Another Way to Save on Your Long Distance Move/Shipment

People have many reasons for moving or shipping goods from one area of the country to another

area….jobs, schooling, family reasons, economic reasons, retirement are just a few of the reasons

people move great distances.

However, many people in this group, think there are only two options for getting their possessions across

the country.   A professional mover, or you can do it yourself in a rented truck.

Of course, this is a simplistic description, but all too valid.   In my company’s case, we provide a shipping service for

household goods and personal possessions, that allows the consumer to opt for any number of savings over the

traditional services of a full service mover.

For example, one of our benefits, is that we give our customers an option for both pick up service and delivery service

of our loads.  We can save the consumer money on the pick up, if the consumer brings the goods to one of our service

centers, as that allows us to pass on the savings we obtain by not having to use labor, fuel, a truck and other costs

incumbent on pick up the goods to be shipped.   By helping yourself out on the pick up or origin services, you might be

able to realize from 10 to 20% savings of your entire shipment cost.

Likewise, we offer another money saving option for our deliveries.   If you can bring the shipment into your own storage

unit or into your own garage or home, we can also save you up to 15% of the shipment cost by bringing the goods in from

the street, into your home or unit.

In these difficult economic times, you have to look harder for money saving options, but if you want them, we have them at

Box Brothers .   The Leaders Interstate Shipping, for over 28 years

Goodby 12 Hello 2013

As we enter the final days of 2012, one has to wonder what will be with 2013?

Will it be a better year economically?  Will the Fiscal cliff issues, somehow, get

resolved?   Will we have the types of tragedies we saw so much of in 2012?

The funny thing about the future, is that no one is right and everyone is right, as the

answers to these questions and many more, are still left to be determined.   In some

small way, a lot of these answers have to do with how we, as consumers and as we,

as Americans, act in the future.

Economically, they say that 70% of all of our economic activity is about you and me as consumers

and how we feel about the security or the future of our jobs, homes, and overall economy is dependent

on if we spend and obviously, if we rack up the charges on our credit card bills (the English translation anyway…)

With all this talk about the fiscal cliff, it seems to me, will simply result in more fear and more reluctance to spend

on things one might need or want, but feel the need to cut back when times are uncertain.   So, the obvious question

is why do those in power keep doing it?

As a small businessman, we rely on our customers to come into our businesses and buy our products and use our

services.   But being both a business person and a consumer, I feel the pull both ways and I find myself making excuses

not to move forward on fixing one thing or the other, or delaying projects, or just feeling as though I don’t need to buy

that item or need that service quite yet.

At the same time, this is getting old and our leaders obviously do not get it, or feel the same things I do as a small

business person.   I just do not get it, as none of their actions make any sense, as all they do is blame each other and

of course, nothing gets fixed, at best, the issues get pushed down the road.  It is anyone’s guess what will happen next.

But I want to be on the side of optimism, even if there are some signs that optimism, in our world, is on short supply.

I am hopeful for increased retail sales and increased customer activity not just for us, as owners of a business, but for

our employees and our customers, its time all of us move forward, as the problem with this recovery is that it is uneven

and unfair to smaller businesses, as opposed to larger businesses, who have greater access to capital and better buying

opportunities that those of us in small regional businesses.

While it is said that the bigger you are, the better you are, and in some ways they are right, but there is no large corporation

on this earth that can provide the level of service to its customers than small business does, as has been proven for many,

many years.   Some people forget this, like the politicians who decide that it’s their way or no way, and all they are doing it

hurting the small guy.   I wish we had a better voice, but I am not give up hope that notwithstanding all of these issues,

we are going to have a good year, both economically and socially, as we need it, its overdue and we can’t wait any longer.

Bring on 2013, but let’s leave the politician’s behind…..

Heard on the Street....Malarkey.......

I was going to be like everyone else in the world and start talking about politics, as it is that
time again, and there is no shortage of "lying," "half truths" and, of course, what we often call "the spin."

We are all used to it, by now, it is hard to tune all this noise out, and for most of us, at least, we do
not live in one of those "key battleground states" (sounds like a military term, no?), as I understand
that one can hardly come up for air in Ohio without someone using all forms of media to hammer their
message home.

I know this is all partisan, but that is not where I am coming from today.   I just think this it is ironic
that both parties feel that the economy has a good of room for improvement, but at the same time,
all of this noise as I call it, seems only to make people more cautious and less likely to engage new
purchases or spend money for fear of the unknown future.   Like a catch 22 type of thing: that everyone
wants people to go out and spend money cause they are confident about the future, but their actions to get elected or re-elected only serve--it seems to me, and other small business people--make people more likely not to spend as there is a great deal of uncertainty as to who our leaders will be both in the White House and in Congress.   Maybe it really does not matter, anyhow, but boy, these politicians can spend the money, to no end

One of the key terms used in the Vice Presidential debates last evening was "malarkey."   I understand that this word is now challenging "amazing" as the most overused word of the day--by both sides of the political
spectrum.   But at the same time, to me, it only shows that these politicians are really far away from the problems of small business and in particular, for those in the moving and shipping business.

