Wanted: Skilled Truck Drivers!

The trucking industry is booming, with data showing that trucks carried the most cargo out of any transportation method in the U.S. last year by far. With tons of opportunity and new regulations cutting back the hours for many truckers, new drivers are in high demand. More than 300,000 jobs are projected to be available for new truckers in 2014. But not anybody can just climb behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle; they must be trained and skilled in the trade. This is where many new initiatives are coming in to help promote the trucking industry and recruit and train new drivers.

One of these initiatives is the 160 Driving Academy. They are one of the fastest growing truck driving schools and are hosting hiring initiative events. Many large North American transportation companies are even sponsoring the program and paying for the tuition of qualified applicants and guaranteeing them jobs upon graduation at no cost to them. With so many jobs available to skilled drivers, now is the time to get the proper education for the industry. Trucker numbers are dwindling as the need for them is spiking, making the transportation industry a great opportunity for the unemployed.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/11/prweb11323545.htm

Used CV Registrations Jump in 2013

Here is some good news for our industry: used commercial vehicle registrations are up 9.1% for the first half of 2013. New CV registrations are up as well, though not nearly as much. This reflects a strong market for well maintained, clean, used trucks and equipment. A jump in used CV registrations means that instead of adding new trucks to the nation’s fleets, many are choosing to instead refurbish existing vehicles and give them new life in the total vehicle population.

By definition, a commercial vehicle is any motor vehicle used for transporting paid passengers or any type of goods and is titled or registered to a company. According to a Truckinginfo.com article, “new commercial vehicle registrations during the January-June period were basically flat, the demand for used equipment continues to be strong and continues to outperform new registrations, as used transactions accounted for 56.7% of total commercial vehicle transactions during the first half of the year.”

This information shows us that the trucking industry is growing, but cautiously. The demand for well taken care-of used commercial vehicles suggests many need CVs, but aren’t ready to commit to an investment in a brand new model. We happen to recognize this need and specialize in refurbishing existing equipment and vehicles so they continue to be of use to the transportation industry, especially when it may not be possible or practical to purchase a new vehicle.

The Pros and Cons of LED Headlights

You may be hearing a lot about LED lights lately, especially as some car and truck makers are integrating them into their latest models. What exactly is an LED? LED stands for light-emitting diode, which is a semi-conductor light source available across many wavelengths at a very high brightness level. They release energy in the form of photons, called electroluminescence. So, should you opt for new LED headlights in your next vehicle? First, carefully consider the pros and cons:

Pros:

·         LED lights need very little power to operate

·         They are small in size and therefore easy to manipulate into a variety of shapes and applications

·         LEDs have a very high brightness level, making it easy to see on back roads and poorly lit areas

·         They have a longer lifespan than traditional headlight bulbs (lasting up to 3 times longer)

Cons:

·         LED headlights are not yet legal in all areas

·         LEDs do not emit heat when they emit light, so snow and ice will not melt off of your headlights in wintery months

·         However, they DO create heat around the bottom of the emitter which risks damaging connecting cables and adjoining assemblies

·         LEDs can be very expensive, especially if a large size is required (usually around 3 times more expensive than filament headlights)

·         They are very sensitive to heat and may require heat sinks or cooling devices

As you can see, there are obvious advantages and disadvantages to installing LED headlights in your vehicle, it all depends on what you want and need out of your headlights. 

With the Shale Oil Boom Comes Another One Altogether

It’s a trend that’s seeing itself borne out time and again in cities and towns across America where shale oil has impacted the local economy for the better: with the steady output of new oil fields comes not only a corresponding need for new oil workers out at the well themselves, but also a need for energy company office workers in nearby cities. It’s one of the main reasons why the monthly rental cost of office space in cities close to these nearby shale formations is now at a three-year high. Case in point: Pittsburgh, PA, a Rust-Belt city known better in recent years for its steadily declining population, as well as the deterioration of its once all-powerful steel industry. For the first time in decades, the population trend seems to be headed in reverse. Jobs in the energy and technology centers abound in a city like Pittsburgh. But more importantly in terms of D.W. Lift Sales, the monthly rental cost of Pittsburgh-area office space has increased dramatically over the past several years. For the first time since 2000, Pittsburgh energy tenants are paying around $17.68/square foot, and the city has a vacancy rate well below the overall national average of 17.1%.
In short, all things point towards a building boom in regions where oil and gas have driven profits around. Thanks to our new Midwestern energy turnaround, a lot of good folks who’ve been hard-hit these past couple years are getting their lives and businesses back together.

The fact of the matter is, the Marcellus Shale Deposit now ranks as the most significant shale oil-producing formation in the United States, ahead even of the Bakken Shale Deposit in North Dakota. As a direct result, new oil wells have arisen overnight across eastern Ohio and western and central Pennsylvania; and suddenly there’s new office construction in cities like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Akron, and Erie, where Texas and Oklahoma oil and gas companies have set up shop by the score. All this new infrastructure and building activity is providing fresh jobs for construction companies and crews that have been hard-pressed since the Housing Bubble Crisis and Great Recession came to town in 2007.

