Year: 2022

An Initial Look at the CARS Program

No sooner did the government publish the rules for the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) and the program is said to be out of money. Does this indicate success because folks are trading in gas guzzlers for fuel-efficient autos? Or is it poor planning, once more, on the part of congress?

CARS was scheduled to be in effect from July 1 through November 1 of 2009. But within a week of declaring how the rebates work, the $1 billion allocated from the stimulus package is far from enough. The House of Representatives, through a fast vote, has doubled the budget to $2 billion thus keeping the program alive. The original bill called for a $4 billion budget, but it did not pass; however, with possible amendments as next year’s models are introduced, the price tag could continue to climb higher.

If 250,000 cars are sold as anticipated in the initial bill, this will amount to only 2.5% of the total 10 million projected new car sales for the year – down from 16 million in 2007. So why rush to appropriate more? Is it to help dealers move excess inventory from their lots? Is it because the government has a vested interest in the auto business? Is it the administrations way of forcing the greening of America? You decide.

Here’s how the program works. To qualify for a rebate, the trade-in vehicle must be under 25 years old and get less than 18 MPG. The purchased car must show an improvement of more than 4 MPG and less than 10 over the trade-in to get $3,500 or over 10 MPG more for the top rebate of $4,500, with manufacturers often matching the government’s rebate. Other requirements include: a clear title, proof of insurance, registration in purchaser’s name, trade-in must be in drivable condition, and purchaser cannot have already participated in the CARS program.

The cars taken in by the dealers are to be scrapped, probably before dealers receive their reimbursements from the government. This means dealers are, in effect, giving the government up to $4,500 in interest-free loans for each car sold. So it’s important that these struggling dealers get their money, fast. But how fast does the government move?

There have been complaints that this program is only for those who can afford to make payments on a new car. Now congress is considering making vouchers available for low income individuals to purchase fuel-efficient used cars. If these buyers can’t qualify for credit, we can expect an amendment to change the rules or possibly provide low-interest, unsecured government loans for them. One interesting side effect of CARS will be the virtual destruction of charitable vehicle donation programs through organizations such as The Salvation Army. Another unintended consequence will be the creation of a vast black market for reclaimed cars and parts. What else lurks in the shadows?

I’m one pre-boomer who is not in the market for a new car; however, the …

Storekeeper Jobs the Caretakers of the Stores

Storekeeper jobs are in demand in those organizations where material management is required. Storekeepers, also known as watchdogs, are the in charge of the store department and are expected to perform various warehousing duties of receiving, arranging and issuance of goods. They are not only accountable for receiving and issuing of goods but sometimes they also have to act as a inspector, supervisor and manager to ensure that there is proper handling/stacking of goods, inspection of stocks, warehouse maintenance and cleaning, wastage disposal and proper documentation and record-keeping. Store administrator is the one, who efficiently look/supervises after all the things at the store from inspecting stocks to warehouse cleaning and maintenance.

Candidates looking for such kind of role must have sound knowledge of policies and procedures related to receipt, storage and issuance of materials, good communication skills, physically strong etc. Computer literacy would be an added advantage. Material Management Jobs plays a critical role in an organization because production of goods is primarily dependent on the availability of materials. A Material Manager has to identify the vendors for materials, supplies and equipments well in time, maintain records of goods ordered and received, identify quality goods at the lowest possible price etc. An aspiring candidate in this field should have adequate knowledge of the market to identify the suitable vendors, must have good communication skills for getting better deals, and must be well versed with the computer skills as they are expected to work on the inventory database.

Likewise storekeeper jobs, Warehouse Management Jobs also plays an important role in a production oriented organization. A warehouse manager has to plan, organize and control overall operations of the warehouse, setup layout and space management, manage stock control, plans out for development of staff through trainings etc. These jobs require individuals, who have the ability to work effectively without much supervision and communicate effectively. These individuals must also possess good health and physical stamina to handle the daily warehousing activities.

Resource Management jobs play an integral role in every organization because every organization hire resources/employees who work for them and for managing them resource management jobs comes into picture. They are the link between the management and employees who help resolving work related problems, administers benefits and performance management systems, analyze and modify compensation and benefit policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements etc.

Store keepers are not only the caretakers but they are also the supporters who have the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships to ensure smooth running of the business. Surely storekeeper jobs have become an indispensable part of work culture in any organization.…

Storekeeper Jobs the Caretakers of the Stores

Storekeeper jobs are in demand in those organizations where material management is required. Storekeepers, also known as watchdogs, are the in charge of the store department and are expected to perform various warehousing duties of receiving, arranging and issuance of goods. They are not only accountable for receiving and issuing of goods but sometimes they also have to act as a inspector, supervisor and manager to ensure that there is proper handling/stacking of goods, inspection of stocks, warehouse maintenance and cleaning, wastage disposal and proper documentation and record-keeping. Store administrator is the one, who efficiently look/supervises after all the things at the store from inspecting stocks to warehouse cleaning and maintenance.

Candidates looking for such kind of role must have sound knowledge of policies and procedures related to receipt, storage and issuance of materials, good communication skills, physically strong etc. Computer literacy would be an added advantage. Material Management Jobs plays a critical role in an organization because production of goods is primarily dependent on the availability of materials. A Material Manager has to identify the vendors for materials, supplies and equipments well in time, maintain records of goods ordered and received, identify quality goods at the lowest possible price etc. An aspiring candidate in this field should have adequate knowledge of the market to identify the suitable vendors, must have good communication skills for getting better deals, and must be well versed with the computer skills as they are expected to work on the inventory database.

Likewise storekeeper jobs, Warehouse Management Jobs also plays an important role in a production oriented organization. A warehouse manager has to plan, organize and control overall operations of the warehouse, setup layout and space management, manage stock control, plans out for development of staff through trainings etc. These jobs require individuals, who have the ability to work effectively without much supervision and communicate effectively. These individuals must also possess good health and physical stamina to handle the daily warehousing activities.

Resource Management jobs play an integral role in every organization because every organization hire resources/employees who work for them and for managing them resource management jobs comes into picture. They are the link between the management and employees who help resolving work related problems, administers benefits and performance management systems, analyze and modify compensation and benefit policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements etc.

Store keepers are not only the caretakers but they are also the supporters who have the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships to ensure smooth running of the business. Surely storekeeper jobs have become an indispensable part of work culture in any organization.…

Manifest Your Desire – How to Control and Direct Your Emotions to Manifest Your Desire

Your emotions fuel your desire. But how exactly do you control and direct your emotions to manifest your desire?

It takes practice but there’s a simple way to do this and anybody can use it regardless of your educational background, status or connections or lack of connections.

Just like riding a bicycle, if at first you don’t succeed try, try again. You wouldn’t give up and say, “Oh, I’d never learn to ride this bicycle.” But you’d keep practicing until you’ve acquired the skill to ride with confidence.

Your ‘why’, which is your reason for your desire – money, relationship, weight loss, baby, career – fuels your desire. Knowing why you want the money, the relationship, to lose weight, to have a baby or your career all have an emotional attachment to them. Identifying the emotional connection within you is the first step to adding fuel to your desire. E.g. I want to have $10,000.00 because I long to take my family on our dream vacation.

Without your emotions, your desire has no life by itself. Your emotions connect with the desire and fuel it. For example, money is like a log, without the fuel, you have no fire.

Similarly, your emotional connection is the fuel that burns the log of your desire – hence the term burning desire. In order to manifest your desire you need to keep the fire of your desire burning.

Your burning desire gains strength by fuelling it with your emotions. Your emotions are infinite, like love, you can make more.

Step by step process

Emotions

To bring your desire to life, look into your feeling place – the seat of your emotions – feel the feelings of already having it – money, health, ideal weight, relationship, happiness. What would it feel like if you already had what you wanted? Example, if you were at your ideal weight, what would you wear? How would you feel wearing that special dress or suit? What would it feel like having so much energy to do the things you want to do? Allow yourself to feel the longing of experiencing your dream. Once you begin to feel those feelings, you’re adding energy and life to your desire.

Visualization

As you feel the feelings of having your desire, add visualization. See yourself at the ideal weight. If it’s money, see yourself going with your family on that dream vacation. Add vivid imagery and colours – at the sandy beach enjoying the warm breeze as it gently brushes over your face and the feeling of the grains of sand underneath your feet. Already getting the picture?

Belief

Your belief or faith is the acceptance that you can and will manifest your desire. So when you affirm your strong belief, you are settling within yourself and connecting with the universe, Divine Intelligence, that you know and expect your desire to manifest.

Express gratitude

Gratitude puts you …

Fuel Cell Car Kits Do Make a Difference

By now I am sure everyone has heard the so called fuel cell car kits. That promise you to be able to run your car on nothing but water. Although this technology does allow you to power your car with water. It is not possible to power your car on nothing but water. Well this is not entirely possible quite yet. What a hydrogen fuel cell car kit does is allow you to be able to run your car on a hydrogen/fossil fuel mix. With the push to go green it is now available to the public to be able to produce this hydrogen hybrid vehicle. How it works is a hydrogen fuel cell car kit uses electrolysis to break down the components of water. As we all know from grade school those components consist of both hydrogen and oxygen. Even as hard as this may sound we have all done this as well back in grade school. So don’t worry I promise it is an easy process.

Even though there are many hydrogen gas stations currently being built. You simple can not go up to one in your area and start pumping hydrogen in with your gas. That would be calling for major engine damage being done to your car. There is a simple modification process that needs to be done. Which does not require any technical knowledge. Since this technology was released to the public there have been many enthusiast building these hydrogen fuel cell car kits. Many of which can be found right here on the Internet like the gas4free kit, simple water fuel kit, and the run auto with water kit. Each of these kits has there own strong points and weak points. By purchasing any one of these kits you will be able to use hydrogen as an added fuel source to help get better gas mileage, increase performance, lower emissions, and best of all get a nice big tax break of $2000 on this years taxes.

A large number of people have already placed a hydrogen fuel cell car kit on there current vehicles and are saving hundreds per week on gas with the current high gas prices. I have personally placed the gas4free fuel cell car kit on my 2007 Toyota Tacoma, and I am extremely satisfied. I am getting a fuel increase of about 63% and saving around $110 per week on gas. Results do very your increase could be more or less depending on the vehicle you will be placing one of these fuel cell car kits on. With my results I would highly recommend to every one to pick up there own fuel cell car kit. To start saving money on gas…

Fuel Cell Car Kits Do Make a Difference

By now I am sure everyone has heard the so called fuel cell car kits. That promise you to be able to run your car on nothing but water. Although this technology does allow you to power your car with water. It is not possible to power your car on nothing but water. Well this is not entirely possible quite yet. What a hydrogen fuel cell car kit does is allow you to be able to run your car on a hydrogen/fossil fuel mix. With the push to go green it is now available to the public to be able to produce this hydrogen hybrid vehicle. How it works is a hydrogen fuel cell car kit uses electrolysis to break down the components of water. As we all know from grade school those components consist of both hydrogen and oxygen. Even as hard as this may sound we have all done this as well back in grade school. So don’t worry I promise it is an easy process.

Even though there are many hydrogen gas stations currently being built. You simple can not go up to one in your area and start pumping hydrogen in with your gas. That would be calling for major engine damage being done to your car. There is a simple modification process that needs to be done. Which does not require any technical knowledge. Since this technology was released to the public there have been many enthusiast building these hydrogen fuel cell car kits. Many of which can be found right here on the Internet like the gas4free kit, simple water fuel kit, and the run auto with water kit. Each of these kits has there own strong points and weak points. By purchasing any one of these kits you will be able to use hydrogen as an added fuel source to help get better gas mileage, increase performance, lower emissions, and best of all get a nice big tax break of $2000 on this years taxes.

A large number of people have already placed a hydrogen fuel cell car kit on there current vehicles and are saving hundreds per week on gas with the current high gas prices. I have personally placed the gas4free fuel cell car kit on my 2007 Toyota Tacoma, and I am extremely satisfied. I am getting a fuel increase of about 63% and saving around $110 per week on gas. Results do very your increase could be more or less depending on the vehicle you will be placing one of these fuel cell car kits on. With my results I would highly recommend to every one to pick up there own fuel cell car kit. To start saving money on gas…

Car Won’t Start – Your Car Battery is More Important Than Ever!

