The Chairman's Corner

By Alan Freese

January 2019

2018, for many, was a year of challenges as well as rewards. I know that many movers had a very successful year, but they still faced adversity, especially on the military side. The military continues to be the “Middle Child” with the ever-changing programs and direction. It can be difficult at times to hit a constant moving target, but I feel the leadership they have now is starting to understand some of the pains associated with operating a local military approved warehouse/agency. Let’s face it, there are far easier ways to turn revenue in the moving industry besides the military arena. There are a lot of regulations and hurdles set forth by the military that are not in place for our commercial customers. Hands down, the number one complaint I have received while traveling with Steve this past year is the transparency – or lack thereof in the military marketplace. Many local agents feel the current system takes advantage of them and they have a good argument to support their position. I would recommend to any and all agents to attend the 2019 Spring PPF at Scott AFB, IL. You must register ahead of time to ensure a seat as it does fill up. This platform is one of the best ways to meet face to face with the military personnel in charge of running the programs that you operate under, domestic, international, DPM and NTS. I have found it to be very beneficial to attend and a great place to have your concerns heard. I hope to see you there.
         
On a personal note, I hope that you and your families had a great Christmas and New Year’s day. For me, it was great to have my daughter Shelby home with us for a couple of weeks with my son, Jack, and eldest daughter Amanda. As a whole, my family travels a lot and often in different directions, which is why it felt so good to have everybody back in the nest for a few days. Even better was that they all managed to get along – imagine that.
         
Looking forward to 2019, it is my hope that the military continues to have open minds and ears in dealing with local agents and the problems of DPS as well as transitioning into MyMove. I also feel a heightened sense of trust being under the DCA versus the PUC. They have really stepped up to the plate in a short amount of time, trying to enhance as well as streamline their programs and direction. Just the fact that they are willing and able to provide enforcement as well as a path to compliance for rouge movers is huge for our industry.
         
In closing, I would like to remind everybody that the 2019 convention is not far off and more importantly the scholarship applications are open and available online. The CMSA scholarship program has helped my daughter Shelby a great amount over the past five years and I as a grateful dad, I just want to say thank you to all (12) chapters for what you do to raise money, to make this possible – outstanding job by all. I’m looking forward to visiting three more chapters prior to the convention when I get to hand the keys over to Mr. Thomas McCarthy. It’s been a great ride and looking forward to a great year with all of you.

Thank you and Happy New Year, Alan.

January 2019 - CMSA Communicator