RELORoundtable...a gathering place - Latest Comments

Re: Are you ready for National Moving Month?

Eric Anders — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:12:17 -0000

Sorry, Pat. My bad! I fixed both. Thanks for your comment. Appreciate the feedback ... as always!

Re: Are you ready for National Moving Month?

Pat McLaughlin, IMAWA — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:53:39 -0000

Hi, Eric. I'm disappointed you didn't include state moving associations as a good resource to help consumers find credible moving companies. We're working hard out there in concert with state regulators and industry groups, and we assist people every single day.

Also, for your list: Indiana is regulated, too - Indiana Dept. of Revenue. Protectyourmove.gov has a good list of regulator contacts, too.

Have a good day!

Re: SDDC Industry Day 2013

Gillian Kelly — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 05:00:41 -0000

Great example of the effect -- RIGHT HERE!!

Re: SDDC Industry Day 2013

James Doss — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 08:30:30 -0000

The problem is simple, the structure of DPS was engineered to take the natural flow of supply and demand out of the system, and the effect of this was GREATLY compounded by the TSP's universally taking a much bigger piece of a much smaller economic pie, (why? because they COULD)

There is no room left for the drivers and agents working in the field to invest in capacity and cover operating expenses at the same time.

All I can say is DUH. I think intelligent and sound reasoning has left the building. Here is a clue, there really isn't a free lunch, it will just seem like there is for a time.

Re: SDDC Industry Day 2013

James Doss — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 08:19:16 -0000

Well, you would think that if someone really wanted to solve a problem, that they would start a BROAD BASED discussion that included the people who actually get things done in the moving industry.....

Re: SDDC Industry Day 2013

Eric Anders — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:00:35 -0000

Based on the deafening silence in the most popular social media forums this close to start of what appears will be a very challenging peak moving season, I suspect that the tail is waggin' a muzzled mutt.

The sudden increase in the number of visits to RELORT's career resources pages during the last two weeks is inversely proportionate to the lack of meaning industry discussion concerning deteriorating capacity concerns.

Re: SDDC Industry Day 2013

James Doss — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:28:24 -0000

LOL, I have plainly outlined most of the issues with DP3 right in the discussion area of this forum.

Without a strong profit motive, equal access, and a position of influence, individual drivers and agency principles are not going to be willing to dedicate the time and effort required to make the labor intensive and stressful peak season a success.

The prospects of dedicating 80, 90, or 100 hours a week (or more) to the peak season, incentivized with the prospects of perhaps breaking even over the course of a year is just dumb.

Additionally has created an environment where perceived success is defined by the willingness of people involved in the actual service of shipment to bend over at the request of the all mighty TSP. Many agents and drivers who have bought into this perception are no longer with us, and they are not coming back.

Untill SDDC understands that the "movin business" is not conducted by the suits in the various van line headquarters, but by the people who endeavor to provide actual services, all of the flow charts and schemes that people who don't (or won't) come to terms with this reality are a total waste of time.

I knew what was going to come of this program as soon as the realities of the program became apparent, too bad this was not so apparent to the big shots.

incentivize, incentivise [ɪnˈsɛntɪˌvaɪz]

(tr)

a. to provide (someone) with a good reason for wanting to do something why not incentivize companies to relocate?

b. to promote (something) with a particular incentive an incentivized share option scheme

Re: Using a personal bed bug detector when moving

Eric Anders — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:24:57 -0000

Thanks Edea! Several electronic bed bug detector products have hit the market in the two years since this article was written. Many appear to be expensive electronic gadgetry more than they are effective detection products. Caveat emptor!

Re: Using a personal bed bug detector when moving

Edea Krammer — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:12:16 -0000

What a great resource! Pointes taken… What more can I say? This is just everything what I was expecting to hear on what this article has to say about this bed bug detector device… Two thumbs up!
NABedBugs.com

Re: Extra Labor: Another Grimm Fairy Tale by SDDC?

Eric Anders — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:43:10 -0000

You're right, Alrick! Not only are holes forming in some of the van line agency networks but also throughout their entire intra- and interstate hauling fleets. Many good owner-operators already left the HHG industry when they could not longer support both a family and a small transportation business on a busy six week long peak moving season powered by deep discounts.

And with the way the the DOD is scaling back both their domestic and international operations, there may not be nearly as much military ground for surviving movers to reclaim.

