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Your Indianapolis home’s square footage doesn’t end at the garage door. This once neglected, disregarded and, dare I say, abused space is among the largest rooms in the house. For decades it has slid into cluttered oblivion, too jam-packed with “stuff” to even park a car inside. But things are changing. Homeowners are expanding their organizing and remodeling zeal to the garage, which has become an extension of living space that has moved beyond its utilitarian origins. The garage plays an increasingly important role and can be a help or a hindrance when selling your home.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, Americans spent $2.5 billion on garage remodels in 2005. The number one garage rule: turn it into a garage. Buyers aren’t interested in garage conversions. If they needed an extra bedroom or family room, they’d look for a bigger house.

You don’t have to turn it into a show garage, but a finished garage will help sell your house. The garage is simply too big and too valuable to let its space go to waste. Function and organization are the key elements of a garage that will be an asset when you sell.

1. Capacity. The two-car garage is outdated. The trend for three-car garages began around 1992 and these days, four-car garages aren’t uncommon. Many home buyers have project cars, classic cars, RVs or boats to store. Some have teenagers who are driving. Others just want the extra storage space. Whatever the need, the added square footage is as important in a garage as it is inside the house.

2. Size. A standard-sized garage measured about 21 ft. x 21 ft. and was about 7 ft. high in the 1980s. Today’s SUVs, oversized pickup trucks, RVs, boats and trailers demand a larger garage. To accommodate bigger vehicles, the dimensions should be at least 22 ft. x 22 ft. by 9 ft. high.

3. Space. When it comes to garages, it’s all about size and space. Extra space is a bonus that can be used for storage, as a workroom or even as a playroom for the kids, especially if the home doesn’t have a basement.

4. Location. The trend for placement has come full-circle, with many garages now being located at the back of the house and even detached garages on an alley. While that creates better curb appeal out front, many home owners don’t want to sacrifice backyard living space. If the lot is wide enough, the side-load garage is still popular and can be easily disguised to look like a wing of the house.

5. Storage. Because storage is always at a premium, the garage offers another opportunity for stashing seldom-used items or tools and items for outdoor use. Organizational products can cost anywhere from $100 to $10,000, but are well worth the investment. At the minimum, add wall hooks or pegboard for hanging up garden tools and bicycles. Shelves keep clutter from accumulating on the floor. Closets are great for hiding coats and boots. Cabinets and workbenches are bonus features that can close a sale.

6. Lighting. Replace that single center bulb with an 8-ft. fluorescent light strip. If you have a workbench or bonus space, additional lighting will be necessary and can include LED task lighting, spot lights or more fluorescent strips. Don’t forget outside lighting. Place two fixtures on either side of the garage door and additional fixtures by every outside access door.

7. Flooring. The garage floor should stand up to dirt, oil, salt, paint and other debris. Flooring not only upgrades the look, but also increases resiliency to stains and tires marks and hides imperfections. Choices range from epoxy resin-based paints to rubber mats and tiles. Paints and coatings come in a limitless range of colors and are now available with a gritty element for more grip, less slip. Mats and tiles provide a vapor barrier and cushion your feet. They also reduce the amount of dirt tracked inside and act as insulation and noise reduction.

8. Access. Oversized garages benefit from a walk-through door to the back or side yard, which also increase air circulation or reduce heat loss, depending on the season. Drive-thru garage designs are convenient for moving lawn tractors, trailers and other equipment out of the garage and for families with multiple cars.

9. Doors. Particularly if the garage faces the front of the house, the door should be an attractive complement to the house’s style. Design, color and materials can make this a stylish aspect of the home’s exterior. Doors should be lightweight, secure, functional and should enhance your home’s appearance. The first automatic garage door opener became commercial in 1954. These days, the door opener is practically a must and often considered a standard feature.

10. Finished walls and ceilings. Finishing a garage makes it look clean and “complete” and prepares the space for customization. It’s one less thing a buyer will have to do. Make sure the garage is insulated before you finish it off; that will save on heating and cooling bills. Don’t expect to get 100 percent return on investment with all these garage upgrades, but these amenities are sure to make your home more appealing to buyers.

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Source by Lori Lovely

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INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

1. INTRODUCTION

DEFINATION AND MEANING

Inventory is a list of goods and materials, or those goods and materials themselves, held available in stock by a business. Inventory are held in order to manage and hide from the customer the fact that manufacture/supply delay is longer than delivery delay, and also to ease the effect of imperfections in the manufacturing process that lower production efficiencies if production capacity stands idle for lack of materials.

The reasons for keeping stock

All these stock reasons can apply to any owner or product stage.

Buffer stock is held in individual workstations against the possibility that the upstream workstation may be a little delayed in providing the next item for processing. Whilst some processes carry very large buffer stocks, Toyota moved to one (or a few items) and has now moved to eliminate this stock type.

Safety stock is held against process or machine failure in the hope/belief that the failure can be repaired before the stock runs out. This type of stock can be eliminated by programmes like Total Productive Maintenance

Overproduction is held because the forecast and the actual sales did not match. Making to order and JIT eliminates this stock type.

Lot delay stock is held because a part of the process is designed to work on a batch basis whilst only processing items individually. Therefore each item of the lot must wait for the whole lot to be processed before moving to the next workstation. This can be eliminated by single piece working or a lot size of one.

Demand fluctuation stock is held where production capacity is unable to flex with demand. Therefore a stock is built in times of lower utilisation to be supplied to customers when demand exceeds production capacity. This can be eliminated by increasing the flexibility and capacity of a production line or reduced by moving to item level load balancing.
Line balance stock is held because different sub-processes in a line work at different rates. Therefore stock will accumulate after a fast sub-process or before a large lot size sub-process. Line balancing will eliminate this stock type.

Changeover stock is held after a sub-process that has a long setup or change-over time. This stock is then used while that change-over is happening. This stock can be eliminated by tools like SMED.

Where these stocks contain the same or similar items it is often the work practice to hold all these stocks mixed together before or after the sub-process to which they relate. This ‘reduces’ costs. Because they are mixed-up together there is no visual reminder to operators of the adjacent sub-processes or line management of the stock which is due to a particular cause and should be a particular individual’s responsibility with inevitable consequences. Some plants have centralized stock holding across sub-processes which makes the situation even more acute.

The basis of Inventory accounting

Inventory needs to be accounted where it is held across accounting period boundaries since generally expenses should be matched against the results of that expense within the same period. When processes were simple and short then inventories were small but with more complex processes then inventories became larger and significant valued items on the balance sheet. This need to value unsold and incomplete goods has driven many new behaviours into management practise. Perhaps most significant of these are the complexities of fixed cost recovery, transfer pricing, and the separation of direct from indirect costs. This, supposedly, precluded “anticipating income” or “declaring dividends out of capital”. It is one of the intangible benefits of Lean and the TPS that process times shorten and stock levels decline to the point where the importance of this activity is hugely reduced and therefore effort, especially managerial, to achieve it can be minimised.

LIFO V/S FIFO

When a dealer sells goods from inventory, the value of the inventory reduces by the cost of goods sold(CoG sold). This is simple where the CoG has not varied across those held in stock but where it has then an agreed method must be derived. For commodity items that one cannot track individually, accountants must choose a method that fits the nature of the sale. Two popular methods exist: FIFO and LIFO accounting (first in – first out, last in – first out). FIFO regards the first unit that arrived in inventory the first one sold. LIFO considers the last unit arriving in inventory as the first one sold. Which method an accountant selects can have a significant effect on net income and book value and, in turn, on taxation. Using LIFO accounting for inventory, a company generally reports lower net income and lower book value due to the effects of inflation. This generally results in lower taxation. Due to LIFO’s potential to skew inventory value, UK GAAP and IAS have effectively banned LIFO inventory accounting.

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

A supply chain is a network of facilities and distribution options that performs the functions of procurement of materials, transformation of these materials into intermediate and finished products, and the distribution of these finished products to customers. Supply chains exist in both service and manufacturing organizations, although the complexity of the chain may vary greatly from industry to industry and firm to firm.

Supply chain management is typically viewed to lie between fully vertically integrated firms, where the entire material flow is owned by a single firm and those where each channel member operates independently. Therefore coordination between the various players in the chain is key in its effective management. Cooper and Ellram [1993] compare supply chain management to a well-balanced and well-practiced relay team. Such a team is more competitive when each player knows how to be positioned for the hand-off. The relationships are the strongest between players who directly pass the baton (stick), but the entire team needs to make a coordinated effort to win the race.

Below is an example of a very simple supply chain for a single product, where raw material is procured from vendors, transformed into finished goods in a single step, and then transported to distribution centers, and ultimately, customers. Realistic supply chains have multiple end products with shared components, facilities and capacities. The flow of materials is not always along an arborescent network, various modes of transportation may be considered, and the bill of materials for the end items may be both deep and large.

To simplify the concept, supply chain management can be defined as a loop: it starts with the customer and ends with the customer. All materials, finished products, information, and even all transactions flow through the loop. However, supply chain management can be a very difficult task because in the reality, the supply chain is a complex and dynamic network of facilities and organizations with different, conflicting objectives.

Supply chains exist in both service and manufacturing organizations, although the complexity of the chain may vary greatly from industry to industry and firm to firm.

Unlike commercial manufacturing supplies, services such as clinical supplies planning are very dynamic and can often have last minute changes. Availability of patient kit when patient arrives at investigator site is very important for clinical trial success. This results in overproduction of drug products to take care of last minute change in demand. R&D manufacturing is very expensive and overproduction of patient kits adds significant cost to the total cost of clinical trials. An integrated supply chain can reduce the overproduction of drug products by efficient demand management, planning, and inventory management.

Traditionally, marketing, distribution, planning, manufacturing, and the purchasing organizations along the supply chain operated independently. These organizations have their own objectives and these are often conflicting. Marketing’s objective of high customer service and maximum sales dollars conflict with manufacturing and distribution goals. Many manufacturing operations are designed to maximize throughput and lower costs with little consideration for the impact on inventory levels and distribution capabilities. Purchasing contracts are often negotiated with very little information beyond historical buying patterns. The result of these factors is that there is not a single, integrated plan for the organization—there were as many plans as businesses. Clearly, there is a need for a mechanism through which these different functions can be integrated together. Supply chain management is a strategy through which such integration can be achieved.

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the operations of the supply chain with the purpose to satisfy customer requirements as efficiently as possible. Supply chain management spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point-of-origin to point-of-consumption.

According to the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP),

A professional association that developed a definition in 2004, Supply Chain Management “encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing and procurement, conversion, and all logistics management activities”. Importantly, it also includes coordination and collaboration with channel partners, which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service providers, and customers. In essence, Supply Chain Management integrates supply and demand management within and across companies.

According to Cohen & Lee (1988)

Supply Chain Management is “The network of organizations that are having linkages, both upstream and downstream, in different processes and activities that produces and delivers the value in form of products and services in the hands of ultimate consumer.” Thus a shirt manufacturer is a part of supply chain that extends up stream through the weaves of fabrics to the spinners and the manufacturers of fibers, and down stream through distributions and retailers to the final consumer. Though each of these organizations are dependent on each other yet traditionally do not closely cooperate with each other. An integrated supply chain management streamlines processes and increases profitability by delivering the right product to the right place, at the right time, and at the lowest possible cost.

According to Ganeshan & Harrison (2001)

Supply Chain Management is a “systems approach to managing the entire flow of information, materials, and services from raw materials suppliers through factories and warehouses to the end customer.”

Supply chain event management (abbreviated as SCEM) is a consideration of all possible occurring events and factors that can cause a disruption in a supply chain. With SCEM possible scenarios can be created and solutions can be planned.

Some experts distinguish supply chain management and logistics management, while others consider the terms to be interchangeable. From the point of view of an enterprise, the scope of supply chain management is usually bounded on the supply side by your supplier’s suppliers and on the customer side by your customer’s customers.

Supply chain management is also a category of software products.

2. SIEMENS

SIEMENS is one of the world’s largest companies and Europe’s largest engineering firm. Siemens has six major business divisions: Communication and Information; Automation and Control; Power; Transportation; Medical; and Lighting. Siemens’ international headquarters are located in Berlin and Munich, Germany. Siemens AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since March 12, 2001. Worldwide, Siemens and its subsidiaries employ 480,000 people in 190 countries and reported global sales of €87.325 billion in fiscal year 2006

HISTORY

Siemens was founded by Werner von Siemens on October 1, 1847, based on the telegraph he had invented that used a needle to point to the sequence of letters, instead of using Morse code. The company – then called Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske – opened its first workshop on October 12.

In 1848, the company built the first long-distance telegraph line in Europe; 500 km from Berlin to Frankfurt am Main. In 1850 the founder’s younger brother, Sir William Siemens (born Carl Wilhelm Siemens), started to represent the company in London. In the 1850s, the company was involved in building long distance telegraph networks in Russia. In 1855, a company branch headed by another brother, Carl von Siemens, opened in St Petersburg. In 1867, Siemens completed the monumental Indo-European (Calcutta to London) telegraph line.

In 1881, a Siemens AC Alternator driven by a watermill was used to power the world’s first electric street lighting in the town of Godalming, United Kingdom. The company continued to grow and diversified into electric trains and light bulbs. In 1890, the founder retired and left the company to his brother Carl and sons Arnold and Wilhelm. Siemens & Halske (S&H) was incorporated in 1897.

In 1919, S&H and two other companies jointly formed the Osram lightbulb company. A Japanese subsidiary was established in 1923.

During the 1920s and 1930s, S&H started to manufacture radios, television sets, and electron microscopes.

Before World War II Siemens was involved in the secret rearmament of Germany. During the Second World War, like most big companies in Germany at the time, Siemens supported the Hitler regime, contributed to the war effort and participated in the “Nazification” of the economy. Siemens had many factories in and around famous extermination camps such as Auschwitz and used slave labor from concentration camps to build electric switches for military uses. In one example, almost 100,000 men and women from Auschwitz worked in a Siemens factory inside the extermination camp, supplying the electricity to the camp.

In the 1950s and from their new base in Bavaria, S&H started to manufacture computers, semiconductor devices, laundry machines, and pacemakers. Siemens AG was incorporated in 1966. The company’s first digital telephone exchange was produced in 1980. In 1988 Siemens and GEC acquired the UK defense and technology company Plessey. Plessey’s holdings were split, and Siemens took over the avionics, radar and traffic control businesses — as Siemens Plessey.

In 1991, Siemens acquired Nixdorf Computer AG and renamed it Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG. In 1997 Siemens introduced the first GSM cellular phone with colour display. Also in 1997 Siemens agreed to sell the defence arm of Siemens Plessey to British Aerospace (BAe) and a UK government agency, the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA). BAe and DASA acquired the British and German divisions of the operation respectively.

In 1999, Siemens’ semiconductor operations were spun off into a new company known as Infineon Technologies. Also, Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG formed part of Fujitsu Siemens Computers AG in that year. The retail banking technology group became Wincor Nixdorf.

In February 2003, Siemens reopened its office in Kabul.[3]
In 2004, Siemens took over the mantle of official Formula One timekeeper, replacing TAG Heuer.

In November, 2005, Siemens signed a 12 year agreement with the Walt Disney Company to sponsor attractions in its Florida and California parks.

In 2006, Siemens announced the purchase of Bayer Diagnostics, which was incorporated into the Medical Solutions Diagnostics division officially on 1 January 2007.

In March 2007 a Siemens board member was temporarily arrested and accused of illegally financing a business-friendly labour association which competes against the union IG Metall. He has been released on bail. Offices of the labour union and of Siemens have been searched. Siemens denies any wrongdoing.