I have heard some owners in this business describe the times today as "some of the slowest times in the
moving and shipping business that they have seen in over 30 years.   Three decades, that is a long time and
I really feel that while small business is a big issue in this campaign, most of us feel unrepresented in this large
political circus.  I often joke that I never get a chance to speak to my lobbyist, like I even know a lobbyist, in the first place.

Yes, it is true that Box Brothers is a member of California and Texas Mover Associations, as well as being
a member of the American Moving and Storage Association--who do employ lobbyists, I am told, but
every single small business person I know who puts a paycheck into their employees hands so that they can put food on their families tables, is not having the best of times and most of us feel that no matter who is elected and when the NOISE stops, nothing will change and that is our greatest fear of all.

At the same time, I have not been appointed to speak on any mover's behalf and while most of my comments are truly subjective, I am not speaking out of turn.  Like other firms, we at Box Brothers
have the greatest respect for both our customers, and for our employees, which is why times like this are so hard on all of us.  We have a great reputation for packaging, crating and for helping our customers get their
belongings or merchandise safely, anywhere in the world.   We all just wish we were busier and our issues were how to handle the flow of work, instead of how to translate the work we have into paychecks for all.

Do you think if we locked these guys in the back of a moving van, told them we would not let them out until they made things better for all, and instead of spending 2 billion dollars on ads, they decided to cure a disease and get this economy moving for all of us.....it would work?....I do not think so either.

Here is hoping things get better, no matter who you want to be elected to any office.

Charging Moving Customers by Cubic Feet: Trick or Treat?

I recall a few years ago, Box Brothers had a few competitors who used to sell shipping and moving
services by charging customers by cubic foot rates, only.  

At first, it seemed on first glance, that these firms, seemed to offer the public lower shipping quotes
based on charging purely on the total cubic feet, that their shipment or goods, amounted to.   Sounds
fair, right?  Pay only for what you have and are shipping?...Right, by the way, what is a cube?  How
is a cube measured and charged for, anyway?   Are their cubic yardsticks or cubic measuring tapes, or
how amount a scale that measure cubic feet?

It was a blatant and rude trick to screw the customer, plain and simple, as when people speak about
cubic feet, it is not, however, an irrelevant measurement in terms of how your move or shipment is costed or charged for, by"professional movers" and that is the key.

The truth is that professional movers use per set cubic foot designations to estimate moves all the time, but the difference is that once the total cubic feet of a particular shipment or move is tabulated, it is then converted into pounds at standard conversion rates.   Today that conversion is like this: total cubic feet
times (x) 7 lbs per cubic foot.   The movers use a standard cube sheet that most movers use; they should not
differ from mover to mover, and as noted earlier, if you have greater density in your shipment (e.g. an all box shipment, no furniture or bulky articles), you can adjust to a higher factor (using a higher conversion rate.
Allow me to explain.

If you had 20 medium or 3.0 cartons, or 60 cubic feet, plus 50 book boxes (50 x 1.5 cubic feet per book box), you would have another 75 cubic feet.   If you had 20 more 4.5 or large boxes, you would have another 90 cubic feet.  Together we have, in this example, we have 225 cubic feet.   If you multiplied the cubic feet time the conversion rate, 7 lbs per cubic foot, on average, you would get 1575 pounds, but if you
used the lower dim rate factor, due to the higher density of your shipment, you would do this as follows:
225 cubic feet x 6 lbs per cubic foot, that you would have 1350 lbs.

Here is the rub; movers pack their trucks from floor to ceiling, using all available space they can, as they get
paid on the total weight they haul and handle.  The better that they use their space (their trailer), the more income they can make doing the same runs.

In the case of movers who only charge by cube, they often do not pack up to the ceiling and when you calculate total cubic feet used, they could all space whether you use it or not.   It is just a trick to get you
to think their price is less, but if this were true, why would they not just offer you the lower of the two calculated costs: weight or cube, whichever is lower--but they don't, as their intent is to take advantage
of what the customer does not know.   To say this is wrong, is being nice, as these carriers intent is clear,
and it is not to give the customer the benefit of any lower price, but to increase the cost to the customer
based on a phony ploy.