The modern car is changing and the aim of this article is to, hopefully,A� inform you of some of the new changes which are being introduced into the cars we buy and drive.

Everyday, every week, every year new regulations mean that cars are controlled in different ways. The main purpose of these controls is to make them more fuel efficient and less air polluting.

The internal combustion engine (ICE) is dirty and inefficient. “Even when aided with turbochargers and stock efficiency aids, most engines retain an average efficiency of about 18%-20%” so says Wikipedia. And, in spite of considerable improvements, the Internal Combustion Engine is still a major emitter of CO2 and other ‘volatile organic compounds’. Unless your car is electrically powered it will have an internal combustion engine, either petrol or diesel powered.

So why is your car battery more important than ever? We will come to that shortly. First a quick recap on my earlier articlesA� dealing with common rail high pressure diesel and fuel particulate filters. Common rail diesel basically resultingA� in lower emissions and better fuel efficiency thanks to more complete atomization of the fuel. Petrol engines are following the diesel lead and becoming high pressure systems. The introduction ofA� dieselA� particulate filters on all diesel cars should result in less particulate matter floating around in the atmosphere.

On now to the importance of the car battery. ‘Stop-start engines and energy regenerating brakes all rely heavily on the battery’ And Stop-start Technology will be a part of most of the carsA� (70%)A� manufactured in Europe by 2015.A� The Stop-start mechanism reduces fuel consumption by turning off the engine whenever the vehicle comes to a standstill whether at red lights or in a traffic jam and it will significantly improve fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions.

So what ofA� the humble car battery?A� – boring or what!A� So annoying whenever just oneA� cellA� ‘dies’A� and the whole batteryA� has to be replaced; often at considerable expense.A� Prices of batteries varying depending upon the price of lead! – the major component in their manufacture.

Changes are in the air. A revolution inA� battery manufacture is under way. There is no turning back. Because of new legislation (European directives on emissions),A� environmental concerns (health and air quality etc) and innovations from Vehicle manufacturers batteries have got to be so much more powerful.A� The old style of battery was beginning to buckle under the strain of powering so many on board extras in today’s cars. Most of the technology experts point to the ‘Absorbed Glass Mat’ technology as the key to greater power.A� ‘AGM batteries have been around for some time in the motorcycle world.A� Now they look set to make a big impact in the automotive sector’A� says an industry expert.A� We hope there will be other technology innovations. Watch out for lithium technology.

And what about the cost?A� Yes you’ve guessed it they’re not going …

5 Smart Gas Mileage Tips

Most drivers want to save on gas, a fact that becomes more apparent when fuel prices begin to surge. We haven’t seen gas above $4 per gallon since 2008, but higher gas prices will likely return as the global economy recovers and international demand surges.

Five Tips

Let’s take a look at some surefire ways you can contain your gas (or diesel) costs:

1. Combine trips – One of the simplest ways to save on gas is to change your driving behavior. Besides cutting out jackrabbit starts and traveling at high speeds, you can save money by taking your car out less often. Make multiple stops on one trip instead of making separate trips for each destination, a proven fuel saving measure. For example, start your Saturday by taking your goods to recycling, stopping at the cleaners and picking up groceries before returning home.

2. Keep it maintained – Change your oil and oil filter at regular intervals, replace the air filter and swap out plugs and points per your owners’ maintenance schedule. Keep your tires properly inflated and rotate them periodically to extend their life.

3. Use lower gears – Today’s six-speed transmissions provide improved highway fuel performance. If you are planning a long trip, then drop down to your lower gear as soon as possible to enjoy fuel savings. Keep your speed down as gas mileage begins to drop sharply at speeds above 60 miles per hour.

4. Choose your octane – Use the octane level recommended for your car. Most vehicles run on regular gasoline while others require premium fuel. Premium fuel in a car requiring regular gasoline is a waste of money. On the other hand, using regular fuel when premium is required may void your warranty.

5. Consider your next purchase – If you’re planning to buy a new car, visit to compare Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy ratings. The EPA shares estimated mileage for city, highway and combined driving, providing separate data for each engine and transmission combination. Most midsize sedans offer robust four-cylinder engines, making a V-6 purchase more expensive and fuel thirsty.

Auto Insurance

Lastly, before making any new car purchase, contact your auto insurer to find out what your insurance premium will be. You may be able to save a bundle by purchasing a fuel efficient compact, but your insurance costs could eat up the difference. Visit and to discover the crash testing ratings for these cars. The higher the ratings, the lower your insurance costs will be.…

Top 5 Tips For Saving Fuel

Not only if you drive a hybrid car with two seats or a 3-ton SUV, you ‘ll probably try to go through a great distance as you can with each liter of fuel. These 5 tips will ensure to help your fuel savings over the years and can help improve your fuel economy and saving money. These tips will help only very little consumption per kilometer – but if you use some advice from one location, fuel consumption will decrease dramatically.

1) The air filter

A clean air filter is the key to success for fuel saving. A dirty air filter restricts the airflow into the engine, which harms your motor by increasing the fuel consume. Air filters are easily checked and changed, by removing the filter and hold it towards light. If you see the light through it, you need a new one. Consider a permanent filter that can not be cleaned and changed, plus they are harmless for the nature.

2) Check your tire pressure

The inflated tires are the most ignored cause of high fuel consumption. Buy a camera to check the tire pressure, check your tires when they are cold (driving the car heats up tires and air within them, increasing the pressure) and keep them inflated properly. Use constraints presented in the manual car.

3) Reduce speed

As speed increases, fuel consumption increases too. Try respect the speed limit for several days. You save more fuel and your roads will take about as much.

4) Drive like truckers

Have you noticed how in traffic jams, cars tend to speed up and slow speed constantly, while trucks tend to go casual at the same speed? A constant speed keeps the number of shifts at a minimum – important for those with manual – but also help save fuel, because it takes more fuel to make a vehicle moving than to keep it moving.

5) Accelerate carefully

Turn on the squeak of wheels is obviously a high fuel consumption – but that does not mean you have to go crawling at each stop. If you drive a car with automatic transmission, accelerate moderately so the transmissions go faster. If you drive a car with manual transmission, you should do early shifts, but not drowned the engine. Look at the way in time to see if there are possible reasons for a decrease in speed. If you will quickly accelerate and then brake, you will consume more fuel.…

Top 5 Tips For Saving Fuel

Not only if you drive a hybrid car with two seats or a 3-ton SUV, you ‘ll probably try to go through a great distance as you can with each liter of fuel. These 5 tips will ensure to help your fuel savings over the years and can help improve your fuel economy and saving money. These tips will help only very little consumption per kilometer – but if you use some advice from one location, fuel consumption will decrease dramatically.

1) The air filter

A clean air filter is the key to success for fuel saving. A dirty air filter restricts the airflow into the engine, which harms your motor by increasing the fuel consume. Air filters are easily checked and changed, by removing the filter and hold it towards light. If you see the light through it, you need a new one. Consider a permanent filter that can not be cleaned and changed, plus they are harmless for the nature.

2) Check your tire pressure

The inflated tires are the most ignored cause of high fuel consumption. Buy a camera to check the tire pressure, check your tires when they are cold (driving the car heats up tires and air within them, increasing the pressure) and keep them inflated properly. Use constraints presented in the manual car.

3) Reduce speed

As speed increases, fuel consumption increases too. Try respect the speed limit for several days. You save more fuel and your roads will take about as much.

4) Drive like truckers

Have you noticed how in traffic jams, cars tend to speed up and slow speed constantly, while trucks tend to go casual at the same speed? A constant speed keeps the number of shifts at a minimum – important for those with manual – but also help save fuel, because it takes more fuel to make a vehicle moving than to keep it moving.

5) Accelerate carefully

Turn on the squeak of wheels is obviously a high fuel consumption – but that does not mean you have to go crawling at each stop. If you drive a car with automatic transmission, accelerate moderately so the transmissions go faster. If you drive a car with manual transmission, you should do early shifts, but not drowned the engine. Look at the way in time to see if there are possible reasons for a decrease in speed. If you will quickly accelerate and then brake, you will consume more fuel.…

Warehouse Management Software To Make Inventory Easier

Many companies are looking for a better way to increase their ROI. The best way to do this is to increase productivity. Analyzing the operations of a company especially in warehouse and distribution section is the first way to do this. In many cases the warehouse management software will make the difference.

The most popular reason to implement a new system is labor savings, inventory savings and accuracy as well as meeting the customers requirements. With so many businesses looking to reduce the amount of people they have to deal with just to order one product, this product allows the order to be processed faster.

It allows a significant increase in labor productivity. It also improves accuracy when the inventory is pulled and shipped. Virtually eliminating any shipping errors the warehouse may encounter. Your business will enhance the ability to ship the customer orders on time. Inventory count will always be accurate, eliminating recounts of the inventory.

Most software programs have the ability to track the shipment. The program will optimize and direct stock put away and it is based on a real time related to bin utilization. Your company will have to rely on an employee to rely on their memory for what is in stock.

These packages use Auto ID, bar code scanners, data capture, wireless LAN, mobile computers, and RFID and this is just to monitor the inventory. Your inventory amount will never be off and the customer’s will always receive the product they ordered. Since inventory is money, it is important to keep count of every item in the warehouse. The other crucial item is making sure you have the items that are being ordered. If you do not know, what is there then the customers may have to wait for their order or cancel and order from someone else.

You and your customers will like the way it increases the amount of orders you can fill per hour. Increase revenue and keeping employees on the floor working. You can use this product to label your merchandise when it comes in.

As the merchandise is brought off the trucks it can be scanned, labeled, and put away in an efficient manner. The merchandise can also be weighed so when it is pulled you will send the right employee to remove the product. On the other hand, if need be a forklift to get the item. This package will increase the work coming out of the warehouse.

Many companies can take in all the orders they want but actually delivering those goods is another thing. People want their product delivered in a timely manner without any mistakes. To do this correctly warehouse software is needed. This type of software has become very popular; in fact, most high volume warehouses do not work without management software.

You can purchase this package online, direct from a vendor or use an online server where the software already exists. These companies have already discovered …

Cost of Forced Air Heating System

Anyone who’s ever lived in areas with cold temperature understands the value and cost of a forced air heating system. Some of these systems are run by propane, heating fuel or natural gas. With our focus on keeping tight budgets and fewer expenses for unnecessary spending, we want to make sure that we are able to choose the device that will help us maximize the value of our money. Let’s take a closer look at these costs to determine what would be best for us.

When talking about the cost of a forced air heating, it is also important to note that it will depend on your home’s location and where you intend to place the system. The cost will depend on how accessible it will be to install. It is best to set up a forced air heating system when the house is undergoing a renovation or is being remodeled. This is going to be a lot less pricey because you can help plan the system’s exact location versus having to repair and take down the walls just to be able to install ducts.

There are three main parts to a forced air heating system. The heat source, the ductwork or circulatory system and the thermostat. While some will tell you that a powerful heating system would be ideal, you should know that the unit should only fit the capacity and size of your home.

How should you go about the cost of a forced air heating system? If you are going to install an entire system from scratch, including the ductwork, it may cost you about $10,000 to $14,000. It can be dependent on your location as well as the complexity of the installation. There are also mid efficiency units (ranging from 73 to 83 percent) that can cost less than ones with high efficiency (ranging from 90 to 97 percent). Installing a mid-efficiency forced air heating can cost about $5,000 to $8,000, and if you opt to use the high efficiency devices, expect to pay as much as $6,000 to $10,000 a unit. Others will also have some additional charges such as a fire inspection from your local municipality, removing an oil fuel tank or adding an air cleaner to the system. This can cost as much as $800, so make sure that you are able to choose the one with the highest quality.

If you’re shopping for forced air heating system, it would be good for you to check on the most popular brands in the industry. Brands like Armstrong Air, Carrier, Trane, Thermo Pride and Bryant all manufacture these air heating systems so you can choose the one that’s best for you. Most of them will also provide you tips for being able to choose the best forced air heating system in your home.

