DC Velocity - July 2016

4 DC VELOCITY JULY 2016 www.dcvelocity.com inbound

Here’s our monthly roundup of some of the charitable works and donations by companies in the material handling and logistics space.

; Cincinnati-based freight brokerage firm Total Quality Logistics (TQL) presented checks totaling $27,029 to three military charities for the conclusion of its eighth annual Hauls For Heroes campaign, donating to the United Service Organizations (USO), Yellow Ribbon Support Center, and Disabled American Veterans. See the video at https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=iJh9tHR0i3U&feature=youtu.be.

; Atlanta-based freight and logistics firm UPS Inc. has donated $500,000 to the Muhammad Ali Center to support education initiatives promoting social awareness and entrepreneurship. The cultural center showcases both Ali’s fights in the ring against other boxers and those outside it against war and segregation.

; Vehicle rental and leasing giant Ryder System Inc. of Miami has announced the 17 scholarship winners of the 2016 SkillsUSA and Ryder Diesel scholarship, funded in part by a $50,000 donation from the company intended to help educate the next generation of commercial vehicle technicians. The list of winners can be found on the company’s website.

; The Canaveral Port Authority of Port Canaveral, Fla., gave $100,000 to the Indian River Lagoon Council in support of public education and community collaboration in addressing damage and restoration of the estuary, which includes three natural water bodies that span 156 miles of Florida’s

East Coast.

Logistics gives back

Logistics professionals attending Dematic’s 2016 Material Handling & Logistics Conference (MHLC) in Park City, Utah, this fall will not only learn how to navigate today’s fast-changing business environment but also hear special presentations by a rock and roll star and a football legend.

Running from Sept. 11–14, the conference offers more than 50 educational sessions organized into six tracks. With a focus on fast-moving industry trends like the rise of robotics, omnichannel distribution, the millennial workforce, and predictive analytics, the conference will examine the impact of these elements on material flows.

Featured speakers include Andrew McAfee, co-director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Initiative on the Digital Economy and author of the book Race Against the Machine; former Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Michael Duke; human behavior and motivation specialist Mel Robbins; and business strategy expert Ram Charan.

Evening events include a presentation by guest speaker Howie Long, the TV studio analyst for NFL broadcasts and 13-year veteran of the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, and a concert by Joe Walsh, the Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer behind classic tunes like “Funk #49,” “Walk Away,” “Life’s Been Good,” “Rocky Mountain Way,” and “Life in the Fast Lane.” For more information and to register, visit http://www.mhlc.com. Dematic conference opens Sept. 11 in Park City, Utah

Talk about irony. When we were planning our special coverage of National Forklift Safety Day in DC VELOCITY’s May issue, we searched stock photography websites for an image of a properly attired lift truck operator conferring with a supervisor. We thought we’d found the perfect photo, by a photographer who is based in Germany.

Unfortunately, the photo—which appeared on our May cover and in the article “Forklift safety … past, present, and future”—shows a common safety violation. The overhead guard on the lift truck in the photo has been covered by a piece of plywood—a big no-no, as it compromises the operator’s visibility when lifting loads. Only a transparent cover is allowed in cases where a cover would be necessary for the operator’s safety. Otherwise, an overhead guard with no cover is the way to go.