I wanted to bring this subject up, as we are starting to see this means of cheating the customer coming back
to the market again.   I have no idea why, except that all the leaders of the moving industry would rather
just talk about rogue movers than do anything about them, as they are all operating in the open, with no fear
of repercussions.   To me, this purely and clearly suggests that whoever's job it is to regulate this industry, they are not doing it.

My suggestion is to find out the facts when you move; do your homework, your due diligence and make
sure you have an understanding of the costs and terms involved, as a little bit of knowledge goes a long way
in making sure you choose the right vendor and not the best price (initially) for your relocation.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

What does a box and transportation firm have to do with reminding people that October is

Breast Cancer Awareness Month?   Not much, but today, as they say, anything goes and

Box Brothers is proud to announce that, in recognition of those who have been assaulted

by this terrible disease and for the countless survivors who have fought the good fight to be able

to tell all of us--that with help, assistance and support, as well as determination, beating

back breast cancer (and other cancers too) is now not only possible, but probable.

But the fight is not over, not by a long shot, and we still need to make sure the message of

how difficult and how trying, this battle actually is, still needs everyones recognition and efforts to

eradicate it and make it a long ago memory, as we did with the terrible polio disease, when I was

a child.

I still remember, my late immigrant mother (she was a survivor of the Holocaust in Europe), she was

not only devoted to her family, but she retained some of her old ways, including some interesting

superstitious acts, that I will never ever forget.

One of those was if someone mentioned that they knew someone who had cancer, she would turn

away and act like she spat two or three times.  Almost like she would be mouth spitting, but not

actually doing it.   In her day, cancer was a death sentence, no one thought it could be overcome

or that one could get treatment for it and survive.

I recall my father having a bad pain in his neck and shoulder and I asked why he did not go to the doctor

and my mother told me he was afraid it might be cancer.   So when he went to the doctor later that day,

he did not have cancer, he was having a myocardial infarction (heart attack).  This just illustrates the

long term fear they had of having cancer.

I also remember as a young child, my mother taking me to get my polio vaccine.  The sugar cube.

They had friends, a next door neighbor, whose son was afflicted.   I heard stories of iron lungs and

how this friend of my brother's lived in one until he passed, as age 14.  I heard the stories of how they

heard his mother cry and sob all night about her son getting afflicted with this terrible deadly disease.

I personally have not had anyone in my immediate family who has had breast cancer, but I understand

how difficult and debilitating the treatment process is.   So as a company, we at Box Brothers, decided,

to do our part.

From today on, and until the end of October, we have changed the imprint on the three main moving

boxes from our blue print to pink print, and we have put a pint ribbon on each and everyone of these

moving boxes, so that we can bring more and more awareness to this cause.

One thing I can tell you for sure, that our moving boxes go all over the place, just like our customers,

to all parts of America, to all parts of Europe, Asia and in garages everywhere.  We are more than happy

to do this, as this message of caring, and of hope, is a message we are proud to be a part of this very

important and serious cause.   After all, the victims of this terrible disease and the future victims, deserve

Please join with us and do your part, whatever that is, in the ongoing battle to overcome cancer.   I know both of my parents would be proud that we have changed the outcome from impossible to promising, in one

generation.   And we will not rest until there is only a story to tell, just like in cases of polio.  We shall overcome.

Follow the money !

As a small businessman, I am always looking for signs or clues as to what is going to happen with this
economy in the next few weeks and months.   As someone who has some retail trade and some trade in the transportation sector, I am among many in the small business world who is wondering if the end of
summer has any meaning as to the question of how is the economy going to be in the next few weeks,
quarters--especially with the general election coming in about 60 days.

While there is a lot said in these political times, the economic reports that are issueed monthly or weekly
are both up and down, take your pick.   But there is little to no question that for small businesses, who rely
on the consumer or other small businesses, everyone is either non commital or politically linked to whatever
answer they seem to give.

The truth is always in between those two points, but people are still not spending as they used to a few years ago.   The unemployment situation is still real bad and I blame the past and current administrations for that, even though they keep coming up with excuses and blame for everyone else but themselves.   They bet or guessed wrong, one would have to think, as so many qualified people cannot find work, it is sickening.

What is worse is that most people get scared about their own situation when they hear this news or the employment report, they redfine what is a necessity and what is not a necessity.   And I know this is true
as I am always thinking that what if times actually get worse.

A lot of people are warning that might happen if the tax cuts expire for all taxpayers, by the end of the year.
I am already extremely dismayed that the Social Security Tax rate is going up 1/1/13 and no one seems
to care, as for most Americans, this has helped pay the extra high fuel bills we are dealing with.  

