And that big pink pachyderm sitting on top of your industry interests is squishing the profitability out of your business.

What's worse is that he's got a whole lot of relatives standing in line waiting to invade the same shrinking piece of your market space.

How'd this happen?

Back in 1999, Congress directed that the General Accounting Office (GAO) study the effectiveness of the Department of Transportation's (DOT) consumer protection activities for the interstate household goods moving industry.  They wanted them to identify alternative approaches for providing consumer protection within this deregulated but highly specialized transportation service environment. The legislatures interest was in response to an increased number of complaints from the relocating public after the Interstate Commerce Commission was terminated in 1995.

On March 5, 2001, the General Accounting Office released its report No. GAO-01-318 to Congress entitled “Consumer Protection: Federal Actions Are Needed to Improve Oversight of the Household Goods Moving Industry''. 

The GAO findings on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) household goods program included the following observations:

1. The Department of Transportation has done little to oversee the Household Goods moving industry;
2. Consumer education activities have been minimal;
3. The Department does not know the extent to which it has examined carriers' compliance with Household Goods rules; and
4. The Department has not determined whether its level of enforcement is appropriate.

FMCSA is an agency established under the DOT in January 2000 to regulate the trucking industry in the United States.

On June 11, 2003, the FMCSA issued a formal notice explaining the purpose behind the new Consumer Protection Regulations. They were adopted as part of the DOT's final rule (68FR 35064) for the Transportation of Household Goods in Interstate Commerce (49CFR part 375) which can be found here. 

According to the FMCSA, the purpose of the new household goods regulations was to:

1. "Increase the public's understanding of the regulations with which movers must comply, and
2. Help individual shippers and the moving industry understand the roles and responsibilities of movers, brokers, and shippers, to prevent moving disputes. Individual shippers — many of whom are either relocating for business reasons or have retired — may use for-hire truck transportation services infrequently." (emphasis added)

FMCSA justified the new oversight regulation by saying “consumers may be poorly informed about the regulations movers must comply with and thus have little understanding of how moving companies operate.”

“The consumer pamphlet Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move  — Appendix A to part 375–is intended to help individual shippers understand the regulations so that they can make informed decisions in selecting a mover and planning a satisfactory move. Section 375.213 of the Consumer Protection Regulations requires movers to furnish the information in the consumer pamphlet to prospective customers.”

There's just one problem! The term “mover” isn't defined anywhere in the Consumer Protection Regulations (§ 375.103) or Federal Code (49 U.S.C. 13102).

So…what makes a mover?

But household goods motor carrier is defined. According the FMCSA (§ 375.103), it means:

1. In general, a motor carrier that, in the ordinary course of its business of providing transportation of household goods, offers some or all of the following additional services: (i) Binding and nonbinding estimates;(ii) Inventorying;(iii) Protective packing and unpacking of individual items at personal residences;(iv) Loading and unloading at personal residences.
2. The term includes any person considered to be a household goods motor carrier under regulations, determinations, and decisions of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in effect on the date of enactment of the Household Goods Mover Oversight Enforcement and Reform Act of 2005 (August 10, 2005).
3. The term does not include any motor carrier providing transportation of household goods in containers or trailers that are entirely loaded and unloaded by an individual other than an employee or agent of the motor carrier.

So…while everyone in the moving and storage industry knows what a mover is, inexperienced and often uninformed consumers challenged with arranging a local, long distance or international relocation themselves probably DON'T – unless, of course, a professional from inside the full-service industry explains it to 'em!

To everyone else, the difference between a company providing transportation of household goods and a household goods motor carrier seems to be nothing but smoke and mirrors! 

Any guesses as to which service is cheaper?

The invasion of the PSEUDO movers

Back in 1997 (before either the Consumer Protection Regulations or the Household Goods Sections of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Public Law 109-59 were adopted), ABF Freight System, a growing national interstate regular route less-than-truckload (LTL) common carrier launched ABF U-Pack Moving, a household goods “moving service” for consumers.

This new “affordable” do-it-yourself (DIY) transportation option allowed individual customers relocating both interstate and across the international border into Canada to load and unload their household goods and personal effects using the company's fleet of spring-ride freight trailers.

Previously established national and regional common and contract motor freight carriers had accepted used household goods for transportation – but only if they had been containerized by a full-service mover and tendered at their company dock under National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) tariff rules.

Shortly after ABF began dropping their high-profile 28' “pup” freight trailers in residential driveways, apartment parking lots or at city street curbs throughout the country, several other national and super-regional motor freight carriers followed their example by clogging America's busy metropolitan neighborhoods and thoroughfares with their unattended (and unattractive) equipment.

Nationally, Yellow Freight Systems, once a formidable competitor, began offering residential customers a new type of DIY moving service similar to ABF. Meanwhile, Yellow's biggest adversary, Roadway Express, Inc., expanded their moving service options by accepting both palletized and crated household goods (HHG) under a variety of different NMFC tariff classifications.

Recently ABF purchased Albert Moving and Storage, a small independent household goods carrier,  move broker, and military approved transportation service provider, or TSP, based in Wichita Falls, Texas.

The nationwide freight company acquired the family owned moving and storage business for $4 million after working with their unregulated MovingStaffers (a/k/a Albert Container Concepts, L.C.) labor service company.  MovingStaffers has supported the operation of ABF's growing U-Pack Moving service for several years.

After the economy stalled in 2007, more and more price-conscious consumers and corporate entities abandoned their use of full-service movers.  Instead they turned to cheaper DIY moving services after the recession to manage their depleted family budgets and scaled back relocation benefit packages.     

The Albert purchase was announced just days after the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) release their new Code 2 containerization rules.  SDDC is the executive agent of the United States Transportation Command. USTRANSCOM owns the government's new $2.2B automated Defense Personal Property System, DPS. 

The International Association of Movers, a global association of comprised of over 2000 household goods movers and freight forwarders, estimates that the military services will  increase their use of the DOD's specialized new domestic HHG containerization program by 5-10% in during the 2012 peak moving season. 

Meanwhile Old Dominion Freight Line, the sixth largest LTL firm in the U.S., decided to follow both ABF and YRC Freight into the household goods transportation business in January, 2012, when they announced their OD Household Services, a new self-moving service where consumers only pay for the truck space that they use.

In today's highly competitive virtual marketplace, doesn't it sorta make you wonder why household goods motor carriers are required by the federal Consumer Protection Regulations (49CFR§ 375.405) to charge by weight ONLY? 

Second assault: Mobile Portable Storage Containers

In 1998, Pete Warhurst, a Florida self-storage operator introduced the first Portable On Demand Storage (PODS) moving containers. Like the ABF pups, these large, boxes were designed to be delivered unattended to customers homes or clients businesses so they could easily move themselves.

The concept not only caught on nationally but the PODS franchise quickly expanded to include 48 states, as well as Australia and Canada. Realizing the tremendous profits that could be made in DIY moving and storage products and services, hundreds of local, national and international competitors sprang up during the next decade.

By 2005 competition had become so strong for their U-Pack trailer placement program that ABF introduced a smaller, more attractive (and more “affordable”) self-moving container which they dubbed the ReloCube.

This new DIY “moving service” allowed the company to avoid the increased scrutiny of city, state, and municipal traffic codes that prohibited the placement of unattended trailers on public access thoroughfares. Transportation service provided in ABF ReloCubes is a whole lot more expensive than the same DIY service charged by linear floor capacity used when arranged in their hi-profile freight boxes.

Compromise or surrender?

Recognizing that they'd been outflanked (and undermined) by interstate general freight common carriers and local DIY big box franchises hawking cheap intra- and interstate moving and storage transportation services, several companies specifically licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) (and various state regulatory authorities) to handle HHG and personal property introduced or acquired their own DIY moving and storage options.

In 2006, St. Louis, MO based UniGroup, Inc, a $2 billion privately held transportation and relocation service powerhouse and parent company to two of the largest full service national van lines in the U.S. – United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit, Inc. – unveiled their own Store and Move (SAM) containers at 92 locations in 65 cities. Now branded as United Mayflower Container Services, SAMs originally allowed their subsidiary agents to compete in the local and long distance DIY portable moving and storage market that was being dominated by PODS.

By 2007, however, PODS was struggling in the marketplace, hurt by the slide in the U.S. economy and the number of low-cost competitors offering cheaper DIY moving products. Warhurst sold the company to Atlanta-based Arcapita for $450 million. The real estate holding company is wholly owned by the Bahrain-based Arcapita Bank which was initially formed in 1996 as the First Islamic Investment Bank.

Meanwhile, Atlas World Group, the nation’s second largest licensed household goods carrier, got into the DIY mobile/portable container market in June 2009 when acquired the assets of the struggling Denver based Smart Move, Inc. Smart Move’s 5000 unit container inventory and lift assets were redeployed to nearly 70 Atlas Van Lines’ agents located on major metropolitan areas throughout the country as the company's new SmartVault brand. 

After experiencing a dismal peak moving season in 2009, UniGroup teamed up with PODS to offer a new type of 'hybrid” moving service. Under the terms of the marketing alliance the two competitors agreed to an exchange of portable moving and storage containers for professional moving expertise and range of accessorial services normally offered only by full-service movers.

Each of the budget-conscience clients at UniGroup's two van lines had access to PODS’ fleet of 138,000 portable moving and storage containers at 166 locations. In exchange, PODS customers unable or unwilling to move themselves were granted the ability to arrange packing, loading, and unloading services traditionally offered by the network of United and Mayflower agents at nearly 750 locations.

The alliance lasted little more than a year. The agreement was suspended by both parties after the full-service moving industry experienced a tumultuous perk season in 2010.