In April 2007, the Fixed Networks, Mobile Networks and Carrier Services divisions of Siemens merged with Nokia’s Network Business Group in a 50/50 joint venture, creating a fixed and mobile network company called Nokia Siemens Networks. Nokia delayed the merger due to bribery investigations against Siemens.

Through an American sub-organisation known as the Siemens Foundation, Siemens also devotes funds to rewarding students and AP teachers. One of its main programs is the Siemens Westinghouse Competition in maths, science, and technology, which annually grants scholarships up to US$100,000 to both individual and team entrants. According to the foundation website, Siemens awards a total of nearly US$2 million in scholarship money every year.

MAJOR CLIENTS OF SIEMENS

-KCR
-Novartis
-Edmonton Transit System
-Calgary Transit
-Deutsche Bahn AG ( German rail transport company)
-METRORail (Houston, Texas)
-Sacramento Regional Transit District
-Regional Transportation District TheRide (Denver, Colorado)
-LACMTA (Los Angeles County, California)
-Pittsburgh Light Rail
-San Diego Trolley
-MAX Light Rail (Portland, Oregon)
-Nederlandse Spoorwegen (the Dutch railways) (The Netherlands)
-Port of Rotterdam (Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
-Balkim Muh. Elk. Ltd. Sti.
-BBC
-Indian Railways
-Airtel
-Powergrid Corporation of India

Products

-Industrial Instrumentation (Sensors and Controls)
-Telecommunication Service Platform, the TSP 7000
-Combino, ULF, and Avanto trams
-Siemens-Duwag U2 LRV
-ER20 locomotive – MTR
-LHB/Siemens M1/M2/M3 Metro Mar. Pair
-Siemens-Adtranz LRV
-Duewag/Siemens 1435 mm Combino Low Flr LRV
-MX3000 Metro car for Oslo (SGP Wien works)
-S4000 metro
-Schindler/Siemens ABB Be 4/8 Low Floor LRV
-Metro 5001
-SWBSiemensr NGT 6D LRV
-Eurosprinter locomotive
-Desiro, ICE, and Transrapid trains
-Gigaset, Home entertainment products, including Gigaset M740 AV, a set-top box to receive -TDT and integrate it in a domestic network (using WLAN or cable), i.e. for home streaming media.
-Hicom Trading E
-Hicom 300
-HiPath
-HiQ 8000 Softswitch
-MSR32R
-EWSD telephone exchanges
-SPX 2000 small digital telephone exchange (rural)
-Siemens Gigaset cordless telephones
-Siemens Mobile Phones – divested to BenQ in 2005
-Siemens SPPA-T2000 Control System (formerly Teleperm XP)
-Siemens SPPA-T3000 Control System (For Electrical Power Generation Control)
-SIMATIC PCS 7 Process Automation System for Process and Hybrid industries
-Radio and core products for 2G and 3G Mobile Networks (GSM, UMTS, …)
-Gas & Steam Turbines
-Industrial programmable controls (including Simatic PLC, and Logo! microcontrollers)
-The Siemens Servo life support ventilator line
-MAGNETOM(TM) Espree
-SOMATOM(R) Definition CT
-SOMATOM(R) Sensation CT
-SOMATOM(R) Emotion CT
-AXIOM Artis
-AXIOM Sensis
-E.Cam Signature Series Gamma Camera
-Symbia TruePoint SPECT-CT
-Biograph TruePoint PET.CT
-Magnetom C!, a low field open MRI
-Magnetom Avanto, a Tim system MRI
-Magnetom Espree, a Tim system, open bore MRI
-Magnetom Trio, A Tim System, ultra high field MRI
-Windturbines, 1.3 MW, 2.3 MW, 3.6 MW
-Sinorix(TM)
-Sistore(TM)

Main competitors of Siemens are:

-ABB
-Alcatel-Lucent
-Alstom
-Automated Logic
-Bombardier
-Cisco Systems
-Computrols
-Eaton
-Ericsson
-General Electric
-Honeywell
-Johnson Controls
-Lantronix
-Nortel
-Philips
-Reliable Controls
-Rockwell Automation
-Samsung
-Schneider Electric

3. OBJECTIVES AND NEED OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Traditionally, marketing, distribution, planning, manufacturing, and the purchasing organizations along the supply chain operated independently. These organizations have their own objectives and these are often conflicting.

Marketing’s objective of high customer service and maximum sales dollars conflict with manufacturing and distribution goals. Many manufacturing operations are designed to maximize throughput and lower costs with little consideration for the impact on inventory levels and distribution capabilities. Purchasing contracts are often negotiated with very little information beyond historical buying patterns.

The result of these factors is that there is not a single, integrated plan for the organization—there were as many plans as businesses. Clearly, there is a need for a mechanism through which these different functions can be integrated together. Supply chain management is a strategy through which such integration can be achieved.

Moreover, shortened product life cycles, increased competition, and heightened expectations of customers have forced many leading edge companies to move from physical logistic management towards more advanced supply chain management. Additionally, in recent years it has become clear that many companies have reduced their manufacturing costs as much as it is practically possible. Therefore, in many cases, the only possible way to further reduce costs and lead times is with effective supply chain management.

In addition to cost reduction, the supply chain management approach also facilitates customer service improvements. It enables the management of:

– inventories,
– transportation systems and
– whole distribution networks

so that organizations are able to meet or even exceed their customers’ expectations.

The major objective of supply chain management is to reduce or eliminate the buffers of inventory that exists between originations in chain through the sharing of information on demand and current stock levels.

Broadly, an organization needs an efficient and proper supply chain management system so that the following strategic and competitive areas can be used to their full advantage if a supply chain management system is properly implemented.

1. Fulfillment of raw materials:

Ensuring the right quantity of parts for production or products for sale arrive at the right time. This is enabled through efficient communication, ensuring that orders are placed with the appropriate amount of time available to be filled. The supply chain management system also allows a company to constantly see what is on stock and making sure that the right quantities are ordered to replace stock.

2. Logistics:

The cost of transporting materials as low as possible consistent with safe and reliable delivery. Here the supply chain management system enables a company to have constant contact with its distribution team, which could consist of trucks, trains, or any other mode of transportation. The system can allow the company to track where the required materials are at all times. As well, it may be cost effective to share transportation costs with a partner company if shipments are not large enough to fill a whole truck and this again, allows the company to make this decision.

3. Smooth Production:

Ensuring production lines function smoothly because high-quality parts are available when needed. Production can run smoothly as a result of fulfillment and logistics being implemented correctly. If the correct quantity is not ordered and delivered at the requested time, production will be halted, but having an effective supply chain management system in place will ensure that production can always run smoothly without delays due to ordering and transportation.

4. Increase in Revenue & profit:

Ensuring no sales is lost because shelves are empty. Managing the supply chain improves a company flexibility to respond to unforeseen changes in demand and supply. Because of this, a company has the ability to produce goods at lower prices and distribute them to consumers quicker then companies without supply chain management thus increasing the overall profit.

5. Reduction in Costs:

Keeping the cost of purchased parts and products at acceptable levels. Supply chain management reduces costs by increasing inventory turnover on the shop floor and in the warehouse controlling the quality of goods thus reducing internal and external failure costs and working with suppliers to produce the most cost efficient means of manufacturing a product.

6. Mutual Success:

Among supply chain partners ensures mutual success. Collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) is a longer-term commitment, joint work on quality, and support by the buyer of the supplier’s managerial, technological, and capacity development. This relationship allows a company to have access to current, reliable information, obtain lower inventory levels, cut lead times, enhance product quality, improve forecasting accuracy and ultimately improve customer service and overall profits. The suppliers also benefit from the cooperative relationship through increased buyer input from suggestions on improving the quality and costs and though shared savings. Consumers can benefit as well through higher quality goods provided at a lower cost.

4. ACTIVITIES/FUNCTIONS OF SCM IN SIEMENS

Supply chain management is a cross-functional approach to managing the movement of raw materials into an organization and the movement of finished goods out of the organization toward the end-consumer. As corporations strive to focus on core competencies and become more flexible, they have reduced their ownership of raw materials sources and distribution channels. These functions are increasingly being outsourced to other corporations that can perform the activities better or more cost effectively. The effect has been to increase the number of companies involved in satisfying consumer demand, while reducing management control of daily logistics operations. Less control and more supply chain partners led to the creation of supply chain management concepts. The purpose of supply chain management is to improve trust and collaboration among supply chain partners, thus improving inventory visibility and improving inventory velocity.

Several models have been proposed for understanding the activities required managing material movements across organizational and functional boundaries. SCOR is a supply chain management model promoted by the Supply-Chain Council. Another model is the SCM Model proposed by the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF). Supply chain activities can be grouped into strategic, tactical, and operational levels of activities.

(a) Strategic:-

-Strategic network optimization, including the number, location, and size of warehouses, distribution centers and facilities.

-Strategic partnership with suppliers, distributors, and customers, creating communication channels for critical information and operational improvements such as cross docking, direct shipping, and third-party logistics.

-Products design coordination, so that new and existing products can be optimally integrated into the supply chain.

-Information Technology infrastructure, to support supply chain operations.

-Where to make and what to make or buy decisions.

(b) Tactical:-

-Sourcing contracts and other purchasing decisions.

-Production decisions, including contracting, locations, scheduling, and planning process definition.

-Inventory decisions, including quantity, location, and quality of inventory. Transportation strategy, including frequency, routes, and contracting.

-Benchmarking of all operations against competitors and implementation of best practices throughout the enterprise.

(c) Operational:-

-Daily production and distribution planning, including all nodes in the supply chain.

-Production scheduling for each manufacturing facility in the supply chain (minute by minute).

-Demand planning and forecasting, coordinating the demand forecast of all customers and sharing the forecast with all suppliers.

-Sourcing planning, including current inventory and forecast demand, in collaboration with all suppliers. Inbound operations, including transportation from suppliers and receiving inventory.

-Production operations, including the consumption of materials and flow of finished goods.

-Outbound operations, including all fulfillment activities and transportation to customers.

-Order promising, accounting for all constraints in the supply chain, including all suppliers, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, and other customers. Performance tracking of all activities.

INTEGRATED SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

An integrated supply chain management streamlines processes and increases profitability by delivering the right product to the right place, at the right time, and at the lowest possible cost. Unlike commercial manufacturing supplies, clinical supplies planning is very dynamic and can often have last minute changes. Availability of patient kit when patient arrives at investigator site is very important for clinical trial success.

This results in overproduction of drug products to take care of last minute change in demand. R&D manufacturing is very expensive and overproduction of patient kits adds significant cost to the total cost of clinical trials.

An integrated supply chain can reduce the overproduction of drug products by efficient demand management, planning, and inventory management. Implementation of ERP system (such as SAP) in R&D can have major ROI by an efficient supply and inventory management system and also by reducing overproduction.

-How Integration Is Achieved In Supply Chain?

Stage 1:

Complete functional independence where each business function such as production or purchasing does its own thing in complete isolation from other business function. For instance, production function seeking to optimize its unit cost of manufacture by long production runs with out regard for build up of finished goods inventory and advance impact it will have on the warehousing as well as working capital.

Stage 2:

Companies recognize the need of limited integration between adjacent functions such as distribution and inventory management or purchasing and material control.

Stage 3:

A natural extension of stage two, leading to establishment and implementation of end- to-end integration. A concept of linkage and coordination is achieved.

STAGE 4:

The linkage achieved in stage three is extended upstream to suppliers and down stream to customers. It represents true supply chain integration. This concept is also called ‘co-managed inventory’ (CMI).

Force of supply chain management is on trust and cooperation and the recognition that is properly managed ‘the whole cane be greater then the sum of its part’.

These refer to means by which inventories are managed. Inventories exist at every stage of the supply chain as either raw material, semi-finished or finished goods. They can also be in-process between locations. Their primary purpose to buffer against any uncertainty that might exist in the supply chain. Since holding of inventories can cost anywhere between 20 to 40 percent of their value, their efficient management is critical in supply chain operations. It is long term in the sense that top management sets goals. However, most researchers have approached the management of inventory from short term perspective. These include deployment strategies (push versus pull), control policies — the determination of the optimal levels of order quantities and reorder points, and setting safety stock levels, at each stocking location. These levels are critical, since they are primary determinants of customer service levels.

5. INVENTORY CONTROL MANAGEMENT

Inventory database

An important component of inventory planning involves access to an inventory database. It is a structured framework that contains the information needed to effectively manage all items of inventory, from raw materials to finished goods. This information includes the classification and amount of inventories, demand for the items, cost to the firm for each item, ordering costs, carrying costs and other data.

The task of inventory planning can be highly complex. At the same time it rests on fundamental principles. In doing so we must understand and determine the optimal lot size that has to be ordered. The EOQ (economic order quantity) refers to the optimal order size that will result in the lowest total of order and carrying costs and ordering costs. By calculating the economic order quantity the firm attempts to determine the order size that will minimize the total inventory costs. In examination of the two curves reveals that the carrying cost curve is linear i.e. more the inventory held in any period, greater will be the cost of holding it. Ordering cost curve on the other hand is different. The ordering costs decrease with an increase in order sizes. The point where the holding cost curve i.e. the carrying cost curve and the ordering cost curve meet, represent the least total cost which is incidentally the economic order quantity or optimum quantity.

PRODUCTIVITY

In the industries there will be a competitor who will be a low cost producer and will have greater sales volume in that sector. This is partly due to economies of scale, which enable fixed costs to spread over a greater volume but more particularly to the impact of the experience curve.

It is possible to identify and predict improvements in the rate of output of workers as they become more skilled in the processes and tasks on which they work. Bruce Henderson extended this concept by demonstrating that all costs, not just production costs, would decline at a given rate as volume increased. This cost decline applies only to value added, i.e. costs other than bought in supplies. Traditionally it has been suggested that the main route to cost reduction was by gaining greater sales volume and there can be no doubt about the close linkage between relative market share and relative costs. However it must also be recognized that logistics management can provide a multitude of ways to increase efficiency and productivity and hence contribute significantly to reduced unit costs.
In today’s more turbulent environment there is no longer any possibility of manufacturing and marketing acting independently of each other. It is now generally accepted that the need to understand and meet customer requirements is a prerequisite for survival. At the same time, in the search for improved cost competitiveness, manufacturing management has been the subject of massive renaissance. The last decade has seen the rapid introduction of flexible manufacturing systems, of new approaches to inventory based on materials requirement planning (MRP) and just in time (JIT) methods, a sustained emphasis on quality.
Equally there has been a growing recognition of the critical role that procurement plays in creating and sustaining competitive advantage as part of an integrated logistics process.

In this scheme of things, logistics is therefore essentially an integrative concept that seeks to develop a system wide view of the firm. It is fundamentally a planning concept that seeks to create a framework through which the needs of the manufacturing strategy and plan, which in turn link into a strategy and plan for procurement.

Inventory Flow:

The management of logistics is concerned with the movement and storage of materials and finished products. Logistical operations start with the initial shipment of a material or component part from a supplier and are finalized when a manufactured or processed product is delivered to a customer. From the initial purchase of a material or component, the logistical process adds value. By moving inventory when and where needed. Thus the material gains value at each step. For a large manufacturer, logistical operations may consist of thousands of movements, which ultimately culminate in the delivery of the product to an industrial user, wholesaler, dealer or customer. Similarly for a retailer, logistical operations may commence with the procurement of products for resale and may terminate with consumer pickup or delivery.

The significant point is that regardless of the size or type of the enterprise, logistics is useful and requires continuous management attention.

INVENTORY- related costs

Inventory carrying cost (ICC):

-Tax
-Storage
-Capital
-Insurance
-Obsolescence
-Ordering:
-Communication
-Processing, including material
-handling and packaging
-Update activities, including
-receiving and date-processing

Basic Inventory Decisions

There are two basic decisions that must be made for every item that is maintained in inventory. These decisions have to do with the timing of orders for the item and the size of orders for the item.