While there are several different methods for home heating systems, the advantage of having forced air would be the ability to filter, humidify and dehumidify. …

Cost of Forced Air Heating System

Anyone who’s ever lived in areas with cold temperature understands the value and cost of a forced air heating system. Some of these systems are run by propane, heating fuel or natural gas. With our focus on keeping tight budgets and fewer expenses for unnecessary spending, we want to make sure that we are able to choose the device that will help us maximize the value of our money. Let’s take a closer look at these costs to determine what would be best for us.

When talking about the cost of a forced air heating, it is also important to note that it will depend on your home’s location and where you intend to place the system. The cost will depend on how accessible it will be to install. It is best to set up a forced air heating system when the house is undergoing a renovation or is being remodeled. This is going to be a lot less pricey because you can help plan the system’s exact location versus having to repair and take down the walls just to be able to install ducts.

There are three main parts to a forced air heating system. The heat source, the ductwork or circulatory system and the thermostat. While some will tell you that a powerful heating system would be ideal, you should know that the unit should only fit the capacity and size of your home.

How should you go about the cost of a forced air heating system? If you are going to install an entire system from scratch, including the ductwork, it may cost you about $10,000 to $14,000. It can be dependent on your location as well as the complexity of the installation. There are also mid efficiency units (ranging from 73 to 83 percent) that can cost less than ones with high efficiency (ranging from 90 to 97 percent). Installing a mid-efficiency forced air heating can cost about $5,000 to $8,000, and if you opt to use the high efficiency devices, expect to pay as much as $6,000 to $10,000 a unit. Others will also have some additional charges such as a fire inspection from your local municipality, removing an oil fuel tank or adding an air cleaner to the system. This can cost as much as $800, so make sure that you are able to choose the one with the highest quality.

If you’re shopping for forced air heating system, it would be good for you to check on the most popular brands in the industry. Brands like Armstrong Air, Carrier, Trane, Thermo Pride and Bryant all manufacture these air heating systems so you can choose the one that’s best for you. Most of them will also provide you tips for being able to choose the best forced air heating system in your home.

While there are several different methods for home heating systems, the advantage of having forced air would be the ability to filter, humidify and dehumidify. …

Hustle Your Way Forward – Use Fire As Fuel

Fire can be very destructive but it also can be focused and directed to create significant energy for other things.  This is NOT only true about fire in the form flames but also in the form of internal human energy.

The positive form of internal human energy is created when you rub two elements together and add a third just like fire in the form of flames.  However, in the case of internal human energy those elements are belief, commitment, and the growth mindset instead of sticks and other tinder.

Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.

 — Mary Kay Ash

The element of belief must come first.  While commitment and the growth mindset are necessary, belief is foundational.  There will be bends in the road on any path to success and you may hear the word “no” many times.  In fact, the most significant progress and success will likely come after you come face to face with “no” in some way, shape, or form.  An unwavering belief in your dream or goal is absolutely critical to turn friction into smoke and smoke into flames!

Commitment must be added to belief to create smoke.  You can believe that something is possible and still not get directly involved in making it happen.  You might be an optimist or a visionary but you will not experience the fruits of a positive belief if you are not absolutely committed to making it happen.  Sticks alone will not create flames without effort, focus and some sweat.  You must be committed to contributing each in order to produce fire as fuel to a grander life.  As Napoleon Hill wrote, ‘there is nothing, right or wrong, which belief, plus burning desire, can not make real.”  Burning desire will help make sure you don’t quit just before the miracle happens!

“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”

— Michael Jordan

The final element needed to fuel your dream is a growth mindset.  Stanford University Professor, Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., has spent thirty years researching social and developmental psychology and examining the self-conceptions people use to structure the self and guide their behavior.  In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, she shares what she has learned over the thirty years as it relates to sports, business, relationships, and children.

There is a significant and profound difference in people that pursue life and their endeavors from a growth versus fixed mindset.  Dr. Dweck found that:

Those with the growth mindset found success in doing their best in both learning and improving.

Those with the growth mindset found setbacks motivating (in the end).  These setbacks were informative and were a wake-up call.

People with the growth mindset in sports took charge of the processes …

Hustle Your Way Forward – Use Fire As Fuel

Fire can be very destructive but it also can be focused and directed to create significant energy for other things.  This is NOT only true about fire in the form flames but also in the form of internal human energy.

The positive form of internal human energy is created when you rub two elements together and add a third just like fire in the form of flames.  However, in the case of internal human energy those elements are belief, commitment, and the growth mindset instead of sticks and other tinder.

Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.

 — Mary Kay Ash

The element of belief must come first.  While commitment and the growth mindset are necessary, belief is foundational.  There will be bends in the road on any path to success and you may hear the word “no” many times.  In fact, the most significant progress and success will likely come after you come face to face with “no” in some way, shape, or form.  An unwavering belief in your dream or goal is absolutely critical to turn friction into smoke and smoke into flames!

Commitment must be added to belief to create smoke.  You can believe that something is possible and still not get directly involved in making it happen.  You might be an optimist or a visionary but you will not experience the fruits of a positive belief if you are not absolutely committed to making it happen.  Sticks alone will not create flames without effort, focus and some sweat.  You must be committed to contributing each in order to produce fire as fuel to a grander life.  As Napoleon Hill wrote, ‘there is nothing, right or wrong, which belief, plus burning desire, can not make real.”  Burning desire will help make sure you don’t quit just before the miracle happens!

“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”

— Michael Jordan

The final element needed to fuel your dream is a growth mindset.  Stanford University Professor, Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., has spent thirty years researching social and developmental psychology and examining the self-conceptions people use to structure the self and guide their behavior.  In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, she shares what she has learned over the thirty years as it relates to sports, business, relationships, and children.

There is a significant and profound difference in people that pursue life and their endeavors from a growth versus fixed mindset.  Dr. Dweck found that:

Those with the growth mindset found success in doing their best in both learning and improving.

Those with the growth mindset found setbacks motivating (in the end).  These setbacks were informative and were a wake-up call.

People with the growth mindset in sports took charge of the processes …

Keeping Things Where They Should Be: Warehouse Management Solutions

Storage can plainly mean storing things for future use. Simple as it seems, storing something can be easy when people pertain to grocery items or leftover food. However, it is different when office supplies or numerous resources are concerned. Given the hectic and fast-paced industry that businesses run into, it’s no surprise that mobility and flexibility of storage management is crucial to meet such demand. Manually counting or locating supplies is not as easy as counting all stocks in a given time and space. What it needs is efficient warehouse management software that allows owners to get their storage management system in top shape.

Storing operations call for skilled labor in which people or machines are capable enough to do their job from dock retrieval down to the storage area. Monitoring such process also needs to be recorded at least through management of particular computer software. This remains true for accuracy when it comes to information gathered.

Having an updated file can accurately assess if there are available items on the storage area or if the items were delivered. Hence, monitoring of big bulks and high volume of packages through warehouse management system software is highly recommended. Having a particular software also decreases the demand for manual labor, lessening the chances of human error in recording. Above all, having to trust a particular method in organizing all materials with proper accurate labels and positions is doing quality service for clients.

With precision and accuracy, an item can be expected to be delivered at the right time to the right place. If not, they can always be detected in systems where they are recorded. In this sense, the hunting game for storage employees looking for that particular item will not be as tedious at it seems. If a particular item is not found, then it remains to be hidden in the file system until found.

Because storing or delivering equipment cannot be avoided in the business world, efficiency must be taken into consideration. This holds true when warehouse managers take pride in their ability to cope with the stress and pressures of warehouse management. It all starts when items to be stored or shipped are precisely recorded in the system software. In this manner, all details, no matter how small, can be adequately accounted for. Ideally, there are warehouse management software services available in the market. Considering all these, choosing the best one for a company is a good investment.…

What Are the Benefits of Corn Stoves?

The info about the corn stoves delivered here will serve one of two matters: either they will reinforce what you recognize about these stoves or it will teach you something fresh about corn stoves. Both are beneficial results in the field of all types of stoves.

Corn Stoves

Corn stoves (also advertised as Stoves and Fireplaces), are a domestic heater or a modest commercial heater that utilizes local inexhaustible whole kernel husked corn pellet, wood pellet or several biomass as fuel. Localized inexhaustible whole kernel husked corn pellet is provided through 2 million localized farmers in the U.S.A., or globally, in maize developing regions. Decently set up stoves may cut back household heating prices by up to 80%.Corn stoves may incinerate biomass fuel of any type that the auger will feed such wood pellet, soybeans, cherry seeds, orange seeds, or sorted wood chips. In the case of a misfunction, Corn while a fuel will auto- extinguish in fewer than sixty seconds. Different biomass fuel similar to wood will proceed to incinerate until all the fuel is expired. A modest quantity of biomass or wood pellet cooking stoves will incinerate corn or a pellet blend.

Corn stoves sporadically or endlessly agitate and/or stir the pellet/fuel during combustion. The requirement to agitate to maintain combustion is a safety benefit specific to corn fuel. Other solidified, fluid or natural gas fuel does not involve agitation to sustain combustion. Wood pellet stoves or a corn stoves filled up with wood pellet as a fuel could burn the home down if the hopper full of non-corn fuel catches on fire. Shelled corn stashed away in a container or the stoves hopper is totally risk-free from combustion. Corn must be endlessly stirred or sporadically agitated to expel and burn the 34% hydrogen held within the kernel. A pellet stove doesn’t stir the fuel as needed for corn combustion. Numerous stoves will incinerate solid biomass fuel like whole kernel shelled corn pellet, biomass pellet fuel, wood pellet, forage, or rubbish. Some corn stoves can incinerate 100% shelled corn, or varieties of wood pellet, cherry pits, soy beans, orange seeds, lemon seeds, grape seeds, rice, or sorted ground corn cobs. A corn stove will incinerate solid fuel that involves continual stirring or stable vibration to endorse combustion. When the stirring or vibration of the burning fuel has passed, a corn flame will auto- extinguish within moments. Locally inexhaustible shelled corn is risk-free, clean, environmentally favorable, non-volatile, non-explosive. Corn as a fuel creates zero smoke (zero opacity) and very little (0.00x MMBTU)CO2. Corn burning can equal 98.6% efficiency, expelling just 5 to 10 gallons of solid effluent or ash per dwelling annum. Specific to corn and additional biomass stoves comprises the ability to safely preheat both the combustion air and fuel by safely stashing away the corn within. Corn stoves may apply the preheated internal room air for combustion air. Corn combustion waste run through a filtrated room air heat exchanger before …

Warehousing Management Software And Understanding How Your Business Will Improve Using This Program

In order for you to understand why you might need warehousing management software first you have to make an effort to understand what type of business is best suited for using this particular software.

Understanding what type of businesses warehousing management software would best suit would help you understand if it is a wise investment for your business.

Now if you go on the Internet you are going to find several different types of software available. Odds are your business has various needs that would be suited to specific software with specific capabilities.

What you want to find is a solution that is going to be ideal for where your business is currently. This software is best suited for those who own small to midsize warehouses.

These types of businesses are not that large, but their overall process may still be very complex and difficult to execute. This software will give them a simple to use and easy to deploy solution. This will allow a business to greatly enhance the overall efficiency in which they are able to run their warehouse distribution operations.

There are various types of warehousing management software available because every business owner that operates a warehouse is going to be looking for a different solution.

There are some business owners that will want to have a very simple out-of-the-box software that they will have no problems customizing to specific needs and problems.

Then you have those businesses that will want software that is not going to be too expensive. Luckily for them there are options available. Most of the best software comes with subscription options that allows you to minimize upfront costs so you can be up and running in no time. There are also a long-term options available.

There are many areas that this software will give a business a decided advantage but there are going to be two main areas that will need to be focused on the most.

The two areas are efficiency and productivity, which are very pivotal when it comes to success in warehouse management. These two areas need to be given the most time and the most attention.

Having the right warehousing management software at your disposal will allow you to put in place an effective warehouse management system that will be affordable and easy to maintain. This is going to give you the ability to optimize your house operations as well as your overall supply chain.

How to know if you are choosing the right software for your business because you cannot simply go out and select any type of warehousing management software for your business.

You have to be very diligent when it comes to making a choice. You need to make it your goal to understand all the needs of your warehouse because if you don’t no one else will.