Not only are each the branches of service reducing their workforce requirements, but more and more PCS moves are being administered through SDDC's expanded PPM program.

Re: Extra Labor: Another Grimm Fairy Tale by SDDC?

Alrick Powell — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:32:04 -0000

Well, when sufficient baseline service providers have been driven from the industry, with no prospect of replacement, perhaps some pricing pressure from the supply side will force increases.

When this happens, we who remain at the grass roots will have some ground to reclaim.

Early on in the program when the full effect of the entire scheme became apparent, I was thinking things would begin to turn in about two years. It seems I was a bit optimistic, but I am confident that within five years of of program implementation, we will see market forces come to bear.

I have been watching large geographic holes forming in the agent networks of many large carriers over the past three years, at some point a critical mass will be reached in many markets. The real service providers who remain, having survived by the application of sound business sense, will start making their presence known in what remains of the free market.

Recoil is inevitable. There is no action without reaction. And when it does...... well, we will see how amiable we who remain will be, and how long their memory is.

Re: Extra Labor: Another Grimm Fairy Tale by SDDC?

Eric Anders — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:38:22 -0000

Thanks Gillian! Now that's it's open for business, it appears that the military's newly re-engineered personal property procurement program was built on a slippery slope.

Apparently extra labor compensation is just one item on a long list of moving and storage services that SDDC has decided to arbitrarily change since the inception of DP3.

Since the article was published this morning, several subscribers have written to complain about recent liability changes that were arbitrarily imposed on non-temp storage shipment.

According to SDDC's own definition NTS is “long-term storage of household goods in lieu of transportation”. It is “acquired under the terms of a Tender of Service agreement entered into by the storage firm and the government.”

Prior to March, 2013, all non temp military shipments requiring NTS were covered by $1.25 cwt liability limit. Most local movers used that once standard measurement of permanent storage claim risk as a benchmark for determining their pricing requirements and capacity availability when submitting their non-temp rates to SDDC.

Several week ago, SDDC notified agents that in the near future the new assumed liability rates were going to be increased to $4.00 on ALL non-temp shipments, even the old ones already stored in their warehouse.

That means that a small mom-'n-pop agent in a once thriving military market who still has 100,000 lbs of non-temp storage in the warehouse where their business model and NTS rates were built on a maximum of $12,500 exposure to future claims is now expected to assume a $40,000 of liability without any negotiation or offer of a new compensation agreement.

NTS agents were given the opportunity to amend their NTS rates based on the level of increase claims exposure.

Nothing in the notice from SDDC, however, guarantees that the new pricing an agent requires for assuming this new level of increased risk will be accepted by the household goods moving industry's largest customer.

Apparently under the new DP3 business rules, an independent local agent can still sign a binding legal agreement with the military but can’t object when SDDC's brass arbitrary changes the terms of the contract.

Re: Extra Labor: Another Grimm Fairy Tale by SDDC?

Gillian Kelly — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:38:41 -0000

Great Article! Looks like things havent changed much in the last 2 years!!

Re: How the world will view the moving industry in 2013

Eric Anders — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 07:41:54 -0000

Any changes that reduce the cycle time and improve the quality and performance of your business relationship with your customer can't be all bad.

Except, of course, if they don't work.

While technology has allowed improved communications and an easier exchange of information between participating parties, all too often customer service gets bogged down by what appears to be an attitude of indifference created by an out-of-touch internal business process or antiquated government regulation.

Re: How the world will view the moving industry in 2013

GordonFiddes — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:22:42 -0000

I have seen the difference in how transit damage claims are performed as well. I still leave my cell phone in the van so i can pay full attention to the shipper, but shippers often are texting on their handheld devices while I am measuring a claimed item and documenting the damage. Younger claimants will have photos of poorly packed cartons on their smartphones to show me examples of how damage occurred. Some will email or call their adjuster while I am reviewing the inventory sheets after completing the inspection, and the only reason they waited that long is because I recommended they wait to call until after all the items have been inspected.

Yes, the times are changing. We have come a long way from mailed claim assignments and shippers being content with a response from the movers within 6 weeks.

Gordon Fiddes, President
Image Restoration, Inc.
Certified Claims Analyst
serving the moving industry for 30 years in the Portland, OR area

Re: Shunned and shirked on Linkedin

Eric Anders — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 22:29:12 -0000

Hi Gordon,

The "rules" of engagement for every industry remotely involved in real estate and relocation have been changing since the economy tanked in 2008.

