Things You Do Not Expect.....

For the past couple of years, those of us in the moving and storage or transportation industry,
have waited, on the west coast, for what we had always come to expect, a summer season that
was busier than other times in the year. After all, summer season, for as long as I can remember, was the time kids were out of school, it was hot, and that was the time you moved.

There are also, of course, many "artificial times for moving," as one matures: college, first job,
from an apartment to a home, or as we have seen in recent times, moving to cut costs, or for
worse reasons (foreclosure, etc), but with the "great recession" as the politicians have deemed it,
the moving and transportation sectors, as well as its supporting cast (vendors, salespeople, small shipment providers, craters, packers, product firms, insurance agencies.....) have not seen a traditional uptick in moving in over two years.

I can tell you that this abnormal economic activity, or the lack thereof, poses some issues for all of us in this field, but while we have adjusted, cut back, trimmed and found new ways to become
more efficient, what I did not expect, was how the industry, in the midst of what has become a
busy and good year for the moving industry, in 2011, at how many of the transportation firms have dealt with the basic fact that demand has outstripped supply today.

To be honest, I wish I had more to complain about, as personally, I have not ever seen too much
business, as at Box Brothers, we do not lie to customers and make promises that we cannot keep, as we are not about anything other than giving the customer the best we can. And I never feel as though, we are busy enough, as I know that there are many true and good customers who will receive bad or mediocre service from other firms who promise the world
and could care less about telling the truth.

This, I am told, even included the major van lines, who were obviously too smart for their own
good, as with the capacity they lost in the last few years, they greedily accepted orders from
unsuspecting customers who are waiting for their furniture and clothes and medicines that
are not only late, but way late. I have no mercy for these liars, as while there is good reason
to try to get all the business you can, it is my belief that you have a duty to provide the truth
and not mislead the public, as this industry is already suffering from issues of credibility, which
is why many firms have come in and taken share away from the traditional movers, over the past few years (ABF U Pack, Pods, etc).

Ask me, all this was predictable, like a home run hitter striking out to much, but what I did not
expect was the low class crap (pardon my French....) from my so called competitors, who have
not only attempted to steal my employees, but have reached out to bribe them, to come to work for them.

Maybe I should feel flattered, that we, at Box Brothers, have assets and people that are coveted,
and maybe the best these competitors can do is sneak around and try to steal people with no
real intent to keep them, just use them to get through this summer moving season, as the flow this year is not a trend, I am sorry to say, but a result of pent up demand, as the housing industry is hurting and most people who work are still trying to just hold on. This demand we
are seeing today, is not the result of people moving up, better jobs attained, or new opportunities
abounding. I hope I am wrong, and I have seen stranger things, but these sleazeballs, who seek
to rape and pillage, are ridiculous, and if this is the best they can do, to try to steal from others,
they are pretty sad. I just hope they get what is coming to them, but when I talk like this, people simply say that I am naive. That business dictates, that the ends justify the means.

Maybe they are right, but I am not going to run this firm to screw people, customers or employees, as no matter how bad things get or how good they get, as well, the ends do not always justify the means, and if there is any justice in the world, what goes around will come around.

I am proud to report that all is well here and that our foundations are strong and well built and
while we do have to stretch a little, I can promise all of you who work here, that no one will come
and accuse you of lying to them, accuse us of over promising and under delivering and that we always to try to make sure that the customer is the reason we come to work. I just wish
everyone else in this crazy business would do the same, instead of lying, stealing and not caring
about the people who pay their salaries, the customers.