Tires for Busy Warehouses 

This holiday, the nation’s warehouses are busier than ever ensuring stores and homes are receiving the season’s must-have gifts. The good news is that the demand for consumer goods is on the rise, thanks to a robust economy. Even better, as people in the U.S. increasingly move toward internet shopping, the need for warehouses and distribution centers continues to grow in support of the growth of e-commerce. Online sales this year tallied over $5 billion over Thanksgiving and Black Friday alone, and mobile shopping recorded its first billion-dollar sales day on Black Friday. These numbers are sure to continue to rise over the coming years.

Although the number of seasonal workers hired to support the holiday rush this year went unchanged from last year, the type of seasonal worker employed reflects the shifting holiday shopping model. For example, big-box retailers like Macy’s and Target have remained flat in holiday hiring from last year to this year, but both companies are making significant additions to their warehouses and fulfillment teams adding 12,000 and 7,500 employees, respectively, rather than store staff. While the big-box stores shift their priorities, Internet shopping giant Amazon doubled its holiday hiring between 2012 and 2015.

While this is all great news for people who work in distribution and warehousing, it isn’t without its drawbacks. One of the issues facing warehouse and fulfillment centers is finding people to fill these open positions. And because labor is in high demand, wages are on the rise. The average hourly wage for a typical warehouse employee hit $15.80 this year, up about 4 percent compared to 2013.

We can’t help staff your warehouse or distribution center, but we can help make your employees more efficient and productive by reducing downtime, keeping your team working, and lowering your total cost of ownership (TCO) to help offset increasing labor costs.

Our Galaxy Yardmaster SDS is a fantastic choice for busy warehouses and distribution centers. A true workhorse, the Yardmaster features a smooth, flat tread profile that’s ideal for working on concrete floors and handling the rigors of being driven on and off metal loading ramps. When warehouses and distribution centers integrate new forklift drivers into their operation, they will really see the benefit of using our Galaxy Yardmaster SDS tire. The Yardmaster tread profile helps it wear evenly, no matter how hard new forklift drivers are on them, and as a Severe Duty Solid, it’s nearly impervious to punctures!

If your tires are looking a little worn after a busy holiday season, your forklift deserves a present this year. Or if you would just like to see some rubber under your tree this year, contact your local tire dealer today.