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A Solution to the Rail Strike

Train leaving lot with lines of containers in the background.
AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar

With the impending rail strike, freight distribution across the US could drastically slow down. Railroads are already halting shipments in anticipation of a stoppage later this week.

“The Association of American Railroads trade group put out a report last week estimating that shutting down the railroads would cost the economy $2 billion a day,”

Josh Funk, Associated Press

They also suggested trucking in its current form wouldn’t be able to make up the slack: “roughly 467,000 additional trucks a day would be needed to handle all the freight railroads deliver.”

What if there was a way to expedite moving freight by truck?

QuickLoadz trailer unloading a shipping container.

QuickLoadz has the solution. With QuickLoadz automated trucks and trailers, containers can be unloaded in just 3 minutes without the need for loading docks or cranes. They can be reloaded just as easily. With our technology, drivers are back on the road faster and more freight can be moved in a single day. QuickLoadz will revolutionize the world of freight, one trailer at a time. Contact our sales team today for a quote:

Phone: 888-304-3946 Ext. 1
Email: sales@quickloadz.com

Sources
Pressure mounts on US railroads and unions to reach a deal
As deadline looms, railroads say strike would cost $2B a day

Tire Prices On The Rise: Shortages, Price Hikes Offset Uptick in Demand

As many consumers were encouraged to stay home and work from home last year, vehicle miles driven across the U.S. plummeted. However, those homebound consumers turned to online ordering of products, creating an uptick in truck deliveries, especially in final-mile deliveries.
Many tire dealerships enjoyed a surge in tire and vehicle service business after the state-mandated shutdowns lifted in May—and after citizens received stimulus checks from the government, which some chose to spend on vehicle maintenance.
But tire makers were unable to meet the tire demand. It’s a problem that is expected to carry over into 2021.
Many tire makers had to temporarily close or slow down production at their plants in the spring due to pandemic restrictions, creating back orders downstream.
[…] several U.S. tire makers implemented tire price increases in the fourth quarter. Goodyear and Michelin North America cited the “changing market dynamics” in the industry for the increases.

From Tire Business ↗

QuickLoadz has discovered that trailers with tires pull much more easily down the road.

Crane Safety Report

Danger is imminent when using heavy machinery, especially cranes. Cranes are frequently used to move shipping containers—crane safety is a threat not only to the crane operators but anyone around. Even with the proper training, accidents still happen. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics,

“From 2011 to 2017, the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) reported 297 total crane-related deaths, an average of 42 per year over this seven-year period.”

Crane accidents can happen at construction sites, factories, plants, roadsides and dockyards.

They seriously affect the safety of the workers and bystanders. Not only can the crane structure injure or kill people, but whatever the crane is holding. For example, from Maritime Injury Center,

“The workers were not experienced in using the particular lifting system and didn’t secure the load well enough. As the person operating the crane that lifted and moved the bars swung the load out toward the pier, one of the bars fell. It weighed 1,300 pounds, struck a worker on the ground, and killed him.”

This demonstrates why using a QuickLoadz for container handling is vital.

According to the Crane Inspection and Certification Bureau Inc.,

“90% of crane accidents occur due to human error.”

Why not eliminate human error?

QuickLoadz is simple to use and has easy training. A QuickLoadz can eliminate or avoid the need for cranes loading and unloading containers. By gently pushing a container off a tilted bed, rather than suspending it in the air, you can eliminate the issue of a container swinging and hitting someone. The gentle 8° loading angle ensures the cargo inside the container will be safe.

Cranes are not the safest way to transport cargo.

For many industries, it’s important to ensure the cargo is not damaged. If you were to use a QuickLoadz, your cargo would slide gently on or off our trailer or truck bed. We also have a built-in rear-view camera standard on all our models. The camera helps drivers see where the container is located and where it can be unloaded. These features can ensure the safety and security of a company’s cargo. Keep your company and employees safe. Get a QuickLoadz. 

Forklift Safety Report

Safety is the number one priority when working with any equipment, especially with forklifts. Forklifts are often used to move shipping containers. This machinery poses safety threats even to properly-trained OSHA-certified operators. Accidents happen regardless of whether the driver has their certification. According to Industrial Safety and Hygiene News,

“Forklifts can easily topple, fall off edges, or knock smaller items around.”

Forklift accidents happen at the epicenter for shipping container movement: the loading dock.

Forklifts are commonly used at loading docks to help move shipping containers and other materials. Shipping containers can range in size and weight; if a shipping container is too heavy or too long for the forklift, it may fall over. Such an accident could result in the driver being injured or even killed. According to McCue Corporation, forklifts can weigh “…up to 9,000 pounds, which is three times heavier than many cars.” To put this in perspective, an adult male Asian Elephant weighs on average 8,800 pounds. A forklift falling over is roughly equivalent to an adult elephant falling on someone.

Visibility is another challenge with forklifts.

When a shipping container is in front of the driver, it can be hard to see the edge of the loading dock. Due to the bad visibility, the driver could drive the forklift off the four-foot ledge. According to a 2007 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study,

“each year over 94,750 Americans are injured by forklifts. A study of forklift-related deaths in the years 1980 to 1994 showed that 7% of forklift-related deaths were caused by a forklift falling off the loading dock.”

Forklifts are not the only way to handle shipping containers.

There are safer alternatives like QuickLoadz. QuickLoadz is an excellent container moving system that can replace or aid the use of forklifts when unloading shipping containers. Our truck and trailer beds tilt back, the built-in chain drive pushes the container off the bed and two lift wedges gently lower it onto the ground. It is a simple three-step process that has easy training.

QuickLoadz takes safety very seriously and wants everyone moving shipping containers to do it in the safest manner. The driver can sit safely in the truck bed to move the container. QuickLoadz has a built-in rear-view camera standard on across all models. This feature helps the driver see where they are loading and unloading the container. All of these features can improve safety and efficiency in the workplace.

Why should you care?

Using a QuickLoadz, companies can lower the number of forklift accidents and deaths that happen each year. Rather than unload at a loading dock, a dangerous system, one can use a QuickLoadz to unload the container to ground level—a much safer place for a forklift to unload the cargo.

A QuickLoadz can load and unload a shipping container in three minutes. Forklift accidents cost many companies time and money because workers having to take time off work for their injuries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,

“Forklifts were involved in 9,050 nonfatal workplace injuries or illnesses with days away from work in 2017. These cases resulted in workers taking a median of 13 days away from work, higher than the median of 8 days for all cases.”

Using a QuickLoadz instead of (or with) a forklift can save companies time and money—not only by moving containers but by reducing Worker’s Compensation claims. QuickLoadz is a vital resource for companies to utilize.