By Jeff Mann Customer Service 0 Comments

Expert Insight

A very large ramp the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command utilizes to load and offload for various deployments. The lettering at right indicates a capacity of 160,000 pounds. You need one of these, give us a call and we'll see what we can do. (U.S. Navy photo by Paul Farley)

Perspective from our Manufacturers

We're honored by our partnerships with: Bluff Manufacturing of Ft. Worth, Texas; Mid-State Ramps of Denton, North Carolina; and Quality Material Handling (QMH) of Riverside, California. All three make outstanding quality products and are the leading makers of yard ramps in the United States.

We trust their expertise, their products, their strategies. And we appreciate their insights on the Who What Where When Why and How of yard ramps.

As our friends at Bluff describe the basics:

The two basic applications for yard ramps are (1) ground to trailer and (2) ground to top of dock. The ground to trailer approach is used to load and unload product while ground to top of dock is used to bring equipment into the warehouse or equipment down to street level.

(That link above is well worth the click. It describes in detail why measurements matter for "equipment to function at its finest.")

Over at QMH, Stephanie recently posted a great piece on the why yard ramps are superior to concrete ramps.

The broad-stroke version is that, while concrete ramps will virtually handle whatever weight you load onto them, you can move portable yard ramps "anywhere within your shipping and receiving yard, which ensures that the forklifts you use can gain quick access to shipping containers or trailers."

She begins, though, with the why of things:

'Maintaining warehouse efficiency is crucial to growing your business and increasing the amount of revenue you bring in. Among the most important aspects of warehouse efficiency involves the loading and unloading operations that occur around the docking area. If you have a productive docking area, it’s likely that your warehouse is well-optimized for efficiency."

And we also received, a great, much appreciated shout-out in that entry: "One business that purchased yard ramps from The Yard Ramp Guy stated that their employees were grateful for not having to unload all of their trucks in the snow, heat, cold, and rain because of these ramps."

Here's the full testimonial from that customer:

This week, our man McCoy Fields summons his inner Doctor Doolittle for a fascinating tale of bird chat.

Click HERE to get your feathers ruffled.

By Jeff Mann Yard Ramp Industries 0 Comments

Streamlined Steel

Arching Toward Clean

Where There's a Will...

In the Good News/Bad News/Better News Department:

The good news is that, next to tungsten (and the imagined unobtanium and the cinematic vibranium), steel is the strongest metal on earth. It's our most used of metals and found in construction and engineering projects throughout the world.

It's among the most recycled of our materials: some 70% of steel gets recycled every year in the United States (and 30% globally).

And: steel is also the main component in the majority of our yard ramp inventory, renowned for its strength and durability.

The bad news is that steel production emits a lot of pollution. A 2021 study by Global Efficiency Intelligence found that the world's steel industry made up some seven percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. The culprit of this production is carbon dioxide, the result of the steelmaking process, in which "for every ton of iron you make, you get at least 1.5 tons of CO2 as part of the deal," according to Thomas Hoernfeldt, VP of Sustainable Business at SSAB.

That's where the better news comes into play. A number of research initiatives, holding a hope of creating a cleaner steel production process, are in R&D phases.

For example: SSAB, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, is exploring and implementing technologies to reduce that pollution. "Green steel" takes advantage of advances in our use of other elements, like hydrogen, to remove fossil carbon emissions from the production process.

There's a Catch-22 involved here:

"Ironically," says Irina Gorbounova, a VP at ArcelorMittal, steel is a primary component ingredient in many of the technologies being constructed to decarbonize, such as wind toward and electric vehicles.

Two steps forward, a step and a half backward.

Still: we're always encouraged when the approach to the production of such an important, ever-present metal places the air we breathe so prominently into the equation.

This week, our man McCoy Fields reminds us that to make an omelet you sometimes crack some eggs.

Click HERE to read his egg-cellent insight.

By Jeff Mann Customer Service 0 Comments

Streamline Through Turnkey

Completing the Jigsaw Puzzle

The Beauty of Planning Ahead

Proudly, we claim throughout our site that "We offer what others do not."

The Yard Ramp Guy stands by this, in a number of ways: Our attention to detail. Our asking the right questions. Our excellent professional relationships with the top industrial yard ramp manufacturers in the United States.

This differentiator (and industry disruptor) is often seen most keenly in our approach to Turnkey Services.

We're keenly aware that time is money. In our years of experience, we've seen our customers' concerns about what happens in the time after a successfully transacted rental or sale. As in: how do they actually receive a stationary dock ramp or mobile forklift ramp? And then: how do they get the thing off the flatbed? And then: how do they get it installed, if needed?

Quite often, the transaction is another step in our process, not the last. We focus exclusively on the rental and sale of new and used industrial yard ramps, and in our view we'd be remiss not to offer that full arc of providing services that define Soup-to-Nuts.

With that, we've built and maintained and grown a network of people who know how to get your ramp delivered in a timely way, how to safely and efficiently off-load it, how to position and weld and bolt it.

Yes, we do the heavy lifting in a literal way. With our nationwide network already in place, about half of our customers take advantage of The Yard Ramp Guy's Turnkey Services. 

Our competition tends not to be so interested in providing these options. We won't speculate as to why not . . . because we're more focused on our campaign to provide the quality and the attention.

To learn more about our Turnkey Services, click HERE.