Even though thing are now improving, far fewer people are moving in this new post-recession economy compared to fifteen years ago.

Today 80% of domestic and international enterprises manage their company relocation program with some type of lump sum package. To get the most value for their buck, many of their budget conscious employees or new-hires are arranging to move their IKEA type of home furnishing or hand me downs themselves using rental trucks and mobile/portable containers. These DIY moving products and services are frequently arranged online through well optimized business lead aggregators.

This change in how most consumer relocate worldwide could be a huge problem if your roladex or address book is packed with the names of moving and storage company contacts, van line personnel, or third party move managers.

If your website hasn't been optimized to allow search engine crawlers, bots, spiders to regularly verify your “local” facility information or updated business content, customers who might be in need of your products or services will never find your company online.

Try this exercise. Enter your type of business and company location in each of the largest search engine browsers and see where you rank within their returned SERPs. If your not listed on the first page, you might want to consider embracing a few inbound marketing techniques.

Yesterday this site had almost 600 pageviews from 15 different countries. Sixty percent were new, first-time visitors. They found RELORT; the site didn't find them.

In today's new virtual marketplace, content is king. Individual consumers and corporate client will have an easier time finding you if you use some of the popular social media networking platforms like Facebook, Linkedin Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube to share the results of your work.

If the community likes what they see, their word-of-mouse approval will help boost your company reputation online.

Re: Shunned and shirked on Linkedin

Gordon Fiddes — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:25:46 -0000

The "rules" of engagement have been changing and many of us "dinosaurs" are going to need to flex with them or be left wondering where all the work has gone. You have me wondering if all of the downturn in business my company has experienced is "the economy" or how much is due to the fact I don't blog, don't use "Send Out Cards", haven't updated my website in several months, and don't even have a company facebook site.

Re: Three things a virtual mover might not tell you

Eric Anders — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:26:40 -0000

Thanks for dropping by, Jenna.

Personally I'm not a fan of rating & review sites were user generated content is hidden behind a paywall. Most naive buyers who use these type of pay-to-play resources to shop for movers don’t know what “deliverables” they should be looking for or quality standards they should be using to determine the value that they’re seeking when selecting a vendor.

In this type of environment, moving simply becomes a commodity…and the
online marketplace becomes an unsafe media outlet where gullible consumers become easy prey to the aggressive Web vultures who pitch low, low prices while still promising great professional service.

How does Unpakt gauge and/or differentiate the quality of the different companies that advertise there?

Re: Three things a virtual mover might not tell you

Jenna Weinerman — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:41:35 -0000

It can be hard to find a reputable mover, so be sure to check user reviews and sites that will help you find experienced movers. Yelp, Angie's List and the Better Business Bureau are great places to start your search. Check out Unpakt for full profiles on reputable movers and exact pricing from each. It's like Kayak or Expedia for moving. Good luck!

Re: UniGroup opens new logistics company

Scott McNelley — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 08:47:50 -0000

The very best agents, drivers, warehouse facilities, and movers in the business.

Re: Remember when 7 pounds weighed 7 lbs?

Jim Bizily — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 23:36:33 -0000

It is like saying, "In every STANDARD, there is an EXCEPTION" and this is just a part of business-as-usual workaround. These changes come and go because of the fluctuating market locally and globally.

Re: Senior Move Management: A new niche for movers?

Priority Moving, Inc. — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:24:09 -0000

Another great article Eric. As a member of NASMM we fully support your comments above and it is true that seniors need extra care when planning a move. They really should use a NASMM member to assist.

Bryan Bloom
CEO
San Diego Movers

Re: Avoid Moving Scams: An Easy to Understand Infographic

Priority Moving, Inc. — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:21:32 -0000

This is another great article.. So happy that you are doing what you can to educate the moving public. We try all the time, yet so many get sucked in to what they think is a legitimate company. We at Priority Moving http://www.prioritymoving.com do what we can to eductate the public as well. Thanks for this article

Bryan Bloom
CEO
San Diego Movers

Re: Moveline out the gates

Eric Anders — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 07:50:43 -0000

Thanks, Brian!

As an old dog who's not all that familiar with all the new technology tricks used by Moveline, it took me awhile to wrap my head around the new type of convenient move-management service they are trying to offer consumers.

Re: Moveline out the gates

brianklong — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:53:42 -0000

Good job Eric. Nice article.