Over the past few years the moving industry has been impacted by a number of economic and regulatory changes will affect anyone who is planning on moving this summer.

If you haven’t noticed, delivery spreads and costs have slowly increased over the past few years. So, we wanted to give you quick overview of why this has happened, plus a few tips for how to ensure you don’t catch yourself in a bind this summer when scheduling your move.

• Economy: When the recession hit, many drivers sold their trucks because they weren’t able to afford to stay in the industry. With the decrease in the number of people who were moving, companies couldn’t pay drivers enough to stay on year-round. Even now that we’ve seen the industry rebound, adding qualified drivers back is a challenging task.
• New Industry Regulations: In December of 2010, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rolled out a new initiative called CSA2010 in efforts to improve large truck and bus safety. These new driver regulations and requirements have significantly reduced the number of qualified drivers from a pool of labor that was already shrinking.
• Supply Can’t Meet the Demand: The moving industry handles approximately 2/3 of the annual shipments from May to September. This summer analysts are projecting that the demand for professional moving services will significantly outweigh the industry’s supply of drivers, which puts everyone in a tough position.

The busiest 3 months are June, July, and August, and the busiest weeks are typically the first and last of each month. In order to prepare yourself for the challenges of moving this summer, we suggest:

• Planning and scheduling your move as far in advance as possible.
• Be flexible, and make travel plans that allow for multiple days at both origin and destination.
• Always work with a moving company that has experience and a good reputation.

By: Tim Mento, Professional Relocation Consultant, AirVan Lines Inc, agent for North American Van Lines 
Call us and Get a Free, No Obligation Quote from me for your next move! – (800) 524-5533

Tim Mento
AirVan NorthAmerican – agent for NorthAmerican Van Lines
Vice President, Corporate Development
Tel: (800) 524-5533