Speed and How it Ties Into Your Quick Ship

The WPRP East Coast team had a driving experience at the Pocono Raceway that turned the concept of “the need for speed” into a reality. The Team took to the track in a 600 horsepower stock car for four laps around the track. It was a pretty cool experience, but there was much more to it than getting behind the wheel and burning rubber down the track.

• Paying Attention to Details – Both Big and Small

Before they even walked onto the track, the team had a one hour orientation with an instructional video. The classroom part of the instruction spelled out everything from understanding the flag colors to the importance of when to accelerate and when not to. All of the rules and safety precautions were emphasized, such as staying four car lengths behind the person in front of you at all times, which can be a daunting task when the lead car is going either too fast or too slow! Every detail given was important. When you are behind the wheel of such a powerful machine, you must be prepared. You must pay attention to all the details and use your common sense. These same concepts apply in our business. If we do not fully educate you and your customer and make you aware of the details, we are all bound to run into speed bumps from start to finish.

• Taking a Test Run

After the classroom portion of their instruction, the team jumped into a van for a test run around the track. They took two laps to get an idea of the pace, the feel of the track and to get familiar with the line of the Tricky Triangle. The Tricky Triangle is a moniker for the Pocono Raceway based on it’s shape. You guessed it, a triangle. The ‘line’ of the track is not not referring to a painted line, but actually the curve and how to manage it. When going around the curve, the driver’s objective is to make that curve as straight as possible. This is for both safety and speed. If you can master the line of the curve, you can gain a significant speed advantage. Even after learning about how to operate their vehicles taking a test run on the track was necessary, because you cannot learn everything in a classroom setting. As your supplier we have taken all the test runs and can efficiently and effectively provide you products that will suit your needs.

• Safety, first. Safety, always.

Each driver was required to wear a helmet, a flame retardant suit and proper shoes to fit the clutch. They were then strapped in via a six point harness. There was nothing left to chance, and when it comes to safety, nothing ever should be. The same principles apply when designing a warehouse and having the proper safety equipment on site or to offer to the customer. Any successful team has safety behind them 100% of the way.

 • Keep Up the Pace!

The drivers were instructed to maintain a specific speed and to stay 4 car lengths behind the lead car. If the cars were too fast or too slow, the flags would signal the driver to adjust their speed accordingly. Two of the drivers kept the pace and distance required. Unfortunately, one of the drivers was behind a car that not only didn’t keep up the proper speed, but also disregarded the flag signals. The lead driver’s lack of consideration for both the rules and second driver’s driving experience, caused frustration and a potentially dangerous situation. Luckily, the second driver kept his cool, followed the instructions he was given and as a result, was able to take another few laps around the track. We strive to consistently provide new ways to update your order status, shipment notifications as well as new products on the market to keep you ahead of the competition.

• Search for New Opportunities to Learn. Learn From Your Experiences.

The drivers had an exhilarating ride and they learned – from the experts in speed – how to set a pace, keep it up, and deliver a great experience. The team literally put themselves behind the wheel to learn first hand the value of being smart, safe and consistent in a fast paced setting and how that will get you across the finish line every time.

At WPRP our goal is to help you and that is why we are always coming up with new ways to challenge ourselves in order to learn and grow. At first glance, racing and pallet rack might not have much in common, but this driving experience taught us valuable lessons for our business. Paying attention to details, testing the process, putting safety first, keeping up the pace and learning from experiences are all practices we put into place every day as we keep a steady pace through the busiest of seasons. With the addition of a third quick ship location in Elgin, IL, we have grown our inventory even more to better serve our distributors, so they can better serve their customers.

Do you have the need for speed? Check out our quick ship locations in Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Illinois  and let our fully stocked warehouses and talented staff help to keep your business moving in the fast lane!