It’s nice to say that things are looking up for our friends and regional business partners, and to truly mean it. There are good things afoot going on out there, and we at D.W. Lift Sales are proud to be playing a part in helping out. We offer top-of-the-line trucks and short trailers for hauling construction equipment and materials into these newly-jumping oilfields: Wabashes, Great Danes, and 36’ x 12’ trailers are all brand-leading ways of hauling materials to their new-found worksites. Likewise, we offer some of the foremost-leading trucks and trailers when it comes to regular office construction. Finally, we carry our fair share of tractor equipment – always a good thing when it comes to heavy-duty construction of new oil wells and rig sites. Basically, let us know how we can be of service! Call us or email us today to request a quote and/or additional information on how we can help your company participate in the greatest American oil boom of the past 50 years!

Solid Gains in Residential Construction Reported; More Predicted

The future, of course, remains unwritten. But if the current economic headwinds hold sway, it looks as though 2013 may well see a trend first spotted in 2012: the resurgence and rise of America’s once all-powerful residential construction industry. Despite all that nonsense last month about the fiscal cliff, construction employment nationwide rose by 30,000 new jobs – hardly the birth of a Golden Age, true, but not exactly shabby either. As Ken Simonson, chief economist of the Association of General Contractors of America puts it succinctly, “Resurgent demand for new housing construction and modest growth in private commercial construction are helping create some new construction jobs… Now that the threat of the fiscal cliff has been temporarily relieved, construction employment should continue to slowly rise in 2013.”

For the first time since the big, bad Housing Bubble crisis walloped us back in 2007, residential construction accounts for the largest share of new construction spending in the United States. The message seems obvious enough to be written on the wall, or in this case the blog: Housing is back. That means construction companies across the U.S.A. are going to need to do some solid reassessing and reinvestment when it comes to their workforce and their construction equipment. Luckily, DW Lift Sales is in top gear and ready to meet the new demands of the market. Since our bread-and-butter business is supplying heavy-duty transportation for construction companies and contractors, we have the ways and the means to accommodate pretty much any quote or work order you want to put our way. Both our new and used truck and trailer platforms are waiting for you to simply pick up your set of keys and put them to work. It’s what America needs right now more than anything, is good news. We at DW, for one, are here and ready to insure that good news stays put and remains good news.

Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts Update

While approximately $60 billion in relief aid has been earmarked to help the Tri-State Area recover from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, the fact remains that things on the ground are hectic and harried. The funding that was promised to relieve the Tri-State has been delayed as a result of debates in both Houses of Congress, even as homeowners seek to rebuild and businesses seek to reopen along the flooded ruins of a shoreline. A lot of hard-working volunteers and little-known charity organizations have worked alongside FEMA and the Red Cross in getting people the food, shelter, clothing, and psychological relief they need. But all that’s just a bunch of temporary solutions. What we need is a concerted, multi-stage rebuilding effort on the part of private companies with the means and the skill-set to get things back up and running again.

We’re talking to you, construction industry of America. This tragedy should be a huge battle summons to the fact that our nation needs a heap of repairs and ongoing restoration effort. Already, we’re seeing the signal lights changing: for the first time since the Housing Bubble burst back in 2008, we’re seeing real growth in the construction sector of the U.S. economy. And while Hurricane Sandy proved a nightmare for those who lived through the worst of it, and for those (including insurance companies) who have to pick up the terrible tab in its aftermath, it’s up to somebody to lead the charge. If the government’s going to continue to dither about going full-force in its relief efforts, it’s up to private initiative and entrepreneurial spirit to get things rekindled.

How can we at DW Lift Sales help you out in this undertaking? One word for you: inventory. We have an inventory of 2013 Freightliner M2-106’s rearing to get into the action. Not only these, but we carry a serious number of knuckle booms, cranes, conveyors, and even tractors on our lot. When it comes to industrial-strength freighting, lifting, hauling, and rubble clearing, we have the equipment if you’ve got the drive to get it! Let’s get our East Coast back up and rolling. Contact us today with your quotes and queries.

Flatbeds Help the Real Estate Market Find Its Legs Again

When the Great Recession struck in 2007, there wasn’t an industry in America that took a harder punch than the real estate market. The “Housing Bubble” and its subsequent collapse became – overnight – a household word. It’s been a long several years now since those days of sudden economic collapse, and the nation is still struggling to rekindle its economy, the real estate sector included. But while growth remains slow, signs point towards a gradual improvement for even the housing and commercial real estate markets – and for the flatbed and dry van industry that means a corresponding uptick in business opportunities.

Flatbeds continue to be an integral part of the transportation of construction materials. Without the volume that flatbeds can carry, there would simply have been no cost-effective means of developing the sprawling suburbs and exurbs that surround most North American cities. But the housing market is just the “tip of the opportunity” for truckers and big rig companies. Despite June and July’s slow manufacturing growth (in comparison with the earlier months of this year), manufacturing orders are up considerably from just a year ago. While we’re certainly not out of the woods yet as a country, the numbers show that the growing need for trucking jobs in America attests to an overall spirit of optimism and recovery. Here’s to making it over the mountain. Knock on wood (or asphalt, as the case may be).