Master of Four
“Jack of all trades, master of none.” It’s a familiar saying, and one that doesn’t usually cast a positive light.
Interestingly, nearly every language has some version of this saying. In Latin: “Something from all, nothing in total.” Persian: “All trades and no authority.” Spanish: “He who embraces too much has a weak grasp.” Japanese, and maybe the most blunt: “Many talents is no talent.”
Industrial logistics is big business around the world, encompassing a mind-boggling list of equipment used for moving things from place to place.
Consider a forklift and all of its components, including: forks, fork arms, hydraulic system, lifting chain, tires, and engine parts. The forklift is not simply a single thing; it’s a vehicle made of dozens of things, many of them requiring maintenance and, sometimes, replacement.
Even before The Yard Ramp Guy incorporated in January of 2011, we had made the decision to focus on a small number of specific categories within the industrial loading dock world. By experience, though we knew about the vast opportunities to be had from broader categories, we’ve campaigned to master four of them:
Yard Ramp Rentals
Year after year, we’ve increased the exposure and transactions of the rental scenario. This is especially attractive to our customers who have temporary or seasonal needs, who don’t currently foresee a long-term investment, or who want to evaluate the value of the yard ramp. (Yes, we’ll gladly streamline the process of turning that rental into a purchase.)
Used Yard Ramps
We strategically locate our used inventory in storage depots around the country (currently in 14 states). With most of our yard ramps sitting within 250 miles of 90% of the population, one of the outstanding benefits to our customers is considerably reduced delivery and return freight costs. All of our Used and Rental yard ramps must pass a stringent evaluation process before we choose to make them available.
New Yard Ramps
We’ve positioned ourselves as a high-volume dealer for the top yard ramp manufacturers that make outstanding quality products.
There are other manufacturers making quality products but not, in our opinion, with the same commitment to the vertical product line. They also sell at price points beyond our business model. We wouldn’t hesitate to re-sell one of their ramps as used. However, for most of our customers’ applications, they do not match our goal for being the most reliable and lowest priced yard ramp dealer in the country.
Yard Ramp Brokerage
From the beginning, we set into place a business model decision critical to successfully dominating the used yard ramp marketplace: We decided to partner with sellers rather than haggle with them. It changed the dynamic completely. We know we will work hard for our money on selling your ramp. We handle everything—the quote preparation including obtaining freight quotes, off-loading considerations, and follow-ups with the prospects.
And, as an important endnote, the “Jack of all trades” phrase has been shortened over the decades. The full saying?
Jack of all trades, master of none,
though oftentimes better than master of one.
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Quotable
Yes, McCoy Fields, by our count, we are one week away from Meeting at the Middle of our quote-off.