DOD death knell

What's really killing the moving industry in the United States?

Some of the more experienced, tenured, and now retired (or displaced) captains of the industry might argue that the first critical injury occurred when Congress passed the Household Goods Transportation Act of 1980. The goal of Public Law 96-454 was to reduce regulation of and increase competition in the household goods moving industry. The number of licensed “professional movers” in the U.S. virtually quadrupled overnight.

Some blame Public Law 104 – 88, otherwise known as the ICC Termination Act of 1995. Once feared by the entire transportation industry, the oversight and consumer protection functions of the ICC were assumed by offices in the Federal Highway Administration and the newly-created Surface Transportation Board, both elements of the U.S. Department of Transportation.  At one point after 911 there were only two (2) FMCSA 'cops' policing over 20,000 newly licensed interstate motor carriers, household goods movers and personal property brokers.

Meanwhile the explosive growth of the Internet allowed unscrupulous brokers and non-asset 'move managers' to prey on unsuspecting customers online.  The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is currently investigating the practice of moving companies and brokers conspiring to hold their customer's household goods “hostage” to extract additional money mid-way through their moves.

Others believe that FMCSA's requirement that "movers" must offer their customers fixed price binding estimates combined with the industry's own introduction of the 'guaranteed-not-to-exceed” variation of the actual weight alternative by competing national van lines is what chased the more experienced small business owners and well-trained independent van operators away from the moving industry.

Ask any professional driver, though, and they'll tell you it was the steep discounting in the face of rapidly escalating operating costs that drove them away as third party relocation companies and ancient government contracts sucked the profit margin out of the full-service movin' business.

And that unrealistic price competition started when the moving industry's largest customer, the Department of Defense (DOD), decided to allow the DOD Business Process Reengineering Task Force to 'reengineer' their internal household goods procurement process in 1995 – the same year that the ICC was terminated!

DOD embraces pseudo movers

If deregulation encouraged rogue movers and unscrupulous brokers to prey on the moving industry's clients, and reengineering encouraged competing vendors to slit each others throats and rob from their drivers, then it was the SDDC that delivered the industry's customer base to other non-licensed and unregulated transportation alternatives.

Most industry pros agree! Uncle Sam is the one who ushered the pink elephant into the room.

The pressure full-service movers feel in their pocket book is the result is what happened when the FMCSA decided to re-regulate part of an already deregulated moving industry with strict new compliance and consumer protection requirements.

And now the latest Defense Personal Property Program Domestic 400NG for 2012 takes advantage of the difference between companies that transport household goods and companies that move household goods with their 'best value' pricing model. 

By constantly changing the tariff rules of their problem ridden Defense Personal Property Program, DP3, and ignoring and undermining the financial interests of local moving and storage agents, DOD is essentially leading the pachyderms to their watering hole.

OK, Congress…What's IS a mover? Really!

In today's mobile, global marketplace, popular “consumer oriented” trash-your-mover forums and well-optimized rating and review websites provide disgruntled customers a convenient, free and often one-sided public platform to complain about the relocation product or service they used or transportation companies they hired.

Digitally connected, budget conscious consumers often share their anger and frustration using popular personal and professional social media (SM) platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Linkedin, when they think they've been ripped off or scammed by their mover.

Not only is it easy to give a company (or competitor) a virtual black eye, but experienced SM users can multiply the effects in the online marketplace if their digital punch goes viral.

Many new members, for instance, use the free platforms like MovingSCAM, RipOff Report, and Consumer Complaints Board to anonymously heap the very same blasphemous comments on the moving industry that they've left at countless other online venues including the always popular Better Business Bureaus. 

It's amazing what kind of damage can be done to a reputable company's reputation in the virtual marketplace with a few strategically placed incendiary comments and SEO tracking devices. 

If local, state and federal officials browsed through the some of these comments, though, it would quickly becomes apparent some of those vehemently expressing their disappointment with their “mover” usually don't have a clue on how to tell the difference between a licensed household goods motor carrier, a move broker, a motor freight transportation or mobile container company, and a DIY moving service.

But guess which service industry individual customers or corporate client give the failing marks to when the motor carrier transportation company, labor contractor, or moving service provider they're dealing with online:

• Refuses to send a representative to their home to provide them a fixed price, binding estimate, even though their freight terminal is within 50 mile of their home or office.
• Fails to include full-value insurance protection on their DIY service order or interstate transportation bill of lading
• Won't reimburse them for damage they did when loading or unloading their own personal property
• Wants to charge for protective pads, tie-down straps and moving or dunnage material to secure the content in their trailer or container.
• Refuse to settle a property loss of damage claim caused by the local laborers they hired.
• Won't respond their written complaints

If the relocating public has little understanding or experience with how moving companies are supposed to operate today, it's not because of the trained professionals who make up most of the local, long-distance or international household goods industry.

Maybe it's time for Congress to instruct the General Accounting Office to take another look at what new federal actions are needed to protect consumers in today's unregulated online marketplace.

Otherwise it is going to becoming increasingly difficult to establish oversight of the household goods moving industry if no one even knows what a professional mover really is.

If no consumer protection oversight is good for the goose than it should be good the gander.

Click here to share your thoughts with your representatives in Congress.  It's an election year.  Given their current popularity with financially strapped voters, members of both chambers might be interested in your comments

There's a Share button underneath this article. Please use it if you think changing the Consumer Protection Regulations as they're currently written is a good idea!

Otherwise feel free to participate in the poll below. 

Related Articles:

The handleset and the stockboy: A DPS comparison – RELO Roundtable

Is shopping for a mover in a virtual marketplace safe? – RELO Roundtable

Why SDDC’s Code 2 program failed – RELO Roundtable

A Case for Disclosure – RELO Roundtable

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The STB ruling clarified a earlier decision issued January 21, 2011, which implemented a Congressional directive to enhance consumer protection in the case of loss or damage that occurs during interstate household-goods moves.

Licensed movers will now be required to place on the estimate form they provide to consumers a short notice advising that they will later select between 2 options for moving company liability. This new ruling requires the placement of the full-length Valuation Statement containing the liability selection only on the BOL.

This new decision modifies the requirement in the previous ruling that certain information be put on the household goods estimate form and its raised value levels.

In addition, the decision clarified the application of these changes to household-goods freight forwarders.  Licensed freight forwarders must comply with all the requirements of our released rates decisions included in RR 999 (Amendments 4 and 5) anytime they arrange an interstate shipment that will move only by motor carrier.

The changes become effective April 2, 2012 and are designed to help reduce shipper confusion over liability limits. Once implemented, consumers will be afforded an enhanced protection level which is more consistent with typical homeowner coverage on their personal property and possessions.

The American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA), the national trade association for the professional moving industry, was instrumental in negotiating these changes which are seen as good news for both consumers and movers.

As experienced consultants to the moving industry, former AMSA execs Joseph Harrison and Patricia Jennings of Moving Pros Network also participated in the STB hearings .

AMSA has provided an in-depth explanation and summary of the new requirements for both their ProMover members and their customers at the association's business website here.

Related Resources:

Released Rates of Motor Common Carriers of Household Goods (Docket No. RR 999 (Amendment No. 5) – Surface Transportation Board

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The Self Storage Anti-Aggregator Alliance warns of possible questionable practices & publishes free how-to guide for every self storage operator allowing them to simply check for correct content on multiple online directory listings.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – (McAllen, Texas) – The Self Storage Anti-Aggregator Alliance has released a brief synopsis of one issue brought to light concerning a possible questionable practice as employed by some businesses. Randy A. Smith, the industry’s most outspoken critic of the online aggregators is quoted as saying, "I've received numerous reports from operators of every size and location from around the USA. One issue in particular seems to be rising to the top of the list of complaints. Operators are discovering that some of their free, online business directory listings at sites like Local.com, Merchant Circle, and CitySearch have had their contact info changed. In several cases, the listing has the right business name and address, but the phone number and/or website link leads to another business, which in many cases is a competing business."

Smith is not claiming intentional misconduct by any particular company but notes, "it is extremely interesting to see the breadth and depth of this issue, and the number of cases in which this is occurring. A couple of names keep coming up. The industry association executives at the national, state and local levels really need to investigate this matter further. Is someone manipulating the listings? Are these public directories being used by some in violation of the directories’ own terms of service? Are these just honest mistakes and due to search engine errors? Nobody knows, but now several people at various levels are looking into it. I've even been able to get through to the folks at Google, who were extremely interested in how some in the industry are using their Google Places listings."

To that end and to help operators see if they have a problem of their own, the SSAAA put together an extremely simple how-to guide that any person can use to check their own self storage operation's free online directory listings. Smith says, "the guide takes you to two independent websites that check dozens of directories and in less than 10 minutes you can see if you have an issue. I guarantee you’ll see listings out there or directories out there you didn’t know existed." The guide is absolutely free and downloadable as a full-color PDF document that walks one through less than half a dozen steps, with screen-by-screen, step-by-step instructions.

"Operators are beginning to ask questions that they hadn't asked before, which is good," Smith said. "Information is power. The more information the individual operator has about different web technologies out there, the more informed they become and the better business decisions they can make. This is all about protecting the operator's online presence, and indirectly… profitability."

To learn more or download the free guide, visit The Self Storage Anti-Aggregator Alliance at http://www.ssaaa.org

Related Resources:

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ABF Freight System, one of the nation's largest less-than-load (LTL) common and contract general freight motor carriers, has produced a two new migration trends infographics.  (Click individual graphic to see a larger image.)

The first illustrates the relocation patterns of their individual customers who moved themselves using the LTL freight company's two do-it-yourself transportation options in 2011. The second details how moving companies are changing the U.S. landscape.

