One of the more interesting parts of my work is the opportunity to visit with movers and tour their operations. Last month, while I was in Denver, Colorado, I visited CMSA member Johnson Storage and Moving and its president, Don Hindman. Johnson has amazing operations, and in my 44 years in our industry, it was the first time I encountered a warehouse with vaults stacked five high! And not just in a corner with a couple of rows but throughout an entire one-hundred-thousand-foot warehouse! I almost couldn’t believe it when Don explained that they moved the five high stacks around with a pallet jack—a heavy-duty specially designed pallet jack, but a pallet jack, nonetheless. Anyone who has spent any time moving more conventional three stacks can appreciate the potential challenges. Don and his team continue to adapt to an ever-changing environment and thrive. They embrace change but are anchored in several core values. Things in our industry get ever more complex, and the demands of internal and external customers continue to grow, but Don holds on to the anchor tenant that is true for any business; it all begins with the sale.

The purpose of my trip to Denver was the National Council of Moving Associations (NCMA) meeting, an informal group of moving association staff that gathers annually to discuss industry issues and share association innovations and best practices. Leadership from ATA MSC, IAM, the Canadian Association of Movers, and state associations from New York to California meet to improve our programs for professional movers and their customers. We discuss engagement with regulators and ways to protect and enhance the image of the professional mover. One of the items in our Big Issues discussion was disruptors in our industry. We all agree that our industry, not unique, is based on change. Simply put, without change, there is no need for a move. However, within an ever-changing landscape, there is a group of operators who consider themselves disruptors. They believe incorrectly that what they are doing is so unique that the current regulations of an industry, like moving, do not apply. CMSA and the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS) agree that any entity that transports used household goods on a public road as part of a for-a-fee venture is a mover, regardless of what they consider themselves, and required to comply with all applicable rules and regulations.

July 2024 - CMSA Communicator