RELEVANT INVENTORY COSTS

Item Costs, Holding Costs, Ordering Costs, Shortage Costs,
Direct cost for getting an item. Purchase cost for outside orders, manufacturing cost for internal orders. Costs associated with carrying items in inventory. Storage and other related costs. Fixed costs associated with placing an order (either a purchase cost for outside orders, or a setup cost for internal orders). Costs associated with not having enough inventory to meet demand.

EOQ:

The EOQ can be calculated with the help of a mathematical formula. Following assumptions are implied in the calculation:
1. Constant or uniform demand- although the EOQ model assumes constant demand, demand may vary from day to day. If demand is not known in advance- the model must be modified through the inclusion of safe stock.
2. Constant unit price- the EOQ model assumes that the purchase price per unit of material will remain unaltered irrespective of the order offered by the suppliers to include variable costs resulting from quantity discounts, the total costs in the EOQ model can be redefined.
3. Constant carrying costs- unit carrying costs may very substantially as the size of the inventory rises, perhaps decreasing because of economies of scale or storage efficiency or increasing as storage space runs out and new warehouses have to be rented.
4. Constant ordering cost- this assumption is generally valid. However any violation in this respect can be accommodated by modifying the EOQ model in a manner similar to the one used for variable unit price.
5. Instantaneous delivery- if delivery is not instantaneous, which is generally the case; the original EOQ model must be modified through the inclusion of a safe stock.
6. Independent orders- if multiple orders result in cost saving by reducing paper work and the transportation cost, the original EOQ model must be further modified. While this modification is somewhat complicated, special EOQ models have been developed to deal with it.
These assumptions have been pointed out to illustrate the limitations of the basic EOQ model and the ways in which it can be easily modified to compensate for them.

The formula for the EOQ model is:
2 M Co
S Cc

Where M = is the annual demand
Co is the cost of ordering
Cc is the inventory carrying cost
S = is the unit price of an item.
Limitations of the EOQ formula-
1. Erratic changes usages- the formula presumes the usage of materials is both predictable and evenly distributed. When this is not the case, the formula becomes useless.
2. Faulty basic information- order cost varies from commodity to commodity and the carrying cost can vary with the company’s opportunity cost of capital. Thus the assumption that the ordering cost and the carrying cost remains constant is faulty and hence EOQ calculations are not correct.
3. Costly calculations: the calculation required to find out EOQ is extremely time consuming. More elaborate formulae are even more expensive. In many cases, the cost of estimating the cost of possession and acquisition and calculating EOQ exceeds the savings made by buying that quantity.
4. No formula is a substitute for common sense- sometimes the EOQ may suggest that we order a particular commodity every week (six-year supply) based on the assumption that we need it at the same rate for the next six years. However we have to order it in the quantities according to our judgment. Some items can be ordered every week; some can be ordered monthly, depends on how feasible it is for the firm.
5. EOQ ordering must be tempered with judgment- Sometimes guidelines provide a conflict in ordering. Where an order strategy conflicts with an operational goal, order strategy restrictions should be developed to permit honoring the goal.

Quantity discounts: In the EOQ analysis, it has been assumed that material prices and transportation costs were constant factors for the range of order quantities considered. In practice, some situations occur in which the delivered unit cost of a material decreases significantly if a slightly larger quantity than the originally computed EOQ is purchased. Quantity discounts, freight rate schedules and price increases may create such situations. These additional variables can also be included in the formula.

Cost of carrying inventory:

Carrying material in inventory is expensive. A number of studies indicated that the annual cost of carrying a production inventory averaged approximately 25% of the value of the inventory. The escalating and volatile cost of money has escalated the annual inventory carrying cost to a figure between 25% – 35% of the value of the inventory. The following five elements make up this cost:
1) Opportunity cost (12% -20%)
2) Insurance cost (2% – 4%)
3) Property taxes (1% – 3%)
4) Storage costs (1%- 3%)
5) Obsolescence and deterioration (4% – 10%)
Total carrying cost (20% – 40%)

Let us briefly look into these costs:

Opportunity cost of invested funds

When a firm uses money to buy production material and keeps it in the inventory, it simply has this much less cash to spend for other purposes. Money invested in external securities or in productive equipment earns a return for the company. Thus it is logical to charge all money invested in inventory an amount equal to that it could earn elsewhere in the company. This is the opportunity cost associated with inventory investment.

Insurance cost

Most firms insure the assets against possible losses from fire and other forms of damage.

Property taxes

This is levied on the assessed value of a firm’s assets, the greater the inventory value, the greater the asset value and consequently the higher the firm’s tax bill.

Storage costs

The warehouse is depreciated every year over the length of its life. This cost can be charged against the inventory occupying the space.

Obsolescence and deterioration

In most inventory operations, a certain percentage of the stock spoils, is damaged, is pilfered, or eventually becomes obsolete. A certain number always takes place even if they are handled with utmost care.

Generally speaking, this group of carrying costs rises and falls nearly proportionately to the rise and fall of the inventory level.

The ABC Classification:

Indicators that classifies a material as an A,B or C part according to its consumption value .The classification process is known as the ABC analysis.
The three indictors have the following meanings:
A-important part , high consumption value
B-less important , medium consumption value
C-relatively unimportant part , low consumption value

The ABC classification system is to grouping items according to annual sales volume, in an attempt to identify the small number of items that will account for most of the sales volume and that are the most important ones to control for effective inventory management.

Reorder Point: The inventory level R in which an order is placed where R = D.L, D = demand rate (demand rate period (day, week, etc), and L = lead time.

Safety Stock: Remaining inventory between the times that an order is placed and when new stock is received. If there are not enough inventories then a shortage may occur.
Safety stock is a hedge against running out of inventory. It is an extra inventory to take care on unexpected events. It is often called buffer stock. The absence of inventory is called a shortage.

ABC Inventory Classification

The ABC classification process is an analysis of a range of items, such as finished products or customers into three categories: A – outstandingly important; B – of average importance; C – relatively unimportant as a basis for a control scheme. Each category can and sometimes should be handled in a different way, with more attention being devoted to category A, less to B, and less to C.

Inventory Control Application: The ABC classification system is to grouping items according to annual sales volume, in an attempt to identify the small number of items that will account for most of the sales volume and that are the most important ones to control for effective inventory management.

Break-even analysis depends on the following variables:
1. Selling Price per Unit: The amount of money charged to the customer for each unit of a product or service.
2. Total Fixed Costs: The sum of all costs required to produce the first unit of a product. This amount does not vary as production increases or decreases, until new capital expenditures are needed.
3. Variable Unit Cost: Costs that vary directly with the production of one additional unit.
Total Variable Cost The product of expected unit sales and variable unit cost, i.e., expected unit sales times the variable unit cost.
4. Forecasted Net Profit: Total revenue minus total cost. Enter Zero (0) if you wish to find out the number of units that must be sold in order to produce a profit of zero (but will recover all associated costs)

Break-Even Point in siemens: Number of units that must be sold in order to produce a profit of zero (but will recover all associated costs). In other words, the break-even point is the point at which your product stops costing you money to produce and sell, and starts to generate a profit for your company.
where:
Q = Break-even Point, i.e., Units of production (Q),
FC = Fixed Costs,
VC = Variable Costs per Unit
UP = Unit Price
Therefore,
Break-Even Point Q = Fixed Cost / (Unit Price – Variable Unit Cost)

Stock control and inventory

Stock control, otherwise known as inventory control, is used to show how much stock you have at any one time, and how you keep track of it.
It applies to every item you use to produce a product or service, from raw materials to finished goods. It covers stock at every stage of the production process, from purchase and delivery to using and re-ordering the stock.

Efficient stock control allows you to have the right amount of stock in the right place at the right time. It ensures that capital is not tied up unnecessarily, and protects production if problems arise with the supply chain.

Supply chain vendor management inventory:

Allows supply chain partners to share critical order, demand and inventory information in real-time and uses both integrated and web based applications to reduce administration costs, shortening cycle times and help lower inventory levels. Our unique, managed supply hub requires little upfront investment, yet quickly starts delivering high performance in real time

Inventory Control Overview

Normal Inventory

As it sounds, this type of inventory item will be used for the majority of your parts. It will correctly track the inventory received and sold on a first in first out basis, will handle cost of sales, and will warn you when you’re out of stock.

Non-Inventory Type

This is used for selling things that are not really inventory items. For example, you could be selling warranty, but because you don’t have warranty in a box to sell, and you’ll never run out of stock, you won’t need to keep inventory control on it. As well, there is no cost of sale adjustments with non-stock items. The system will not calculate how much you paid for the item, and therefore will not try to remove that value from inventory in the general ledger. If you are selling something that does cost you money, you will have to handle these details manually.

Labor Parts

You (probably) don’t have technicians hanging from hooks in your back room, so like non-inventory items, the system will not try to remove them from inventory when you sell a labor item. The two differences between Non-Inventory items an Labor items are that you can optionally have the system ask you for the technician code that did the work so that you can print reports showing who did what work. As well, the system will optionally ask for a comment to explain what was done so that the description of the service work can be printed on the invoice.

Note too that you can optionally keep track of how much time was spent and how much time was billed for on a per job basis. At the end of the month, you can then print technician productivity reports to compare total time spent compared to billable hours. In the automotive industry, some mechanics can do the work faster than is what is billed because the billing is based on industry standards.

Consignment Items

Consignments can be used to keep track of inventory that you don’t own, but at the time you sell it, you must pay for it. You’ll be able to generate several reports, including a list of inventory that is on consignment but not sold and a list of inventory sold on consignment, but not yet paid for.

Floor Plan Inventory

Floor planning is very similar to consignment, except that you take possession and own the inventory when you receive it, but you don’t have to pay for it until it’s sold, or until it’s been in the store for a negotiated period of time. However, you do own the inventory and do have to pay for it sometime.

Some floor planning companies want the ability to check the inventory serial number by serial number for the larger items, and others may just want to count the number of each model number on hand. Regardless, Windward System Five can handle it.

On the accounts payable side, you will be able to keep track of who you owe the money too (Floor Planning Company) and who you actually bought the inventory from (Supplier) and generate proper histories of each.

Tire Inventory

Windward System Five has the ability to sort and categorize tires by their size, aspect ratio and rim size. In addition, you will also be able to search for the tires by just entering in some of the search criteria and having the system bring up a window of all matches.

When the list brings up a list of tires that can all fit the vehicle, the system can sort the list to show the items with the highest quantity in stock at the top of the list and the items that are out of stock at the bottom of the list. This will help you sell what you actually have to sell instead of creating special orders.

Product Inventory

Products are items such as vehicles that you might service or repair after selling them to the customer. That is, they are an item in the database that can be sold, and when sold, are automatically added to the customer’s list of products that can be worked on.

Examples are vehicles, trucks, recreational vehicles, fridges, air conditioners, and chainsaws. The system will let you keep additional information on these products, such as make, model, year, and other comments, and will also be able to list all the work or repairs performed between two dates.

Windward System Five can also track whole goods such as recreational vehicles by keeping track of the cost of the item before the sale, add ones and pre-delivery inspection items. In addition, the system can generate a “wash out” report one level deep to show the costs and income associated with the trade in.

Serialized Inventory

Those items that need to be tracked by their serial numbers can be marked as serialized inventory. For example, fridges, stoves, computers, and chainsaws might all be serialized. Note that if you plan on servicing these items in the future and keeping track of all work you do on them, they should be entered as products instead of serial numbers.

TYPES OF INVENTORY

Several different types of inventories are conducted, depending upon the type of materiel involved and type of information needed. Bulkhead-to-Bulkhead Inventory

A bulkhead-to-bulkhead inventory is a physical count of all stock materiel within the ship or within a specific storeroom.A bulkhead-to-bulkhead inventory of a specific storeroom is taken when a random sampling inventory of that storeroom fails to meet the inventory accuracy rate of 90 percent when directed as a result of a supply management inspection (SMI). It is also taken when directed by the commanding officer or when circumstances clearly indicate that it is essential to effective inventory control.

Specific Commodity Inventory

The specific commodity inventory is a physical count of all items under the same cognizance symbol, FSC, or that support the same operational function, such as- boat spares, electron tubes, boiler tubes, or fire brick. This inventory is taken under the same conditions as a bulkhead- to-bulkhead inventory; however, prior knowledge of specific stock numbers and item location is required to conduct a specific commodity inventory

Special Materiel Inventory

A special materiel inventory requires the physical count of all items that, because of their physical characteristics, costs, mission essentiality, and criticality, are specifically designated for separate identification and inventory control. Special materiel inventories include, but are not limited to, stocked items designated as classified or hazardous. Special materiel inventories also include controlled equipage and presentation silver

Advantage Inventory Control

The Inventory Control gives you the ability to handle your inventory your way. As one of the most flexible and comprehensive modules in the Advantage, you can choose the level of control that best suits your specific business needs. Your inventory can be valued on a LIFO, FIFO or Average cost basis. You can choose to use parts explosions, serialized inventory, parts allocations, vendors, warehouses and an audit trail. The system can also track the quantity sold for each item for the last 12 months and, using this data, provides a sales analysis report to help you better manage your stock. Financing is aided by the serialized aged report that shows which serialized items have been in your inventory the longest and how much you have outstanding. Pricing can be standardized by rounding to a given factor or by being set to a specific suffix. With the Below Minimum report, reordering stock is automatic and accurate. Inventory Control is a stand–alone module that can also be integrated with Purchase Orders, Point of Sale, Billing/Order Entry, Job Cost, Time Billing and Quick Sale.
21–character alphanumeric item number field
Lookup on item number, item description (21 characters) and group (15 character) fields
Tracks serialized items
Allows for superseded, preceded and substitute items
Unlimited additional descriptions can be added to items
Handles markup and gross profit cost basis
Can automatically update item pricing and discounts
Handles core pricing
Produces a re–order report based on minimum stock quantities
Tracks unlimited vendors per item and recommends a ‘best’ vendor
Tracks allocations including explosion allocations
Up to 254 discounts per item, including quantity break discounts
Unit conversions can be defined for each item for both buying and selling quantities
Allows for warehouse transfers and other quantity adjustments
Set up special sale dates for item discounting

Produces physical inventory forms
Imports physical inventory and received quantities from data collected with hand-held computers
Provides up to 255 levels of parts explosion to allow you to identify all components of your assembled stock
Automatically updates cost and price on explosion items based on subassembly changes
• Reports the best and worst selling items in each of eight different categories
• Tracks items by location or quantity in multiple warehouses
• Can automatically generate items based on a template item
• Utilizes Rapid Entry to facilitate entry of item data

Disadvantages:

• conveyor needs to be slightly declined for carton movement (one way);

• may require addition of powered booster units in some applications;

• cannot be used for inter-floor movement except for down travel;

• goods need to be manually pushed when horizontal;

• no positive control over moving carton;

• produces line pressure when accumulating.
• Require efficiency of land

We propose a method for valuing new, recoverable, and recovered assemblies (products, components, parts, etc.) in production systems with reverse logistics. Values of assemblies influence their opportunity holding cost rates and are hence essential for comparing inventory strategies in average cost models. We argue that the proposed method is ‘correct’ from a discounted cash flow (DCF) point of view. We refer to some previous results on valuing assemblies in systems without disassembly of returned products that seem to confirm this. Furthermore, we test the method for a specific example with disassembly of returned products. The simulation results indicate that the method indeed leads to (nearly) DCF optimal inventory strategies.

