2020 The True Definition of a Mover.

M = Mobility: If you look up relocation it literally means to move to a new location, so one could argue that without a move, (as in the case of a short-term assignment) you are dealing with extended travel not relocation. Only when the employee physically moves, are they “literally” relocating. Making the move the pivotal point in the mobility process. A point that in many cases cement’s in the mind of the transferee the fact that they are relocating and not just visiting.

With that realization, the truck or container showing up at their door makes everything very real. Making our drivers and crews the face of relocation and with the use of technology, possibly the first live people they have met in the entire process. A process that is to this day one of the three most stressful things in our lives.

Given the use of technology, (zoom, video home showing, electronic signing etc.) the Mover could be the only live face of the relocation. The intimate touch point that sets the stage for the productivity of the employee in the new location. A critical service that seems to be a focus of corporations or some relocation management companies, to reduce cost or as they say find economies. As moving is an intangible service cynical people have trouble finding value in this critical service. As Oscar Wilde said, “the cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing”.         

If you stop and think about it, the physical movement of the transferee’s household is the pivotal point of the entire relocation process. Moving is also one of the industries that has the largest investment in manpower, equipment and infrastructure. The one service, that for some reason, seems to always be on the chopping block as an easy to replace, manual, low-tech service that can always be squeezed on price or replaced by a lineup of hungry Movers.

O = Obligation: As the world was consumed by a pandemic our industry had an obligation to our customers to continue to provide a hands-on service that could not be replaced by technology. Although virtual surveys eliminated some direct contact with the public, our crews still had to go into unknown homes and physically move everything.

This was not a business-as-usual sort of year. Asking our employees to front line this service was and is a heroic effort from the women and men that are traditionally viewed by many as just manual labor, rather than the professionals they are. As an industry working under extreme restrictions, we exceeded all our obligations.      

V = Vigilance: We could not let down our guard for a moment. As the pandemic grew travel restrictions and protocols changed every day. Safety standards and protocols where put into place both internally and in the field. Shipping lanes where effected and borders were closed. Everyday our industry dealt with not only local and regional restrictions but global logistics.

Internal teams were set in place to track changes and report them to our clients and our own personnel. The logistics of providing a transportation service was and is made up of first-time creative solutions. The industry demonstrated the flexibility needed in these everchanging situations, pivoting daily to do the very best we could for our client and as important our people.   

E = Essential Service: Movers were deemed as an essential service further solidifying the value our industry brings to the table. Our industry is made up of independent local businesses, your hometown heroes. Front line workers that have and will bring some sort of normality to this unprecedented situation.

As the world shut down the Movers kept on trucking. Our people where taxed with not only safety protocol but also the laws of the land and labor shortages. All of us trying to hit transit times with some transferees thinking they are ordering a Uber. We are not FedEx, we are not Amazon, we do not have billions of dollars to spend on logistics. We are a patchwork of independent businesses. With all the same challenges as every main street vendor.

The van lines are made up of independent businesses, be clear on that. Drivers are in many cases independent owner operators, packing crews are in some cases independent. We are not a multinational billion-dollar entity. We are independent businesses cooperating and working with each other to provide a global service. An industry of independent businesses, that is considered an essential service.          

 R = Resilience: The Moving industry has demonstrated a resilience that has kept many organizations in business for generations. We are portrayed by some as an industry that needs management, that lacks innovation, that is void of processes and resourcefulness. In light of 2020 I believe you see what the Moving industry is really, all about.

A group of independent professionals working extremely hard in critical situations to ensure that the corner stone of any relocation, the move, is handled professionally, no matter what might get thrown at us. The next time someone insinuates that there are economies to be made in household goods moving sector of your relocation program, ask them at what cost? If anything, after this is all over, the true definition of a Mover should be rewarded rather than discounted. I for one am proud to be a Mover and if you are in this industry hold your head high. You my friend are a Mover, with a capital M.