Unlike the other national van lines which released their migration trends earlier in the month, however, ABF is not a licensed household goods mover.

Instead the $1.5 billion subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation provides individual customers or corporate clients who choose ABF U-Pack Moving service either an empty 28' long hi-profile commercial freight trailer, or 370 cubic foot ReloCubes into which they can load their personal property themselves.

The company then provides linehaul transportation services between the two local freight terminals closest to each customers origin and destination.

While both infographics are packed with useful demographic information, the amount of data is somewhat confusing based on the number of sources – especially to someone planning their own long distance interstate relocation.

California, Florida, Texas, and Arizona were among the top five for both inbound and outbound move volume handled by ABF. More than a third of all U-Pack moves in 2011 were related to at least one of these four states. The graphic displays the percentage of moves conducted by U-Pack to and from each state and when they're moving.

Although ABF's chart shows that nine out of the ten busiest moving days of the year occurred in the summertime between the months of June and August, U-Pack user don't quite follow the same peak season relocation patterns of typical van line customers moving during the summer.  

In January, 2011, Arkansas Best Corp. of Fort Smith purchased Albert Moving and Storage in Wichita Falls, Texas for $4 million.

According to David Humphrey, a vice president with Arkansas Best, the nationwide freight company acquired the family owned moving company after working with their MovingStaffers labor service company for the past decade or so. The relationship primarily supported operations of U-Pack Moving.

Albert Moving and Storage will retain its branding and will function as an independent subsidiary of Arkansas Best, said company chairman Bobby Albert.

The purchase allows ABF, which is not licensed as a household goods carrier by the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration, to participate in the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command's (SDDC) expensive new Defense Personal Property System, DPS.

Related Articles:

United Van Lines releases 2011 migration study – RELO Roundtable

Atlas Van Lines releases 2011 Migration Trends results – RELO Roundtable

Allied Van Lines 44th Annual Magnet States Report – Allied Van Lines

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IAM is a global association of movers and forwarders based in the shadows of Capitol Hill. The industry trade group consists over 2,000 moving and storage companies from more than 170 countries and territories.

The meeting occurred just days before the January 27, 2011 deadline set for several household goods movers and brokers to comply with a written request to provide the Senate committee with information pertinent to their probe into activities involving unscrupulous "rogue" operators.

In mid-December 2011, Chairman Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller (D-WV), announced that the committee had undertaken "an investigation into the practice of moving companies holding household goods 'hostage' to extract additional money from individuals and families mid-way through their moves." The in-depth investigation is to discern how widespread the problem is and what can be done to protect consumers.

IAM Program Manager Brian Limperopulos was joined in the meeting by a special government affairs team from PACE LLP – managing partner, James Wise, and his associate, Bryan Vickers

PACE is a well-established government consulting firm whose partners have a wealth of both personal and professional relationships with White House personnel, Federal agency officials, chairmen of major Congressional committees, members of Congress and their staff, corporate sector executives and related press corps.

During the January 18, 2011 meeting, the industry group shared the details how the practices of rogue operators and shady brokers differ from those of reputable movers, and explained how unscrupulous operators are successful in scamming customers.

On December 19th, letters requesting specific, detailed information regarding each company's sales and marketing programs, operational enforcement and compliance to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations explanation were sent to the owners and principles of Best Price Moving and Storage, Inc. (USDOT# 693651 ; MC# 321559), Nationwide Relocation Services (MC# 381766), Budget Van Lines (MC# 512534), and Able Moving, Inc (USDOT# 1418141; MC# 536623).
 

American Van Lines

Company owners only have until January 27, 2012 to comply with the Congressional committee request for information and documents.

It shouldn't be too hard to get accurate updates on the status of the committee's investigation now that several industry groups have become involved in the Senate's discovery process.

Related Articles:

Senate investigates household goods carriers and move brokers – RELO Roundtable

Rockefeller Investigates Consumer Complaints of Moving Companies Holding Furniture & Possessions Hostage - Senate Press Office

Feds crack down on more rogue movers and brokers – RELO Roundtable

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Recently Hoover held the position of Chief Executive Officer at Bekins Van Lines. Previously he was part of Evansville based Atlas World Group as Chief Marketing Officer, and then President/COO.

As President, Hoover assumes the duties of moving industry veteran and company owner, Rick Russell. Prior to acquiring A. Arnold, Russell served as President of Indianapolis based Mayflower Group, Inc., before the $500M van line was sold to Unigroup in 1995.

A. Arnold Moving is a well regarded, premier moving and storage services company which specializes in moving individuals and corporations around the world. The company operates locations in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky, Indianapolis, Indiana, and Kansas City, Kansas.

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Both documents contain the military's latest new rules for governing the interstate, intrastate and international movement of personal property and household goods for Department of Defense (DOD) and the Coast Guard (CG) personnel.

As usual, the always dedicated and dependable folks at Daycos are combing through both documents looking for any changes from the rules used by SDDC in their automated Defense Personal Property System, DPS.

Using new software, Brandon Day, Daycos President, has started to analyze both documents to detect even minor program changes to DOD's constantly-evolving and problem ridden household goods procurement program.

Click here to review Daycos' findings and to sign up for their always excellent DPS updates the Daycos News blog.

Related Resources:

2012 Tariff Changes To Be Detailed – Daycos News Blog

Defense Personal Property Program Domestic 400NG-2012 Tariff

2012 Baseline Rates

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This action is being taken as personal protest against the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) (HR 3261) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) (S.968) in the U.S. Senate – that, IF passed, would seriously damage the free and open Internet, including this little part of the movin' marketplace.

Instead, anyone visiting RELORT on Wednesday, January 18th will be automatically redirected to a "Stop SOPA" message. This will occur regardless and backlinks or bookmarks they might have used, and irrespective of any moving industry topics or page content they may have searched on to get here.

After a visitor has viewed an informational “Stop SOPA” message, they will be able to continue to browse RELO Roundtable at their leisure and will not see the message again during that visit.

Unfortunately, those loyal followers who drop by several times a day will see the same message each time you access the site on Wednesday.  Sorry, but I feel pretty strongly about this onerous regulatory intrusion!

Keep the Internet FREE and OPEN!

RELO Roundtable supports everyone’s right to freedom of thought and freedom of expression everywhere. As the internet continues to grow and evolve, we think everyone should have access to educational material and resources on a wide range of subjects – even if they can’t pay for it. That's one of the reason's for RELORT's growing popularity.

As a certified web junkie, I personally believe in a free and open Internet – a place where information can be shared without threats of constant censor and governmental control.  We believe that new proposed laws like SOPA, PIPA, and other similar laws currently under discussion both inside and outside the United States don’t advance the interests and protect the rights of the general public and the educational potential of the medium.

Those unaware of how this proposed legislation can affect you and your family in the future can read can read a very good list of reasons to oppose SOPA and PIPA from CNET here, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation here.

Several other popular news sources like Wikipedia, Reddit and Boing Boing have already announced their plans to “go dark” on Wednesday to support the protest.

Some internet activists are even suggesting that Google, Facebook and Twitter take a similar stand against both pieces of bad legislation. If your screen is dark when you open your browser or social media bookmarks on Wednesday, you'll know why. 

Feel free to share your professional concerns and personal opinions (and this article) regarding both pieces of legislation in both the poll and comment field below.  After all, you never know who's watchin'.  Recently we've had trade association members, Congressional offices, crooked movers 'n brokers, and internet criminals all lurking in the shadows at the same time..  

Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding! ~ Eric

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On January 10, 2012, the US Attorney's Office filed a fifty five (55) count indictment in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado against defendants Yaron “Roni” Levin, Liat “Lee” Levin, Francisco Guevara, John Allen Darby, Golden Hand Moving LLC, and Movers USA LLC.

The plaintiff's charges allege that each of the named defendants committed fraud, extortion, and theft during the period between November 2007 and November 2011.

According to the indictment, the charges include:

• Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
• Wire Fraud, Aiding and Abetting
• Extortion, Aiding and Abetting
• Falsely Making a Bill of Lading, Aiding and Abetting
• Theft from Interstate Shipment

Included in the 55 counts are allegations that the named individuals and business offered unsuspecting consumers low cost moving estimates in order to secure their business. The indictment documents how they then intentionally AND fraudulently began inflating the price of the transport of the goods while in their care, custody and control. Allegedly the defendants would then withhold the delivery of the household goods (HHG) and personal property in their possession until the targeted consumers paid the inflated price to the business.

Imprisonment, Fines and Restitution, Oh yeah!!!

If convicted, Yaron “Roni” Levin's penalties could include:

• Count 1: NMT 20 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 5 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.
• Counts 2-32: NMT 20 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 5 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.
• Counts 33-38: NMT 20 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 5 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.
• Counts 40-54: NMT 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 3 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.
• Count 55: NMT 10 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 3 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.

If convicted, Liat “Lee” Levin's penalties could include:

• Count 1: NMT 20 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 5 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.
• Counts 2-32: NMT 20 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 5 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.
• Count 55: NMT 10 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 3 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.

If convicted, Francisco Guevara's penalties could include:

• Count 1: NMT 20 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 5 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.
• Counts 2-32: NMT 20 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 5 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.
• Counts 40-54: NMT 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 3 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.

If convicted, John Allen Darby's penalties could include:

• Count 1: NMT 20 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 5 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.
• Counts 2-32: NMT 20 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 5 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.
• Count: 39: NMT 20 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 5 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.
• Counts 40-54: NMT 5 years imprisonment; $250,000 fine, or both, NMT 3 years supervised release; $100.00 Special Assessment Fee; and Restitution.