You also need to make sure you understand the benefits of integrating any warehouse …

Controlling Your Trailer With a Wind Deflector

Towing a trailer can be quite an experience especially if you’ve never tried it before. One of the first things you’ll notice is that the vehicle you’re driving doesn’t handle so well. Second, is that your fuel consumption has jumped dramatically and thirdly the one I find scariest is how much even the slightest bit of wind will throw the trailer around.

For some people, it’s just a matter of getting used to it and it’s accepted as part of towing a trailer. For others it can be quite scary and they look for ways in which to avoid these things happening. The easiest way is to buy a wind deflector.

It’s got to make sense you must have noticed the big trucks on the highways they all have deflectors of some sort fitted to them diverting the wind over and around their trailers. So why should it be any different for you? What you are pulling may be smaller but the dynamics don’t change whether it’s a horse box or a utility trailer.

Wind deflectors can be purchased from a number of different companies. Just check out the Internet. They go by a few different names; air deflectors, wind ramps and so on. There are two different types of deflectors on the market today one called the roof mounted and the other known as a stake pocket mounted version.

Those that are attached to a headache rack which is then slid into place on the stake pockets on a pick up truck have some disadvantages that go with them. They can only be used with a truck which then excludes SUV, van and car owners. Also, the tubes can flex when there are variations in the wind directions. This can cause the paint on your truck to get that spider web effect. The next is a bit scary; some types of this deflector have been known to hit the trailers. Lastly, because of the headache rack, these tend to be quite large which will add to shipping costs and the original cost and because they are on the large side they are more difficult to take off and store.

Wind deflectors are fitted in two different ways: the bolt on type which means drilling holes in the roof of your vehicle in order to secure them, the second type are secured by suction cup feet which protect the roof, nylon straps and plastic coated hooks that are placed between the door and roof. These types are great because there is no damage to the vehicle and they are easy to take down when you want to store them.

Even the smallest of vehicles towing a trailer will benefit from this type of deflector with the trailer being taller than the vehicle you get wind drag which increases your fuel consumption.

This type of wind deflector comes ready assembled for quick and easy fitting to virtually any type of vehicle the installation pack …

Cloud Computing Has Made Software As A Service Affordable

Warehouse managers are under constant pressure to reduce costs without compromising service quality. Technology such as automation, robotics and software has contributed to the evolution of warehouses with the promise of greater efficiency and effectiveness. However, the huge diversity of warehouse operations globally has made the effective use of technology a challenge. Managers understand warehouse operations are about trade-offs such as cost versus service, speed versus accuracy, efficiency versus responsiveness, or volume purchase versus storage cost and availability. Several processes within the warehouse provide opportunities for reducing costs by using advanced techniques and technology.

A real-time warehouse management system (WMS) is a must for staying competitive. These systems may be stand alone or part of an enterprise resource planning systems and modern WMS’s support advances in technology such as automation, RFID and voice recognition. Real-time systems allow effective control, accurate verification and efficient registration of data. Gwynne Richards, the author of ‘Warehouse Management,’ says that WMS’s provide advantages including accurate stock, accurate reporting, automatic replenishments, stock visibility and traceability, remote data visibility, reduction in mispicks, reduction in returns, and better customer service. Jeroen Van Den Berg, the author of ‘Integral Warehouse Management,’ says that flexibility is one great advantage that outweighs all other advantages. For example, it is relatively easy to reconfigure the parameters should the business demand process redesign from time to time.

Cloud computing has made software as a service (SaaS) affordable for even those with the smallest budgets. Companies can rent Warehouse Management Systems on a monthly basis subscribing only the functionality they need. The choice of WMS should be based on key business requirements – important considerations such as improved stock accuracy, the potential for increased productivity and cost savings, improved traceability, and improved customer and client service. The decision to purchase or rent should also include the return on investment.

A good Warehouse Management System software allows easy control of activities such as put-away, order-picking, replenishing or other value added functions. The system makes use of barcode and wireless technology to capture relevant data on shipments, inventory, and the warehouse itself to automate functions in the warehouse. It should also have radio connection with radio frequency (RF) terminals to display commands, and operators can respond by typing a response or scanning a barcode. Another great option would be that it assigns tasks to organize warehouse operations – keeps track of goods to be shipped or tracked and reminds managers or automated systems to execute them. It should also enable real-time updates on activities in the warehouse, and minimizes errors by verifying tasks in real-time.

References:

Richards, G. (2011). Warehouse Management. U.S.A.: Kogan Page Ltd.

Van Den Berg, J. (2007). Integral Warehouse Management. The Netherlands: Management Outlook Publications.…

Cloud Computing Has Made Software As A Service Affordable

Warehouse managers are under constant pressure to reduce costs without compromising service quality. Technology such as automation, robotics and software has contributed to the evolution of warehouses with the promise of greater efficiency and effectiveness. However, the huge diversity of warehouse operations globally has made the effective use of technology a challenge. Managers understand warehouse operations are about trade-offs such as cost versus service, speed versus accuracy, efficiency versus responsiveness, or volume purchase versus storage cost and availability. Several processes within the warehouse provide opportunities for reducing costs by using advanced techniques and technology.

A real-time warehouse management system (WMS) is a must for staying competitive. These systems may be stand alone or part of an enterprise resource planning systems and modern WMS’s support advances in technology such as automation, RFID and voice recognition. Real-time systems allow effective control, accurate verification and efficient registration of data. Gwynne Richards, the author of ‘Warehouse Management,’ says that WMS’s provide advantages including accurate stock, accurate reporting, automatic replenishments, stock visibility and traceability, remote data visibility, reduction in mispicks, reduction in returns, and better customer service. Jeroen Van Den Berg, the author of ‘Integral Warehouse Management,’ says that flexibility is one great advantage that outweighs all other advantages. For example, it is relatively easy to reconfigure the parameters should the business demand process redesign from time to time.

Cloud computing has made software as a service (SaaS) affordable for even those with the smallest budgets. Companies can rent Warehouse Management Systems on a monthly basis subscribing only the functionality they need. The choice of WMS should be based on key business requirements – important considerations such as improved stock accuracy, the potential for increased productivity and cost savings, improved traceability, and improved customer and client service. The decision to purchase or rent should also include the return on investment.

A good Warehouse Management System software allows easy control of activities such as put-away, order-picking, replenishing or other value added functions. The system makes use of barcode and wireless technology to capture relevant data on shipments, inventory, and the warehouse itself to automate functions in the warehouse. It should also have radio connection with radio frequency (RF) terminals to display commands, and operators can respond by typing a response or scanning a barcode. Another great option would be that it assigns tasks to organize warehouse operations – keeps track of goods to be shipped or tracked and reminds managers or automated systems to execute them. It should also enable real-time updates on activities in the warehouse, and minimizes errors by verifying tasks in real-time.

References:

Richards, G. (2011). Warehouse Management. U.S.A.: Kogan Page Ltd.

Van Den Berg, J. (2007). Integral Warehouse Management. The Netherlands: Management Outlook Publications.…

2 Warehouse Management Tips: Pick Inventory Efficiently

Most small and medium-sized wholesalers / distributors use a straightforward approach to picking orders. It goes like this:

In the office: receive an order, enter it into the wholesale distribution software in use, print a picking slip, send picking slip to the warehouse team.

In the warehouse: pick the order, pack it for shipping. and update the actual quantities picked.

Back in the office: using the ERP Software system, print and mail the invoices.

Here are 2 tips that could lead to increased efficiency. These will not apply to all smaller warehouses, but for many these ideas if implemented appropriately will save time, improve efficiency and in the latter case, measurably save money.

Tip 1: Consolidated Picking Depending on your order volume, the complexity of individual orders, and the degree of products common to different orders, many a warehouse can save time, reduce the number of warehouse staff required, and ease the burden on the front office by using a consolidated picking approach. While there are many variations, a simple idea is to accumulate several orders over a predetermined time period, then print a consolidated picking report, and make one trip through the warehouse picking all the items for the several orders in the “batch”. When packing the orders you’ll separate them into the individual orders (the consolidated picking report and attendant inventory accounting software screens should be optimized to assist with this). I’ve seen consolidated picking (when properly implemented) not only save time and reduce headcount, but also reduce errors and even allow a company to make better use of the warehouse space, thus delaying the need to move to bigger premises.

Tip 2: Do Not Mail Invoices This one seems obvious, yet most small and medium-sized distributors seem to still mail invoices. Instead, one could print the invoice at completion of the packing process, and include it with the shipment. This will work in cases where your customers are themselves smaller companies, in which case the invoice is likely to find its way from the receiving dock to the accounting office. For larger customers, usually an email invoice in PDF format is perfectly acceptable. So email them invoices instead of printing and mailing. One customer a few years ago switched from mailing to including invoices with shipments. With several hundred invoices per month, the savings in postage alone amounts to thousands of dollars annually.

So why would you still put an invoice in an envelope, and snail-mail it?…

Warehouse Management Systems – How to Find the Best Hardware Implementation Partner

Are you considering the benefits of installing an electronic warehouse management system (WMS)? Or perhaps looking to improve your existing system?

If so, this article will provide you with valuable tips to help you choose the best consultant or systems integrator for your business.

WMS Overview

Warehouse management systems will help electronically control the movement and storage of products/materials within your warehouse. These systems leverage barcode and RFID technologies to give you much better control over warehouse processes like picking, packing and shipping.

Implementing a high quality warehouse management system will streamline your business and provide tangible benefits including more accurate inventory control, improved efficiencies, reduced labor costs and better customer service.

Finding the Best Hardware Implementation Partner

So, the time has come for you to investigate hardware implementation partner for your warehouse management system. It’s critical to find a high quality partner to work with. The overall success of your project depends on it.

So what do you need to look for? Here are 7 capabilities and services a quality partner should offer:

Complete site surveys of your entire facility to ensure optimum system and wireless coverage.

Configuration and installation of entire wireless network infrastructure.

Configuration and staging of your mobile computers and devices.

Comprehensive, hands-on training to ensure smooth implementation and minimal downtime.

On-going service and support for your mobile devices, barcode equipment and printers.

Ability to provide you with proper consumables such as labels for barcode and RFID printers.

Partner relationships with high quality software and hardware vendors.

In addition to these capabilities, you must select a partner with proven experience delivering successful warehouse management systems. You need to know your project is in capable hands. There is no substitute for experience and a proven track record.

The right WMS can help your business reduce costs and become more efficient. Follow the guidelines in this article and you’re well on your way.…

The Best Ways To Conserve Fuel

You may be wondering how you can conserve energy, and especially fuel that you use in your vehicle. Many people drive quite a long distance to work or school each day and actually use quite a lot of gas. Even sitting in traffic, your auto is usually on and using it. You may not realize that you can actually cut you r energy use down quite a bit if you are just aware of a few quite simple tips. These are not rocket science, but are just things to think about and consider if you want to save money. Saving on fuel and cutting your use can also be good for our environment. Each person is responsible as a citizen of the earth to take care of it and preserve it in a good way for future generations. Cutting your energy use is one of the ways you can do your part in this effort. And, it should save you quite a bit of money in the mean time if you really get serious about it!

The first thing you can think about when figuring out how you can save on gas is to not make speedy starts when you are stopped and start going in your car. Gradual starts can save you about half the gas you would use if you make a speedy start in your car. This is an easy thing to do such as when you are stopped at a stop sign or a stop light. When you get a green light or start moving again, move gradually and don’t jump off the line with an abrupt start. It is not a race, and you don’t have to beat the car next to you!

Another good way to conserve energy is to try to stay at a steady speed while you are driving in your car. When you slow down or speed up or stop, it cuts your fuel economy every time. If you stay alert and don’t drive when you are drowsy or tired you will do better at this one. When driving behind another vehicle, you should keep a good distance between you and the car in front of you. This should help you anticipate traffic issues and help you avoid sudden stops as well as slowdowns when the vehicle in front of you slows down or brakes.

Did you know that when you use your air conditioner it causes your fuel economy to go down? Many people have never heard of such an idea, but it is a true fact. If you don’t need the air conditioner, you can leave it off. If it is just a little bit hot or uncomfortable in your vehicle, often you can roll down the windows and let some fresh air in and a little air circulation and you don’t even need the air conditioner then. You can try this next time you feel like turning on the air conditioner.

When …

Enjoy the Benefits That Generators Provide

There are times when everyone has to deal with power outages. This experience can be very frustrating unless you own a generator. While generators are unable to power everything in the house, they provide a great source of backup power. You will never have to stumble around in the dark when the power goes outs. They are basically small engines that are able to generate electricity.

