The Chairman's Corner

By Shiree Hammer

May 2022

Thank you to everyone who attended the 104th CMSA convention in Reno. I am honored to serve in the chair position for the upcoming year and hope to meet many more of you along the way. Was it just me, or did this convention feel like a reunion? It felt great to interact with everyone in person and reconnect. Every event seemed to be filled with attendee’s eager to mingle and visit with new and longtime friends, as well as suppliers and industry leaders. Steve, Renee and Gale did a great job orchestrating the whole week. As usual, the convention was packed with events, meetings and information. After two years of canceled conventions, there was some making up to do. Without a doubt, the convention was a success.

The Bureau of Household Goods & Services (BHGS) had two representatives present, Bureau Chief Justin Paddock & Policy Manager Yeaphana La Marr.They spoke on the state of moving in California and future plans of the Bureau. It was interesting to learn that most complaints received were on shipments that were headed out of the state by rogue operators.

On Friday, the IAM provided attendees with an update on the state of the industry. Chuck White touched on the pandemic and the supply chain issues it caused. An interesting term that came out of his presentation was “de-location.” During the pandemic, industry saw employees moving out of larger, more expensive cities to smaller, less expensive areas to work remotely. Dan Bradley focused more on the DOD side of things and reviewed the challenges military movers will face this upcoming summer. Saturday’s meetings focused more on the domestic side of moving with ATA and the van line panel. With the industry now facing a labor shortage versus just a driver shortage, topics of discussion included truck automation, freight demand and alternate transport solutions.

Sean Edgar from CleanFleets.net updated convention attendees with the environmental challenges California movers will face in regards to CARB. The bottom line is CARB’s goal is to have vehicles on the road that produce zero emission by 2045.

As movers, we provided an essential service during the pandemic. No doubt it was challenging but if there are a few positive things to take away, it seems as though our industry is more understanding and open to change. During the convention I heard terms such as, “being more flexible and comfortable with change,” “open to new ways of communication,” “embrace new innovation and adapt to the new era of mobility,” “be patient, move slowly and cautiously,” “know your limit and know when to say no.” However, Craig Carver from Interstate might have said it best, “Movers have a passion to serve,” and that we do. Best of luck to all the movers and suppliers this peak season as we do what we do best.

May 2022- CMSA Communicator