A copy of the indictment, Criminal Case # 12-cr-0012-PAB, that was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado can be obtained online at the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) Service Center at http://www.pacer.gov/ (registration required), or you can download a PDF copy at the Denver Better Business Bureau website here.

Movers and broker being investigated

In December, 2011, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation began conducting an investigation into the practice of moving companies and licensed property brokers holding household goods “hostage” to extract additional money from individuals and families mid-way through their moves.

On December 19th, letters requesting specific, detailed information regarding each company's sales and marketing programs, operational enforcement and compliance to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations explanation were sent to the owners and principles of Best Price Moving and Storage, Inc. (USDOT# 693651 ; MC# 321559), Nationwide Relocation Services (MC# 381766), Budget Van Lines (MC# 512534), and Able Moving, Inc (USDOT# 1418141; MC# 536623). 

The clock's ticking down.  Company owners only have until January 27, 2012 to comply with the Congressional committee request for information and documents.

According to chairman Sen. John D. (Jay) Rockefeller, the information his office received from the FMCSA as part of the Senate investigation showed that thousands of consumers have complained to the agency about similar “hostage” load scams like those investigated as part of the indictments issued by the U.S. Attorney's office in Denver.

Consumer Help for Interstate HHG Shippers

Complaints regarding violations related to the consumer protection regulations that govern the transportation of household goods in interstate commerce by a either a household goods motor carrier, household goods broker, or property broker can be reported to the FMCSA online at Household Goods Consumer Complaints. 

Household goods motor carrier, household goods broker, or property broker complaints, motor carrier safety information and company contact information can be viewed by searching on a company or carrier using their name, USDOT # or MC# at the FMCSA database here.   Only interstate movers and brokers are included.

Consumer without internet access can also call the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's toll free hotline at 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238), which is available from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday Eastern Time.

Related Articles:

Senate relies on industry pros to rout rogue movers – RELO Roundtable

Senate investigates household goods carriers and move brokers – RELO Roundtable

Rockefeller Investigates Consumer Complaints of Moving Companies Holding Furniture & Possessions Hostage - Senate Press Office

Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

  is a mutually supportive but commercially neutral learning environment that deals with the trials and tribulations of movin’.

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This year's study is based on 146,278 interstate household moves handled within the 48 contiguous states and Washington D.C.  This represents a virtually the same number of domestic orders tracked in the 2010, when the van line handled 146,837 shipments.

Go to: 2011 UNITED VAN LINES MIGRATION STUDY

To measure changing demographic trends, United classifies the states as “high inbound” (55% or more of the moves going into a state), “high outbound” (55% or more moves coming out of a state) or “balanced.”

Movin' In

For the fourth consecutive year, the District of Columbia, the nation's capitol, was once again the top destination for United's relocating customers in the United States in 2011 at 62.5%.

To the south, North Carolina (56.4%) and Florida (55.1%) also had a high percentage of inbound migration. This year the van line's stats show the Western United States is also represented on the high-inbound list with Oregon (60.8%) and Nevada (56.9%) both making the list. Oregon is number two for inbound migration for the second year in a row. Nevada, meanwhile, returned to the high inbound traffic list in 2011 after being considered a balanced state in 2010.

Movin' Out

Surprisingly, Illinois (60.8%) captured the top spot on the high-outbound traffic list while New Jersey (60.5%) was a close second. Last year, New Jersey claimed the top spot for high-outbound migration, while Illinois was No. 5 on the list in 2010.

The Northeast is the most well-represented region on the high-outbound traffic list. In addition to New Jersey, New York (58.3%), Rhode Island (56.3%), New Hampshire (56.1%), Connecticut (55.8%) and Maine (55.8%) are also included.

Michigan (58.0%) was the only other Great Lakes state on the list. It moved from the No. 3 spot on the high-outbound list in 2010 to No. 4 in 2011. It had claimed the top outbound spot every year from 2006-2009.

West Virginia (56.7%) was the only Southern state to appear on the list. North Dakota (55.7%) was the only Western state to appear on the list.

States with Balanced Relocation Trends

Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania all had high-outbound traffic in 2010. Traffic in those states has leveled, and all three appear on the balanced list for 2011. South Carolina appeared on the 2010 high-inbound list, but is considered balanced in 2011.

Several states were almost perfectly balanced gaining approximately the same number of residents as those that left. Those states include Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Virginia and Mississippi in the South and Maryland in the East.

United Van Lines, LLC is part of Unigroup, Inc., a Missouri based transportation entity that also owns Mayflower Transit and other related subsidiaries that support the two companies full service and do-it-yourself household goods move management and international mobility service options. 

SOURCE: United Van Lines 2011 Migration Study

Related Articles:

United Van Lines 2011 Inbound/Outbound Shipment Statistics – United Van Lines

Atlas Van Lines releases 2011 Migration Trends results - RELO Roundtable

Allied Van Lines 44th Annual Magnet States Report – Allied Van Lines

United Van Lines releases 2010 migration study – RELO Roundtable

United Van Lines 2010 Inbound/Outbound Shipment Statistics – United Van Lines

Atlas Van Lines releases 2010 Migration Trends results – RELO Roundtable

Allied Van Lines releases 43rd Annual Magnet States Report – RELO Roundtable

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By now it’s probably safe to say that – like it or not – most everyone has had some experience with Facebook.

I’d even go as far as to say that a lot of the relocation and service industry businesses interested in the popular social networking site are pretty clear on how to set up pages and find some fans.

If this is not the case, then there are numerous marketing and media blogs, social networking experts, and experienced community managers in both the domestic or intentional moving and storage or corporate relocation service industries out there who do a great job of detailing the nuts and bolts of the site and provide useful insights on how to cultivate fans.

If you have already set up your Facebook page and started building a community, what’s next? After following Boners BBQ’s recent … well, ere, … boner and observing similar social media faux pas that are popping up everywhere in our industry, it dawned on me that appropriate engagement on the site is still an Achilles heel for businesses and consumers alike.

With more than 800 millions subscribers from all different walks of life and industry, it’s critical that ALL users – including relocating consumers, corporate clients, and companies that provide moving products and transportation services – learn how to play nice in the Facebook sandbox:

Keep it classy. I know that Boners BBQ is an edgy brand, but you can be rough around the edges without resorting to bad language, name-calling and bullying. In a customer service exchange, it is very easy for both the customer and the business to lose their cool. Customers who dial back their anger have a better chance of getting the help they need and businesses that remain calm are more likely to diffuse the situation and present themselves well to other viewers.

Watch your tone. A lot of email and social media skirmishes start because of misinterpreted tone. Never assume right away that someone is being combative. If you need clarification, just ask for it! Anyone responsible for managing a Facebook page (or corporate newsletter, Linkedin profile, company blog, or Twitter account) must be able to write well enough to convey the right message AND tone. Remember … observing the Golden Rule usually works well in all personal and professional social networks!

Respect privacy. Facebook users don’t always think about what they are posting. Businesses active in public user groups or community platforms should never give customers a false sense of security by asking them to post personal information, including order numbers, addresses, phone numbers etc. publicly. Conversely, customers should know better than to share identifiable information in a Facebook thread.

Facebook is not a weapon. People who use Facebook and other social media sites as weapons to bully companies are tarnishing the medium for everyone else who uses it wisely. If you don’t give companies a chance to fix the problem before blasting them, where is the incentive for them to go the extra mile for you or anyone else? If you have a rational complaint and you have tried other channels then, by all means, take it to Facebook. Present your argument by clearly stating your problem and proposing a solution. If the company doesn’t treat you with the same amount of respect then they are only hurting their brand…publicly.

Be prepared for community involvement. Customers who post comments on a brand page wall, must prepared to hear back from the company, as well as fans interested in or affected by the discussion. Companies that have engaged fans who are passionate enough to defend them are lucky, but it is important to monitor for inflammatory comments. Boners BBQ is a perfect example of “fans gone wild”. The restaurant should have asked their community to quiet down before the public exchanges got so out of hand.

Do note, however, that there is a very fine line between kindly asking a fan to step down and alienating them, so page managers should use their best judgment and jump in sparingly. Remember the Golden Rule …

Be a conscious liker. When you “like” a rude comment, you are essentially endorsing it publicly. If you wouldn’t post the comment yourself, then don’t hit the like button. Boners BBQ was caught liking some very nasty fan comments, which only added more fuel to the fire.

Facebook pages are not a controlled marketing medium. They are sponsored forums for discussions about a brand. Deleting negative comments will only aggravate posters, who will likely just re-post the comment on another site. Some posts will feel like a punch to the gut, but it is better they happen on your page, where you can address them among your fans, then somewhere else. Social media can be messy – particularly for those who don't understand the community rules for playing in the sandbox. Brands that cannot accept this reality are probably not ready to have a Facebook page.

As brands and customers continue to interact online, I am sure there will be more examples of both good and bad behavior. But, the takeaway will always be the same. Successful engagement in any forum boils down to respect – respect for yourself, respect for your brand and respect for one another.

Paige Holden is Director of Communications for Holman Moving Systems, a full-service agent for United Van Lines, and XONEX Relocation, an international 3rd Party relocation services management company. 

Follow Paige using:

 

 

Other Articles by this Author:

Moving? How to manage your lump sum relocation benefit – RELO Roundtable

(***** Best of the Best in 2011*****)

Best practices for responding to customer complaints online –
RELO Roundtable

Talk about coincidence!

The same day that RELO Roundtable posted an article about a new search tool that helps relocating customers, corporate clients find the best movers, John Carlisle, the Community Manager for Self-Storage Talk (SST), asked his 4800 members if they thought business lead aggregators were good or bad for the self storage industry.