Packaging

In siemens, with its large product volumes, low margins and fierce competition, is constantly seeking efficiency improvements in its supply chain. The grocery retail industry uses an immense amount of packaging and is directly affected by packaging logistics activities. There is, therefore, a potential for efficiency improvements in the grocery retail supply chain through the integration and development of new systems of packaging and logistics. Packaging handling is identified as one of the main activities that has a strong impact on the overall logistical cost of chain. This research article investigates packaging handling evaluation methods and discusses how these are employed to benefit the industry from the industry, have been used to evaluate packaging and logistics activities. This work, together with a literature review, was used to identify the need for evaluative methods and the present availability of such methods. The results indicated a lack of sufficient and usable packaging handling evaluation methods in today’s grocery and packaging industry especially from a logistical point of view. The paper also highlights the lack of systematization among the few methods used and discusses how these can be used to build a systematic and multifunctional evaluation model in order to utilize the information from different studies to build a knowledge base for the future

Vendor-Managed Inventory

Siemens is a leading global manufacturer, focused on delivering operational services to high-tech companies, needed to take advantage of vendor-managed inventory (VMI) postponement and optimal fulfillment solutions to stay competitive in its low-margin manufacturing marketplace. Its objective was to find ways to reduce inventory redundancy, improve customer responsiveness by reduced cycle times and simplify supplier management and procurement administration. The manufacturer also needed to augment existing infrastructure, while reducing investments in additional personnel, facilities and systems

Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI)

Vendor Managed Inventory supports the efficient flow of materials into the market. Working closely with you and your suppliers, we automate the forecast management process with Web-based software that enables the flow of supply to more accurately mirror store – and even shelf-level – demand.
Move your inventory in and out of our distribution centers and manage demand planning. We can store and stage product for replenishment at our often freeing or limited store rooms. We provide forecast visibility, comparing actual demand against DC-on-hand, store-on-hand and in-transit inventory. When store or inventory falls below pre-determined levels, auto alerts are sent to you and your supplier to prompt replenishment.

Advanced Shipping Notices (ASNs) provide detail on in-transit inventory from suppliers so you have visibility to inventory deeper into the supply chain. This allows for confident commitment to orders based on this inbound flow.
Postpone inventory ownership until shipment to your site. Once your inventory is moved to the we work with your suppliers to transition inventory ownership until demand occurs.
Perform value-added services, allowing you to more efficiently manage the flow of goods into manufacturing or directly to market.

Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI)

Vendor Managed Inventory by Kuehne + Nagel supports the efficient flow of materials into the market. Working closely with you and your suppliers, we automate the forecast management process with Web-based software that enables the flow of supply to more accurately mirror store – and even shelf-level – demand.
Move your inventory in and out of our distribution centers and manage demand planning with Web-based applications. We can store and stage prod
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Source by Neha Ashani

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How to Reset GM Theft lock Radio’s

Article Disclaimer: This article is meant to be used by Delco Radio owners  to reset there radios. In no way is it meant to be used for any unethical or unlawful ways.

Purpose

The following instructions will allow you to reset any GM (General Motors), Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Buick, Pontiac theft lock radio.

Requirements

The theft lock radio must be in “LOC” mode.

Procedure:

1. Turn the ignition ON (The radio should display “LOC”)

2. Hold down the Radio Presets 2 and 3 buttons for six seconds

3. The radio display changes from LOC to a three-digit number. Write this number down. You now have fifteen seconds to complete the next step.

4. Press the AM/FM button

5. The radio display changes to another three-digit number. Write this number to the right of the first one.

6. You now have a six-digit number, the first three digits are from STEP 03 and the last three digits are form STEP 05

7. Call 1-800-537-5140

8. Press 1 then # (pound). You’ll hear “Invalid Code, try again”

9. Press 139010 or 106010 or 206010 or 202107 then # (pound). You will be asked to enter your four or six digit code followed by *

10. Enter the number from STEP 6 then *

11. Listen to the four-digit number and write it down. It will be repeated twice

12. Turn the ignition ON (The radio displays LOC)

13. Use the MN and HR buttons to enter the code from STEP 11

14. Press the AM/FM button. The radio display changes to “SEC”. Your radio is now “un-locked” and usable.

Dealership Codes

• 139010
• 106010
• 206010
• 202107

Troubleshooting

If you fail to enter the correct code eight times, the radio goes into INOP mode. You have to wait an hour with the ignition on before the radio returns to LOC mode.

To Read the original article or read similar articles please visit http://old.kingbain.com/how-to/unlock-gm-theftlock-radio-s.html

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Source by John Bain

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Today’s Alternative Fuel Car Advantages

The world over is now taking seriously the problems of airborne toxins due to the relentless pollution of our planet. We now understand the repercussions of our past, and are troubled about global warming and our protective ozone layer. Corporations and governments must now study the effect that long-term use of petrol has had on our globe. A good way to help our planet is to start manufacturing alternative fuel cars, these include vehicles that produce much less or zero carbon emissions of petroleum.

Alternative fuel cars have financial benefits making them more popular. Folks are saving more wealth operating and owning them, not wasting their wallets at the pumps. Some alternative fuels used are ethanol, propane, solar, and battery, just to mention a few. For those that have large 4×4 pick-up trucks and treasure the feel of horsepower under the hood, don’t worry! Installing a extra fuel conversion kit is not as difficult as it may seem, or as expensive as you may imagine. Wouldn’t it be great to keep your dream machine rolling without keeping your eyes faithful to the fuel gauge?

With alternative fuel cars, you will reap many more miles to the gallon, and also be helping the future generations with your contribution. Going environmental is becoming a new way of course for many of us. The production of alternative fuel cars may be just the rise of a new world of transportation. Automotive industries must lead the new fight to help reserve our globe and alter prior destruction.

The sale of alternative fuel cars can also earn the patron a tax bonus, depending on the government. This influence is helping out a lot of people when it comes time to purchase a modern vehicle, or when they trade their old one in.

Find out how you can run your car on water and save on gas at this link Use Water Instead of Gas
or visit Todays Alternative Fuel Car Advantages

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Source by Preggie Mom

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Moving is a tedious process as it gives the movers stress and fatigue. Aside from moving, the rental cost of the vehicle might give you a headache in paying for the relocation costs and shipping expenses.

The best way to do is to rent a cheap moving truck. Many companies offer this kind of rental service to serve those customers who are seeking lower rental cost. You can find several relocation companies that offer moving coupons, which can be a big help for the total payment deductions.

Coupons will not just offer discounts on truck rentals but also render special services on the relocation. However, you should not solely depend on the moving coupons that the rental company provides. You should also consider other factors that will help you find a cheap moving truck rental while at the same time provides an enjoyable moving experience.

It is better to inquire different companies. Through this wide selection of companies, you can see their rental services as well as the payment difference.

Fill up several quotes and if you have selected the best company, contact them and tell them to reserve a rental truck for you in advance. This will avoid future rental charges as you and the company have closed a shipment deal.

Never relocate on weekends or winter seasons, as this will charge you moving fees because of the trucks availability in these seasons. Remember that if there is a high demand in truck and the availability of this vehicle is limited, the more expensive it will cost you.

In renting a vehicle, consider your moving necessities. Do not rent a truck with too much loading capacity while you only have little furniture to carry.

This will also cost you some rental fees as the relocation payments vary by truck sizes.

And while you are waiting upon the moving day, throwing away the things that you are not using anymore is not an option. It is a practical tip to have a garage sale of such things. This will help you save some money to cover your other expenses.

When it comes to the moving option, a self-service moving can be a big help for having a cheap moving truck rental. The payment shall only be the transportation of your belongings from one place to another.

Many movers are always asking if hiring a cheap truck rental will keep their belongings safe. You just need to carefully analyze the credibility of the company where you want to rent a truck.

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Source by Ramir

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Right off the bat, it’s easier to buy a used pellet stove than a new one simply because you have fewer choices. But lack of choice doesn’t have to mean lack of quality. I’m sure the owner of the used pellet stove you’re looking at believed it was the best possible choice at that time.

Whether you’re looking for a used, or even a new pellet stove, the information that follows will make you a smarter consumer.

Visit Your Local Building Department

Installing a wood or pellet stove usually requires a building permit. While you’re picking up your permit application, tell the person helping you the type of heating appliance you plan to install and ask what kind of additional documentation, if any, is required. This is especially important if you own a mobile or modular home.

When I talked to the City of Quincy building department, they said a product brochure with clearance and venting information would be helpful. You can get all this information by visiting the stove manufacturer’s website, downloading the owner’s manual and printing it out.

Choose Your Fuel and Stove Size

If you live in the Corn Belt, the choice of fuel is obvious. If you live in the Northeast, the fuel of choice is wood pellets. Since fuel corn is “imported” to the Northeast, the price of wood pellets is competitive with corn. Wood pellet fuel is also becoming a common commodity in home improvement stores as more home owners in this region purchase wood pellet stoves.

You don’t need a big stove to save big. Most of the used corn and wood pellet stoves I’ve seen produce 35,000-45,000 btus – enough to heat a typical 1,200 square foot ranch or the main living areas of a two story home.

If you can get a good deal on a larger, 50-60,000 btu stove, one of these will work great too since these high output models come equipped with 5 heat settings ranging from a low of 8,000 btus for chilly days, to max power for the coldest weather.

Look for These Features and Extras:

Electronic ignition

Just because you’re buying a used pellet stove doesn’t mean you should return to the dark ages of pellet stove heating with gel starters. Frankly, I wouldn’t buy a stove without electronic ignition.

Large hopper capacity

A standard size hopper holds 40 pounds of pellet fuel. This is enough fuel to heat your home for 20-30 hours. A larger capacity hopper, although not necessary, adds convenience by requiring less frequent fillings.

Heat output controls

During the months that transition in and out of the heating season, you won’t need the full heating capacity of your pellet stove. A heat output control will ensure maximum comfort from minimal fuel. Heat output controls can take the form of a thermostat, hi/lo blower, or variable speed auger that controls the rate pellets are fed into the burn pot.

Air washing system

Believe it or not, the #1 complaint people have with pellet stoves is dirty viewing glass. An air washing system, now standard on many new pellet stoves, removes the fly ash from the viewing window and eliminates frequent cleaning.

Extras

Many sellers of used pellet stoves include the venting pipe, hearth pad, log set, and any left over pellet fuel in the purchase price. These extras can add up to hundreds of dollars in additional savings.

Where to Find a Used Pellet Stove

Start with craigslist. Since most used pellet stove sellers offer pick up only, craigslist enables you to refine your search by City or State. This is a big time saver. A recent check in the Boston area turned up 12 used stoves within a 50 mile radius of my home.

ebay has plenty of listings too, you just won’t find as many local sellers as you will on craigslist. When I narrowed the ebay search results to a 50 mile radius of my zip code using the Search Option function, it returned only 1 seller.

However, ebay will conveniently notify you by email whenever a new listing pops up and it’s possible to delay payment for 3 months by using their credit card.

Search tip: A search on either craigslist or ebay will turn up MORE used pellet stoves if you use the term “pellet stove” rather than the narrower “used pellet stove.” Also try “pellet”, “wood pellet”, or the brand name.

How Much Can I Expect to Save?

Generally speaking, the higher the original retail price, the more you will save percentage wise. Stoves that sold for $3,000 new can often be purchased used at savings of 50-70%. Stoves priced new under $2,000 seem to depreciate less.

Delivery

If you choose to pay for delivery, call a shipper like Yellow Truck or a courier service to make arrangements. If you buy from an ebay seller willing to ship the stove, a freight shipping calculator is provided on the sales page.

No matter who ships your stove, make the sure the truck they send has a lift gate so you can get your 300 pound stove off the truck.

Installation

Most cities and towns require a licensed pro to complete the installation. If you’re an experienced home owner, finding one shouldn’t be a problem. If you’re new to home ownership, I recommend a service like Need a Contractor for a list of pre-screened contractors is your area.

Contact the Seller

Don’t hesitate to contact the seller with any questions you might have. He or she can be especially helpful in determining whether the used pellet stove for sale is still under warranty.

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Source by Sam Streubel

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In the summer of 1998, I made a trip on a motorcycle that many people would consider a dream to be lived. Add to this the fact that I did this as an act of my employment with all expenses paid for almost seven weeks. Since I had 4 weeks vacation and found most vacation boring, I offered my employer my 4 weeks vacation if they would allow me to travel on my motorcycle to visit as many constituents as I could on their behalf. They accepted that trade.

My job was to visit as many donors and potential donors as I possibly could for Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. For this feat, I enlisted a turquoise and white 1994 Harley-Davidson Wide Glide with thunderous pipes that always caused seniors and the middle-aged to recall all the curse words they could think of. I loaded up a giant T-bag that probably weighed 75 pounds with clothes for every occasion and perched it behind me on the passenger seat for a backrest. On the morning of June 22, 1998, I roared down my Holland, Michigan, driveway and raced for a dinner in York, Nebraska, that night, 753 miles down the pike. York is about 100 miles into the state, 50 miles beyond Lincoln, on I-80. US 81, a major highway that goes from Oklahoma to Canada, crossroads right through York. The town is almost 97% Caucasian and rural. There are lots of Germans out in this area. It sits at the front door of the Great Plains and is flat as a pancake. Head west out of York on a sunny day and the sky will open before you like a Cinema as you sit on a 2-lane concrete slab as straight as an arrow.

I had made this trip out to York scores of times to see a certain unmarried farmer who lit one cigarette off the previous one, ate Texas toast and t-bone steak every night of his life, and poured stiff black coffee down his throat like somebody who was having a heat stroke. Then he would go home with a belly full of caffein, meat, and smoke and sleep as if he were in a coma. The passenger seat floor in his car or truck was piled high with coffee cups and cigarette butts beneath a dashboard carpeted with brown dust. Driving to Chicago for him was like driving into a nest of cobras in Calcutta. He loathed every second of it. Sitting alone on a tractor or pounding down another steak and coffee in a fly-infested cafe with pickup trucks tied up in front in a joint called Sutton, Nebraska, was the same thing as Disneyland to him. He owned a a Blue Heeler that would sit next to him in the pickup and menacingly stare down every car that came down the highway. As the car approached, the dog’s head would lower and his eyes would bead in on it. When the vehicle passed, the dog’s head would whip to the left for the final challenge as if he were saying, “I thought so.” I visited several people in Des Moines, Iowa, on the way to him, and when I got there, I could barely hold my eyes open during the dinner while he nearly strangled himself on a 20 ounce t-bone, a chuck wagon of coffee, and enough cigarettes to finish off a cancer ward.