Am I the only one in America to think that the oil firms and the banks are the only ones that are making money because they can charge whatever they want as there is not any real competition in these and many other markets today--almost a de facto price fixing situation, as how can a commodity go up 20% in one
week, when our use has only gone down steadily over the past three years?   Follow the money, it pays for them to manipulate the market and no one in government does anything about it.  And why doesn't this administration go after the oil industry as anyone can tell you that there is something wrong here, that when
Chevron is negligent and allows a fire to one of its refineries, and then all of us have to pay more for their
negligent act.   How come they do not have to pay, as they were the ones who were negligent, right?

What about the banks, who are all making money and still not loaning it, as they have learned how to make
money overcharging their customers and they do not have to lend to do it.  They are all the same, none of them today are giving any deals or paying any interest and which business do you know of, that has a cost
factor (for money) that is as low as it has ever been (i.e. 1-1.5%) and they charge you 8% if you are a good
commercial customer and 18% or more on credit cards.   Who makes 1500-1800% on their margins?

This was the industry the taxpayers had to bail out?   I do not get this yet, a couple of years later as they
never say thanks for the bailout, they just act like we are here for them to mess with and overcharge.

I do not see anything positive from the street either, as the only places that are newly opened are Chinese
masage parlors and dog grooming sites.   How is this economic activity meant to show positive change in the economy?

I hope I am wrong and that the economy gets better fast as this downward cycle has gone on long enough,
that my new byline might as well be hope and change--for the better and hopefully soon.

Stop The Illegal Operators And The Perpetrators Of Fraud

First the regulatory efforts.   Next.   Neither the industry itself, or the organizations that lead the
industry's efforts, have the dedication, commitment or desire to stop the thieves from taking the
innocent customers away from the legitimate operators in this field.

If they really wanted to stop the illegal operators and the perpetrators of fraud in this industry,
then set up stings with movers help to catch and prosecute them, seize their assets, and publicize
it, so that the word gets out.

I really do not understand why the industry does not see or feel the need to police itself so that
moving can be a true profession with standards and best industry practices for the mutual benefit
of its customers, its own employees and the moving business itself.   You would have to ask the
Board of Directors of the American Moving and Storage Association, as all the van line heads sit
on this board.

One possible explanation today, is that the van lines, have no capacity to even handle what they
have with the illegal and fraudulent operators taking share, as they do not seem to care what
happens to the customers they do not service.   I say this because all these "leaders" do is talk
and sit at their desks, and nothing changes.   Suffice to say, that if anyone wanted to find illegal
or fraudulent operators, all they have to do is work with the authorities (enforcement and prosecution
together) and go on the Internet and find them, book the moves and when they try to scam the customer,
arrest them and film it, publicize it, and do it in the biggest cities on the same day.   Put it on the nightly
national news.  If they want to eliminate the problem, they can.

As I alluded to earlier, the van lines this year have had capacity issues and I do not need to review the effects
this housing slump has had on mover, Realtors, escrow officers, lenders, brokers, etc.   The result has been
that van lines have embargoed their agents from booking more jobs, sending customers in all directions,
other than standard moving services.   I understand U haul is up this year, 5%.  I am sure the van lines
will do the same, but this year, there have been joint efforts to push more moving freight into the freight
or general trucking industry.

My firm, Box Brothers has been using general freight to move household goods shipments to customers
for over 25 years.   While we have become the moving industry's best kept secret, it has been fun to
watch how ridiculous this played out when movers simply thought they could put sofas, dressers, customer packed boxes, loose and inadequately packed, into the freight system.   All those decision makers who did not get out of their chairs to ever go see how the freight industry breaks bulk, or how the freight industry
loads and unload and segregates freight.   Who could not see this train wreck coming, can only be someone
who needs glasses or a brain transplant.

In doing freight, you have to protect what you ship and household goods are bulky, easily damaged.

Back To School The Vacation Is Over.

Its about time, now, for the college kids to return to school, and we have seen so many advertisements,
from the nationial players, like Target, Macy's, Home Depot, Staples, Officer Depot, UPS stores,
and of course, Fedex Office, to only name a few.

Some of these retailers only sell dorm room items, like the pillow chairs, small fridges, wall items,
and others sell new computers, combo tv's with dvd/blue ray players built in and of course, you have
the stores who are interested in selling you sheets for beds, that only are at dorms---who figured that one
out?

For firms like Box Brothers, we specialize in being able to package and ship toasters, computers,
tv's, books, clothes and any other item you can ever think of, that someone might want to take to college
with them.   And when Box Brothers does the packaging, it is all guaranteed, as the idea is that college
is hard enough of a transition for these young adults, and the less stress they have about getting their dorm
rooms set up and comfortable, so they can begin their studies and focus on their college studies.

