FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions:

My entire crew is well trained, why do I need a training program?

Congratulations, I have worked with a few crews that were all around qualified, are all of your new hires personally verified prior to full time hiring? I was in operations 19 years and couldn’t verify more than years or if the potential employee would be welcomed back, that’s the law, how about your sales force? Are they aware of how packers pack, or how fast all your loaders get a shipment in? Does everyone perform these tasks in a consistent manner? How long does it take to establish your protocols with new workers? This is why you need an industry standard based training program; establish protocols and processes, from sales to operations to workforce. Do you have to deal with any consistent customer complaints? Think about it.


You mentioned staffing agencies as a way to lower labor ratios, how does that work?

Actually, it won’t, unless the particular staffing agent is doing something to prepare the worker, backgrounds and drug testing are good starts, but workers need a little more orientation before you turn them loose around customers or seasoned workers. As an Operations Manager at a Teamster Based moving company, I used to hear all the time that temps were going to get someone injured from improper lifting, they talk too much, they don’t understand our terminology. When we spend a little time with a “temp”, (that may be a very hard working guy), and let him know what we expect of him, as well as a few tips on basic duties he will be performing, as well as who to see if they have questions, all prior to their assignment, well, I found I had a valuable tool that took a lot of pressure off my crew, especially at peak season with auxiliary pick-ups driving my regular guys into deep overtime, and leaving them exhausted for the next day. A staffing agent that will do the basics to get your force supplemented with qualified; reliable help can be the most valuable asset to maintaining a lower labor ratio.


What are your qualifications to teach these lessons?

I have been associated with the moving and storage industry since I graduated high school and worked summers for Global Van Lines. When I moved to the San Francisco area I worked for 3 of the largest agents in the area as a driver and contractor and was exposed to international moving as well as office moving and worked with some great guys that went to a lot of trouble to pound the right ways into my hard young head. I have worked as a contracted carrier for 11 western states, warehouse manager and opened an agent for United Van Lines. I was a qualified trainer for United with their Quality Labor Training program. Again, I invented none of this as a lesson, I was taught this in another era when we could do this on the job. Now, we have to get as much of this done before we place the worker in front of a customer.


 

What other uses do you have for this program?

It’s an excellent pre-hire tool. When you have someone come in that passes background and drug testing, you may wish to check them out before you put them out in the field. The Core classes as well as the auxiliary classes may give you some valuable insight as to performance expectations or issues may wish to address before they can get serious.


How do I find a staffer who will use this?

Good question. An easy way would be to have all the major or largest providers sit down around a table and you explain your needs, basically you need workers from a standardized program who can pass a background check to your specifications, (we can help you with a matrix for your check), a basic drug test, and have a certification indicating they have an idea what is required for a safe efficient work atmosphere in the moving and storage business. You will need to explain what you are willing to spend and it should be reasonable to cover their mark-up and keep the labor aware that a full time job at your workplace would be financially beneficial to them and their family. Some of the smaller providers will shy away, our program is designed to help any of them and you may need to combine two services to meet your needs and base the majority of your business on how well one in particular services your account.

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