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U.S. Toy Company, Inc. operates a 750,000-square-foot distribution center that ships to retail consumers, as well as commercial and wholesale accounts. Changing facility space requirements led to a reduction in truck shipment preparation space. So when Fairbanks Scales, U.S. Toy's scale service vendor, suggested a new portable U-shaped scale, the company decided to give it a try. The new scale has proven to be faster, as well as safer in terms of ergonomics. In addition, the ability to move the scale to other areas has proven to be a real boon to operations, reducing the total time needed to prepare for shipping.
Changing facility space needs
U.S. Toy Company, Inc.'s Grandview, MO distribution center includes robotic and manual picking areas that ship using parcel, less than truckload (LTL), and full truckload modes. The company reduced the area devoted to shipping as part of an overall facility space reorganization that allowed it to make better overall use of the distribution center. The reductions had a major impact on the LTL department, leaving the area with limited space dedicated to the preparation of truck shipments.
U.S. Toy had one older floor scale, along with about ten table scales for parcel-UPS type shipping. They were not originally in the market for a new scale, but when approached by Matt Barnhill, Fairbanks Scales' Area Sales Manager in Kansas City, about the company's new Yellow Jacket U-Shaped floor scale, they decided to investigate to see how the new scale could help them make the best use of every square foot of their shipping area. They...