Not that this is not a good time to digress, but this is a so called right of passage, as many of us tired
to make our parents think that it was all about studying and being focused; dorm life that is.   But no
matter how much these stories get embellished, it is clear that the parents want the kids to go away from
home and they, the parents, in my opinion, are not that naiive.    The kids are the ones who are naiive.  But that is another story......

If you need any help with standard shipping and packaging services, or even freight services, Box Brothers
is the answer to being able to get your kids to college with their belongings safely and without hassles
as we have multiple ways to doing these services, and the more options today, the better.   Slower service,
targeted delivery, guaranteed packaging for your high value breakable items and the peace of mind that
comes with a firm who performed these services for college bound students for almost 3 decades, so long
ago in fact, that everyone could afford college, not like today.

But like all knowing and intelligent parents, sending the kids to college is the best news any parent could wish for, but do not tell the students......it will be our secret.........

Its Moving Season....but hurry....

It is amazing to me that we are about to enter the last weekend of July.   For those of us who work in businesses related to moving and the moving season, the summer months are the ones where we encounter
a greater demand curve and a plethera of so called experts who speak about carriers, rules, customer service, over the road delays, damage claims and a number of confused people who are wondering, what the fuss is all about.    Me too!

I have been involved in the moving segment of the transportation business for most of my adult life
and every year it is the same, just like the Holiday shopping season.   Summer is the time that people with children generally move.   It is not a rule, but the logical time to resettle before school begins a new year.

In reality, all this is about is that there is more demand for moving this time of year, than there is adequate
supply.   So we get prognosticators, we get those who have better ideas, those who know better and at
the end of the day, it is the same thing as the year before.   Some highlight, some lowlights, some crazy
stories, but like a lot of things in life today, we try to make them more complicated than they really are.

For those in the industry who are committed to providing consistently good service and who take care of
their customers, this is nothing new, summer that is.   It is a time where demand outstrips supply and the good firms adapt to make it happen for their customers.   It is also the time that many consumers believe
that some company's can do the same service for half, and those are the ones who end up screaming and
yelling that all the movers are crooks, instead of simply saying they were stupid to believe one provider
could really do the work at half the price of all the others.

Unfortunately, it will always happen as a lot of customers can't resist a deal and two, they might actually think they are actually smarter than the rest of us who pay the regular rate.   People should be smarter, but human nature being what it is, there will always be people who look for the wrong deal at the wrong place.
What is most distrubing is that all of this does not need to happen if the regulatory agencies got off their
butts and did something as the bad operators function in the open and do not hide.   All they have to do
is pose as a customer to catch the bad guys, but instead, they talk and sit and talk and sit and another year
goes by.   It is our industry's lack of leadership and the regulatory bodies own ineptitude that allows this
situation to exist, all at the expense of the customer.

At our firm, Box Brothers, we are into our 26th summer season, and I love this time of year due to its
challenges and rewards, as we practice good service, we hold our heads high, and while not everything
goes right all the time, I am proud to say that every single customer of our firm gets not only our attention,
but our commitment to providing the best possible service we can give.

We hope summer never ends.....for the right reasons

Vote for Box Brothers Reader's Choice Award 2012

Welcome to the Los Angeles Daily News Reader's Choice Contest!

Some of the worlds best people, places and things are found right in our own community. That is why we are asking our readers to choose their favorites in a number of categories. Please take a moment to complete the survey below.

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Voting ends Tuesday, JULY 3, 2012

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Snowflakes And Moving, No Two Are The Same !!!!

I have been in the transportation (Moving) business for about three decades and what always impressed
me about Professional Moving Services was that they were always based on matching the needs of the customer with the capability of the mover and his equipment.

For example, in moving interstate, all professional movers or the legitimate ones, all charge by actual
weight.   So if a mover comes to your home and does a survey of what is actually moving from the old
location to the new location, he or she can offer a price based on the weight of what is actually moving.
Not for more or less, but based on the items that are moving.   The mover is to get a "light weight" or a weight of his van before he loads your shipment, then after the shipment is loaded, the mover returns to the public scale site to get a "heavy" weight afterwards.   The difference between the two is the actual weight
of your shipment.

Likewise, when the moving firm arranges for the actual mover to show up to do your move to another state, the carrier matches the space in the van with the load that is being picked up, as usually, a mover van or trailer accommodates multiple loads going to the same general area.  So, in essence, if the estimate is correct and the mover has the right amount of space, the system not only works well, but the overall service the customer receives is generally, very, very good.

Why, cause the interstate mover, is his/her own businessman, who owns the truck, employs the help and the mover receives the highest portion of the moving cost, as he is the one doing the move.   If he has a claim, it comes out of his pocket and his earnings, dollar for dollar, up to a certain amount.  What better incentive
could there be for the customer?

