DC Velocity - May 2018

inbound

Korean forklift truck manufacturer Doosan hopes to make a hit in the U.S. with its sponsorship of Major League Baseball (MLB). The company is entering its second year and first full season of a partnership aimed at increasing the brand’s exposure via national broadcast and MLB-owned channels through the 2020 season.

Baseball fans will see Doosan commercials and branding on broadcast and digital platforms including MLB Network, MLB.com, Fox, and FS1 during the regular season as well as during MLB “jewel events,” such as the All-Star Game, postseason games, and the World Series. Last year, the company focused its marketing efforts only on postseason and American League Division Series events.

“Heading into the 2018 season, we’re excited to begin the first full
year of our partnership and to continue to grow Doosan through MLB
platforms, jewel events, and other brand integration opportunities,”
said Edward Song, head of Doosan Infracore North America.
Doosan has U.S. subsidiaries in North Dakota, Minnesota, Arizona,
Georgia, and North Carolina.

Forklift vendor steps to the plate

The conversation will be all about safety on June 11 and 12, when members of the Industrial Truck Association (ITA) take part in the fifth annual National Forklift Safety Day in Washington, D.C. This well-attended event provides an opportunity for the industry to educate customers, policymakers, and government officials about the safe use of forklifts and the importance of proper operator training. Washington-based ITA represents manufacturers of lift trucks, automated guided vehicles, and similar equipment in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The organization promotes international standards development, advances engineering and safety practices, disseminates statistical information, and holds industry forums.

A members-only educational program will be held the afternoon of June 11. The main event will be on June 12, with a morning program featuring speakers from both industry and government from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. In the afternoon, ITA members will hold meetings with members of Congress representing their states and home districts. Forklift manufacturers, dealers, and distributors around the country will also hold local events promoting forklift safety that day.

Interested in attending the program in Washington? More information, a video about last year’s highly successful event, and registration details are available at www. indtrk.org/national-forklift-safety-day.

And be sure to check out all of DCV’s coverage of National Forklift Safety Day. In addition to the special supplement mailed with this issue, we’ll be publishing an e-newsletter featuring commentaries by industry experts on improving forklift safety as well as news about National Forklift Safety Day events around the country.

Fifth annual National
Forklift Safety Day slated
for June 12

Ride along with a parcel delivery driver for a day, and you’ll soon realize
that the most frustrating part of the job isn’t hefting heavy packages,
navigating clogged streets, or meeting ultra-tight delivery schedules.
It’s having to share the road with civilians whose eyes are on their
cellphones, not the traffic
around them.

Now, one of the country’s biggest states has launched a campaign aimed at cracking down on the problem. Timed to coincide with National Distracted Driving Month in April, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) rolled out its “Heads up, Texas” program in partnership with telecom giant AT&T’s “It Can Wait” campaign. The centerpiece of the initiative was a 19-city tour that brought a harrowing distracted driving VR ( virtual reality) experience to area residents.

As for what’s behind the initiative, Texas transportation officials say distracted driving caused nearly one in five crashes in the state in 2017. Those 100,687 crashes resulted in 444 deaths and 2,889 serious injuries, according to a TxDOT press release. To put some teeth into its enforcement efforts, the state recently passed a texting-while-driving ban, with violations punishable by a $200 fine.