The question was framed around a lively discussion ignited when Randy Smith, the outspoken Director of a Texas based self-storage facility, launched a well orchestrated full-scale attack on the many new business aggregation websites that plague his industry. He wants to drive them ALL out of the business. Not my words…. his!

His objective is conveyed using a fast moving, loud, and somewhat controversial, 6-minute video message that is displayed as part of his personal crusade at NoStorageAggregators.com.

The vid is designed to capture the attention of approximately 8,000 of Smith's colleagues in the domestic and international self-storage industry. Based on the reaction it's stirred up in just 48 hours, it appears he's gonna make his goal.

Once he has their attention, Smith uses a well-researched, 19-page white paper entitled "Dancing With the Devil: How the Self-Storage Industry Is Selling Its Soul to the SpareFoot.com’s of the World and the Hell We Are About to Reap for Doing So” to explain why he truly wants to exorcise lead gens from the self-storage industry.

Self Storage Dancing With The Devil

As usual for the always active and entertaining SST community, response to the Carlisle's new topic has been both quick and diverse. What was particularly interesting in the exchange among storage community members was the announcement by Mr. Smith that he will be debating the issue with his nemesis, Chuck Gordon, co-founder and CEO of SpareFoot.com, as part of the Inside Self Storage Facility Marketing agenda planned for the World Expo being held in March. 

Ahhh … to be a fly on the wall!  Maybe reps from some of the large national van lines or the American Moving and Storage Association should attend and take notes!

Value of Research  A+ ; Industry Interest  D-

There are some compelling arguments in the white paper. Smith gets an A+ for doing his homework. What's that saying…the Devil's in the details? Unfortunately, as one SST member observed, a lotta folks who partake of the video won't read the research from which his arguments against lead aggregators were born. And that's a shame!

The full service moving industry is in much the same boat as the self service storage industry. The difference is that the moving industry has been in contraction since the 1950's. Meanwhile, just in the last twenty years, more than 2.3 billion (that's with a B) square feet of self-storage space has sprung up in the U.S.. According to the Self Storage Association, one out of every 10 households in the country rents some type of storage unit.

If you're in the moving and storage business, Mr. Smith's compelling arguments have to make you wonder about what value, if any, that lead aggregators provide to the industry.  If small and medium sized business owners and storage operators like Randy are having issues paying for business leads, where exactly does that leave cash-strapped  movers?

Related Articles:

Dancing with the Devil: How the Self Storage Industry is Selling Its Soul – Another Closet Self Storage

Texas Self-Storage Operator Battles Industry Aggregation Websites – Inside Self Storage

5 Reasons Aggregators Are Bad For The Self Storage Industry – Selling Storage Blog

‘Self Storage’ Category – RELO Roundtable

Is shopping for a mover in a virtual marketplace safe? – RELO Roundtable

Related Resources:

The Self Storage Anti-Aggregator Alliance – The Self Storage Anti-Aggregator Alliance

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On January 1, 2012, MoversReviewed.com announced the beta launch of their new consumer oriented database of active moving companies licensed to help fulfill these performance requirements for both individual customers and corporate clients in North America.

If you're a professional involved in the local, long distance or international moving and storage industry, you really should as least take a look at what they've developed.

Why? Your company is probably already indexed!

You'll at least want to make sure the information being displayed is up-to-date and accurate!

(HINT: If you're cash-strapped small business owner or, perhaps, a new business development executive, young SEO strategist, overworked sales manager or CMO saddled with a small staff and even smaller budget, this might be about as close to nirvana as you're ever gonna get!)

If you're a potential customer, corporate HR specialist, returning (or retiring) expat, military or GSA service member using one the government's DITY or PPM programs; or just a super-supportive hiring manager helping the company's newest employee and her young family move for the first time, you'll also appreciate this new tool. Especially how easy it is to use the site's menu options and customer reviews to narrow down your field of qualified candidates.  Relaaaaxxx and take it eeeeaaasssyyy!!!

Visitors contemplating any type of relocation can safely browse the new MoversReviewed website for as long as necessary without fear of having to surrender personal information, encountering annoying high pressure sales tactics, or obligating yourself for an ongoing (and potentially expensive) long-term commitment! 

Using this new resource, shoppers don't have to worry about their business or cell phone ringing constantly with "rock-bottom" deals being touted by overly aggressive salespeople. Forget about having your email server or mailbox clogged by offers of "unbelievable" discounts or "one-time only" coupons promised by shady move brokers, fly-by-night “van lines”, or unregulated (and unrecognizable!) man-and-a-van local advertisers.

Simplified shopping

At MoversReviewed.com, consumers get to pick the company's they want to talk to based on their own unique vendor selection criteria. Pretty simple, huh?  Like I said … eeeeaaasssyyy!!!

Unlike most of the find-a-mover competitors currently operating online, this free, easy-to-use new vertical delivers a highly relevant, unobtrusive, yet very individual shopping experience to each visitor.

The intuitive navigation tool invites guests to search on, sort through, and then personally select from a list of pre-qualified moving and storage company candidates or transportation service providers based on those that most closely match the scope of services required to complete their local, long distance, or international relocation.

The MoversReviewed.com website boasts that its extensive and well-researched database includes:

• 3,500 Moving Association Members
• 2,700 Interstate Van Line Agents
• 6,200 Active, Intrastate-Licensed Movers
• 5,600 Active, Interstate-Licensed Movers
• 160 Marine Vessel-Owning International Movers

Using nine criteria to sort their selection, users can choose from the culled database of moving product and service providers based on their:

1. Specialty
2. Operating license type
3. Company size (registered trucks)
4. Proximity
5. State, national or international trade association membership
6. National household goods carrier van line affiliation
7. Website ownership,
8. Customer review average; and ,
9. Local leader score

Real movers!

Previously, inexperienced customers in large major metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago or Dallas might have had to drill down and sort through 600 potential vendors from the yellow pages or lead aggregators listings when organizing a relocation.

At MoversReviewed.com relaaaaxxxed users (particularly those located in large ever-expanding but densely populated MSAs like NYC, L.A. or Chicagoland) automatically start their search for movers with perhaps hundreds of truly active and very reputable “bricks-'n-mortar' household goods carriers. 

The number of potential candidates depends on each users individual search parameters.  There are, for instance, 326 full-service movers displayed under New York, New York; 208 showing in Los Angeles, California, and 133 listed in the Windy City.  

Using the site's proximity tool, there are 106 full service moving companies indexed within 25 miles of the easily recognizable (and very upscale) 90210 zip code.  Lone Star State users will find 153 located within the shadow of the rapidly expanding zip of 75210.  Meanwhile, relocating east coast residents in the densely populated 07094 metropolitan zip area have to sort through 415 locally listed vendors on both sides of the river to find their most qualified candidates! 

What clearly differentiates MoversReviewed from other find-a-mover search verticals with better page rank is that each of the vendors indexed are established local companies which legitimately operate with a fully insured and properly licensed stable of trained drivers and equipment qualified by local, state or federal transportation regulatory agencies. 

Based on their personal selection criteria, MoversReviewed.com users can easily narrow the returned results down to just a few the most relevant vendors in the market area being researched. Just like the results returned via search engines, sponsored advertisers in this niche vertical are listed at top of the page.

Ever since Congress deregulated the moving industry in 1980 to increase market competition,  unsuspecting price-conscious customers have been preyed on by unlicensed household goods operators, rogue movers, unprincipled move brokers; and virtual relocation company wannabees when planning their move.  Widespread use of the internet particularly among younger, more inexperienced consumers has only exacerbated the problem of shopping for a mover online.  

Browsing through MoversReviewed.com the site I didn't see a single disqualified property carrier, disreputable move broker or unscrupulous craigslist scammer listed anywhere on the site. 

I did, however, find several sponsored interstate carriers who failed to list their USDOT number(s) on their company website as required by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and some state Department of Transportation (DOT), or public utility commission (PUC) regulations.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I always thought that individuals or companies that offered 'for-hire' loading, driving, unloading labor services to rental truck customers were supposed to be licensed as household goods or personal property motor carriers, not moving labor services.  

If so, it appears that some industry trade associations and national van lines need to review the listings and advertising of their members and agents to ensure they meet local, state and federal compliance requirements.  What's that saying about casting the first stone?

7500 candidates… and No crooks?

Using this new online resource, anyone contemplating any type of household goods or personal property relocation in either the United States or Canada can spend a lot less time qualifying the best candidates based on their own personal needs. 

Indexed household goods movers, mobile/portable container operators, specialized motor carriers, or third proviso transport and handling specialists receive calls from customers that are more confident and sure about using their service.

To filter out movers with the wrong federal or state operating license type and to further help assist anxious consumers to avoid brokers/middlemen, unscrupulous fly-by-night operators, and unlicensed rogue movers, MoversReviewed:

• Lists the household goods licenses provided by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT), Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) and 41 state regulatory compliance commissions
• Cross-references the membership directories of the 36 national and state trade associations of the moving industry
• Identifies moving and storage companies that are prime agents of an interstate van line operation.

The site categorizes movers into 12 specialties including piano, labor only, art & antique crating, auto/vehicle transport, small moves, portable containers, employee relocation services, commercial, industrial, SDDC military certified movers, or government/GSA approved movers.

While reviewing the site, it appears dozens of well-established moving and storage companies have already set up complete postings that include pictures and video links that feature their local and national brand logo, detail of their full service and self-service relocation options, optional rates, customer reviews, insurance verification, an overview of the company's history and particular area of expertise, and additional quote option requests for both potential customers and corporate clients.