The next morning I rolled down that I-80 slab over the same terrain that 50,000 covered wagons a year used to travel in the 1850’s and entered the main gate of the Oregon Trail at Kearney, Nebraska, which was named after Stephen Kearny who is called “the father of the United States Cavalry.” Between 1843 and 1869, over half a million men, women, and children rode and walked the trails through here to the West Coast. All roads to Oregon converged here in Kearney, a natural highway through Nebraska and the easiest part of the journey to Oregon. There were no bridges, no stores or homes, no food except the buffaloes, no roads except those they made with their wagons, and few primitive and uncertain sign posts indicating a precarious way along the Oregon Trail. Just before reaching Kearney, straddling over I-80 is a huge arch and museum called The Great Platte River Road Archway. A stop there will orient the uninformed of what is beneath their feet. There were many places a hundred miles or so further back where the Oregon Trail emigrants first launched their journey from the eastern banks of the Missouri River within the states of Missouri and Iowa, but all these trail tributaries flowed into one at Fort Kearney, which is considered the official starting point of The Oregon Trail. I have traveled by motorcycle over some of these routes on the way to Kearney and have seen forgotten, weed-covered grave sites of people who died on their journey. In fact, the Oregon Trial has been called the world’s longest graveyard. They say that there is a grave site about every 229 feet on average of those who died on their way to Oregon, a 2,170 mile, 4-6 month journey that only covered about 20 miles a day. Most of them abandoned almost everything they owned and saved themselves by walking into Oregon with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. They drowned at river crossings, starved and died of thirst, were run over by their wagons or trampled by their livestock, fell to poisonous snake bites, and were victims by the thousands to disease, especially the dreaded cholera that stalked them along the length of the Trail and generally killed a person in just hours. There were years when large scale cholera epidemics broke out on the trail population and swept them away, some wagon trains losing two-thirds of their people. All of them were also loaded to the teeth with guns and ammunition and suffered self-inflicted wounds from dropping their firearms and similar accidents. Weather and violent thunderstorms with baseball sized hail took some. Just be out here when a summer storm strikes, and you will understand. In a few parts of the state of Nebraska where not every inch of the trail has been plowed under, you can still see swales in the land where hundreds of thousands of wagons had left their marks on the soil as their wheels rolled together in each other’s ruts. You have to get off the main roads and onto the tractor roads through the cornfields to see these places. There are books in libraries that list hundreds of these spots with exact location details along with cemetery markers.

Stage coaches on their way back and forth to California carried Mark Twain and Horace Greeley over this very same road where I-80 now lies. The Pony Express raced over this exact same path for a year and a half in 1860-61, and the transcontinental railroad came right behind them in the late1860‘s. Most people go into Nebraska and see absolutely nothing. If they are heading West on I-80, they cross the bridge into Nebraska and are greeted by mile marker 454, and their hearts sink, thinking they are about to endure the most boring ride in America. But all you have to do is read The Great Platte River Road by Merrill J. Mattes that the state of Nebraska published a few years ago or Nothing Like It in the World by Stephen Ambrose, or Roughing It by Mark Twain. You will never see Nebraska the same way again. Like me, you will just stop and sit on a lonely road off the Interstate on a warm day and imagine the ghosts of history passing before you. Many journalists of those Oregon Trail days recorded that by the end of the route in Nebraska, they would pass huge piles of household goods in the form of dressers, sewing machines, stoves, tables, chairs, books, and hope chests stacked high on the Great Plains that the emigrants threw off to lighten their loads and save their lives. Nobody picked them up.

Further out and down the road in Ogallala, the Oregon Trail branches off to the northwest along US 26 and heads up to Scotts Bluff, right next to the eastern wall of Wyoming. Out in this remote section, you will feel as if you are as deep in the West and as desolate as you can get as you approach Ash Hollow, Courthouse Rock, Chimney Rock, and Scotts Bluff, four of the most famous stops on the Oregon Trail. Nebraska is one of my favorite states.

The green of Iowa and Nebraska morphed into the brown desert of western Nebraska and eastern Colorado when I forked onto I-76 toward Denver. Soon the tops of the Rockies began to peak over the horizon. I took US 34 off of I-76 and was soon greeted by the fragrant stock yards, dairy farms, and hog farms that preceded Greeley-Loveland where I spent a couple of days eating and laughing with dairy men, friends, contractors, and others related to agriculture. Greeley is midway between Denver and Cheyenne, Wyoming, and is about 50 miles NNE of the Mile High City. Greeley was named in honor of the legendary reformer Horace Greeley who was the founder and “the greatest editor of his day” of the most influential newspaper in the United States from the 1840’s to the 1870’s, The New York Tribune. The Tribune had high moral standards, good taste, and intellectual appeal. It also barred scandals from its pages. Greeley was an odd character with many extreme views both socially and politically. For example, he was fascinated with utopia, socialism, and vegetarianism. But he was alsoone of the most influential Americans of the 1800’s. He promoted the Whig political party and was a founder of the newly formed Republican party in 1856. He opposed slavery but initially resisted the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. He became the Liberal Republican party candidate in the 1872 Presidential election. But his friends turned on him. He was ridiculed and mocked in a bitter campaign, his wife died just six days before the general election on November 5, and he lost in a landslide to Ulysses S. Grant, the conquering Union General during the Civil War. All this took a terrible toll on him being in poor health. He was committed to a mental institution and died November 29, 1872 at age 61. He remains the only presidential candidate to have died before the electoral votes were counted. Greeley is depicted in the film Gangs of New York.

In 1859 at the height of the California Gold Rush, Greeley took a trip West to California via the Overland Stage. He was so taken by what he saw that he became a prominent advocate of settlement of the American West. It is he to whom is attributed the famous phrase, “Go west, young man, go west.” In 1869, Greeley began to seek out and finance a location for a utopian colony – “based on temperance, religion, agriculture, education, and family values” – to promote western agricultural settlement in particular. A location was found in Eastern Colorado, and an advertisement went out in The Tribune calling for volunteers of high moral standards. 3,000 responded, but only 700 were selected. The colony was originally called The Union Colony (sometimes The Union Temperance Colony) and was later changed to Greeley. Today Greeley is all but temperate. The crime rate in Greeley is average to a little above average, and the city is infested with Hispanic gangs. But the city did remain dry until 1972 because of the provisions of the colony’s original charter in which the settlers prohibited the sale or consumption of alcohol.

One man I met in Greeley had been a school teacher up in Montana before he came there and got himself into a business filing down cow’s hooves. This was a very dangerous livelihood. He had a contraption on his truck into which the cow was reluctantly driven. When the nervous bovine was in, it would be hydraulically lifted and laid on its side on the bed of the truck. Each hoof had to be secured by a chain lest the 1500 pounds of a cow’s weight be channeled into the end of one of its rock-hard feet and delivered into the chest of the manicurist, which is exactly what happened to this man just trying to get the hooves locked. The traumatic blow to his upper torso immediately initiated a heart attack that nearly killed him.

I scooted on over to Loveland, directly west of Greeley, across I-25 and down US 34 into the heart of Loveland. Loveland is part of the Loveland-Ft. Collins metropolitan area. It has received numerous awards as a great place to live by Money Magazine, USA Today, AARP Magazine, and others. It is conservative in its politics and has a large and active population of Evangelical Christians, which is the reason why I was there. If you are a motorcycle rider, this is a great location from which to assault Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. Loveland sits just west of I-25, which comes off I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mexico and dead ends at and merges with I-90 in Buffalo, Wyoming.

When my time ended there, I mounted up the T-bag and set my eyes toward Manhattan, Montana, where a community of dedicated Christians who loved theological education lived quiet lives. But first I had to climb diagonally through the state of Wyoming and pass through Yellowstone National Park. Rather than the Interstate, I took the lovely U.S. 287 up the mountains into Southeastern Wyoming. Little did I know what was waiting for me as I crested the pass into Wyoming and headed for Laramie and Rawlins. I have traveled many thousands of miles on a motorcycle, but I have never experienced winds like I did that day. For 500 miles, gale winds slammed into the bike and me from the west southwest. The T-bag probably acted like a piece of plywood. The only way I could keep the bike up was to lean it over at a sharp angle into the steady wind wall. When a truck came at me, I had to move the bike as far to the right side of the road as possible and at just the moment when I expected the additional blast of air from the truck that could have literally blown me off the road to arrive in full-force, I shoved the handlebar to the left and drove the bike toward the left lane at a 45 degree angle to keep it up. This continued for an entire day – 460 miles up the two lanes into the freezing cold of Jackson, Hole, Wyoming.

But in the middle of that afternoon as I shoved my way up US 287, I once again came into contact with the Oregon Trail. US 287 is the longest three-digit highway in the US, 1791 miles from Port Arthur, Texas, to Choteau, Montana. In its path is the perceived midway point on the way to Oregon and the beginning of the incline up South Pass, the highest point on the Oregon Trail at the summit of an almost imperceptible approach to the Continental Divide and the lowest point on the Continental Divide between the Central Rocky Mountains and the Southern Rocky Mountains. It was a natural crossing of the Rockies, and the Indians knew about it. But it was discovered accidentally by white trappers in 1812. It was lost shortly thereafter, causing trappers to use a more northern and more difficult route with an extra mountain range. It was rediscovered again in 1824. The first wagons went over the Pass in 1832, and the first women crossed it in 1836. But between 1848 and and 1868, almost 500,000 people flowed over South Pass. Every emigrant wagon train and handcart company that went westward rolled through this Pass. There was no other way to go. No other path offered a dependable supply of grass and water plus an easy grade to and through the mountains. On crossing the Pass one pioneer woman noted that, “…we have forever taken leave of the waters running toward the home of our childhood and youth….” Two-and-a-half miles farther west the emigrants encountered Pacific Springs, the first water flowing westward. It wasn’t until 1869 when the Transcontinental railroad broke through that an easier way West was opened. I only had time to visualize thousands making their way through this wilderness with no knowledge or care of Yellowstone off to their northwest.

When I pulled into Jackson Hole, it was frigid. I collapsed, exhausted, into bed.

The next day was mild. The spectacular, jagged points of the Tetons draped with snow on my left reflected off of Grand Teton Lake like a mirror and renewed my resolve. I passed the ranger station at the south entrance of Yellowstone. Some motorcyclists I had met along the way gave me their pass for free entrance into the park. They told me it was good for another two days. When it passed the ranger’s inspection, I throttled the Harley up into the dropping temperatures of America’s first national park back in 1872 where snow showers now flew about me. Yellowstone is a powerful place. Its ambiance grips you in so many ways. 97 % of its pristine 3400 square miles and 2.2 million acres are undeveloped. If you think it is formidable during the day, be there at night.

In the summer of 2009, my wife and I worked in Yellowstone for three months. On our days off, we often traveled outside the park to distant towns and always stayed out till way after the park was closed and would then make the incredible trip back in when there was not a soul on the road. I say incredible because one night just after passing the vacant ranger station at the north entrance, I pulled over and turned the car and lights off and stepped out into the night. This is something one has to experience to get the full effect. But as I looked up into the park while coming in to the mountainous north entrance, it was pitch black. I knew there was a black mountain looking down on those who approached it, but I saw nothing. Nothing. No hint of light or friendliness of any kind. It was like Frodo Baggins approaching Mordor in Lord of the Rings. I was standing on the road next to the Yellowstone River on my left, and I could hear it roaring ominously through the unseen canyon. I looked up into the black sky briefly because I didn’t want to take my eyes off the side of the road where a foreboding shadow could mean a bear or a wolf, as they stalk prey at night. The sky was covered with a blanket of stars of various lumens with that familiar but faint milky wave of millions of them clustered together many light years away in the background. It was total blackness in every direction around me. Chills ran up my back to think what may be watching me. So like lightning I tore the car door open, fired up the motor, and roared up the road for another 50 miles into the black, boiling belly of Yellowstone over roads with faint painted lines through woods and past granite outcroppings and wisps of steam and faint sulfurous odors. There was no relief of a sense of dread till I reached Canyon Village where we worked. I had been here for six weeks and had not been all that appreciative of this place, but all it took was a ride into this dark, remote world at midnight to start to get a feel for the haunting allure of its magic. As I lay in bed in total darkness that night at 8,000 feet, I heard the mournful baying of wolves in the distance, like echoes in a Dracula movie. Yellowstone is mysterious in the morning, beautiful during the day, serene in the evening, but grippingly, terrifyingly awesome at night.

On this trip, however, I pushed through Yellowstone and dropped into Gardiner, Montana, and shot 54 miles up US 89 to Livingston and I-90, finally turning left and climbing the Bridger Mountains up to the 5712 foot Bozeman Pass towards Bozeman and dropping down into Bozeman at 4712 feet on to the plain leading to Churchill 37 miles up the slab. I was now threading the same gauntlet and hills into the Bozeman valley as Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea did in 1806 when they camped at the mouth of Kelly Canyon just three miles east of Bozeman, a beautiful college and western town surrounded by mountains. Chet Huntley of the 1950‘s NBC news cast team of The Huntley-Brinkley Report went to college here in Bozeman. Just south of here by an hour lay his biggest vision, Big Sky Ski Resort. Huntley had been born and raised in Montana and when he retired in 1970, he moved back to his home state where he conceived of, lived in, and built Big Sky. Three days before the opening ceremonies for Big Sky, Huntley died of lung cancer at age 62. After Huntley’s death, his second wife married William Conrad, the over-weight, mustached star of CBS’s Cannon detective series.

I hit the Holiday Inn Express in Belgrade, just outside of Manhattan and Amsterdam- Churchill, and set up camp here for a few days to visit and chase after the car and farm implement and motorcycle dealers, truckers, potato farmers, and many a man who drove his combine across fields choked with dust just so I could spend a few minutes with him on these parched slopes that overlooked the Gallatin Valley and driveled back into dusty valleys. This is a religious community of primarily Reformed and Christian Reformed people who sacrifice for Christian education in their community and who give a great deal of their income for that purpose and many other related causes throughout the United States. I know that some of them give anywhere from 70-90% of their income to charity. In this little community I also found one of the daughters of Evel Knievel that I used to visit briefly when I was in town. She never liked to talk much about her father, and she was deathly afraid that her small son might one day want to emulate his famous uncle, Robbie Knievel, who was also jumping over buses at the time. The man who invented the cruise control throttle clamp that many motorcyclists use to give their right wrists relief also lived in this little town in a modest house. I was also introduced to water rights and their long history in these families that have farmed seed potatoes in this land for many generations. Those water rights sustain the network of water ditches that flow like veins to give life to the crops that sustain the economy of the Manhattan-Amsterdam-Churchill community and the spread of Reformed theology throughout the world.

In a few days, I was off to my next stop, Yakima, Washington, another 591 miles. I spent the night somewhere on that route. But when I came out in the morning, there was a young fellow on a BMW who told me he was headed for Billings, Montana. I had just come from that way and knew it was a haul he was about to face. He said he would be there by dinner time. I knew he had no idea what he was talking about because the Harley I had commandeered to this spot could never have done that. It labored up mountains and was even passed by 18 wheelers as I kept shifting down. Years later I owned a BMW KRS 1200 and knew he was probably in Iowa by lunch time. That KRS 1200 would go up a mountain at 100 mph as if it was going downhill. I learned later my snail progress up a mountain on this Harley was because my bike had carburetors (not useful in these altitudes) and had one half of the horsepower of the BMW.

On I sped past Lake Cord ‘Alene, Spokane, and into the dusty and barren eastern Washington, down I-90 and into the Columbia River basin past the wild horses sculptures high on the eastern slopes. I carved south just before Ellensburg down US 97/I-82 and up and down three camel-hump mountains and wound down into Yakima. Yakima is about 85 miles from Mount St. Helens by car, but it is only 50 miles as the crow flies. In 1980 when Mount St. Helen’s erupted, it piled 4 to 5 inches of ash on Yakima. A friend of mine in Yakima gave me a jar of the gritty brown ash (more like sand) that she shoveled off her roof, off her yard, and out of her driveway that day. I still have it.

This is apple orchard country (one of the best areas in the world) because of the elevations, the cool mountain water, the irrigation systems developed by the pioneers, the lava-ash soil, the arid climate, and plenty of sunshine on the eastern slopes, unlike the western Cascades. It is also Bing and Ranier cherry country. More than 50% of the sweet cherries in the United States come from this area. I took a tour of a cherry processing plant and learned that one of my favorite cherries, the maraschino cherry found in bars and Dairy Queens, is dyed red and almond-flavored. It is also the equivalent of pepperoni, the last processed pork meat. When hogs are slaughtered, absolutely every molecule is processed and used for some kind of food. The part that no one will use for anything else becomes pepperoni on your pizza. That is what a maraschino cherry is. The  cherries that cannot be used for anything else get dyed red or green and rest in a bed of whipped cream on your Sundae or are impregnated with sugar and wait for your teeth in fruitcakes.