There are a variety of generator models to choose from that are made by different manufacturers. One well known and reputable manufacturer is Briggs and Stratton. A generator will either run on natural gas like propane or regular gasoline. Once you decide which option is best for your specific needs, you can start comparing prices and features on the many different models. Additionally, you will have to determine which size will generate the amount of electricity you need. The size is classified by the wattage a unit produces, with the largest generator producing approximately 13,000 watts

A generator is perfect for providing power for homes that are built in remote locations where no electricity is available. Depending on the size of the house, several units may be needed. A portable model can weigh as little as 30 pounds. This size is commonly used to provide electricity for small equipment like radios or lights. The medium sized models are great for use as back up power for small businesses or homes. Many mobile businesses like carnivals, food stands, and musical performers power their equipment with mid-sized generators. The larger models are frequently used in the construction and emergency services industries. Because the large models are generally too heavy to carry around, they usually include built in wheels.

Even though many campers head out to enjoy the great outdoors, a generator is often a welcome site in a campsite. Because they are so portable, they are easy to pack and use while camping. Of course, RVs depend on generators to power all the electrical equipment such as the refrigerator, lights, and microwave.

Whether you need a back up generator in case of emergencies or want to use one to power your whole house, you will be able to find exactly what you need. There are many generators available at a variety of price points.…

Enjoy the Benefits That Generators Provide

There are times when everyone has to deal with power outages. This experience can be very frustrating unless you own a generator. While generators are unable to power everything in the house, they provide a great source of backup power. You will never have to stumble around in the dark when the power goes outs. They are basically small engines that are able to generate electricity.

There are a variety of generator models to choose from that are made by different manufacturers. One well known and reputable manufacturer is Briggs and Stratton. A generator will either run on natural gas like propane or regular gasoline. Once you decide which option is best for your specific needs, you can start comparing prices and features on the many different models. Additionally, you will have to determine which size will generate the amount of electricity you need. The size is classified by the wattage a unit produces, with the largest generator producing approximately 13,000 watts

A generator is perfect for providing power for homes that are built in remote locations where no electricity is available. Depending on the size of the house, several units may be needed. A portable model can weigh as little as 30 pounds. This size is commonly used to provide electricity for small equipment like radios or lights. The medium sized models are great for use as back up power for small businesses or homes. Many mobile businesses like carnivals, food stands, and musical performers power their equipment with mid-sized generators. The larger models are frequently used in the construction and emergency services industries. Because the large models are generally too heavy to carry around, they usually include built in wheels.

Even though many campers head out to enjoy the great outdoors, a generator is often a welcome site in a campsite. Because they are so portable, they are easy to pack and use while camping. Of course, RVs depend on generators to power all the electrical equipment such as the refrigerator, lights, and microwave.

Whether you need a back up generator in case of emergencies or want to use one to power your whole house, you will be able to find exactly what you need. There are many generators available at a variety of price points.…

Using Multi Fuel Stoves Effectively

Multi fuel stoves are an upcoming trend and the main reason as to why people are switching over to them is the fact that the prices of gas, electricity and other forms of fuel just keeps increasing exponentially.

These stoves aren’t only used for cooking, you could even use them to heat up your entire home in the winters and that’s the reason they’re called modern fireplaces. All you need to do is switch on the stove and turn off your Air Conditioning (if it’s a dual way AC – or heater if you have one).

Multi Fuel stoves basically use wood and hence are commonly termed as wood burning stoves.

Effectively using these stoves

Using these wood burning stoves is really easy; but, if you want them to be efficient and get the most out of the wood you use, here are a few tips to help you out:

Use a fireplace insert

Very often we use our multi fuel stoves to heat up the house. But, if you place them in a fireplace, just that single room would be heated up. However, we need the entire house to be heated. In such cases it would be wise to use a fireplace insert.

Stove Size

By stove size it also indicates the amount of wood you’re going to be burning at any given point of time. If at all the walls of your home aren’t good insulators you may need to burn a lot in order to maintain a constant temperature.

Also, if you keep your windows open or if there are crevices you’re going to lose heat drastically. In such cases you may need to use a larger multi fuel stove.

What fuels to use

There are plenty of fuels that you could use for your multi fuel stove and hence it’s got that name. However, the best fuels to use are coal and wood. Coal is always preferred as it’s got a higher percentage of carbon and therefore would be able to burn completely. You could even use Peat which is also a form of coal – basically it’s coal in its initial stages.

If you opt to use wood, you need to make sure that it’s completely dry as wood tends to collect moisture really fast which decreases the overall efficiency when you burn it.

So, no matter what fuel you use, try to make sure that your home is well insulated as this would reduce the need of fuel and hence save you both time as well as money.…

Save Time and Money With A Warehouse Management System

Large industrial warehouses have been around as long as there have been roads and lorries large enough to transport the goods to and from in bulk. Managing a very large warehouse, whether it is in Europe, the British Isles, or anywhere else; is a complex task requiring a highly disciplined team and an even more organized logging system. With the rise of electronic scanning devices and computers, an entire new level of efficiency is possible. An integrated network of electronics designed to save money and time is called a warehouse management system.

The old way of doing things was to write notes by hand and compare to a master ledger. One to several employees were required just to keep track of everything. Pulling files and checking on crates by hand was doable but tedious work. With computerized bookkeeping, this alone eliminates so much sorting and bookkeeping. Filing cabinets are reduced to redundant pieces, soon to become museum antiques. The future marches on, with every device on the floor connected to a wireless local area network and then to a centralized computer.

Warehouse management systems can be built piecemeal by a skilled technician, or can be purchased as a complete package from a commercial provider. While the later option is expensive, it saves the company a lot of time and the complexity of hiring a programmer or network technician to put it all together. Software in the commercial packages ties it all together for a smooth and flowing ride. Hundreds and possibly thousands of man hours are eliminated from bookkeeping task, and this reduces costs and therefore increases the profitability of the warehouse.

The true beauty of a warehouse management system is that it automatically stores the expiration date for perishable goods and also the shipping dates for many things. It automatically alerts the supervisor when something important is due. Before, it was necessary to check everything routinely, and there was a significant chance of delivering late or missing a package. Electronic automation has reduced mishandling risk to next to nothing.

Many large corporations own their own warehouses. For them, being accurate with shipping and time management is not simply about avoiding costs and delays, but represents the larger strategy of product management. Some products are destined for a market during an important premier, such as a movie release, or are shipped out on demand, such as in a perishable commodity trade. By restocking retailers in an instant, an efficient balance between overstocking and shortage is maintained, for maximum revenue.…

Inventory Management Software Can Allow You To Adjust To Market Changes Lightening Fast

Inventory management software can allow you to have a competitive advantage in more ways than one. You have to understand that businesses are able to keep themselves afloat for several reasons.

Usually one of the reasons certain businesses are able to survive, even in tough economic times, is because they are able to foresee the future and adjust accordingly. Is your business currently set up to do this?

Do you have an inventory management system in place you are able to make adjustments to in case unexpected future changes occur? You would be surprised at how many businesses do not.

When something unexpected happens these businesses are usually devastated. Seeing as how the economy is so bad it can be very tough to come back from the loss.

In the time it would take a business to come back from such losses another competitor may be able to come in and capture that portion of the market share. It’s going to be extremely tough for that business to regain the market share they lost.

Inventory management software allows a business owner to stay on top of things by hedging their inventory in special ways. Now what exactly does it mean to hedge inventory?

Think of the future and what can possibly happen. The inventory you currently need has a set price that you have based a lot of your future projects and on. Well what if the price of certain materials or products you needed were to go up?

Are you prepared financially to deal with this? Does your business have enough liquidity in order to sustain a severe price increase and deal with issues such as inflation?

Inventory management software will enable you to keep on top of such price increases by allowing you to foresee them. Yes, bigger businesses may have purchasing agents that keep a business owner informed, but not everyone has a purchasing agent. These may be businesses that are smaller or just starting and as a result they simply do not have the money to hire a purchasing agent as of yet.

This is where inventory management software can come in and be very valuable. The overall goal would be for a business to purchase materials they need long before a severe price increase were to go into effect.

A business owner would be able to get the materials or products they need in excess of current need that is going to be significantly less than it would if a buyer were to wait until after the prices went up.

Very rarely does the price of products go down. However there is always the chance that an astute business owner can find products for a lesser price if they are aware that price increases are about to occur. Inventory management software will allow them to constantly monitor such things and spot trends such as price increases.

Assuming they are not locked into …

Inventory Management Software Can Allow You To Adjust To Market Changes Lightening Fast

Inventory management software can allow you to have a competitive advantage in more ways than one. You have to understand that businesses are able to keep themselves afloat for several reasons.

Usually one of the reasons certain businesses are able to survive, even in tough economic times, is because they are able to foresee the future and adjust accordingly. Is your business currently set up to do this?

Do you have an inventory management system in place you are able to make adjustments to in case unexpected future changes occur? You would be surprised at how many businesses do not.

When something unexpected happens these businesses are usually devastated. Seeing as how the economy is so bad it can be very tough to come back from the loss.

In the time it would take a business to come back from such losses another competitor may be able to come in and capture that portion of the market share. It’s going to be extremely tough for that business to regain the market share they lost.

Inventory management software allows a business owner to stay on top of things by hedging their inventory in special ways. Now what exactly does it mean to hedge inventory?

Think of the future and what can possibly happen. The inventory you currently need has a set price that you have based a lot of your future projects and on. Well what if the price of certain materials or products you needed were to go up?

Are you prepared financially to deal with this? Does your business have enough liquidity in order to sustain a severe price increase and deal with issues such as inflation?

Inventory management software will enable you to keep on top of such price increases by allowing you to foresee them. Yes, bigger businesses may have purchasing agents that keep a business owner informed, but not everyone has a purchasing agent. These may be businesses that are smaller or just starting and as a result they simply do not have the money to hire a purchasing agent as of yet.

This is where inventory management software can come in and be very valuable. The overall goal would be for a business to purchase materials they need long before a severe price increase were to go into effect.

A business owner would be able to get the materials or products they need in excess of current need that is going to be significantly less than it would if a buyer were to wait until after the prices went up.

Very rarely does the price of products go down. However there is always the chance that an astute business owner can find products for a lesser price if they are aware that price increases are about to occur. Inventory management software will allow them to constantly monitor such things and spot trends such as price increases.

Assuming they are not locked into …

Who Can Benefit From Diesel Fuel Treatment?

Diesel fuel is used for all kinds of industries, be it construction or transport, power generation or agriculture, drilling and exploration or refineries. Every mechanical body seems to be running with the power of petroleum. And this is one reason why Earth’s atmosphere is no longer healthy and refreshing.

Although there is no way yet to fully control the usage of gasoline or to completely eliminate its existence there are some technologies that can effectively prevent major harm. This technology is known as additives and it’s main role is to dilute petroleum. This reduces consumption rates while also improving its combustion, thus preventing dangerous emissions. If diesel fuel treatment is taken on a wide scale, the following industries may greatly benefit from it.

School Buses and other Vehicles

School buses are heavy vehicles that needs high amount of fuel and according to statistics these buses emit dangerous gases four times more than a car. The exhaust levels on school buses are 46% higher than levels deemed as threatening to human health. With the level of dangerous gases emitted by school buses, there is a very high chance for school going kids to develop cancer and other health problems. If gasoline used for these buses is treated, fuel consumption will be greatly reduced. If consumption is reduced, there will also be limited emission of dangerous gases in the air.

Agricultural Machinery

Agricultural yields have been reported to have diminished greatly due to excessive pollution. An estimated loss of nearly five hundred million has been reported in crop reproduction. In order to enhance crop production, it’s important to reduce pollution levels and that is only possible if vehicles traveling around rural areas are treated with a fuel additive.

Transportation

The transport industry uses the highest percentage of petroleum and therefore is the main cause of pollution and global warming. With millions of diesel powered vehicles running around, ions of dangerous gases are let out into the atmosphere creating global disasters. Applying diesel fuel treatment to transportation industries worldwide will drastically cut down in fuel expenditure, reducing dangerous smoke emission and lead to improved health. This is especially necessary for developing countries where pollution and gasoline induced health problems are a major issue.