The problem with less than adequate service, or a poor move,  is usually, ask me, that a lot of customers tend to confuse purchasing a product vs a service.   Or put another way, a low price may have to do more
with getting a bargain, that does not always materialize into a good deal--sometimes you get what you pay for.

This entire discussion then, leads to the question of why are so many moving customers desiring to move
in a 20 foot container like those being rented to customers by both container firms and movers alike?  For the life of me, I simply do not understand why any person would want to take their own liability for moving
when they do not have to.   When you do it yourself, who else can you blame when something goes wrong?

I know, I know, movers are not that smart and if they can do it, so can I.....goes the mantra.  But this is not
even a fair or intelligent fight.   To move with a container and do it yourself, simply costs as much as having a mover do the whole thing for you.  Yes, it does. 

Just like moving today with a rented truck and you are going over 1000 miles away.   Anyone see the price
of fuel and how many miles per gallon trucks get, especially those in a rental fleet?   I still cannot figure out this "new new math" as I am old enough to have learned the "new math" but I cannot figure out why anyone
would want to move themselves, take full liability on themselves and the risk of injury to themselves, NOT TO OBTAIN ANY SAVINGS.   Besides, there is no one I know that can do a move better than some of the interstate owner operators I have seen in my life.

The older I get, the less things in life make sense to me.  For example, today, there are firms that want you
to rent plastic bins to move with, instead of using cardboard boxes.   Their proponents argue that this is a
"more green approach" to moving......cause you return the bins after you use them....so they are greener than
boxes made of 50% recycled cardboard and paper........and that you only need 20 bins, instead of 60 cardboard boxes.....(get this).....cause you can reuse the bins......lets just think this out.

Say you are moving 10 miles away to your new place and you have a economy car like a Chevy or a Ford
and you pack up 5 bins.   Then you have to carry those bins to your car, and load them into your car, drive
them over there (20 miles total) bring each bin up to the new place and then unpack them, and then load
them back into the car and do it again 5 or 6 times.   How long will this take to move this way and is this not harder on the customer to shlep these containers back and forth and do all the work, not to save any money?  

Please tell me so I can understand this logic as it makes no sense to me and I suggest that every person
who is moving should ask the right questions as none of these modern ways to move are less expensive
or are advantageous to the customer, ask me.

How Box Brothers Networks with Property Managers

One of the original marketing methods we utilized in growing our business, was to reach out to property management firms and to resident apartment managers, to help us ascertain just how much moving activity
there is within their properties and developments.

While our pursuit was originally for the sale of moving related cartons for those who are moving, we soon found out that many property management firms and resident managers have rules for how a firm loads
and unloads on their property.   Further, elevator management in some complexes are limited, and management as well as fellow tenants, do not appreciate not having access to their elevators, when delivery
firms and movers monopolize their use.

We have made tremendous relationships just by making sure that when we deliver moving boxes, that we
do not block entrances, restrict use of the elevators, and we are courteous and we notify the customer to
expect us prior to making the delivery.

Many firms understand extra needs when delivering to, or servicing clients out of commercial buildings
due to requirements for proof of insurance, and dock access, as well as freight elevator access, but those
same firms, do not always show the same degree of due diligence in residential settings, but I believe that
is both a mistake and a tactical error on the sales side of the equation.

While this blog is not the place to take about other firms mistakes or errors, it is not a secret that a good
firm will always give the very best service, to its smallest customers and to its largest customers.  I have
never understood how someone regulates heart, concern and commitment to do it right and how respect
are things you can dish out like condiments.  

Successful firms are full of quality people who care about their customers and about the people they service
as they tend to understand that their customers are not numbers on a balance sheet, but the people who put
food on their families table.   This is a very hard lesson to learn for a lot of workers and heads of firms, but
today, in a difficult if not impossibly competitive economy, what is the point of doing it half way, as I have one question for those who think effort and the best possible service is something to only talk about in the
class room or board room......"how is that working out for you....giving bad service....?"

There are those in sales who say that I am of base to speak about property managers in this way as they are
not our customers.   Their tenants, who are the ones who are buying the boxes, are our customers, focus on
them, not the people who collect the rent.   Maybe they are correct, but we have received so many referrals
from property managers to their tenants over the years--for moving boxes, that I would have to disagree with this opinion, no matter how successful they are.

You just have to expand your definition of what a customer is, as anyone in sales will agree, that you take care of your referral sources and they will take care of you.   Like I said, it is just a question of definition.

Here We Grow Again....Nostalgia or Are Times Really Changing?

While it is difficult to always answer a question about what true direction our economy is actually
heading in, I am fortunate to be able to announce that Box Brothers is officially growing again, like we used to......