I had many orchardists, insurance men, dairy farmers, auctioneers, and CPA’s to talk to. Just like in Churchill, Montana, water rights here are precious intangibles. Depending on how long these farms have been in existence determines who gets the water for the crop and who doesn’t in those years when the snow fall in the Cascades is short. There is a vibrant Christian community in Yakima and the surrounding valley down through Toppenish, an Indian community painted with beautiful murals on business walls 20 miles south, to Sunnyside. If it is a good year, these are a generous people to charitable causes.

After a couple of days, I was done here. Just before lunch I started out of Yakima and back over the three humps toward Seattle. But I thought I would pull over at a factory farm stand on the north edge of town and devour a bag of Yakima’s famous Ranier cherries before assaulting the mountain. It was a hot day in the Yakima Valley. I sat up in a loading dock leaning back against a door and popping those succulent, yellow Raniers at their optimum sweetness and spitting pits out into the sandy gravel, wondering what the poor people were doing right then and thinking I had the best job on the planet. An open, lazy ride to the cool temperatures of Puget Sound over the spectacular Snoqualmie Pass lay before me. I still had a few weeks to go on this trip. I was thinking of all this while noticing that the skies were growing ominous. It was 40 miles over those camel humps. I didn’t want to get stuck up there in a storm, and I didn’t think I would if I got on the horse and flew like a madman out of there.

Since it was so warm, I didn’t think I needed anything other than what I had on, a red checkered, long-sleeve shirt I had bought from Structure. At 80 mph, I raced against the clouds coming from the east. The wind picked up and the temperature dropped as I dived into the backside of the second hump. The heavens were growing black. Creeping up that last hump with the throttle full out, splatters of rain started slamming into me. I remember looking over to my left at one woman peering unconcerned out of her car window at me while I was being thrashed with a blanket of water. By the time I reached the top of the mountain, the heavens had opened up and I was soaked through. The torrent had stopped the traffic at the top, and gullies of water and rock were rolling across the road. If that was not enough, hail began to rain down on all of us up there. I could hear it pinging off of the cars that surrounded me and my gas tank. I was stuck behind a bus and just sat there with water and hail running down over me like water from a fountain. I might as well have been sitting beneath a falls. I had to get out of there. My boots were filled with water, and I was shaking violently as the temperatures, the wind, and the water took heat from my body. I finagled the bike around some cars and between large rocks on the road as the stream flowed over the rims of my wheels. I looked for cover of any kind, but there was nothing but barren rock here at the crest of the mountain. My only option was to get down the mountain as quickly as possible and out of these winds and water and seek shelter. I was so cold that my body was taut with chills. I gripped the bars rigidly. While trying to see through the helmet, I had the presence of mind to realize I had a photo op, and I was going to take it no matter what. Somehow I got the bike to the shoulder. I climbed off. I could hear my feet sloshing in my cowboy boots. I got the straps off of the leather bags and found the camera. As traffic whizzed by, I took a shot of the bike on the dark mountain with the spray of cars washing over me. I threw my leg over the bike and felt both cold and warm water squish from under my pants. This was the only one of two times on the trip that I really wished I wasn’t there. My mistake had been that I did not have on that leather jacket. It would have weighed 70 pounds by now, but it would have spared me my hypothermic condition right then. By the time I reached the bottom, it was still pouring, and my teeth were clacking like a skeleton. I took the first exit and pulled beneath the dark freeway out in the middle of nowhere. I ripped my flannel shirt off and stood there with the hair on my body standing straight up and covered with goosebumps. The T-bag was not water-proof. I had to dig down a foot to find a dry shirt, which felt so good. Everything in the leather bags was black. Those things were useless against rain like this and the dye leaked out of them like water. I looked up and down the highway. I wanted to take my pants off in the middle of Washington to get that warm shirt feeling on my legs. But I didn’t want to get taken in by the State Police for indecent exposure while on a trip for a seminary either. However, the boots came off and I poured out glasses of water from them and stood bare-footed on the asphalt road.

After an hour or so and with my leather jacket back on – and my pants still wet – I fired up the Harley in the late afternoon chilly overcast. I had to get to Seattle before the 3000 foot Snoqualmie – the lowest and most heavily traveled east-west highway crossing the state of Washington – was enveloped with its frigid night air. I was 110 miles from Seattle, so I had to hurry. One biker wrapped in an oil-cloth duster strapped around his cowboy boots shot past me. That is not usual biker attire, but it looked good right then because it was waterproof. The air on my soaked pants made the evaporation raw on my skin. But the further I rode, the quicker it began to dry out. I rolled over Snoqualmie and came down into Issaquah miserable, freezing, and looking for a bed. I really had doubts right then about this trip. But I was 2200 miles from home by the most direct route. I landed in a Holiday Inn in Lynwood where I always stayed and slept like Rip Van Winkle.

The week was cold for July, and the next day the last thing on earth I really wanted to do was mount that motorcycle again. But I had people to see from Auburn to Camano Island to the Skagit Valley to Bellingham to Abbotsford, British Columbia. So I had to head up to Canada, cross the border, and visit a prospect. The customs officials in Canada are an austere, suspicious, and unpredictable lot. You never know what to expect from them. A few years ago I was headed to Ontario to preach the morning service in a church there when I ran into one of these border agents at the Port Huron crossing. When she asked me why I was coming into Canada, I told her the truth, which I thought was an easy ticket into Ontario. Who was going to get hyper for preaching a sermon in a church? She was. It was as if I had said that I was there to blow up Niagara Falls. She ordered me back to Michigan. I called the church to tell them I wasn’t coming, and the pastor got on the horn with her. They went around and around for awhile. Finally she relented and told me that if she sent the Ontario Provincial Police to the church while I was there, and they saw me doing ANYTHING other than preaching, I would be arrested and escorted by them back to the border. So Canadian border agents are very touchy bunch.

When I came to the border, my appearance probably triggered some misgivings. They questioned me about where I was going and why I was out there with Michigan plates. They don’t like people taking money out of Canada or bringing in free gifts that can’t be taxed. So I always had to be careful about what I said. My usual answer was that I was going to visit friends. I passed through the gate, made my call, and appeared back at the crossing within two hours. That set off alarms because coming all these miles for a two hour visit indicated a possible drug delivery. After a thorough inspection and interrogation by them, I finally headed south. In a few days, I was off again down the commuter lane one morning on I-405 for Portland, Salem, and Eugene, Oregon. I turned west on Oregon 42 south of Roseburg and wound through the mountains, falling steadily for Myrtle Point and the coast to stay a night with my wife’s sister and husband. The next day I went to Bandon – which was called one of the “Coolest Small Towns In America” by Budget Travel – and turned south again down the Oregon coast for Santa Cruz, California.

This is one of my favorite rides, 559 miles of gorgeous California coast, redwoods, mountains, quaint towns, forests, ocean views, the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, and Highway 17 over the Santa Cruz mountains past Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center and down to the northern edge of the Monterey Bay and into the retro, liberal town of Santa Cruz. My wife was from Santa Cruz and was there waiting for me. I took a vacation for a few days and made some local visits too.

Soon I was back on my way down US 101. US 101 is called The El Camino Real, or The Royal Road or The King’s Highway or the California Mission Trail. This road started to be paved in 1912 in San Mateo County near San Francisco as a two-lane road that was rarely used. In the late 1920’s, construction and widening picked up. It became known as US 101. But long before that, it was part of the Calle Real, a 600 mile road that connected 21 Spanish Missions from San Diego to San Francisco that was developed by the Spanish missionaries in the 17th and 18th centuries. Each of these missions was about 30 miles apart, or a day’s ride by horseback. Just south of Mission San Miguel, I reached Paso Robles and turned left onto California 46.

Up to this point, it had pretty much been cool for the previous weeks. But within just miles the temperature soared to 104 degrees as I cruised to Kern County’s Shafter and Bakersfield where I had more contacts. One of them was a man I had met a few years before, Bob Grimm, a Missouri Synod Lutheran. Bob was about 48 at the time, and his brother, Rod, had died of cancer at age 51 a few years before. They had come from Anaheim, California and had built one of the largest businesses in the world here in the San Joaquin Valley. Few people have probably heard of them, but Bob once told me that he and his brother produced – now get this – 55% of all the carrots sold in the United States. He said that he shipped 240 train car loads of carrots every single day of the year. These are the people who developed the baby carrots we all know and buy. If you go to your local grocer, you are very likely to pick up the brand Grimmway Farms if you buy carrots. Grimmway Farms is the largest grower, producer, and shipper of carrots in the world. His competitor was Bill Bolthouse who owned Bolthouse Farms in Bakersfield. These two men produced 90% of California’s carrots and were generous contributors to many causes. I talked with Bob about Westminster many times, but he died of a heart attack in 2006. He became a major contributor to Concordia University in Irvine.

As I rolled around Kern County, one day I had my first mishap. I was in a remote rural area making a turn in the sand, and the bike went down with that huge T-bag strapped on. I could not lift any of it. Out of nowhere, a lithe, sun-burned-to-leather-skin man in his 50’s drove up, got out of his truck, and lifted that Harley as if his arms were cables on a crane. Then he nonchalantly drove off leaving me standing there stupefied in amazement.

When I had done all the damage I could do in Bakersfield, I ripped down California 99 and cut over to Santa Barbara and US 101 once again to see a friend, bypassing the historic Grapevine that the stage coaches used to travel from northern to southern California back in the 1800’s as they rolled down into the LA basin. I had another round of visits to make in Southern California, mostly in the Orange County area. This was the summer of 1998. It was one of the most memorable summers on record of a heat wave that gripped the South and Southwest. When I finished my work in Los Angeles, I set my eyes toward Dallas, Texas, 1500 miles away where my next group of prospects awaited. I had been listening to the weather reports as I came south, and many had warned me about the tremendous heat into which I was about to enter. With little regard for these warnings, I shot up I-5 in a short sleeve shirt and then made my right turn east on the 91 Freeway toward Palm Springs and the front door to the 1500 mile furnace that blazed up before me. It was 500 miles through Blythe, California, to Phoenix. I don’t think that words could have described the conditions I faced that day. The temperatures were 120 degrees all the way across. The breeze on that motorcycle was like breathing fire. Try to imagine the feeling of being in a sauna and inhaling burning air up your nostrils. My arms broiled like meat on a car hood. One does not realize how moisture is being drained from his body at 70 mph in those temperatures. There were times I began to get very concerned whether I could even make it to the next stop. There is no place to hide in that barren desert. There are no shelters for relief and few stops for gas. Deep into Arizona, I saw a lone rest area where I laid against a small out-building and poured what water was available over me. I was facing heat exhaustion, a very dangerous and insidious threat that can only be relieved by cooling the body down immediately and withdrawing from the sun. The closer I moved to Phoenix, I stopped more and more frequently to soak my head and consume gallons of water. It was dark when I pulled into Phoenix. Why MILLIONS of people lived in this desert was beyond me.

The next day I pushed on through incredible heat past Tuscon. As I approached New  Mexico, I ran into desperately needed relief when monsoon rains tempered the awful heat. I found a lone road side cafe and took a break. But I suffered my next near miss when I accelerated on one of those cow guard grates that often lie in the road in areas where cattle roam. The pipes were wet from the rain, and the tires slipped. The bike started to slide and take me down with it. I quickly turned the bars and somehow saved myself by staying upright, but by doing so, I did some kind of chiropractic twist in my back that I knew was not good. When I got to the next gas station, I could not get off the bike. I was locked in the seated position I was in. My back would not bend. I contorted myself off the horse and remained bent over parallel to the ground as I moved toward the gas pump and lifted the handle. I don’t even know how I got the credit card into the pump or how I got back on the bike. I remained in this position for several more days.

In pain, I headed toward New Mexico in the late afternoon where dusk would soon greet me as it lifted its dark eyes over the eastern horizon and stared down on the western portion of the Land of Enchantment. In short time, I was rolling up on the town of Lordsburg, New Mexico. Lordsburg was founded on the Southern Pacific Railroad route. Although Lordsburg didn’t even exist until 1880, the famous Butterfield Stage stagecoach route that delivered mail from St. Louis to California from 1857-1861 ran right over the town on a southern route that was 600 miles longer than routes through Denver and Salt Lake. But this route was snow free. Charles Lindbergh descended upon Lordsburg in 1927 on his transcontinental air tour in the “Spirit of Saint Louis.” Just a few years later the U.S. Government held as many as 1500 Japanese Americans here in an internment camp during WWII. Very few live there today. Even captured German and Italian soldiers were held here. Lordsburg also had open arms for African Americans in the mid 20th century. It had one of the few motels in the Southwest where they were allowed to stay during the days of legal segregation.

I was 600 miles from Los Angeles. Exiting the Interstate at the far western end of town, I coasted into a Love’s Truck Stop, very tired and trying to decide if I should continue on to Las Cruces, 148 miles further through the black desert. I happened to pull up next to a young fellow in his 30’s who was riding an older looking sport bike. He had come from Alaska on that thing. He was headed to San Antonio, Texas, and expected to be there the next morning. That was 713 miles from Lordsburg, a 12 hour ride. He wanted to know if I would like to ride with him. I thought that would probably keep me awake because I was beginning to feel the fatigue of this trip and was getting anxious to get back to Michigan. Together we cruised at 80 mph through the pitch black canyon of New Mexico’s darkness. The Interstate made turns at the right time as it led us through the sheets of Monsoon rains that surrounded us and occasionally just touched us. But when the lighting would turn the desert into daytime, we could see menacing thunderheads dark and towering in our path. We exited at Deming in the nick of time before a soaking deluge intercepted us. On the western edge of town about 10 pm, we rolled toward the lonely lights of an empty convenience store for coffee to wait out the storm. Not a soul was in sight. We drank coffee, and he smoked while sitting on his haunches and leaning back against the brick wall of the store in the pale light while a falls of water cascaded off the roof that covered our steeds. He was a friendly, likable soul. He told me he was rushing to San Antonio because his father was on his deathbed. He hoped he could make it in time to see him once more. The setting made him reflective. He told me that he had seven children by three different women, and he was married to none of them. I’ll never forget what he said after that. “I know God is going to get me some day.” That was the ticket he handed me that allowed me to ask him, “Have you ever heard of justification?” This is the best word in the Bible. I talked to him about that until the rain stopped.

We continued on through the lightning all about us until we came to Las Cruces. I waved off as I took an exit for a motel. He signaled me farewell as he faded into the darkness. Many times I have wondered about that encounter. Did he make it to San Antonio by morning? Did he see his father before he died? Did our discussion about his eternal destiny have any effect on his life?

Las Cruces is the second largest city in New Mexico and is Apache country. It sits at the beginning of an urban stretch of I-10 that dips south into West Texas and El Paso before passing out of sight of all civilization and following the lonely, narrow path of I-10 across the eastern portion of the southern desert leading into the plains of Texas. Las Cruces is about half-way to Dallas, which is where I was headed. I had another 800 miles to go through a burning hell. I was out of there after breakfast and descending into El Paso.

El Paso is in the middle of absolutely nowhere, but it is the 22nd largest city in the United States. It sits directly across the Rio Grande River from one of the most dangerous places on the face of the earth, Juarez, Mexico, a city that is even larger than El Paso. These two cities have a population of about 2 million people. Juarez accounts for 2/3 of that. It is at night time when this becomes apparent. If one stands on the Texas side of the two cities from almost any position in El Paso, he will see the lights of Juarez stretch endlessly into the Mexican horizon. The lights of El Paso-Juarez are one of the most beautiful and impressive sights that one can see at night in any American city I can think of.