Additives may not completely eliminate gas emissions but it does strive to reduce consumption rates considerably. Cutting down half the costs of consumption and improving combustion is one way we can use fossil fuels while still being able to protect planet Earth.…

Warehouse Management Systems for Cold Storage

Just-in-time inventory management systems used in distributions centers are critical for today’s production facilities and raw materials suppliers. Vendors that provide raw, perishable products need access to accurate, real-time inventory management information. This information is critical to meeting their customer’s ever changing production needs. Modern warehousing technologies are designed to track the activities performed in a distribution center and provide the detailed, real time data these vendors require.

Inventory managers that use cold storage facilities to process and fulfill orders, will look to modern warehouse management systems to provide the flexible solutions their supply chains need. The advanced Warehouse Management Systems, or WMS, provide this state of the art technology. Vendors that need to track their products through receiving, putaway, order batching and waving, picking, consolidation, staging, and loading rely on these systems which are often coupled the latest in radio frequency, or RF technology, sophisticated software, hardware and networking technology. The WMS supplies time critical data via the web, email, or other documentation available for remote desktop monitoring.

With most Warehouse Management Systems, the pallets of raw product are tracked with bar codes or RF technology as they are processed through the cold storage facility, enabling product counts to be followed in real time as orders are being filled and shipped. Frequent changes in production schedules demand that warehouse facilities have the ability to pick a multitude of products, often from numerous vendors’ inventories, and ship to one or more manufacturing or processing facility, often within only hours of the request from the production floor.

At the warehouse facility, operators use wireless, handheld bar code scanning computers to confirm receiving, picking and shipping. These computers are networked to provide data in real time via web based systems to their customer’s desktop or wireless monitoring terminal. Customers are able to access inventory, transaction histories and order status, and review reports that can be printed in Adobe format or exported to an Excel spreadsheet for further analysis.

The use of RF technology enables vendors to track the movement of their inventory through the warehouse without relying on their staff to scan each pallet with a handheld computer. Using the available software, they can time shipments to the warehouse based on orders being fulfilled by the storage facility. For a company supplying raw produce, this information can be delivered right to the fields.

The sophisticated software utilized in these systems can be customized to meet each customer’s specific inventory management needs. Available wireless web technology allows supply chains to be monitored by the customer whether they are in the office or in the field. Orders from a production facility can be sent to the field quickly, insuring the continuous flow of raw materials from vendor to customer.

As the economy begins its upswing, companies are looking for ways to spend money on improvements. Updating existing software for more convenient usage could be a first step towards more productive and efficient warehouse management…

Warehouse Management Systems: Saving Money While Improving Operations

Many mid-sized companies assume that automated warehouse management systems are a costly investment they simply can’t afford, but the actual costs of warehouse management solutions are minimal compared to the many ways they can actually help you save money and improve production over time.

Increase Production And Reduce Product Loss

Warehouse management and automated conveyor systems can operate with minimal supervision on all shifts, including weekends and holidays, with minimal increase in costs. Automation also means no time lost due to employee lateness or no-shows. With automation, the right materials are delivered to the correct areas in an economical, timely fashion, reducing loss during manufacturing production runs or high frequency shipping schedules.

Automation doesn’t just finish or pack products faster; it can also improve the quality of the finished products and minimize product and material loss due to breakage, inconsistent handling or inattention by employees.

Improve Storage Capacity And Maximize Space

Using automated conveyor systems practically guarantees you’ll have more storage space for your products before they’re shipped. Better, more efficient use of space translates into less overhead for additional storage and more efficient fulfillment scenarios for your customers.

Conveyor belt systems can be installed in a variety of configurations in order to take optimal advantage of the existing space. They can hang from the ceiling, be mounted to walls or routed around areas of maximum foot traffic to keep things moving smoothly with wasting space or interfering with key areas needed for other tasks.

Reduce Operation Costs With Conveyor Belt Systems

Businesses that use conveyor belt programs typically reduce the need for employees significantly. Automated machinery can do the work of multiple employees; in fact, for each automated task it would usually take two or three employees to perform the same task. You’ll not only need fewer employees on payroll, you’ll also save money on human resources management, employee training and administrative costs.

Improve Employee Retention And Satisfaction

Employee satisfaction is notoriously low in warehousing environments because of the potential for accidents and the monotony of many job tasks. Ergonomically designed conveyor belt solutions will increase the comfort level for your employees and reduce the incidence of injuries sustained on the job. By using automated systems, you can also diminish the need for employees to do physically demanding tasks while improving your efficiency and safety record, leading to higher employee on the job satisfaction.

More Consistent Results

The tedium and constant repetition required of workers doing specific tasks can lead to errors that cost your business hundreds or even thousands of dollars in losses every month. Where accuracy and repeatability are crucial to your success, automation can produce repeatable, quality results over and over without giving in to fatigue or boredom.

The many advantages of warehouse management and automated conveyor systems quickly outweigh the design and installation costs for all but the smallest of manufacturers and shippers. If you’ve considered installing these programs to improve efficiency, now is the time. There’s …

Demands of a Wholesale Business

Are you a man with big ambitions and want to fly high? But your job is not good enough to support your dreams then wholesale business is a good option for you. From the last decade, wholesale business turned out to be one of the most promising businesses with excellent future aspects. Wholesale business is not a complex business with a lot of complications, its very simple business which just requires high ambitions, passions and hard work.

The duty of a wholesaler is to buy cheapest products from manufacturer in huge bulk quantities then store those products in warehouse. Later, those products are sold to retailers in chunks on higher rates which are still much lower than end consumer rates, which leave huge profits for retailers.

Today’s society has totally become consumer society and production circle is getting thinner with passage of time. It ultimately increases the demand of wholesale products which in return cause wholesalers and retailers to benefit the most. Wholesale business demands very less from you, all you need to do is to have an appropriate office from which you will run all operations of your business.

To store the products you will need a warehouse in which you will keep your whole inventory and products bought from manufacturer. To run and manage warehouse obviously you will need manpower, in start only hire limited people or they will cost you more than your profits. After setting your whole set up you can move to develop a niche, your niche should always target a single line of wholesale products. After achieving your niche you can move forward to expand you business. Map out your plans before starting your full operations, plans will really help you out to resolve difficulties in future.

To successfully run your wholesale business you will need to adopt good management techniques. Every successful business runs only due to perfect managerial techniques. To devise management plans you will need to develop management skills in yourself because the business will be yours and if you will take it lightly then it will not last long and soon you will lose all money. The owner or manager is the person who leads the herd of employees and gets the most out of them. In last you will also need to adopt adequate marketing techniques to make your wholesale business known to every one.…

Guide to QuickBooks Inventory Control

Why do you need inventory control software in addition to QuickBooks to manage your business? If you perform daily inventory, tracking your inventory data could quickly become overwhelming without inventory software to track data such as items received and item location and quantity after receipt. Using warehouse or inventory management software that integrates with QuickBooks would create an accurate and efficient system for controlling the inventory aspect of a business such as a warehouse or stockroom. The need for an integrated system could be determined by how QuickBooks accounting software is utilized, inventory size and budget.

How are you currently using QuickBooks software? If you are a warehouse manager, inventory control software in addition to accounting software is recommended for managing inventory efficiently. A paper-based method of recording inventory receipts, inventory moves, serial numbers, units of measure and cycle counts would not be able to keep up with a large or ever-increasing amount of on hand inventory.

With the right warehouse management system (WMS), designed with a plug- in for QuickBooks, you could:

Close a purchase order upon receipt of a shipment

Retrieve QuickBooks sales orders & upload them into WMS software

Generate Invoices

Close a Sales order after an order is picked

What version of QuickBooks is used? Confirm that the warehouse management software you are considering is compatible with:

QuickBooks Premier

QuickBooks Enterprise

QuickBooks Premier & Enterprise Industry Specific Versions

What is the size of your inventory? Any size warehouse or stockroom will ultimately benefit from using a warehouse management system. Features such as reporting, barcode labeling, and physical counting will keep any warehouse on the right track. However, size may dictate additional features you need. A small warehouse or stockroom may not need a wireless system to manage inventory (a wireless warehouse inventory system utilizes radio frequency (RF) to automatically transmit data from a handheld to the workstation without having to dock the barcode scanner) or additional features such as sequenced pick and put away, basic cubing, replenishment, and zone picking.

What is your budget? Before deciding on a final software budget, consider the true value of an inventory or warehouse management system that is integrated with QuickBooks. Efficient inventory control is a common goal for any business. Efficiency in this area may be accomplished easily with the right tools. Warehouse management software cuts costs by preventing inventory loss or errors, and it also provides accurate data collection through the use of barcode or wireless technology. Many businesses that manage inventory on a daily basis rely on accurate record keeping in order to maintain streamlined operations. Reducing inventory waste caused by over ordering or expired stock would further reduce business costs. Through the use of WMS software integrated with QuickBooks, a business can manage everything from inventory to purchase orders to save time and cost. The many benefits of a WMS-QuickBooks integrated system enable business operations to achieve their fiscal goals.…

Get Better Fuel Economy When Driving Hills and Mountain Roads and Highways

To save gas and fuel costs, increase and improve their miles per gallon rating of fuel economy professional drivers on the road not only drive efficiently and effectively. They also take the time and effort to plan and think ahead to anticipate what is on the roadway and to how they can get there quick but yet with good driving safety and style as well as obtaining good and even better fuel economies. This is especially so when driving up hills and in mountainous roads. In this day and age, with the high and ever increasing prices for gas and diesel fill ups, almost all drivers seem to forever driving towards greater economies and cost reductions when on the road.

First of all except for the most extreme driving circumstances, don’t ever accelerate while climbing a hill. No doubt you will be using gas like its on fire to get just a very few more miles speed up. Think about if needless acceleration is wasteful on a level road imagine how poor it is when fighting gravity.

If you drive a heavy car or truck, especially one with an automatic (as opposed to a manual or standard) transmission, don’t poke your way up a hill. Gradually press the gas pedal to maintain your momentum but remember not to accelerate. Automatic transmissions tend to “lock up” and become generally more efficient at higher speeds. Hence it pays to climb a little more quickly than in the case of a manual transmission.

Next learn not to approach a hill with any more initial speed than you need to maintain momentum on your way up. Likewise do not put your foot to the floorboard in an impossible attempt to maintain speed on a very steep grade. If a hill starts to win the momentum contest, take it as a matter of course. Take your time. You cannot ultimately win against the great powers of nature and gravity.

Lastly one tip professional drivers offer is that if are driving in a small car, they allow their vehicle’s speed to drop ever so slightly as they climb rather than speed up or even keeping it constant. They keep the gas pedal steady as they go. If the vehicle has a manual transmission they accomplish the same task and end effect by downshifting if necessary. Even if the engine appears to be roaring under less load, and wasting fuel, in all actuality your power plant is actually running under a much more efficient load and load gearing factor. In both cases once you reach the crest of the hill you can gain speed and energy saving momentum on the way down. The power of gravity has now become your friend and companion.

In the end the driving pros advise that it is all about planning your trip on the road. Anticipate so that you can plan as well as react to both road conditions …

Get Better Fuel Economy When Driving Hills and Mountain Roads and Highways

To save gas and fuel costs, increase and improve their miles per gallon rating of fuel economy professional drivers on the road not only drive efficiently and effectively. They also take the time and effort to plan and think ahead to anticipate what is on the roadway and to how they can get there quick but yet with good driving safety and style as well as obtaining good and even better fuel economies. This is especially so when driving up hills and in mountainous roads. In this day and age, with the high and ever increasing prices for gas and diesel fill ups, almost all drivers seem to forever driving towards greater economies and cost reductions when on the road.

First of all except for the most extreme driving circumstances, don’t ever accelerate while climbing a hill. No doubt you will be using gas like its on fire to get just a very few more miles speed up. Think about if needless acceleration is wasteful on a level road imagine how poor it is when fighting gravity.

If you drive a heavy car or truck, especially one with an automatic (as opposed to a manual or standard) transmission, don’t poke your way up a hill. Gradually press the gas pedal to maintain your momentum but remember not to accelerate. Automatic transmissions tend to “lock up” and become generally more efficient at higher speeds. Hence it pays to climb a little more quickly than in the case of a manual transmission.