This expanded product and service exposure costs the sponsored companies $200 for one year after receiving a two (2) month free trial. This is a particularly good value considering the very expensive but largely inefficient advertising costs incurred at other find-a-mover business aggregators which most consumers find so annoying.

Since the leads at MoversReviewed.com aren't 'sold' to multiple advertisers, there is not as much pressure on or preoccupation with price. In this type of more professional purchasing environment, conscientious sales consultants and trained move coordinators can focus more on each customer's or client's unique transportation service requirements and claim's liability needs when tailoring their relocation package. 

Quality measured. Customer driven!

After nosing around a bit, I contacted Mark Greer, President and owner of MoversReviewed.com to pick his brain and determine his interest and experience in the moving industry.

According to Mark, it took a staff of three more than 10 months to develop the beta version of MoversReviewed. Instead of just acquiring a database and posting the results like so many of the other find-a-mover websites, the small group vetted each company individually and then tossed  the bad apples before adding the qualified vendors to the sites potential candidate list.

Considering their relative inexperience in the household goods moving industry, most of the information regarding intrastate, interstate, international and specialty movers presented is accurate based on my cursory visits.

This attention to detail appears to have worked to their advantage. According to Greer, “The site received several thousand visitors in December which is especially encouraging considering we just began advertising in January”.

Prior to opening the doors at MoversReviewed, Greer spent the past eight years in the charter bus industry where there are thousands of independent companies, brokerage outfits and group travel operators aggressively compete for business.

Using his transportation and motor carrier compliance experience, he founded BusRates.com. This is also a free, searchable database of nearly all DOT registered bus companies.

Greer used his familiarity with the transportation industry to help inexperienced and uninformed consumers jump over some of the same selection hurdles when shopping for the safest, most well qualified bus vendors. Today that well-optimized site draws over 110,000 group travel planner visits each month who use the niche venue's convenient direct contact information to avoid expensive middle-man commissions and broker fees.

"There are many similarities between the two industries and a few things I didn't expect. I was confused by van line agency at first. There is nothing like this arrangement in the charter bus industry where there are 4,000 individual companies that bear no affiliation with each other. Even after one year of learning the moving industry, I feel like I have only touched the tip of the iceberg."

There's at least one executive at the American Moving and Storage Association who probably understands Greer's consternation, concern and care used when building this type of niche search engine better than anyone else in the industry. A majority stake in BusRates.com was recently sold to the United Motorcoach Association which, incidentally, is also based in Alexandria, Virginia.  Hmmm…..

Try it, you'll like it!

Properly licensed and insured household goods motor carriers or relocation product and transportation service providers based in either the U.S. or Canada can add their company information to the directory as a full posting free for two (2) months as a test drive.

At the end of the free trial, qualified vendors satisfied with the additional page rank results and affordable advertising exposure can continue posting for $200 per year.

Companies that have multiple locations can target additional metro areas at a rate of $20/mo or $200 per year. Advertisers can also move up one tier in placement for $10/mo or $100/year. Rank is determined by "sign up date by tier".

A work in progress …

MoversReviewed.com isn't perfect!  It's still a work-in-progress.

As the newest vertical on the find-a-mover block, Greer is still trying to find his way around the neighborhood.  He freely admits that the paint's not yet dry on the design and business model.  Like anything else, pricing is always subject to change.

A few pieces of the site's presentation format and content are still a little rough around the edges due to size of the project and the staff's relative inexperience.  Some of the industry information needs to be edited or updated and a few of the vendors indexed should probably have their credentials reviewed closer or listings yanked. 

Personally I think the cream will eventually rise to the top once the shaking stops.  

Having said that, I still think the site deserves a least a cursory review – especially before things get too busy!  Just based on the significant uptick in visitor traffic to RELORT in the last few months, it appears the industry is going to have another very challenging peak moving season in 2012!     

Interested? Click here to enroll in a Two-Month Free Trial Set Up.

Have questions??? 

Support@MoversReviewed.com
Toll Free: 866-319-8838
Phone: 616-607-2054
Fax: 866-201-1431

DISCLOSURE NOTICE: This article was completed in accordance with RELO Roundtable's  Disclosure Policy.  No compensation was offered for the professional opinions shared in this review. 

A link to MoversReviewed.com has been added to the Blogroll in the right sidebar to show our support for the site's non-intrusive format, professional ethics and informational validity. 

  is a mutually supportive but commercially neutral learning environment that deals with the trials and tribulations of movin’.

Have questions or need professional assistance with an upcoming moving and storage issue, or help choosing a domestic or international relocation product or service supplier?

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A hearing to review the proposed legislation is scheduled before the Missouri Senate's Transportation Committee on January 11, 2012.

Under this act, household goods movers will no longer have to file their schedule of rates, fares and charges with the state highways and transportation commission.  Instead a  household goods mover must simply maintain and publish its schedules of rates, fares, rules, and charges in its stations and offices. The legislation requires these rates be available for inspection by the commission, shippers, and the general public.

This new bill prohibits household goods movers from participating in joint tariffs. It does, however, allow joint tariffs relating to the transportation of household goods over through routes or in interline service involving two or more separate motor carriers.

UniGroup , Inc., the parent company of United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit, two of the largest interstate household goods movers licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is based in Fenton, Missouri.

Intrastate carriers of household goods participating in through routes or interline service in Missouri shall publish joint tariffs or individual tariffs for each participating carrier (no longer have to file joint tariffs with the commission).

In addition, household goods movers will no longer be required to file sworn copies of every contract with other motor carriers with the commission.

Under current law, household goods carriers in Missouri are prohibited from using schedules of rates that divide the state into territorial rate areas. This act effectively removes this restriction.

Under the terms of this proposed act, the commission no longer has the authority to fix rates with reference to the transportation of household goods. Rates published by household goods movers are presumed to prima facie lawful.

Under this act, all rate orders issued by the commission affecting the transportation of household goods, to the extent such rate orders prescribe any minimum or maximum rates for the transportation of such goods, shall be vacated. Other provisions contained in the rate orders unrelated to prescribing maximum or minimum rates shall not be vacated.

The act eliminates the requirement that household goods or non charter passenger carriers demonstrate that their proposed service will serve a useful present or future public purpose when applying for a certificate of authority or permit. Concomitantly, applicants for household goods or passenger certificates or permits will not have to satisfy the public convenience and necessity test when proposing a new service, an extension of existing service, or a transfer of authority. An applicant for a household goods or passenger certificate of authority or permit will have to show that they are fit, willing, and able to perform the service, and that they will conform to other standards established by law.

Under this act, the commission shall not restrict any certificate or permit authorizing the transportation of household goods or passengers with reference to any route or routes.

Under this act, any geographic restriction or provision limiting a household goods carrier's scope of authority to particular routes within this state contained in a certificate or permit, or both, which was issued prior to August 28, 2012, and any similar provision contained in a carrier's tariff schedule filed prior to such date, shall be deemed void. In lieu of the geographic restrictions expressed in such certificates, permits, or tariff schedules, a motor carrier shall be authorized to provide intrastate transportation of household goods between all points and destinations within the state until such time the certificates, permits, and tariff schedules are reissued or amended to reflect the motor carrier's statewide operating authority.

Beginning August 28, 2012, no certificate of authority or permit shall be issued or renewed unless the applicant demonstrates that the applicant has workers' compensation insurance coverage that complies with Missouri law for all its employees. If any household goods carrier is found by the division of workers' compensation to be out of compliance with the workers' compensation law, the division shall report such fact to the state Highways and Transportation Commission. The commission shall suspend the household goods carrier's certificate or permit until such time the carrier demonstrates that it has procured workers' compensation insurance coverage.

Although Dixon's act requires the commission to establish consumer protection requirements for household goods carriers, there is nothing in the proposal that defines those protections or potential remedies for Missouri residents.

While the proposed legislation requires the Missouri Division of Motor Carriers to develop a complaint process for consumers, it doesn't specify how that information is required to be reported to the public. The bill simply states the complaint process shall keep a record for each complaint and shall record findings made at each step of the complaint process, provide an explanation for a complaint dismissal, and provide "other" information.

Unigroup  has been operating, MoveRescue, the first industry-endorsed and fully subsidized consumer assistance service aimed at stopping disreputable and unscrupulous interstate movers from the company's headquarters in Missouri since 2003.

Related Resources:

Senate Bill NO. 470 (SB470) – Missouri 96TH General Assembly

  is a mutually supportive but commercially neutral learning environment that deals with the trials and tribulations of movin’.

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Just like last year, the biggest item of interest in the update released on January 1, 2011, is that the number interstate and cross-border household goods relocations handled by Atlas agents and drivers increased by 7.7% from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011.  In 2010, the increase was a modest 4.3%.

In 2010, Atlas reported on the migration patterns of 74,541 interstate and cross-border household goods relocations; in 2011 the number jumped to 80,289.  As usual, the bulk of the moves occurred during the summer peak season. 

According to this new report, Southwestern and Mid-Atlantic coastal states were popular destinations in 2011. The Midwest continued to lose residents in 2011, but the data shows Michigan became a balanced state after six consecutive years of steady outbound moves.

For the sixth year in a row, Washington, D.C. had the highest percentage of inbound moves, while Ohio came out the clear leader in the highest percentage of outbound moves.  

Not reported is the change to the average shipment size or type of business handled. 

