Key Excerpts Featuring MFA Ambassadors:
“This peak season, movers have done a really good job of saying, ‘All right, we’re going to step up to the plate. … We are bringing our best drivers, our best crews.’ They’re working really hard to make this summer successful for service members,” said Katie McMichael, executive director of Movers for America, a coalition of over 1,000 moving professionals and independent owner-operators who haul household shipments for military families.
PPA has improved DoD’s relationship with moving companies to the benefit of all, especially service members, according to those in the industry.
The PPA and the actions of its commander, Army Maj. Gen. Lance Curtis, have been “a breath of fresh air,” said Ryan McConnell, president and chief operating officer of Atlas Van Lines. PPA has worked to better understand the military moving industry and to build better communications, he said.
“In the end, this is all of us getting the business component lined up with PPA so that we can provide that service to families,” McConnell said. “Ultimately, that’s what this is all about.”
This season, movers have seen an earlier start to the peak season, beginning in early May, said Steve Weitekamp, president of the California Moving and Storage Association.
“We’ve been talking since the beginning of time almost, to try to spread out the peak season from such a short period of time to a longer period, which we’ve kind of seen this season,” he said. “I think it’s been to the benefit of both military members and moving companies.”
A few tips
Weitekamp’s advice to service members: “When you get your orders, you should book your move early to ensure the best possible service. … The sooner the military member gets in the queue, the more apt they are to get the top quality service.”
Because installation security has been tightened because of what’s happening in the Middle East, movers urge families who live on installations to be aware of some of the consequences, said McMichael. Movers are trying to prepare families for the reality that getting on base is going to be difficult this year.
“We’re not the only tractor trailer truck coming through the gate. There are lots of deliveries. … In a lot of cases it’s not necessarily because our trucks can’t get on base,” she said.
If they’re behind other trucks that are having issues, she added, “the only thing we can do is sit there. This is for everyone’s safety. But please be mindful that for pickups and drop-offs, there are going to be some circumstances where there will be delays.”
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