Next learn not to approach a hill with any more initial speed than you need to maintain momentum on your way up. Likewise do not put your foot to the floorboard in an impossible attempt to maintain speed on a very steep grade. If a hill starts to win the momentum contest, take it as a matter of course. Take your time. You cannot ultimately win against the great powers of nature and gravity.

Lastly one tip professional drivers offer is that if are driving in a small car, they allow their vehicle’s speed to drop ever so slightly as they climb rather than speed up or even keeping it constant. They keep the gas pedal steady as they go. If the vehicle has a manual transmission they accomplish the same task and end effect by downshifting if necessary. Even if the engine appears to be roaring under less load, and wasting fuel, in all actuality your power plant is actually running under a much more efficient load and load gearing factor. In both cases once you reach the crest of the hill you can gain speed and energy saving momentum on the way down. The power of gravity has now become your friend and companion.

In the end the driving pros advise that it is all about planning your trip on the road. Anticipate so that you can plan as well as react to both road conditions …

Learn How To Produce Biofuel

With the cost of gasoline only heading in one direction more of us are now interested in powering our cars and trucks through alternative fuels. The potential of hybrid vehicles and electric only cars seems to have died a natural death as the concept is not one that is sustainable or desirable, at the end of the day any electric vehicle still needs to be plugged into mains power to be charged. One area in which there is still a lot of potential is biofuel. If you want to know how to produce biofuel and become more independent and self reliant then read on.

It is not just the price of gasoline which should encourage us to switch over to biofuel, also there is a massive cost to the country to try and secure a supply of oil. There can be no denying that almost every military campaign in the last two decades has had this goal at its core.

Fortunately learning how to produce a non fossil fuel alternative is relatively easy, you do not require advanced equipment or hard to come by ingredients. Almost any one of us should be able to produce biodiesel with a little knowledge and understanding.

To start with you will need to get hold of the right equipment and tools for the job. These can be sourced online or at you local hardware store. In no particular order the following items need to be bought: measuring beaker, blender, funnel, a large PET bottle, thermometer, and a half liter HDPE container. Next you will need to get your hands on the actual ingredients and compounds, this would include vegetable oil (used or new), 200ml of pure methanol, and a lye catalyst such as potassium hydroxide.

If you want to simplify proceedings you can always order a biofuel kit that includes all the equipment and material you would need. This is an easier option and can help you save time and energy. Also by opting for a kit you will have clear instructions as to how to make your own biofuel.

Before you can begin the process you need to ensure that all the equipment is clean and dry. Next you need to mix together the methanol and the lye catalyst. The vegetable oil should be heated to a temperature of around 55 Celsius and then added to the blender with the methanol mixture. This concoction should then be blended for a minimum of twenty minutes. You should then leave the liquid in a PET bottle for at least twenty four hours before using.…

MHT Fuel Wheels – Getting the Most Out of Your Truck

Fuel Wheels are the one of the leading brands in aftermarket wheels for your truck. They combine unique aesthetics with top of the line quality to bring you some of the most sought after wheels on the market today. They are are manufactured by MHT alloy the leader in aftermarket alloy wheels. The company stemmed from a need for a leader in the off road aftermarket wheel and rim industry.

You may have just bought your first brand new vehicle. Deciding on the type of rims your going to put on is a big decision. Aftermarket wheels are made of alloy, which is very lightweight and just as strong as the bulky steel wheels your vehicle is originally equipped with. These wheels will dramatically improve your vehicles handling everywhere you take it! They have been in the industry for a while. The owners have been all over the world, from the dunes, the toughest mountains to local car shows throughout the world. Fuel Off-Road wheels are setting the standard from which all other aftermarket companies are measured. Increase the value and appeal of your vehicle, not to mention the respect of your peers.

These rims come in sizes from 16 up to massive 24″ for trucks and sport utility vehicles. They virtually let you own the road and beyond, makes you wonder how you drove around in a stock vehicle for so long? We have all seen it before, beautiful products with no longevity. This company strives to be the exception to the rule. Any of the wheels in this line will be a great compliment to your vehicle. From the design process to the finished product they takes pride in their wheels.

They look just as good on the road as they do off-road. Anybody can buy aftermarket parts and accessories these days but putting but choosing the right rims on your vehicle is a sure sign of good taste. With offering in their wheels such as bold triple chrome, matte black, and two tone black and machine finishes. So whether you are looking for on or off-road wheels Fuel wheels can make the difference in turning your daily driver from ordinary to extraordinary. This company will be setting the standard for years to come.…

How to Calculate the Carbon Footprint of Trucking Shipments

I get many inquiries about how to calculate the carbon footprint of truck transportation. The problem is a fairly simple one to calculate. However, there is one variable that presents a problem. Fuel consumption. Fuel consumption is not constant. It depends on many factors like: age of truck, the general maintenance of the truck, the aerodynamic factor for the truck, if it was travelling up hill, or down hill, if it was a windy day, etc, etc. If your comfortable with an estimate: 6 miles per gallon is a good estimate of what a truck uses on average. Now, the rest is hard data…

Example #1: FULL TRUCKLOAD

Full Truck load

Fuel Consumption: 6 Miles per Gallon

Miles travelled: 1000

Carbon per US Gallon of Diesel: 2.77 KG

= 1000miles/6mpg x 2.77KG per gallon

(please disregard the intermixing of imperial and metric. The transportation industry is still in imperial while the rest of us are on metric!)

= 461.68 KG is the Carbon Footprint of this shipment.

If you’re looking for a formula = 0.46 KG per mile travelled (based on a 44,000lb truckload).

Example #2 LTL:

LTL

Full Truckload = 44,000 lbs

Fuel Consumption = 6mpg

Miles = 1000

Shipment = 10,000 lbs

Carbon per US Gallon of Diesel = 2.77 KG

We know the total Carbon Footprint on this truckload is 461.68 KG from the previous calculation and that a full truck carries 44,000 lbs. So, 461.68 / 44,000 = 0.0105 per pound. Multiply by 10,000 lbs = 104.93 KG of Carbon for this LTL shipment.

If you’re looking for a formula = 0.0105KG per pound/1000 miles = 0.00001 Kgs per pound/mile

=0.00001x POUNDS x MILES

Note: Because LTL densities can be different you will have to change the formula based on how much of your product fits in a truck. For example: if you were shipping pillows and a whole truckload of pillows weighed only 10,000 lbs. You would have to adjust the calculation I just did above accordingly.…

How to Choose a Warehouse Management System

By now, most sizable warehouses have already been automated. When coming to choose a warehouse management system, managers typically seek to replace their legacy system with one that meets changing company needs, addresses increasing operational costs, and integrates seamlessly with new ERP systems, while obtaining quick return on investment (affordability) and to make the implementation of the system as smooth as possible.

Choosing the warehouse management system that matches the company’s needs, requirements, budget, and expectations requires attention and a high degree of professional expertise. The abundance of WMS software solutions and the broad range of warehousing methods and technologies make the choice difficult.

All warehouse management systems aim to meet several goals that as a whole should provide the expected benefits for the client. Knowing what to expect from the system makes the choice between the various WMSs easier. When replacing an existing WMS, a logistics-oriented manager should ask for the following features:

* Improving accuracy of inventory and operations

* Maximizing warehouse space utilization

* Improving order fulfillment

* Providing low ownership cost

* Delivering quick ROI

* Reducing stock while meeting demand

* Lowering decision-making time

* Allowing for quick implementation

To meet these and other expectations requires understanding the key aspects of the future WMS solution, the manner in which these aspects will meet existing needs, and the additional benefits that arise from choosing a specific warehouse management system. The following aspects of any WMS are relevant to the logistics-oriented manager:

Functionality. What does the system offer? Most WMS solutions offer a broad range of functionalities that cover the basic aspects of managing a warehouse. But in addition to inventory management, replenishment, and loading and shipping warehouses also require a more sophisticated set of functionalities such as a billing module, cross-dock capabilities, RFID support, etc.

Flexibility. How easily does the system adapt itself to the client’s needs? A flexible warehouse management system is adaptable to different warehousing scenarios without the need to invest exceptional resources in adaptation. The more flexible the system is, the more easily it integrates in a working warehouse and complies with existing warehouse operations and working methods.

User Friendliness. A WMS must be user friendly. In addition to saving on training costs, user friendliness helps avoid operating mistakes.

ERP Interfacing. The choice of a warehouse management system depends heavily on its ability to integrate with the ERP systems used by the client. Businesses depend on the successful flow of information between company units. The WMS must be able to accurately support this flow of information.

Innovativeness. The technology that underlies the WMS is crucial for its ability to keep abreast of progress in the industry. An outdated system is unable to adapt to future technological requirements, which leads eventually to the need for its replacement.

Disadvantages. Every system has disadvantages. Getting to know the disadvantages of a WMS helps avoid surprises and unexpected costs.

Choosing the right warehouse management system is important. Other issues that …

How to Choose a Warehouse Management System

By now, most sizable warehouses have already been automated. When coming to choose a warehouse management system, managers typically seek to replace their legacy system with one that meets changing company needs, addresses increasing operational costs, and integrates seamlessly with new ERP systems, while obtaining quick return on investment (affordability) and to make the implementation of the system as smooth as possible.

Choosing the warehouse management system that matches the company’s needs, requirements, budget, and expectations requires attention and a high degree of professional expertise. The abundance of WMS software solutions and the broad range of warehousing methods and technologies make the choice difficult.

All warehouse management systems aim to meet several goals that as a whole should provide the expected benefits for the client. Knowing what to expect from the system makes the choice between the various WMSs easier. When replacing an existing WMS, a logistics-oriented manager should ask for the following features:

* Improving accuracy of inventory and operations

* Maximizing warehouse space utilization

* Improving order fulfillment

* Providing low ownership cost

* Delivering quick ROI

* Reducing stock while meeting demand

* Lowering decision-making time

* Allowing for quick implementation

To meet these and other expectations requires understanding the key aspects of the future WMS solution, the manner in which these aspects will meet existing needs, and the additional benefits that arise from choosing a specific warehouse management system. The following aspects of any WMS are relevant to the logistics-oriented manager:

Functionality. What does the system offer? Most WMS solutions offer a broad range of functionalities that cover the basic aspects of managing a warehouse. But in addition to inventory management, replenishment, and loading and shipping warehouses also require a more sophisticated set of functionalities such as a billing module, cross-dock capabilities, RFID support, etc.

Flexibility. How easily does the system adapt itself to the client’s needs? A flexible warehouse management system is adaptable to different warehousing scenarios without the need to invest exceptional resources in adaptation. The more flexible the system is, the more easily it integrates in a working warehouse and complies with existing warehouse operations and working methods.

User Friendliness. A WMS must be user friendly. In addition to saving on training costs, user friendliness helps avoid operating mistakes.

ERP Interfacing. The choice of a warehouse management system depends heavily on its ability to integrate with the ERP systems used by the client. Businesses depend on the successful flow of information between company units. The WMS must be able to accurately support this flow of information.

Innovativeness. The technology that underlies the WMS is crucial for its ability to keep abreast of progress in the industry. An outdated system is unable to adapt to future technological requirements, which leads eventually to the need for its replacement.

Disadvantages. Every system has disadvantages. Getting to know the disadvantages of a WMS helps avoid surprises and unexpected costs.

Choosing the right warehouse management system is important. Other issues that …

Better Gas Mileage Made Easy With Gas Conversion Kits

For many years since the invention of the gas car. People have been searching for a way to get better gas mileage. All of this searching has come with many speed bumps. Even with all the speed bumps in the way t was rather easy to get better gas mileage. Using a gas conversion kit not only helped us get better gas mileage. It was also much better for the car.

There are many types of gas conversion kits out on the market today. Natural gas conversion kits have been widely used at many of the large zoo’s like Brookfield Zoo for years. Although these kits can get rather expensive. It is also rather difficult to find a location that is willing to sell you any form of natural gas for your vehicle. The most common gas widely used is propane. This is a gas you are able to find at many local gas stations through a tank exchange. The problem is as we all know propane is very dangerous to drive around with. The smallest accident can turn into a deadly one.