SOURCE: Atlas Van Lines

Related Articles:

Atlas Van Lines releases 2010 Migration Trends results – RELO Roundtable

Interstate and Cross-Border 2010 Migration Patterns – Atlas Van Lines

Atlas Van Lines 2009 Migration Trends results – RELO Roundtlable

Interstate and Cross-Border 2009 Migration Patterns – Atlas Van Lines

Allied Van Lines releases 43rd Annual Magnet States Report – RELO Roundtable

United Van Lines releases 2010 migration study – RELO Roundtable

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BY GREG KOEHLINGER

It’s one thing to worry about household goods in transit, but trumping that concern is the potential shortfall of the availability of talented drivers to move these goods. Koehlinger writes that transferees across all industry sectors increasingly require flexibility, speed, quality and efficiency in the movement of their goods, and that it is time for the industry to adapt to this rapidly changing environment.

With respect to domestic talent mobility, quality capacity in the household goods industry is everybody’s business, and the transferees and their employers are the most affected. Age-old escalating seasonal challenges will not improve without passion and commitment to achieve heightened expectations of quality, efficiency and compliance. Aligning capacity with variable demand requires logistics solutions that integrate information and control the flow, quality and optimization of an expanded and diverse supply chain.

The American Trucking Association determined that the United States trucking industry will be facing a driver shortage in excess of 100,000 by 2014. This has been compounded in the household goods sector, in that our industry is a mirror image of the U.S. economy. Household goods drivers are the team leaders; less-than-optimal drivers don’t just affect the goods in transit, but have an impact on all phases of a move ranging from planning and packing through delivery.

According to the Worldwide ERC® Transfer Volume & Cost Survey, featured in the September 2011 issue of MOBILITY, from 2008 through 2009, the corporate sector alone experienced a 22 percent decline in transfer volume (albeit it is encouraging that the industry showed modest traction from 2010 to current). Several key factors are contributing to developing a “perfect storm” that, interdependent of each another, severely affect the availability of highly skilled household goods drivers. These economic distracters include volume; profitability; the struggling recession recovery; and the decline in real estate values having influenced more corporate customers to adopt partial lump-sum and flexible policies.

Workforce engagement and lifestyle factor significantly in production talent strategies, along with the ongoing effect of retirements from an aging Baby Boomer population. Attracting younger, diverse and experienced talent with sound entrepreneurial skills is one source of closing the owner-operator driver gap. Leadership passion about human capital combined with business intelligence and process improvement will increasingly determine winning strategies for alleviating stagnation and decline.

Intensified Standards on Safety

The new administrative requirements imposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have increased driver requirements and compliance standards which, as a result, will help eliminate under-qualified, sub-par drivers—another step in the right direction for improving industry safety.

However, this will result in less available qualified drivers, and increase the current driver shortage. Intensified standards on industry recruiting and retention will have an effect from carrier to carrier, as carriers recruit drivers within a smaller pool, from their competitors, and not necessarily have the capabilities required to attract and grow their own driver network.

Driver shortage was clearly evident during summer 2011, where traditional increased seasonal spikes were met with inefficiency, depleted resources and less than adequate production capacity for all sectors of relocation including Corporate, Government Services Administration, Department of Defense, and Private. The household goods industry has new competition from non-traditional niche suppliers that see potential value in an evolving mobility market supported primarily by traditional household carriers reluctant to embrace change.

The Number One Challenge

Increasing flexible quality capacity, improving operating margins, and addressing driver issues combine to form the number one challenge in the household goods industry. Leaders in transportation logistics are intensely engaged with aligning flexible resources around client’s expectations that define supply chain partnerships. Specific requirements shape the direct relationship between total spend, cycle time and mode of transportation.

The primary issue with respect to household goods fleet strength is more related to retention than it is to driver recruiting and orientation. Finding, successfully recruiting and qualifying experienced professional household goods owner-operators is tough work and requires relentless focus by suppliers.

Retention is an even greater challenge. Many carriers today have well-funded programs and processes to recruit and train drivers. As is the case with talent in many areas, driver retention generally is not given the same attention as driver recruiting. With a fairly even playing field in contract compensation; volume, trip planning asset utilization, minimal deadhead miles, prompt accurate payment and relationships all factor significantly in driver retention.

Regardless of shipment size and logistical requirements, the traditional interstate household goods industry remains largely dependent on the household goods driver and their origin crew to pack and load, while the same driver and their crew at destination deliver and unpack. The mode of interstate long-distance equipment is a 53-foot drop frame trailer with side doors and storage boxes. It is equipped with pads, straps, tie downs, dollies, walk boards, and material used for protection of property and load security. The industry calculates the weight of household goods at approximately six or seven pounds per cubic foot. The standard described household goods interstate 53-foot trailer has approximately 4,300 cubic feet of cargo space and, if fully loaded, should efficiently contain an average of 30,000 lbs. of household goods. The average corporate household goods shipment weighs 10,000 lbs. and drivers typically will manage two shipments per trip and will move 50 shipments annually. While average shipment size has grown as people have more belongings, shipment mix is shifting with policy tiers to smaller just-in-time delivery requirements.

Economic Forces

Concurrently, mobility policies are evolving in ways that also mirror the economic forces of employment and unemployment; production costs and corporate earnings; real estate values and the escalating trend of renting versus homeownership; talent acquisition, virtual workspace solutions; diminishing administration burdens; temporary assignments; and the illumination of indirect spend and collaborative procurement that results in supply chain optimization.

The movement of smaller household goods shipments within the framework of more flexible and tiered policies increasingly is becoming the new norm. Unless used to fully optimize load capacity, they generally they do not fit into the traditional household goods industry service delivery model. This is true for long-distance shipments weighing less than 3,000 lbs. year-round, and for shipments weighing 5,000 lbs. and under from May through September. These shipments represent sand in the gears of an irregular route contract carrier with fixed costs and a delivery system not designed for the flexibility, speed, quality and efficiency increasingly required by transferees in all sectors. This was true in robust economic times and it is more evident today in this environment of driver and capacity shortfalls. This is compounded by the increasing expectations of quality, service level agreement terms, mobility trends, focus on cycle time reduction, and supply chain optimization that results in less total indirect spending.

It is well past the time to look at and rejuvenate an industry known for its reluctance to change and, to some, a longing to return to the good old “regulated” days. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board sealed an original intent of the Motor Carrier Act more than 30 years ago with their 2007 decision to finally eliminate the Household Goods Carriers’ Bureau, collective rate-making and immunity of anti-trust laws. The deregulation of trucking as the original 1980 Act provided was to ease entry and stimulate competition through more flexible pricing and responsive services. This too should have happened many years ago and not 27 years after the deregulation of trucking.

Looking Ahead

It is time to rethink, reshape and energize this industry. Whether your focus is Corporate, Government Services Administration and/or Department of Defense, solutions to capacity, demand, seasonal variation and policy trends must be outwardly customer-focused. Conforming to the same old capacity restrictions is no longer acceptable. These restrictions create extended transit time, increased claims risk because of excessive handling and overall dissatisfaction. Traditionally, the household goods industry has used numerous generations of containers and less than truckload common carriers to move small shipments as well as truckload padded van carriers and spot trailers to increase capacity during peak periods. This reactive approach to summer planning helps supplement increasingly insufficient traditional capacity resources, but falls well short of preparing to deliver in a changing landscape of talent mobility trends, as well as to applicable well-prepared and implemented service level agreements. Increasing the number of traditional supply chain carriers used can simply magnify the complexity of industry challenges that require new direction to successfully manage through seasonal variation, quality capacity and profitability, influenced significantly by utilization gaps. Supply chain engagement is all about meeting and exceeding heightened expectations of quality, efficiency and compliance.

It is time for a conservative industry to adapt to logistics applications. It is critical to shift from a reactive stance to volume and seasonal variation to proactive planning, implementation, management and controlling of the flow of information; and traditional and non-traditional quality capacity that completely aligns with clients evolving mobility policies and eases benefits administration while aligning with indirect supply chain spend goals.

It is time to combine traditional mobility expertise with talent strategies, technology, and quality process improvement as a catalyst of rethinking and redefining optimal supply chain sourcing that creates measured value. It’s critical to have an awareness of your key underlying suppliers, how they think and how they are working collaboratively through critical challenges. Lastly, understand specifically how your model for the procurement of mobility services illuminates indirect spend and creates measured value to support your talent acquisition, quality and cost goals.

Change is inevitable; it’s the level of quality partnerships you establish with those from within the industry who deliver expertise you can trust.
 

Greg Koehlinger is Executive Vice President of The Nelson Westerberg Companies and President of Amer-Trans Logistics, A NEWESCO Company, Elk Grove Village, IL. He can be reached at 800/245-2080 ext 1786 or email him at gkoehlinger@nelsonwesterberg.com, www.nelsonwesterberg.com

 

Revelers who celebrated the New Year watching the ball drop at New York's famous Times Squares celebration were greeted with a 53 percent toll hike on the N.J. Turnpike and 50 percent increase on the Garden State Parkway if they entered the cash-strapped state after 6:30 a.m. on January 1, 2012.

The price jump, unfortunately, is unavoidable for those who routinely use the two popular throughways. Non-peak volume discounts still apply to these new higher rates. Interested visitors can click on the calculator below to calculate your relocation related travel expenses for auto, truck or combination vehicles being towed.

According to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, the average passenger vehicle toll will rise from $2.20 to $3.30 on the Turnpike. The price will jump from $0.70 to $1.05 on the Parkway. Trucker operators, meanwhile, will see an average toll increase from $7.95 to $12.15 on the Turnpike and $1.40 to $2.15 on the Parkway.

Trucks, including rentals used by consumers relocating themselves and traditional moving vans used by full service professionals, are not permitted by the NJ Department of Transportation on the Garden State Parkway north of Exit 105! 

This latest price hike is the second part of a two-phase toll increase adopted by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority back in October 2008.