El Paso has a long history originating with Spanish settlement in about 1600. It was once known as the “Six Shooter Capital” because of its lawlessness with gunfighters, prostitution, and gambling. At the beginning of WWI, the authorities cracked down on vice, and then it all moved across the river to Juarez. It is a hot, light brown, bone-dry place sitting at 3800 feet above sea level in a mountainous region. It rests in what is called the Basin and Range Region of the US and is surrounded by the Chihuahuan Desert. There is only one major road through it, I-10. I-10 seems to go on forever through this town that is built mostly on both sides of its east-west freeway route. If you are alert, you will notice on the south side of I-10 a Harley-Davidson dealership known as Barnett’s, billed as the Harley-Davidson dealership with the world’s largest selection of Harley’s for sale. Go in there and you will see a cavernous place with hundreds of Harleys. I plowed down I-10 that day with one goal, get to Dallas. Little did I know that in two years, I would be flying back to this place with my wife to buy a 1998 BMW K1200RS, sight-unseen, from the Internet to begin a trip that would take us from El Paso to Padre Island, Jacksonville, Key West, Chattanooga, Philadelphia, and back to Michigan, a 5,000 plus mile trip. But that is for another time.

The heat of the desert from El Paso to Dallas was record-breaking. It had been broadcast on the news during my whole journey. But I had no alternative. I branched off of I-10 onto I-20 and just stayed with the tremendous heat as I moved into the plains nearing Odessa-Midland on to Big Spring and Abilene. There were times when I was not sure that I could keep going. There are long stretches of desert and plains with barely a town in between. Once I left I-10 and merged on to I-20, I saw very few cars on the way to Abilene. There isn’t much out that way unless one is going to El Paso, and during that time in the summer of 1998, no one in his right mind was going there unless he was in a tractor-trailer. I fell short of Fort Worth that night somewhere approaching the brink of civilization once again after nearly 1500 miles. Without much enthusiasm, I mounted that Harley the next morning and forced myself to continue on to Dallas where it seemed the temperatures had elevated all the more. All of Texas was in serious drought, and the 110+ degrees that had endlessly blazed Dallas that summer in a record-setting number of continuous days surrounded everything. It emanated from the road, pressed down from above, enveloped a person all around him, and burned up into his nose when he breathed. It was even more oppressive than anything I can remember from the many years I lived in Florida. To give you an idea of what it was like, on that 1500 mile trip from Irvine, California, to Dallas, I saw a grand total of just three motorcycles other than myself on the roads.

I had gone to seminary in Dallas-Fort Worth area in the late 60’s. Dallas was a cowpoke of a town in those days. By 1998, it was a first-class city with a completely renovated freeway system linking and surrounding the two cities, towering skyscrapers in the downtown Dallas metropolis with buildings outlined in lights, and a magnificent international airport. It was now being called a Metroplex, a word I never heard used in the 60’s. I posted myself up in a Marriott Courtyard and set up a plan to visit a whole new group of people I had never met before. One of them was Bunker Hunt. Back in the early 80‘s, Bunker and his brother, Lamar, were world famous for having cornered the silver market. Bunker was a fine man who loved Texas and was a committed Christian. Everybody who had ever heard of him came to see him for charitable purposes. His brother went on to own the Kansas City Chiefs. Westminster Seminary had started a satellite campus in Dallas in collaboration with Park Cities Presbyterian Church where one of our alumni was the pastor. My job was to begin to cultivate a list of new potential donors from that church and other like-minded congregations in Dallas. That little seminary start in the early 90’s eventually became a full-fledged seminary in its own right on February 17, 2009, when it broke away from the mother institution in Philadelphia and became officially known as Redeemer Seminary.

After a few days there fighting the heat and rolling around Dallas on that motorcycle in that loathsome heat, I was counting the hours when I would point the front wheel north and head for home without visiting one more person. I had visited well over 100 people on this trip so far. At last I reached the last person I could visit after about a week and a half and determined that I would head for Michigan the next morning.

On August 6, I saddled up the Harley with that 75 pound T-bag once again, ate breakfast, and barreled out of Dallas north to northeast up US 75 at 9 am CST. It was one of those glorious motorcycle days every biker knows about. It was warm, but I was going home. So it made no difference. I just felt good, and there were no more stops and no more people to see. All I had to do was flop in a motel somewhere north that night and finish it all up tomorrow to my eternal relief. Any trip on a motorcycle is always good when you are GOING. But it is something else again when you are COMING back. This is compounded even further if you are going to CALIFORNIA because it is a long way and you have to come back a long way. This day, however, all my fatigue, general weariness with the trip, and longing for an end to it all dissipated because I felt free from the work I was burdened to accomplish, and the weather was glorious. The scenery had also changed. I was in the green part of Texas now and heading up into Oklahoma where there were more hills, rivers, and ridges. Flat plains had turned into prairie. I was on US highways all the way up through McAlester and Muskogee and by mid-afternoon I intercepted I-44 and turned right toward St. Louis, nearly 400 miles further. I was sailing over the Interstate up and down the hills of Missouri and feeling absolutely wonderful. It was one of those rare days when everything was working like it should on a motorcycle. Many times during the day I had become so sleepy that I closed my eyes and nearly fell asleep on that Harley. But this wasn’t one of those days. I was fully charged from the first blast of that engine and had felt the same every hour of the day as I had leaned back on that T-bag like it was a sofa and just taken in the beautiful prairie as if it was the first time I had ever ridden in my life. I will never forget that day.

By the time dusk was hinting at the horizon, I did not feel one iota more fatigued or less exhilarated than I had at 9 am in Dallas. It was then – somewhere in the middle of Missouri – that I began to toy with the incredible possibility that I may not have to stay in another motel one more night. I had been on the road for so long that even one more night in a motel became a despicable thought. I arrived in St. Louis when it was dark, around 8 pm. I was still wide awake. The thought that I was only 426 miles from home was like adrenaline. By this time, I was committed to going the distance. But I knew that I had better hustle because it was getting cooler and would be cooler still up the east side of Lake Michigan in the wee morning hours. Not only that, but I knew this motorcycle high I had experienced all day long would soon begin to withdraw as the thundering hum of the engine combined with cooler temperatures. It was 300 miles to Chicago up I-55. The glare of lights in the darkness was having noticeable effects on my eyes and making them very tired when I turned right on I-80 at Joliet. I forked off of I-80 and up I-94 about 1 am. Just 140 miles to go. 2 hours. I had driven this stretch hundreds of times up to Holland. It was always cold on I-196 when it left I-94 and arrowed straight up Lake Michigan. Deer stalked this stretch of highway, and it was pitch black as Michigan’s trees hemmed in the four lanes to and from Holland. I was fighting sleep, and my muscles were stiff from the cold air off the Lake. It was all I could do to scream out loud and try to stay awake and keep telling myself to do a little more. Alas, I forked for the last time off of I-196 and onto US 31 and exited at Washington Street. I lazily strolled through the little sleeping Dutch town bathed in soft lights beneath rows of trees. There wasn’t a car or a soul in sight. I looked at the streets and familiar places as if I had returned from the back side of the moon. It had been almost seven weeks since I had left this place. I loped down the final five miles leading out to the shore of Lake Michigan and turned north on my street and into the dark driveway that snaked through the woods and into my garage at 3:35 am on August 7. I had just driven one-third of the circumference of the earth at the equator. When I turned off the key, I never rode that bike again. I sold it weeks later. I dropped into bed next to Linda at 4 am, 19 hours and 1100 miles from Dallas. On a motorcycle, mind you. That is over one-eighth of the entire 8,355 miles I traveled on this trip – all in ONE day. I can drive a car for a long ways. But even to this moment, I have never driven a car 1100 miles in a single day.  When I shut my eyes, all I saw was road with white lines painted on it. My ears didn’t stop ringing for three days. I have not been able to hear as well since. It took me a long time to even sit on another motorcycle again. But it is not possible to ever quit.

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Source by Dale Haven Cox

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A dump truck can be defined as a vehicle used for the transportation of different types of loose materials such as sand, gravel, dirt, etc.  The dump truck is typically equipped with a hydraulically operated dump bed with a hinged back.  If you are locally or on the internet looking for a dump trucks sale, you might be surprised by the sheer number of types, configurations, and sizes that are available for purchase. So before heading out to buy a dump truck, it is important to determine what design will best suit your work requirements.

When choosing a dump truck for your business, it is important to know that these trucks come in various designs depending on its particular application.  You need to take into consideration if the design is suitable for your work requirements. Dump trucks are categorized based on bed types and style of dumping as well as the number of axles, the terrain for which it is better suited, the design of the body frame, and most importantly its capacity.

In this article, for those of you looking for dump trucks sale in order to purchase a dump truck, let’s look at some of the different types of dump truck designs to determine which type is suitable for your business.

Standard Dump Truck

The standard dump truck design is a truck frame mounted with an open box bed that can be raised via a hydraulic pump located between the cab and the dump body; the tailgate on the end is typically hinged. The standard dump truck is single bodied with one front axle and one or more rear axles, either powered or unpowered. The short wheelbase of the standard dump truck makes the truck more maneuverable than other dump truck types with higher capacity.  It is ideally suited for road driving with a good variable capacity.

Transfer Dump Truck

A transfer dump truck is basically a standard dump truck that pulls a separate trailer which can also be loaded.  When the main dump box is empty, the secondary trailer will roll onto the empty main dump box to dump its load, thereby maximizing payload capacity without sacrificing maneuverability.

Superdump Truck

To solve the payload restriction in some states, the superdump truck is equipped with a trailing axle. The trailing axle is retractable and is used only when the payload is over the maximum payload limit. The trailing axle is designed to carry the extra weight of the payload, distributing the weight to a much wider ground area in order to meet the load limit.

Semi Trailer End Dump Truck

The semi end dump is a tractor-trailer combination where the trailer has the hydraulic hoist.  It is advantageous because of its large capacity as well as its ability to rapidly unload.  The disadvantage is that it can be unstable when the dumping location is uneven as well as difficult to back up.

Semi Trailer Bottom Dump Truck

The semi trailer bottom dump truck is similar to the end dump truck in basic design.  The trailer differs by having a clam-shell-type dump gate in the belly of the trailer.  This gives this dump truck the ability to lay down material in a linear row.  In addition, this version is maneuverable in reverse.  The disadvantage is that it is limited as to the type of spreading activity that it can perform.

Semi Trailer Side Dump Truck

This dump truck is also a tractor-trailer design with the trailer equipped to allow the dump body to tilt onto its side and spill the material being carried to either the right or left side. It is much more immune to tipping over when dumping unlike the semi end dump which is very prone to tipping over.  The side dump can tip over if the dumping is stopped prematurely.

Articulated Dump Truck (ADT)

Standard dump trucks and trailer dump trucks with their rigid frames joining the cab and the dump body into basically one unit are great for most paved road driving applications. On uneven and rough terrain conditions, the weight of the payload can cause undue strain and fatigue on the frame.  Such work conditions are better handled by an articulated dump truck.  An ADT has a hinge between the cab and the dump box yet, unlike the semi trailer truck designs, the cab is a permanent fixture and not a separate vehicle.

As you can see, the design of the various types of dump trucks greatly affects the truck’s ability to function in different hauling and dumping situations.  Being familiar with the different designs is imperative if looking for a dump trucks sale to purchase a dump truck, especially in an unstable economy.  Study the different types, do your homework, and select the best dump truck for your business!

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Source by Christopher M. Hunter

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A new article on June 3, 2009 from MSN Money writer Michael Brush indicates that there is a third wave of foreclosures still to come from prime borrowers (i.e. those previously “safe-borrowers” with sound credit and fixed-rate mortgages) as a result of job losses thanks to the worsening economy (“Coming: A 3rd Wave of Foreclosures”).

The article states that “In the first quarter, the percentage of these borrowers who were behind on their mortgages or in foreclosure had doubled from a year earlier, to nearly 6%” and goes on to say that “Credit Suisseanalyst Rod Dubitsky predicted last week that 8.1 million mortgages, or 16% of all mortgages, will go into foreclosure over the next four years. A weak economy, continued declines in home prices and rising delinquencies among prime borrowers all but ensure that foreclosures “will march steadily higher,” he says.” Not such great news for the economy, but good news indeed for entrepreneurs interested in starting a foreclosure cleanup business to clean and repair foreclosed homes for the banks.

To put this in perspective, this means that there will be over 2 million foreclosures a year and more than $2,025,000,000 up for grabs in money that will be spent on cleaning up these foreclosed properties (since the average bill is $1000+ to clean up one of these properties).

Let’s take a look at thow you can capitalize on the foreclosure cleanup / property presrevation industry by starting your own trashout company:

Set Up Your Company Properly

If you want to be hired for cleanup or preservation work, you’ll need to operate your business as a professional company. The good news is that you can set up a business quickly and inexpensively, and usually on your own. Many people decide to set up an LLC (Limited Liability Company) because of how quickly and easily it can be done but you’ll want to check with your accountant or other business professional to select the type of business entity that’s right for your personal situation.

If you do decide to start an LLC, you can usually find all of the documents you need online from your state’s government website. Usually the branch you’re looking for will be called the “Industrial Commission” or “Corporation Commission” or similar. Try typing in “start a business + ______ (your state)”. Anything ending in “.gov” is usually a good place to start as it indicates a government site.

Once your business is set up, you’ll need an Employer Identification Number (EIN), which is like a SSN for your business. You can register for one online: type in “IRS” & “EIN” into a search engine to find the online registration link.

As soon as you have your EIN (which you can usually get immediately online), you can open up a business bank account for your company. This step is very, very important. In the excitement of things, many people get caught up in the day-to-day dealings of running a business and use their personal accounts to pay for business expenses. Not only does this present an accounting nightmare at the end of the year, but it could present problems for you with the IRS if you don’t keep your personal and business finances separate.

Once you legally set up your business, you may be required to register your business with your county or city in order to get a business license to operate. You can start by calling City Hall or the Office of the County Clerk to inquire as to whether or not you need a city/county/state business license and if so, how to get one.

So to recap:

1. Legally set up your business
2. Get your EIN # and set up a business bank account
3. Apply for a business license
4. If you want to do preservation work, determine whether or not you need a contractors’ license

Get Insurance

You absolutely must have a Commercial Liability Insurance policy and Workers’ Compensation Insurance in order to run your business. Not only is insurance essential for protecting yourself from liability and protecting those that work for you in the event of a work-related injury, but many asset management companies will not do business with you if you do not meet their minimum insurance requirements.

Insurance will likely be one of your largest start-up costs, however, most insurance companies allow you to pay the premium on a monthly (rather than yearly) basis, which definitely makes this expense more affordable.

General Liability Insurance policies can cover the following: bodily injury, property damage, contractual liability, personal and advertising injury, professional liability (also known as Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance, this coverage protects you and your business from litigation caused by charges of professional neglect or failure to perform your professional duties), hired auto and non-auto liability and umbrella liability.

You’ll want to speak directly with your insurance agent to get a better idea of the extent of the coverage provided by their particular policy and one that is best suited for your individual needs

Workers’ Compensation Insurance is required in most states when you have W2 employees, and some states also require your insurance to cover your 1099 contractors also. Workers’ Compensation (“Workers’ Comp”) covers your employees’ medical and disability expenses related to work-related illness and on-the-job injuries.

In the states where you are not required to cover your 1099 contractors you would need them to provide proof that they carry their own Workers’ Compensation insurance. Although tempting to shift the financial burden of maintaining a policy onto your 1099 contractors, in all reality, you are probably better off to take on the cost of all staff Workers’ Compensation (all W2 employees and 1099 contractors). The reason is that it’s difficult to find only independent contractors that have their own policy. In addition, this industry has such high turnover that if you put this restriction on your independent contractors, you’ll waste valuable time and lost revenues trying to find replacements in a hurry.

