E-Commerce is Booming and Changing the World of Warehousing

The convenience afforded to consumers through online shopping has changed not only the way that customers are shopping, but it has forced businesses to have become more creative in their approach to meeting consumer demand. The trajectory of the trend in ecommerce was already on pace to put increasing pressure on businesses to be able to meet customers' expectations that their orders be delivered quickly, accurately and undamaged, but in light of the pandemic we are facing globally, that pressure has never been greater.

The seventh annual National Forklift Safety Day is around the corner. The purpose of the annual event is to raise awareness of the importance of operator safety training and the implementation of forklift safety best practices in daily operations.

A single preventable forklift accident is one too many. By following OSHA safety training requirements and other forklift safety best practices, the number of injuries and accidents can be greatly reduced. That is why the material handling industry's International Truck Association (ITA) developed the concept of National Forklift Safety Day.

This year due to Covid-19, the event will be virtual but will still be filled with a wealth of information and presentations from government representatives, safety experts and material handling industry representatives. The event is free and you can watch from the convenience of your office:

National Forklift Safety Day

June 9, 2020 at 9 am EST

Join the event at www.indtrk.org

As the owner or decision maker at your company, you already know that hiring the right personnel for a specific job is of utmost importance. You want someone who is capable of mastering – or someone who has already mastered – the particular parameters of that job. Did you know the same is true for your material handling and distribution center equipment?

Taking the time to understand exactly what you need in your equipment will help boost your productivity, efficiency and, best of all, have a positive impact on your bottom line. When choosing the right forklift for the job, you should always choose a forklift that is capable of more than what you expect to be lifting – that way you won't be caught short and you'll be promoting safety, as well.

Amidst the unprecedented events facing the world and the U.S. today, material handling and construction companies are more needed than ever. As citizens facing the Covid-19 virus continue to buy supplies, material handling and distribution centers have ramped up their quotas of daily products shipped out to retail outlets. Construction companies continue to operate, keeping the U.S. economy going in the best way they can, understanding that when this is over, we'll need to step back into normalcy as quickly as possible.

The nation may be in a situation that is unfamiliar territory for most, but weather seasons continue to change as usual, which means that temperatures are continuing to rise as we approach summer. Now is the time to make sure that your material handling equipment, including forklifts, are ready to take on the summer heat.

We all have tasks to get done that are out of reach - literally. Aerial lifts offer great solutions to those "hard to get to" maintenance, cleaning and construction jobs. Aerial lifts come in all shapes and sizes to get the job done. Let's explore the different types of aerial lifts and applications best suited for the different types.

You already know that yard trucks are ideal for moving trailers around distribution centers, transfer stations, truck terminals, agricultural areas and more. But what you did not know is that Madland Toyota-Lift is your Central California aftermarket support center for specialized diesel yard trucks. Madland now offers repair service, planned maintenance, replacement parts and rentals of yard spotter equipment.

As the owner or manager of a warehouse or distribution center, you already know the rewards of having an efficient, well-organized and smooth running facility. Product can be received, shipped, loaded and unloaded easily; orders are fulfilled when needed; inventory is maintained and productiveness and safety are top priorities. An operation that is struggling with these concepts can fall quickly into disorder: product is not rotated properly; racking is crammed with unlabeled product; customers waiting on orders are cranky; and safety takes a back seat as operations are rushed and hurried.

Learning how to make the best use of your space is the first step in optimizing operations. There are plenty of tried and true methods to achieving this important state. Here are three ways to get started.

As we leave the 2010s behind and go forth into the 2020s, it may be a good time to not only think about personal New Year's resolutions, but also to make plans about your business. Are you maximizing your options to achieve your goals? Is it time to consider some changes in order to be a leader in your field? What are some of the important items to put on – and check off – your list? Material handling equipment runs the gamut from forklifts, narrow aisle equipment and pallet jacks to industrial floor cleaning, aerial lifts, yard trucks and utility vehicles.