Box Brothers of Las Vegas, is officially getting a new expanded facility, just across the highway
from the famous, Las Vegas Strip.

What is most exciting is that our Las Vegas operations will now have a centralized location near all
the Casino's, and adjacent to Highway 15; that our Custom Crating Division and our Casino Services
Division will not only be closer to our clients, but these two key divisions of Box Brothers, will have expanded capabilities to do more of these services, as demanded by our clients.

This is our 19th year in the Las Vegas market, and we are very proud of our staff and our operations
as we have a reputation in Las Vegas as being one of the best service providers in this large and ever
changing environment.

We look forward to our grand opening celebration, which is scheduled to take place just before the
July 4th holiday, but our operations will begin in our new facility on June 4, 2012.

Our new location is at 4255 Dean Martin Drive, Unit H, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103.   We can be reached
at 800 355-7917, or on our website, boxbros.com

We can actually attest to the fact that we are growing again.......

College Shipping-Getting Home For Summer

At this time of year, colleges will be freeing their student captives......as in the next 6 weeks, virtually all college campuses will conclude their spring semesters and summer begins--for college students, anyway.

For many students, the need to move or ship their clothes, their books and papers, and their household
items, is clear enough.   In California, for example, some of the University of California campuses have
upwards of 30,000 students (i.e. Cal Berkeley and UCLA) who generally leave campus for the summer.

At Box Brothers, we have been helping students get their items home or to their new homes, if graduating,
and the size of most of these moves or shipments are not big by normal moving standards, as few if any
students have time or the need to accumulate a lot of possessions while in school.

But having some idea how to get this done is important, as a lot of effort and expense can be
unnecessarily if you do not have some guidelines to go by.

First, we suggest you get the proper moving boxes to pack your items, no matter if you store them (e.g. mini storage), ship them via a package carrier (e.g UPS or Fedex) or hire a professional shipper or mover to
assist in this effort.

The general rule is that heavier objects, like books or tools, go into smaller boxes, or book boxes, as they
are called in the moving business.   If you had a large TV type box and filled it with books, you might need
only one, but who is going to lift it, and it will cause damage in transit if the box tips and it is too heavy.
Besides, filling a book box with books or papers will already, on average, weight about 50 lbs.

Always fill the box to the top as boxes are stacked in storage and in transit, so if they are not packed full,
they will crush and cause damage to the contents.   Tape all sides and seams--with good tape as you do not
want the tape to open in transit or in a hot storage unit--so that no bugs or water can easily penetrate the
cardboard.  Label the boxes with more than books, as if the box is heavy, also note that the box is heavy so
no one gets hurt lifting them.   This also tells the shipper, if they look at all (package shippers are notorious for ignoring fragile stickers on the outside of boxes) that these heavier boxes need to be on the bottom of the stack so there is no pressure on the bottom box.

For clothes, since they compress and are light, you can use larger boxes, same with linens and towels,
but you may want to use some of the towels to cushion your boxes with breakables, if you choose not to
purchase bubble wrap paper for protection.   This is not a bad way to save some money, but be careful to
really protect your breakables, as normally, if you pack the box, and the contents arrive broken, the carrier
will claim they are not responsible cause they did not pack it, you did.

If you want insurance protection, you have to let the shipper pack the items, as this is the same rule all movers have, packed by owner boxes (PBO) are not covered unless there is evidence of mishandling by
the carrier, which is hard to prove.

Once you have all goods packaged, you can then compare some prices and different ways to moving
these items.

Or you can just call Box Brothers and we will assist you in the procurement of the proper supplies, boxes or you can simply use us for packing advice, as we have stores staffed 7 days a week for your convenience and we even offer on site pick up at any college, packaging services, and a multitude of shipping options
for whatever your needs might be.

This is a service we have provided to college students for over 2 decades now, and we are happy to answer
any questions you may have that relate to packing materials costs, packaging costs, insurance, storage
and shipping services.   Whatever your budget, we can help.  Visit boxbros.com for more information and congratulations on finishing another school year.

Mother's Day is Coming........

Just a friendly reminder to all of you that Mother's Day is only 14 days from today, May 13th.
It is very important not to wait till the last minute to ship Mom her gifts, as if you do it early, it
will be less expensive to ship, since we have time this week to ship the presents ground, and not
air, which is a lot more money.

My mother, unfortunately, is no longer alive, but I remember what she often told me in her later years, which, for some reason, still rings true: a mother can take care of 10 kids, but 10 kids cannot take care
of one mother......I think my Mom told me this when I first forgot to get her a mother's day gift.....but
after hearing that statement, I was never late again.

Ask me, one day is not enough to celebrate mothers, as without them, where would be all be......
Happy Mothers Day.