Here’s a great tip: sometimes you can get “pay-as-you-go” insurance where your workers’ compensation insurance premiums are based on your actual payroll, rather than an estimated amount. This is great for companies that are just starting out or have a fluctuating workload. Type in “pay as you go workers comp” into a search engine for results in your area.

As a second tip, we’ve used Farmers Insurance for years and have always had excellent customer service and great rates. Just Google “Farmers Insurance” for an agent in your area.

Foreclosure Cleanup v.s. Property Preservation Services

As the name suggests as a Foreclosure Cleanup Company, you’ll be cleaning out all of the junk in the house (also called a “trashout or a “junk out”), as well as cleaning the interior of the home. You may also be required to remove vehicles on the property. Usually foreclosure cleanup companies are also responsible for doing a basic landscape cleanup which includes hauling out any junk from the front/back yards, cutting the grass and trimming trees/bushes.

Cleaning up the property is the extent of services offered by a Foreclosure Cleanup Company, whereas a Property Preservation Company is also involved in the “securing” of the property and the “preserving” of the property.

Here are some of the services that a preservation company may offer (note that a Property Preservation Company will generally also offer cleanup services):

Securing the Property
o Initial vacant property inspection
o Lock changes
o Boarding of windows and doors
o Temporary roof repair
o Securing swimming pools

Preserving the Property
o Exterior Debris removal
o Abandoned vehicle removal (cars, boats, etc.)
o Interior Debris removal (junk-out)
o Hazardous waste removal
o Interior cleaning services including carpet cleaning
o Window washing/graffiti removal
o Window replacement
o Pool services (draining, acid washing, maintaining, etc.)
o Pest control services
o Yard maintenance/landscaping
o Snow removal
o Winterization
o Gutter cleaning
o Pressure washing
o Carpet removal & replacement
o Tile/Floor repairs
o Painting
o Sheetrock/drywall repairs
o Carpentry repairs
o Plumbing fixtures repairs & replacements
o Fire & mold remediation
o Fence repair

Here are a few things to consider when determining the extent of the services you want to offer:

A Contractors’ License is generally not required for Foreclosure Cleanup Company but is likely required for preservation companies doing work over a certain dollar value (usually $500 – $1000+). Sometimes this license can be obtained by attending a course and successfully passing a test whereas other states require previous, verifiable industry experience.

The insurance premiums tend to be higher on companies that offer preservation services as they are considered to be a “general contractor”. However, the revenue potential is much higher as preservation services tend to run from a few thousand dollars upwards instead of $800 – $1500 for each cleanout.

Usually what people do is start out initially offering just the foreclosure cleanup services and then when things pick up, they’ll add preservation items to the list of services they offer. This let’s them get their foot in the door without having to spend a whole lot of money upfront when setting up their company.

Source the Right Equipment & Tools

The great thing about starting a foreclosure cleanup company is that the initial expenses are quite low as much of the equipment and tools needed for cleaning foreclosures can likely be found in your own garage:

o Cleaning chemicals (i.e. all purpose cleaner, disinfectant, toilet bowl cleaner, window cleaner)
o Cleaning supplies (broom, mop, scrub pads)
o Vacuum cleaner
o Garbage bags and shovels
o Work gloves and disposable plastic gloves
o Lawn mowers & lawn tools
o Wheelbarrow

For the smaller items you don’t have on hand, check your local dollar store. Their prices can’t be beat and they usually have the same chemicals and cleaning supplies as the other retailers. Once you start doing some volume, consider shopping for your supplies at Sam’s Club or Costco to keep your expenses low.

You can also find used equipment in great shape (such as vacuums) by going around to your local Saturday morning garage/yard sales. If you have a “Re-Use” center or a Salvation Army, you may consider checking there also as they often have vacuums and other small equipment or yard tools for sale.

For hauling junk, you’ll need some sort of trailer and a vehicle large enough to pull it. If you don’t have a truck and a trailer, you can always borrow a friend’s truck and rent a trailer from U-Haul or just go ahead and rent a moving truck from U-Haul. (Remember though, that you’ll be charged a daily rate plus a per-mile rate when you rent a moving truck whereas if you use your own truck and just rent the pull-trailer, you’ll only incur the daily rental rate for the trailer.)

Sometimes you’ll be required to clean a property that doesn’t have electricity or water. In the event that there’s no electricity, you’ll need a generator to operate the vacuum cleaners and other electrical equipment. These can be rented at Lowe’s or Home Depot and is a much better alternative to purchasing one outright unless you’re going to use it on a regular basis (a new one will run you about $500+).
To save on expenses, it’s best to rent equipment in the beginning.

Once you get up and going, it may be worth looking into purchasing equipment of your own. Check the online classifieds ads (such as Craigslist, Kijiji and Backpage) for used trailers, generators, etc. You should also check with U-Haul as they have been selling some of their excess trucks as of late.

Stay Safe on the Job

As a business owner, you’re responsible for keeping your staff safe while working on the job. Working safely is paramount to the health of your staff and the reputation of your business (and also keeps your insurance premiums low). It’s imperative that you review safety issues prior to allowing anyone to work on the job – you must provide both classroom and on-the-job safety training to all new hires.

Now, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy; you can spend 20 – 30 minutes reviewing safety policies, safe working practices and answering any questions and then you’ll be done! Make sure you have people sign in and out of the meeting and that you document that a safety meeting took place.

It’s also very important that you become familiar with OSHA and Safety Standards as well as the health & safety hazards associated with this industry so that you can keep your staff safe, avoid accidents and costly fines. You can find the OSHA Pocket Guide to Construction Safety (it’s a short and an easy read) at the main website (OSHA DOT gov) by searching for the report name.

Another way to protect your staff and your business is to make sure that you check references before you hire someone. Insist that they list non-related references (i.e. not mother, sister or best friend) and instead list references of previous employers or someone they know in a professional capacity. We also do drug testing and background checks – it might sound paranoid to some, but the safety of our staff, our customers’ property and our company’s reputation is far too important to risk not spending $20 on a background check or drug test.

Price Your Services Right

In this industry, the lowest price always wins the bid (unless, of course, the lowest bidder has a terrible track record of not completing work and is utterly irresponsible and unprofessional, in which case the company has just committed “reputation-suicide” and will never be hired again). Lenders don’t want to spend any more than they have to on these properties so you want to make sure you price your services comparable with the going market rates (but at the same time, priced so that you still make a great profit and don’t leave any money on the table).

For cleaning out foreclosures, most banks expect to spend anywhere from $500 – $1500 for a cleanout (trashout, interior clean and initial landscape cleanup), but it could be a bit more or a bit less, depending on your area. It’s important to know that most lenders have prescribed “price caps” for the maximum amounts that they’ll pay for services.

If you’re also providing preservation services, a great site that we’ve used before to determine our prices for doing repairs is www.CostEstimator.com for getting the market rates for construction costs – you can get a free 30 day trial (no need to enter credit card – it really is free!). There are over 3,000 cost items adjusted for over 210 local, geographic regions to create your bid and you can add as many others as needed. If you want to sign up after the trial, it’s only $15/month.

Market Your Services

It’s true – “nothing happens until somebody sells something”… and you’ll need to get out there and sell, sell, sell your business. Once you’ve done a few jobs, you’ll find that word of mouth advertising and referrals will provide a large pool of new jobs for you, but in the meantime, you do need to do everything possible to let customers know you exist.

A large portion of work will come from the relationships that you build with Real Estate Agents (“Realtors”) who list bank-owned homes (often referred to as REO listings). They are often given the task of bidding out the cleaning and repairs of new listings by the asset management company so you’ll want to make sure the agents in your area know your company handles this type of work.

A great way to find out which Realtors in your area list REOs is to go online to the major bank’s REO websites and “data mine” the contact information for the listing agents (name, email, phone numbers). It can be painstaking work, but definitely worth it.

Here’s an example of a bank REO sites to get you started collecting Realtor information

WELLS FARGO (Properties managed by Premier Asset Services): pasreo.com/pasreo/images/pas_logo.jpg

NOTE: In order to access agent information, select the state and click search. Then, individually select each listing and click on “Print Property Report CVS”. Each listing and corresponding information (such as agent name, phone # and email) will be created in an Excel spreadsheet. You can access the page

Remember to follow up with a phone call a few days later. Don’t be shy about asking the Realtor if he/she has any jobs for you to bid, either – most of them are very accommodating and willing to give a new company the opportunity to provide estimates.

The other way jobs are bid out is through large Asset Management Companies (also referred to as Marketing & Management Companies, REO Field Service Companies and Property Management Companies). Essentially, the lender says, “ok – I have thousands of properties to get rid of. Here, national ABC Asset Management Company: clean, fix and sell these properties for us”. And the national Asset Management Company will then subcontract out the work to local foreclosure cleanup and property preservation companies. In order to work for these companies, you usually need to sign up your company as a potential vendor. Many times this can be done online.

There are both positives and negatives associated with working for the larger companies. On the positive side, you will probably be given a few projects to work on at a time so you will be kept relatively busy. On the negative side, they usually want you to offer ‘wholesale pricing’ and don’t pay until 30 – 60 days after you invoice them for the work. Working for one of these companies, however, will give you the experience you need to go after more work.

Other possible customers include wholesale property investors (groups of investors that purchase foreclosed homes at the auctions and then sell them to smaller investors at a wholesale price), investors, landlords, property management companies, Realtors and so on.

You should also consider attending your local networking events such as the Chamber of Commerce meetings and any local investor meetings in order to hand out your card and network with potential customers. The more you get out there, the better chance you’ll have of securing some great, long-term customers!

This is definitely an exciting industry and a very profitable one for those of you who don’t mind getting your hands a bit dirty! Good luck!

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Source by Les Tyler

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BIGFOOT® all began in the mid 1970’s. Bob Chandler, the creator of BIGFOOT® with his wife, was a construction contractor working in St. Louis, USA. Bob used his Ford 250 4X4 Pickup Truck for both work and also off road family fun at the weekends. After breaking the toughest of trucks it soon became apparent that there was nowhere close by for him to get 4X4 parts and spares. Seeing the gap in the market, Bob and his wife Marilyn started up Midwest Four Wheel Drive. The Chandler’s used their truck as a work vehicle, as well as using it for promotional purposes. They tried out new parts on the truck, and kept on making it bigger and better. It escalated so much that the truck actually became an attraction in its own right. In 1979, at the Denver car show, the Chandler’s used their truck in its first paid event. Truck pulls in arenas and stadiums were soon to follow.

Two years later in 1981 Bob changed the whole concept of Monster Trucks. Just for fun he thought he would try and drive over a couple of scrap cars. He soon duplicated his stunt in a stadium show a couple of months later. That was the birth of car crushing Monster Trucks. In 1983 BIGFOOT® (named after he was told the reason he kept on breaking parts was because of his “big foot”) began its sponsorship deal with Ford Motor Company, which still stands today. Many more BIGFOOT® monster trucks have been built since then, BIGFOOT® #17 has been built for use in the UK and Europe.

Inspired by the success of BIGFOOT®, an explosion of imitations came forth in the mid 1980’s. In America car crushing became a staple of major truck pulling and mud racing events. After many years of just car crushing, the audience in 1987 were given a more exciting show, with monster truck racing. It is a full blown sport in America today, with multiple points series taking place across the country, and millions watch it weekly on television.

The creator of BIGFOOT® soon emerged at the forefront of monster truck technology. With the use of computer aided design packages he created a new breed of monster trucks designed with racing in mind. Radical new tubular chassis along with patented cantilever-based suspensions represent the state of the art race trucks design. BIGFOOT® 8 was the first BIGFOOT® to be born out of the new impressive mold. In 1992 BIGFOOT® 8 became world champion, 1992 saw Bob and his team place 1 and 2 in the series. 1994 saw the team place 1, 2 and 3, winning 11 out of 13 races. 1995 saw teams limited to two trucks, the BIGFOOT® team took first and third, and won 10 out of 15 races.

The History of BIGFOOT 17, Europe’s BIGFOOT.

Nigel Morris, the owner of L.A. Supertrux Ltd, started building his first real Monster Truck in the autumn of 2000. This project which later was given the name Wild Child was inspired by long time friend Tim Barks, who’s own project was well under way at this time. As Wild Child neared completion, Nigel had the chance to go to America as a crew member for another friend, Joe Ellis who was going to be running his race tuned Lotus Carlton in the famous Silver State Challenge road race near Las Vegas. Nigel saw this as his chance to visit the Holy Grail of Monster Trucks, BIGFOOT®. Nigel invited Tim to help with crew duties on Joe’s car so that they could both extend their stay in the USA to include a visit to Dan Patrick, at his Samson workshop, and then on to BIGFOOT®.

Whilst visiting BIGFOOT® Bob Chandler extended an invitation for the lads to return in December for the MTRA annual conference. 2000 saw Nigel & Tim make the trip to be the first Europeans EVER to attend the MTRA conference and also the Tech School. Nigel was very proud to pass the technicians exam, and become one of a very small band of people who are qualified to carry out technical, and safety checks on Monster Trucks. The membership of the MTRA voted unanimously to set up a European division, and Nigel was elected president.

During 2001 Nigel worked to fine tune Wild Child and to get used to driving a Monster Truck at speed. Wild Child also appeared in music videos and television adverts, as well as the Granada TV series Men & Motors.

During his December MTRA visit Nigel had discussions with Bob Chandler about the prospect of bringing BIGFOOT® back to the UK, and maybe touring Europe. It was during these discussions that the idea was formed to have a BIGFOOT® permanently available to the European public. Further discussions led to the plan being finalised for Nigel and L.A. Supertrux Ltd building and operating BIGFOOT® #17 “The UK BIGFOOT®”.

That process was completed in 2003 and BIGFOOT® #17 has been wowing the UK fans ever since. With regular appearances throughout the summer competing in the EMTRC (European Monster Truck Racing Championship), BIGFOOT® #17 and Nigel Morris were proud to take the title of 2003 Pro-MT European Champion.

In the 2004 EMTRC series Nigel and BIGFOOT® #17 were only prevented from taking the title by the cancellation of the final event. Good friend and fierce racing rival Ian Batey had blown the engine of his championship leading Lil Devil monster truck in a heat race with BIGFOOT® earlier in the day. Nigel only needed to finish the event, but sadly (for Nigel anyway) the beach race was scupperd by the incoming tide! With the event cancelled Nigel and BIGFOOT® #17 remained just 35 points away from a second title.

The 2005 EMTRC series was a torrid one for the BIGFOOT® team. With a brand new 572 cu in Big Block Ford the team had high hopes for the championship. If it wasn’t for a couple of small items, who knows what might have happened. Those small items were, gearboxes we blew up 6 of them and front wheels, and we knocked 3 of these off as well. Oh and then there was this Rob Williams bloke who ran away with the championship in his rookie year. For the whole BIGFOOT® team joint third in the EMTRC table was just not good enough.

2006 saw a return to winning ways. The BIGFOOT® team had made some changes in the winter months, adding a new drag race inspired gearbox as well as custom steel steering swivels. These changes seem to have fixed the reliability issues of the 2005 season and the EMTRC title was regained in domineering fashion. Six event wins and two second places from ten events!!

2007 whitnessed the continuation of our dominance in the EMTRC racing series with more event and race wins than any other team, bringing to the BIGFOOT® #17 racing team the EMTRC title once again. This title makes us the first team ever to retain our title year on year, and the first team ever to win 3 EMTRC titles. I think we’re really back this time!!

27/08/2008  http://welovetruckssite.com

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Source by Biznets