It may seem obvious to you, but in the hurry of day-to-day business, some important factors that lead to optimizing your business can get overlooked. Let's take a look at a few of them.

As a business owner or supervisor, you've spent plenty of time trying to find ways to help the company maximize its resources and be more efficient with costs. As we come up to tax season, you may be looking for ways to lessen your tax burden and put more cash back into the business. For many, Section 179 of the IRS tax code is a way to do both.

Although Section 179 has been around for quite a few years and has undergone changes during that time, that main gist of Section 179 stays the same: It allows qualifying businesses to deduct the full purchase price of new and used equipment for the year it was purchased, rather than using the standard depreciation method. This change to the tax code was intended to help businesses invest more heavily into purchasing and leasing equipment and other qualifying items to improve the business. 

It's your job to ensure that your facility, equipment and resources are being managed at the highest level possible for maximum efficiency and productivity. As part of that role, you have to pay attention to every detail – even down to the batteries that are running the fleet and equipment.

There are many choices out there when choosing the proper batteries for the job and at Madland Toyota-Lift, we stock plenty of options and our professional staff can help you decide which battery will be your top solution. We have a wide variety of battery and charger solutions for forklifts, aerial, pallet jacks, stock pickers and more across many industries, including aviation and aerospace, construction, commercial and retail, warehousing and distribution.

Your forklift tires are a really important part of your forklift. Yes, you probably already knew that, but did you know that your tires can have a huge impact on your forklift operation? If your forklift tires are not up to snuff, you may be looking at downtime, decreased productivity and less efficiency in your operations. At Madland Toyota-Lift, we have tire service professionals at three convenient locations to help you keep your forklift tires in the best possible shape.

Let's talk first about the kind of forklift tires available and how to determine which kind best suits your unique situation. 

Are you looking for a budget-friendly option to move large amounts of product through your warehouse in a fast, easy and efficient way? Then look no further because at Madland Toyota-Lift, we are offering a great electric pallet jack sales event. For just $3,999* through Oct. 31, you can buy the Toyota 8HBW23 electric pallet jack from the world's number one material handling equipment manufacturer, Toyota.

 Let's take a look at some different scenarios, focusing on safety first. Loading docks are busy places with multiple activities taking place simultaneously and are the most common area for accidents to occur. In many cases, there's no one person capable of overseeing everything that's going on while product is being moved in and out, trucks are being loaded and unloaded, weather concerns may be an issue and pedestrians and moving equipment are operating in the same area. It's a recipe for the potential of serious injury, but you can take steps to ensure that your dock operations are running safely and efficiently. ​

National Forklift Safety Day is an annual event started by the Industrial Truck Association (ITA) to bring awareness to the preventable forklift accidents that happen every year – mainly due to improper training, lack of information and carelessness. The statistics are scary: Nearly 20,000 workers in the U.S. alone are injured in these accidents every year.

This year, the event is scheduled for June 11 and Madland Toyota-Lift, in conjunction with Toyota Forklifts and other Toyota forklift dealers across the nation – is offering no-cost forklift safety consultations for customers. Forklift safety is an important topic and should be the number one priority of anyone using a forklift or supervising the use of forklifts. Please contact us to schedule your free forklift safety consultation.

At Madland Toyota-Lift, we are known for serving the forklift and material handling industry since1981 in communities all over central California. Our experienced and professional staff consists of invested sales stars, highly-trained parts and repair service personnel and long-term community-minded people.

As a true full-service forklift and material handling dealer, we offer new and used equipment, aerials, rentals, parts and service, training and safety products. Our warehouse equipment includes racking, cranes, conveyors, hoists, dock equipment, storage and recycling equipment. We also carry industrial floor cleaning equipment, as well as personnel carriers, utility vehicles, stockchasers and tow tractors.

At Madland Toyota-Lift, we know productivity, safety and exceeding financial projections are at the top of your list. Did you know that order picking takes up 50-75% of warehouse operating costs? We've got the expertise and the equipment to help you make sure order picking costs don't sabotage your bottom line goals, while maintaining safety as a priority.