Tag Archive for: logistics

Truck Driver Appreciation Week

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

Truck drivers play a key role in the logistics side of our business. Without them, we would have no way to get shipments from Point A to Point B. Because of this, we were more than ecstatic to celebrate National Truck Driver Appreciation Week from September 9th through the 15th.

Logistics is an integral part of the material handling industry, nobody knows that better than our Logistics Manager, Brenda Dudley.

“For material handling and specifically what we do at Storage Solutions, service needs are indicative of “just in time” performance. With build schedules, crews on site and customer timelines, we can’t deliver too early or too late but within a window delivery plan. We depend and rely on the abilities of the drivers to honor our own commitments to our customers. Let’s not forget that drivers on-site at a customer’s facility are an extension of who and what we are as a company. They represent us while handling our shipments and can make or break customer relationships. It’s easy to overlook the hard work and effort most drivers put forth and we tend to think that they need business to keep the wheels turning, when in fact, we need them just as much.”

We send and receive around fifteen shipments every day, going to and coming from all over the continental United States. These drivers put in long, grueling hours every day to ensure shipments arrive on time. That often means time away from family and friends, along with the comfort of home.

This is why we dedicate this week to them. So if you see any truck drivers, be sure to thank them for their hard work! It certainly doesn’t go unnoticed here at Storage Solutions.

Want to learn more about our logistic capabilities? Visit our warehouse services page to inquire about all of our logistics services.

 

Project Management schedule

Project Management: Your Storage Solutions Project Team

When you have a project that you need done the right way, Storage Solutions has the perfect team for you. With our project management services, you don’t just get a project manager, you get a whole team to take the reigns of the operation and give you exactly what you need.

Our team consists of a project manager, logistics coordinator, an on-site project manager, design specialists and a project coordinator. This entire team works together to ensure that your project is exactly how you want it and goes off without a hitch.

Your Storage Solutions Team

Let’s take a look at how each member of the team can help your project run smoothly. First, Storage Solutions has a dedicated design services team here to help you optimize your current space. They will work to find any inefficiencies in your current plan and improve any shortcomings in your operation. They will also work to ensure that you are prepared for any and all upcoming growth opportunities.

Our logistics team will work to ensure that equipment shows up on time and on schedule. We take care of all the moving parts when it comes to delivery and scheduling, so you can focus on what you need.

Along with general project management oversight, we also have a project manager that will be on-site to help you out. They will be able to facilitate communication, giving us the ability to make changes quickly and efficiently.

Last and certainly not least is our team of expert project coordinators. Your project coordinator will be the hub of communication between you, our team and any third-party vendors. Best of all, they will serve you to make sure that all of your needs are met, even after the project is completed.

Our team is your team. They will work with you throughout the entire process, as well as after the project is finished. Since we have a specialized member for each facet of your project, we truly offer our clients one source and one result!

We want to make sure that we provide everything you need to succeed in your operation. Want to learn more about our project management service? Click here for a full breakdown of what we can do for your project!

2018 Kickoff

Storage Solutions 2018 Kickoff!

As we roll into 2018, we at Storage Solutions are excited to begin another successful year. With our experience and all of our great partners, we have no doubts that we are in a great place to help you achieve your annual goals. We are ecstatic to serve you this year, so let’s look at the ways that we can assist you!

Storage Solutions is a leading equipment and material handling partner, so we are always here to provide you with new and used equipment. We are also more than happy to buy your old equipment. Our dedicated purchasing team is a great resource to help you make money off your unused material.

With their decades of experience, our in-house Design & Solutions Development team will make the best solution for you to make sure that your facility is running at optimal efficiency. Click here for some examples of our solutions development work.

As your material handling partner, we want to work with you every step of the way through your project. We’re here for all your needs, from the permitting and safety side to logistics and installation. Take a look at our warehouse services page and see for yourself what we can provide you with.

Above all, we would like to thank you for being our partner in the past, present, and future. As we approach our 40th anniversary this July, we would like to say thank you; without you none of what we do is possible. We are excited about 2018 and all the opportunities it brings to serve you. Contact us today to get started!

Guest Post: What 3PLs Should Look For in a Material Handling Partner

shaking handsWe are excited to introduce a guest blogger, Brad Shorr!  We are always looking to bring fresh and informative content to our blog, so we are always open for new writers and posts! Without further hesitation…

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Third-party logistics companies (3PLs) tend to have complex material handling needs:

  • 3PLs have to consider their customers’ specifications as well as their own.
  • 3PLs have continually changing requirements as new customers are brought on stream, and as existing customer needs evolve.
  • 3PLs may require consistent operational processes in geographically diverse locations, and need to conform to industry-specific regulations.
  • 3PLs often have frequently changing or unpredictable budgets, driven by changes in their customers’ business.

Because a 3PL’s business is fluid and must consider customer requirements as well as its own, it will need to partner with a material handling company that offers more than just an average lineup of products and services. Important characteristics 3PLs look for in a material handling partner include:

  • Strong sales department. A 3PL may want to enlist the support of its material handling partner to discuss features and benefits of various material handling solutions. The job is done more effectively when the material handler has an experienced sales team that is comfortable working as part of a team.
  • Regional and national support. Ideally, a material handling partner covers the same geography as the 3PL, as it makes consistency across locations far easier to achieve and greatly streamlines communication.
  • Commitment. Sometimes the best option for a national 3PL isn’t the biggest of the biggest. A lot depends on the volume of business and specific requirements. Many smaller material handlers are able to support business on a national basis, and may be more attentive than a large competitor with less interest in the business.
  • Flexibility. As touched on already, material handling firms with rigid internal policies will be constantly at odds with 3PLs whose needs are ever-changing. By meeting with the material handler’s executive leadership and operational management, a 3PL can get a good feel for how flexible the company will be day-in and day-out.
  • Creativity. A 3PL quite often needs creative engineering and service support to satisfy its customer’s budgetary and performance expectations. A material handling firm that views problems as challenges, that has an energetic in-house engineering team, makes for an ideal partnership.
  • Stability.  A 3PL’s material handling needs go well beyond buying a few forklifts or pieces of conveyor. The 3PL will need to lean on its material handler for technical advice, sales support, trade-in options, special leasing terms, and a host of other value-added services. Thus, it’s vital that the material handler be financially stable, with a proven track record.

