Understanding an Open End Lease: When a customer enters into an open end lease, they use the forklift for the full length of the lease term, and after the lease expires, the customer is liable for the remaining residual balance of the equipment. No matter the decision, the customer will still be responsible for paying the remaining residual value of the forklift. Toyota Industries Commercial Finance is happy to provide you any additional information you need. When financing a forklift or forklift fleet, always remember to ask a lot of questions and obtain as much information as possible. Origianl Post : Rich Pignotti, Material Handling Division Sales Manager, Toyota Industries Commercial Finance