On the other hand others have been able to produce another type of gas conversion kit. This gas conversion kit uses water to produce hydrogen. As we all know water is a very safe and readily available gas which we can get from the sink or hose at our houses. It is not the water that makes your car get better gas mileage. It is the hydrogen and combination of fossil fuels that makes this possible. Installing one of these conversion kits can increase your current gas mileage by as much as 118% or more. This beats heading out to purchase a new car just to stay up to date with the current cars being produced like the up coming 2010 Chevy Volt. Which is said to be able to get as much as 50 mpg.

As much as we would all like to purchase the new Chevy Volt. This is not entirely possible for all of us to do so. In the mean time we will have to search for alternate means to get better gas mileage out of current cars. Even if that means to start driving slower or turning the car off instead of letting it idle.…

Top Signs Your Small Business is Ready For an ERP Software System

Whether your small business uses a small business accounting software package, such as QuickBooks or Peachtree, or a custom-written legacy system that dates back to the early to mid-1990’s, there are a number of telling signs your business is ready to make the jump to an ERP software system. Some of the leading indicators that your small business is ready for an ERP include:

1. Your business uses multiple software packages to process a variety of business transactions, and these software systems are not linked together in a single database. For example, accounting personnel may process receivables and payables in one system, shipping, receiving, and warehouse personnel may record inventory transaction data in spreadsheets, and sales representatives may enter customer orders in an entirely different system.

2. As a result of using multiple software systems, your employees are forced to enter data multiple times for the same transaction. Over time, you see a declining level of data accuracy and integrity.

3. You lack a warehouse management system with built-in RF and barcode scanning technology.

4. Accounting personnel spend weeks reconciling accounting entries to close year-end.

5. Sales and customer service representatives do not have visibility to real-time order status and are forced to call warehouse personnel to find out when a customer order has been picked, packed, or shipped.

6. Your existing system(s) does not process EDI or e-Commerce transactions.

7. As a business owner or executive, you are unable to retrieve key business performance metrics, such as orders per day, average sales margins on a product-by-basis, or sales margins on a customer-by-customer basis.

8. You are unable to gain visibility to the true cost of the items you produce since you currently are not allocating all material, labor, and burden costs to your products.

9. Your business suffers from frequent inventory shortages for your high-demand products and inventory surpluses for your low-demand products.

10. Your existing system(s) run on an outdated technology platform.

Should you find that your small business is suffering from internal process inefficiencies and lacks visibility to real-time business information, an ERP solution may be able to accommodate many of your growing business needs.…

Buy Fuel Oil – Guide to Find Genuine Suppliers

Russia is the leading producer of fuel oil. They produce more than they can consume, unlike USA that does not produce enough to cater for all consumers. There are a lot of refineries in Russia which can supply up to a million metric tons of fuel oil monthly. A few of the notable suppliers of oil in Russia which can deliver are Lukoil, Bulgarneft, Bashneft, Surgutneftegas, Rosneft etc. These are the best companies to buy fuel from.

You can also find suppliers at business to business sites like alibaba, spaintraders, tradekeys, ecplaza. These suppliers are not end sellers, but they are intermediary brokers claiming to be end sellers. I will not say that there are no genuine sellers at these sites. The problem is the ability to find genuine offers. Most soft offers you will find at business to business sites are bogus. If you do not take time, your buyer will be ripped off and you will lose your reputation. The problem these intermediary suppliers found at business to business sites is the upfront payment which majority of them ask for, especially from Russian intermediary traders. They either ask you for payment to get allocation from one institution or the other to legalize the contract.

If you are a really a crude oil buyer and not a timewaster, the best you should do is to work with notable crude oil traders like Bulgarneft, Lukoil etc. Bulgarneft does not have an official online site so you should be careful when you trade. The first thing is to find a reliable contact with Lukoil, Bulgarneft, and issue ICPO. When you get their full corporate offer, verify any suspicious stuff you see on it before going head to sign it. If you are not confident that it is a genuine offer, I suggest verifying it through a legal department which is an expert in determining authentic documents.

Once its authenticity has been determined, the next step is to move forward to sign the FCO, contract and other procedure in the SPA follows. It is clear that it is hard to establish a contact with Lukoil online. You can do so with a registered company which works with genuine contact, so you will know where to go when anything goes round unlike dealing with individuals at business to business sites with no way to trace them if something fraudulent goes wrong.…

Why We Need to Break Away From Fossil Fuel Dependency and Find Alternative Energy Sources

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 20 years, you probably have heard about OPEC. OPEC is an acronym for Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Twelve countries – Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela make up the membership of the cartel.

The developed world runs on oil, so it’s easy to see that oil (or rather, the production and exportation of oil) can be used as a very effective weapon. And it has been. And it likely will be again.

The Arab-Israeli conflict contributes to the problem. After the Six-Day War in 1967, OPEC was transformed into a political force, and a formidable political force at that. It was the Yom Kippur War of 1973 that brought things to a head. Arab countries were furious over the emergency resupply efforts that had made it possible for Israel to withstand Egyptian and Syrian forces. The 1973 oil embargo ensued.

But oil that is pumped out of the ground must be stored – or used. By the 1980s, there was an oil glut. There was more oil available than there was demand for it, and the price of oil began to take a nose dive. Exports declined, and so did the money. The members of OPEC were not happy campers.

But as I said, oil is the fuel that runs the world. The excess of supply didn’t last long. Oil prices fluctuate, but OPEC isn’t totally responsible. Oil is traded as a commodity on stock exchanges and investors can drive the price up by bidding on what’s called “futures.” This is the main cause of the high price of gasoline that American consumers were paying during 2008.

However OPEC is a force to be reckoned with and they can use oil as a weapon again. Unless, we become less dependent on oil and find other alternative energy sources.…

Fuel Dispensing Systems and Other Innovations Are Changing the Very Basic Purpose of Gas Stations

In the early years, the existence of gas stations was attributed to its function, which is, dispensing fuel to the vehicles. But now, the face of Gas Stations has changed immensely. They have bow become a retail – marketing sales tool. Supermarkets, couponing, scanning, video displays and eating joints have now become a common function of every gas station that you will visit. From strictly functional they have evolved to be multipurpose.

Fuel Dispensers

Advanced Fuel Dispensing Systems are now in place. These dispensers display functions like bar coding, interactive videos screen, scanner, customer identification Keypad and Magnetic card terminal. With Magnetic card terminal installed on the dispenser, the staffs no longer have to keep credit/debit card machines with them. Through Interactive video screen, the customers can entertain themselves while waiting for the fuel to get pumped in their vehicles. Customer Identification Keypad enables a customer to check his transactions. Each customer is given a unique identification number.

The pumps also have a DEF Dispensing system. Diesel Exhaust Fluid is added to the diesel exhaust to convert smog providing nitrogen oxide into harmless nitrogen and water vapour.

Gas stations do not depend only on Gasoline sales for their revenue. Well, they have now come up with supermarkets, coffee houses, and kid-play area to increase their revenue. Gas stations also lower the gasoline price in order to attract customers. With more customers coming, their retail business would also go up.

Latest technology

A new innovation has come up whereby customers at the petrol pumps can pay with their fingertips. The reason for this innovation is a known fact that the customers using cards do not like to wait to make their payment. They want a quicker and a more secure way. The latest innovation enables the customer to scan his fingerprint at a kiosk inside the store and link his payment information at the store or online.

Another innovation is that of a robotic gas station where the whole process of dispensing fuel into the vehicle is done by a robot. The customer enters the amount of gas needed on a keypad and with the help of a transmitter on the dash board of the car; the robotic pump can read the car’s make and model. A robotic arm then finds the gas tank and opens it with suction. Then the robot inserts a nozzle through a flap in the tank cap and dispenses fuel.

Now you don’t have to line up your car and wait for your turn to get fuel. You can park your car anywhere inside the station and wait for the pump to come to your car.

Gas stations show a clear picture of today’s world. With innovations like advanced Fuel Dispensing system, Robotic gas station and a total change in the surroundings of petrol pump has increased the efficiency and business of the gas stations. Their revenue has increased manifold. The …

How To Earn Free Gas And Cash

It is of course no secret that gas has been getting expensive. With the U.S. dollar going down, there are experts who feel that we may be looking at gas prices in between $4.50 to $5 at the pump next summer. Many countries in Europe already pay much more than that!

One solution, don’t pay for gas anymore! Crazy, right? Alright, the real secret is how you can get fuel for free. With a fuel additive, XP3, you get paid in cash, in product, and in free gas. Never heard of XP3? XP3 has been in existence for over 22 years. Last year the global sales commercially in XP3 were over 3.2 billion. In the commercial realm where fleets of semi trucks are concerned, the 3.2 billion in sales really stands out because what trucker or fleet would continually buy a product unless in “really works”.

XP3 has now been launched into the retail side so the average driver can now reap the benefits. Over the past year and half of using the product people have been reporting savings between $5 and $15 per tank of gas when they consistently use Xp3. If you are like most people anytime you can fill up for a savings of a nickel a gallon is huge! With a product like that it is EASY to share with other people. Who wouldn’t want to put an extra $5 to $15 back in their pocket every time they fill up for gas, right?

Besides fuel economy, XP3 also has the following benefits:

• Improves combustion and increases engine power

• Reduces levels of toxic emissions

• Stabilizes light and heavy oils

• Has a detergent and antioxidant effect

• Reduces corrosion and increases the life of your engine

• Totally disperses water in fuel

• Improves engine starting and avoids pre-ignition

• Improves the stabilization, lubricity and detergency of the fuel

• Works with all classes of gasoline and diesel fuel

• Xp3 is a combination of synthetic resins and organic compounds.

• Does not contain any aromatics or naphtha

• 100% biodegradable

• Improves the pour point

• Avoids fuel freezing during winter

Better yet, when I share this with other people the company pays me. Since I have been sharing my little secret I have been earning more weekly than some people make all month working at their full-time job! The economy is tough out there. Using XP3 will help you save at the pump as well as pad your wallet!…

Fleet Fuel Prices? What Are They Now?

How many of you forget something that you were going to do today but you won’t remember until tomorrow? I know everyone’s hands would be raised if we were in a fleet fuel seminar. If you forgot what you were going to do today until tomorrow, do you remember where fleet fuel prices have been in the last couple of years?

Are you ready for the possible rising oil price storm that looks like it could hit your fleet fueling budget in 2010?

Let’s take a step back and remind you where fleet fuel prices have been for both diesel fuel and gas. These are DOE national averages so they could be slightly higher or lower in your area. We have never been big fans of the DOE national average for fleet fuel. As one fuel expert once said to me, “It’s like using a globe to find your house!”

Just 24 months ago diesel fuel prices were $3.387 a gallon, gas prices were $3.135 a gallon.

12 months ago diesel fuel prices were $2.299 a gallon, gas prices were $1.72 a gallon

January, 2010 diesel fuel prices were $2.882 a gallon, gas prices were $2.677 a gallon.

If you even remember that this happened, you would say ok, prices came down $1.10 from 2008 to 2009 and went up 60 cents from 2009 to 2010. That story in itself would be pretty dramatic seeing that a $1.10 decrease would be 33% reduction in fuel price from 08 to 09 and a 60 cent increase would be a 21% increase in fuel prices.

The story that takes place in the middle is crazy with fleet fuel cost. How about nationally peaking diesel fuel cost at $4.771 in July 2008. What about the low diesel fuel cost of $2.023 in March 2009. No, we didn’t forget about gas that still powers most of our cars. Gas prices topped nationally at $4.099 in July 2008. They hit rock bottom of December 2008 at $1.642.

Yes, I can see the bulb in your head coming on and saying, I remember price swings but $4.099 to $1.642 a change of $2.457 a gallon in less than five months, wow. Wow for sure. Were you and your company carefully watching your fleet fueling cost at that time? I know you were worrying, saying, “what are we going to do?” But were you managing your fleet fuel costs?

Here we are one month into 2010. Are you going sit around wait until things going crazy. Remember most of us didn’t think 2009 was crazy for diesel fuel prices but you did watch them go from $2.09 to $2.88 during the year. Almost 80 cents a gallon or a 28% increase in your fleet fuel costs. Remember that most fuel forecasters are predicting $95 crude oil prices in 2010. That would be over $15 a barrel more than where we were for most of 2009. The economy is going to …