About the Author

Brad Shorr is an industrial sector writer for Straight North, with more than 25 years of experience in industrial distribution. He works with several B2B firms, including Magid, a leading manufacturer and distributor of industrial products.

Storage Solutions Installations… The Winter 2011 Edition

We’re here, we’re there, we’re everywhere!  As you may have been reading over the course of the last few Where Are We Now blog posts, our Storage Solutions installations take place all over the country.

But we don’t just stick to the United States… we also do installations in Mexico AND Canada!  So we really mean it when we say we’re all over North America.  Our installation crews have been working on a LOT this winter:  Replacing damaged uprights, shelving installations, pallet rack installations, rack reconfigurations, high-rise shelving and rack teardown, wire cage installation, pushback pallet rack installation, and more!

Where Are We Now?

SSIMap December2011Indianapolis, IN – Various Jobs

Victoria, TX – Rack Installation

Memphis, TN – 4,000 pallet rack bay and bin mezzanine teardown

Tampa, FL – Rack teardown

Cincinnatti, OH – Rack teardown & transfer to other facilities

Vancouver, BC – Rack & shelving installation

Charlotte, NC – Rack Installation

Columbia, SC – Rack Installation

This is a list of where our installation crews have been working hard this quarter.  But we also oversee installation jobs on other projects throughout the country as well!  Check out previous installation locations from our last “Where Are We Now?” posts.

Whether a job is 5,000 sq. ft. right next door or over 1 million sq. ft. five states away, we’re always willing and able to get the job done.  If you’ve got a project you’d like us to work with you on, give us a call at 866.474.2001 or contact us!

A Day In The Life Of A Rookie: Shipping, Freight & Logistics

When I started working at Storage Solutions, it became apparent that I would be learning things I never in my life imagined would be important to my career. Now, I’ve covered pallet rack and fork lifts but what about shipping? Everything we do, everything that every business does, requires logistics. Trucking, shipping, hauling, freight, whatever you want to call it, everyone needs it, and it’s what I chose to cover on this issue of The Rookie Blog.

I’ve been noticing semi trucks more and more. Not because I want to stick my arm out the window to make the driver honk (even though I do) but because I want to see what they are hauling. Maybe some beams, maybe some uprights? I know, exciting stuff, but still interesting to pay attention to something that you never noticed in the past.

Did you know…  
flatbed shipping

  • A typical flatbed trailer is 48 ft. long?
  • A standard van is 53 ft. long?
  • Uprights come in bundles of 15?
  • Beams come in bundles of 30?
  • Wire decks come in bundles of 40?
  • What a bundle was when I started writing this?!

These are a few things that need to be taken in to consideration when scheduling shipping for our wide variety of new equipment and used equipment. I never thought much about the difference in semi trailers. Some are covered, some aren’t, some big, some small, but I was thrown for a major loop the first time I heard the term ‘Van’. As someone not thinking in terms of logistics ‘Van’ puts one image in my head, mom picking me up from practice. However, van has a separate meaning. A Van refers to a freight or box trailer which is your typical rectangular, covered, box looking semi trailer.

The other type of trailers we utilize are ‘Flatbeds’, also known as a platform trailer. Flatbeds are the trailers you see that are just a flat platform, sort of like the name implies! These can be ordered with a tarp to cover whatever material you might be shipping and are pretty handy for hauling beams and uprights.  A forklift driver would have a pretty hard time trying to fit 144 in. uprights through a Van door that’s only 99 in. wide! Instead, they can drive up on the side of the flat bad and set them down running parallel to the trailer.

Pretty easy stuff right?

Maybe for someone that’s handled this sort of information before but every load is going to be different which makes the next step even tougher. Going through the items that are being shipped and figuring out what will/won’t fit on a van/flat is like a geometry puzzle. Again, easy for someone who’s done it before, not so much for the first timer (me). As a visual person it’s much easier for me to understand something like this if I draw it out and as someone who lacks any artistic ability my drawings of overhead trailer views and measurements are quite comical.

It’s always good to learn new things and it only gets easier from here… Well, I doubt it, but I’d rather have a challenging job that forces me to progress instead of sticking to the same old routine every day!

Storage Solutions Installations: Where Are We Now?

When it comes to this business, sometimes it’s easy for people to assume that because we’re located in central Indiana, we serve businesses in and around our area only. Well… That’s just not true.  Storage Solutions prides itself on the fact that we have skilled installation crews who are constantly going the distance. Literally.

Where Are We Now?

WhereAreWeNow Peoria, IL

Seguin, TX

Lakeland, FL

Clayton, OH

Atlanta, GA

New Brunswick, NJ

Indianapolis, IN

Waco, TX

Whether a job is 5,000 sq. ft. right next door or over 1 million sq. ft. five states away, we’re always willing and able to get the job done.  If you’ve got a project you’d like us to work with you on, give us a call at 866.474.2001 or contact us!  We’ve got a great inventory of both new and used material handling products.  Be sure to check out our clearance section for great deals!