STILL TIME: One Week Remaining

Now through June 30th, 2023: Save up to $2,200.00 on all new standard mobile and stationary dock ramps from Bluff Manufacturing.

That includes $1,000.00 off the standard pricing and up to $1,200.00 credit on your freight delivery charges.

Act now: this promotion ends June 30, 2023.

To begin saving, click HERE.

This week, our man McCoy Fields takes on water and Godzilla and hornets.

Click HERE read about it from the safety of your own home.

By Jeff Mann Yard Ramp Industries 0 Comments

New & Noteworthy

A Bit of This and That

Highlighting recent news in our business of buying, renting, and selling new and used yard ramps, we bring you:

The Sale

Save up to $2,200.00 on all new standard mobile and stationary dock ramps from Bluff Manufacturing.

That includes $1,000.00 off the standard pricing and up to $1,200.00 credit on your freight delivery charges.

Act now: this promotion ends June 30, 2023.

To begin saving, click HERE.

Turnkey

We know that buying or renting is the first, essential step of putting your yard ramp into use. Getting it shipped and set up is the next step. This is the yard ramp two-step.

We Literally Do The Heavy Lifting

We gauged our customers' needs for turnkey services, and we put together a network of professionals around the country. Now you can have your rental or purchase delivered, off-loaded, welded, bolted, and positioned.

We're literally orchestrating the heavy lifting of the yard ramp so that you can focus on the heavy lifting of your inventory, your production, your sales, and your service.

About half of our customers take advantage of turnkey options, including:

  • installing anchors at docks
  • spot welding
  • managing equipment like cranes needed to offload a ramp from a flatbed

Our competition hasn't expressed much interest in providing these options. We didn't invent the wheel with our turnkey services; we just greased that wheel a bit, and the results continue to show a smooth, expedited, and safe way to put your ramp into use.

To learn more about our Turnkey Services, click HERE.

Testimonials

Recent comments from our customers:

"Contacting The Yard Ramp Guy saved the day for the United States Postal Service at a tight time frame: Holiday Season. The whole procedure and communication were awesome. The gentleman I first contacted was able to expedite the request, and the rental fees were just the right price. Pam was great with communicating the delivery & pick up. If we are in need of a portable ramp for next year, we will definitely use The Yard Ramp Guy again. This was a 5-Star experience!!!!" — Brenda C., Gov: Fed/State/Local, Los Angeles, CA 

 

"We recently purchased a yard ramp from you guys and it was overall an excellent experience. Coming from the sales world, I can honestly say that your team was a pleasure to work with and we will definitely keep you guys in mind for our first stop on any future yard ramp needs!" — Cory M., Construction, North Kansas City, MO

Read more testimonials HERE.

Financing Options

Want to retain more cash on hand? Our partner options create a path toward financing your equipment. All can readily evaluate your request, and all involve simple applications.

To Finance: Not So Puzzling

Advantages:

  • Immediate use of a mobile yard ramp or stationary dock ramp
  • More flexibility than a standard bank loan.
  • Better ability to amortize the the cost of a yard ramp over time.

That's more of your cash in house. As an added advantage, with or without the financing option, your can take advantage of The Section 179 deduction, a tax perk that allows full deduction of your new (or used) yard ramp as a business expense.

Learn more about financing HERE.

This week, our man McCoy Fields weaves together Gravity, Whipple Shielding, and Pizza. And it all has to do with space debris. And it all makes perfect sense.

Click HERE to be dazzled.

By Jeff Mann Yard Ramp Industries 0 Comments

Supply Chain Innovation

The Grizzled Warrior

Material Handling Industry (MHI) recently released its annual industry report for 2023.

Titled "The Responsible Supply Chain: Transparency, Sustainability, and the Case for Business," the report gives us a window to present The Yard Ramp Guy to you as a case for our business helping your business.

From the report's Technology Innovation section:

"This year’s survey, which received over 2,000 responses from supply chain leaders around the world, continued to highlight 11 key technology innovations that are reshaping the global supply chain industry:

Boosting Productivity

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Blockchain
  • Cloud Computing & Storage
  • Driverless Vehicles & Drones
  • Internet of Things
  • Inventory & Network Optimization
  • Predictive Analytics
  • Robotics & Automation
  • Sensors & Automatic Identification
  • Wearable & Mobile Technology
  • 3D Printing

Inventory & Network Optimization is where we've come in, time and again since 2011, to assist with that streamlining of a responsible supply chain. 

The yard ramp weighs a ton (or three). You need a forklift and operator to move it around. Yet, the yard ramp is a tireless workhorse that rarely complains. It's an established innovation that helps you move your innovations and products, with provisions for safety and efficiency. 

The yard ramp is mostly steel. The only technology involved with the ramp itself might have involved the techniques used to forge the steel and the systems employed (by, say, freight companies and GPS tracking systems) to get your ramp delivered. After that, it's all steel and maybe some rubber wheels.

The pandemic gave people and industries pause. From all the glitches in supply chains as a result of those events, the MHI report paints a portrait that has our businesses focusing on supply chain technology and innovation.

Yard ramp designs and construction have evolved over time, and no doubt they'll evolve again.

Still . . .steel.

In our listings, we describe our inventory that we've classified "Good" as showing its age and use as a grizzled warrior. Regardless of condition, that's how a yard ramp tends to perform, especially when surrounded by all the technology. 

Check our listings. Then use your technology to contact us about helping boost your productivity with a ton (or three) of steel.