According to state transportation officials, the additional revenue from the two-phase toll increase is not being used to pay operating costs. Instead, the increases are being used to fund the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s $7 billion capital program and other transportation projects.

Since the first phase levied increases of 43 percent on the Parkway and 40 percent on the Turnpike, tolls prices for motorist using these popular roadways have almost doubled in four years.

Movin' Expenses May Be Deductible

Be sure to ask for a receipt if these new toll expenses are incurred as part of a personal move or corporate relocation tied to a job change.

Remember, according to Moving Expenses, the latest Internal Revenue Service (IRS) publication (521) issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, taxpayers may be able to deduct the parking fees and tolls you pay to relocate regardless of whether you use actual expenses or the standard mileage rate to calculate your the expenses for moving to your new home – as long as you pass IRS's standard "distance" and "time" tests.  

A longtime friend and former household goods van operator who now lives on Maryland's nearby Delmarva peninsula cited the increase as just another reason that the third generation of his family got out of the movin' business a couple years ago.

“Seems independent OOs (owner-operators) and small mom-n-pop movers are always expected to incur these higher equipment operating expenses without any increase in prices.” he wrote back in March, 2010. “My trucks made less money traveling more miles last year because of the ridiculous discounts being used by agents and van lines” he complained in a later email. “They make the promises and I shell out the cash!”

He's now making his truck payments hauling chicken poo for a livin'.

Related Resources:

2012 New Jersey Turnpike Authority Toll Rates – New Jersey Turnpike Authority

Moving Expenses (Internal Revenue Service Pub. # 521) – U.S. Department of the Treasury

Moving Tax Topics #455 – Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of the Treasury

  is a mutually supportive but commercially neutral learning environment that deals with the trials and tribulations of movin’.

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Next week RELO Roundtable will turn three years old. I started the undertaking as a business idea and networking tool to find a new job. Little did I know how frustrating – and fulfilling – this project would eventually become.

I'm particularly thankful to my family (especially the wonderful lady I adore!) for their patient understanding with my preoccupation.  Without their trust and support, none of this would have happened.

I'm also deeply grateful to all of those industry friends, professional associates and new colleagues I've met worldwide who have contributed their time, talent and knowledge to the project.  A special nod of appreciation and best wishes goes out to our guest bloggers!

The one thing I've come to understand after 40 years in the household goods transportation industry is that dedicated movers and relo pros everywhere are generally both passionate and caring problem-solvers – despite what you sometimes read in the mainstream media!

Finally, I want to thank each of the visitors who drop by this little niche blog. Regardless of your reason for being here, I truly appreciate your search engine queries, relocation related questions, comments, helpful contributions, and – yes – even your occasional criticisms!  I started this site to convey a sense of collaboration and cooperation. Looking back, I think RELO Roundtable accomplishes that objective. I know I personally get a lot of satisfaction from your involvement.

Me and mine hope you and yours have the opportunity to realize all your hopes, dreams, and aspirations when the new one rings in.

As the clock ticks down, be Safe …. and Have a Happy!

Thanks!

  is a mutually supportive but commercially neutral learning environment that deals with the trials and tribulations of movin’.

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This is a "public interest" post recycled from last year.  Ol' Man Winter has been fairly kind to anyone challenged by a household goods relocation so far this season.  Then again, he just arrived less than a week ago… The snow coming down outside suggested the article might need to be refreshed.

This updated 2011 version, however, is more of a collaborative effort using content and contributions from friends in the full service moving industry. 

Special thanks to Tony Baumer for again allowing RELORT to use some pictures taken by his crews for his BDMovers blog.  I also appreciate the professional handling tips provided by AE Worldwide's Dennis Esernia on how to deal with expensive appliances, electronics, and hard to service household items when the weather turns cold.

If you're a mover, feel free to copy or redistribute the content.  Your customers and crews will thank you!  Attribution is always appreciated. If you have other professional tips, tricks, or industry tools others might be interested in using for dealing with the white stuff, please share. 

If you're a customer, good luck with your move!  I sure hope the old guy cooperates. 

Moving is hard under normal circumstances! 

Trying to accomplish the same thing during an unplanned blizzard or extended cold snap can be especially grueling for everyone unfortunate enough to be challenged by the circumstances.   

The ice, snow, freezing temperatures and slick surfaces that accompany Ol’ Man Winter when he blows into town usually present some unique – and frequently unexpected – financial and logistical hurdles for those involved in any type of local or long distance relocation.

That’s one of the primary reasons so many people plan to move during the warmer summer months.  Frequently, however, many families are forced by necessity try to take advantage of holiday school breaks to accomplish their move. 

Understanding how the moving process changes during colder months won’t solve the problem but may help alleviate some of the frustration. Here’ a short list of things you should consider if planning your relocation during the winter.

The customer is responsible for the safe access and egress of the moving crew and the vehicle being used to transport their goods. Essentially this means that all roadways, walkways, stairs and equipment being used to accomplish the relocation must be allowed to operate unencumbered.

This applies whether you’re using family, friends or a hired crew to accomplish the move or paying professional movers to complete the job. Not only must the roadways and parking area be cleared of ice and snow, but so must the pathway between your residence and the vehicle.

Many courts have found negligent homeowners responsible when they haven't taken the proper precautions or implented the nessaary safeguards to protect workers from 'slip-and-fall' type accidents.

Delays in pick up and/or delivery caused by adverse winter conditions are considered ‘Acts of God’ and are usually NOT subject to delay or inconvenience reimbursement by professional movers or relocation service providers.

Foot traffic will soil and possibly damage some flooring surfaces. Wet, muddy shoes and boots exposed to harsh chemical deicers can quickly ruin unprotected floors and carpets. Make sure some type of adequate floor protection is applied before starting. Clean any areas that become dirty as soon as possible.

It takes longer to move during the winter. It is much more difficult for workers to wrap, roll, lift, carry or transport household furniture items when they’re bundled in winter garb or operating in hazardous winter conditions. Extreme cold requires more energy which means laborers may need more frequent breaks to retain their stamina. 

And don't forget that you don't have as much natural daylight to accomplish the task of loading and unloading.  This can affect worker performance, particularly if you've already had the utilities shut off. 

Make sure to thoroughly dry everything that’s been exposed to moisture. This is especially important if the items will be stored for an extended period of time. Otherwise unexpected (and potentially unhealthy) mold and mildew can eventually contaminate all household goods in the immediate vicinity.

It can cost more to move during the winter. Especially if you’re paying for a local move by the hour. Not only can equipment rental, travel and labor charges increase because of the longer amount of time required, but the expense of snow and ice removal can quickly add unexpected costs to your relocation budget.

What’s the best part about movin’ during the winter? You don’t sweat as much … and you get to enjoy a hot toddy in your new home when the job is done!

Related Articles:

Professional tips for moving during the winter – Dennis Esernia, AE Worldwide

  is a mutually supportive but commercially neutral learning environment that deals with the trials and tribulations of movin’.

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Quite a few new visitors stumbled across this site while researching both do-it-yourself (DIY) and full-service moving and storage options, or trying to search for local container or equipment rental companies or material suppliers online.

As the economy continues to struggle, some of these anxious shoppers are dealing with the prospects of either a local, long distance move or international transfer for the first time – often on their own!

Even those with some prior moving experience under their belt are dropping by and asking questions. Not only has new visitor traffic steadily increased, but the number of registered RSS and email subscribers from around the globe tripled in 2011.

Why? Budget cutbacks have forced both experienced and inexperienced transferees to do their own research and make their own arrangements to move their household goods of personal property themselves. Increasingly more and more local businesses, corporate recruiters, and international enterprises are using individual lump sum distributions to administer their company's relocation benefit packages.

Unfortunately most naive buyers searching for useful, pertinent information online don’t know what “deliverables” they should be looking for…, or standards they should be using to determine the value that they’re seeking when selecting a vendor.

Even experienced shippers are being challenged by the amount of irrelevant information found in the virtual marketplace. Many move so infrequently they can't recall who the last mover was that packed up their stuff. The moving van magnet on the refrigerator has long since been replaced by the latest discount coupon from a competing internet service provider or – especially for aging boomers – a new refrigerator.

A few guests remember the name of the carrier or the color of the truck that delivered them to their current home Often, however, the company has changed their van line affiliation or updated their paint scheme and logo since the last time they moved.  The familiar old YP phone directory at least allowed users to see pictures of both the local and long distance equipment on the same printed page. To make things more confusing today, the color and logo on the local moving trucks in Secaucus aren't the same as a van line agent's sister agency in San Francisco.

That's usually what sends them knocking on the door at the contact page.

Starting in January, RELO Roundtable will begin posting a series of articles highlighting the largest national household goods carriers, local movers (and national van line affiliations), mobile/portable container companies; equipment suppliers and full-service and self-service storage facilities that are currently active in major markets throughout the U.S.

During 2011, 59.8% of the inbound keyword referrals and internal search inquiries concern product or service suppliers in just ten states. Initially the focus next year will be on quality-conscious vendors servicing the largest metropolitan areas of California, New York, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Washington.

If you would like to have your moving, storage, or relocation related company considered in this upcoming series, please visit the contact page or send an email to info[at]reloroundtable.com. Include both your name and the name and location of the company or enterprise you represent, your title, business email address, along with your contact information.

Related Articles:

Moving? How to manage your lump sum relocation benefit – RELO Roundtable

Do “rating & review” sites influence moving industry customers? – RELO Roundtable

  is a mutually supportive but commercially neutral learning environment that deals with the trials and tribulations of movin’.

Have questions or need professional assistance with an upcoming moving and storage issue, or help choosing a domestic or international relocation product or service supplier?

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