Another Problematic and Inadequate Moving Alternative: Atlas' Smart Move Program

As someone whose firm has helped over 100,000 customers with shipments less than 2000
lbs, moving from one state to another (interstate moving), I was shocked and surprised to see that one of the nation's leading Van Lines, Atlas, chose to embark on a unique Small Shipment
Program, aptly named, Smart Move.

I can't find anything smart about it.

As the first firm in the nation to actually interact with the Less than Truckload Freight Industry,
Box Brothers simply created a system that allows for small shipments to be transported across state lines, by utilizing the existing infrastructure of the United States Freight system.

At the time, everyone in the moving industry, simply felt that they had nothing in common with the freight industry, as plain and simple, the movers were specialists and the freight guys were just haulers. As is often the case, there has always been more synergy between these two industries than anyone in either industry has admitted.

After all, about 25 years ago, it was a railroad, Norfork Southern, who owned North American Van Lines, and who decided it was foolish to have drop frame trailers, as someone there theorized that if they had equipment and orders but not the right equipment to haul freight, even if they were going in the same direction, they could not capitalize on it, due to the fact that
drop frame trailers were not suitable for palletized freight shipments.

Conceptually, this was not a bad idea, but it never worked and North American Van Lines, never seemed to get up to speed hauling a lot of freight. It could be that the Moving and Storage Industry is sometimes, decentralized with agent drivers and agents, who did not want the freight and of course, there were those who argued that it would be penny wise and pound foolish
to have a van line driver miss a job to load 5000 lbs when the freight firm needed 400 lbs picked up and delivered in a few days--something that the household driver and industry was simply not prepared to work out--then.

So here comes Atlas with this idea to create these heavy duty plastic type containers, similar to what we call a lift van, but much sturdier, and I suspect, as a very high cost. Never mind the carbon footprint so often discussed today.

But then, Atlas did something new in its program, it announced that it would not use the Atlas
over the road fleet to help facilitate the movement of these units, instead, deciding to put the
whole program onto a freight platform, to most likely obtain the benefit of quicker delivery dates than the moving industry can deliver, due to its structure of utilizing owner operators for interstate service.

Of course, the problem here is the same problem with all of the other small shipment solutions
the van lines have come up with in the past, merely addressing the need to offer a small shipment alternative, but with nothing compelling to the customer or nothing that moves the service and price quotient any closer to giving the customer a good and valuable transparent service, which is just what the industry is lacking today.

How does one size fit all a good solution. If you have 200 pounds to move, it will cost over $10.00 a pound just to ship it through their system. How come they can't tell the customer that the coverage they claim to provide to the customer that is included with each shipment,
is bogus. I think you would need to have a spaceship land on your container for you to be able to make a claim, as the whole issue here as with all of these new alternatives, is that the customer, becomes self insured and two, he moves himself, but pays as much as he would for a
full service move and does not have insurance to cover any losses.

This is the crap we get from one of the nations largest van lines. No transparency, no value in pricing and they do not tell anyone that their coverage will not cover the customer for self loading or packed by owner boxes. If this is a do it yourself service, how come they can't just tell you the truth? Why do they need to lie. Do you go to the market and buy fruits and vegetables, do you have to pay for 5 lbs of carrots, if you only want to buy one lb?

How does this help the moving industry, to promote a non transparent and one size fits all service, when the entire industry is about being able to deliver good service for a fair price. In
this day and age of renewed called for more regulation, not less, do we get a service that only promises an 11 day transit, over the freight system.

Maybe someone should tell Atlas and their "Smart Moving" program that Fedex, for example,
will take LTL freight from my dock on Monday, 4/16/12, and have it delivered to someone's
new home by this Friday, in New York, on 4/20/12, with standard freight delivery.

I might be wrong, but when we created our Small Shipment Services Program at Box Brothers, over 20 years ago, we set out to create an environment that leveled the playing field for the
smaller loads and their customers: We gave them certain dates and specific times for our crews
to do the pick ups; we took professional inventories; we packaged their possessions like they were our own, utilizing more and better packaging (air cushioning, void fill, eps foam sheeting, ethafoam for very heavy and breakable items like stone, glass, and statues, piano's, etc, and we boxed everything in customized cartons that were made to fit the item, not the other way around, and finally, palletized the shipment so that the only way that the shipment was moved, was with a forklift or a pallet jack--so that no item would be moved individually.

We also worked to obtain a mutually beneficial insurance program with a third party insured,
who specifically covers all items which need to be declared and valued prior to the move. We offer different deductibles, replacement cost protection and in the event of a claim, 99% of them are closed within 30 days after a formal claim form is submitted by the claimant.

But the biggest factor in our continued success is that we have a top to bottom commitment to the customer and to rendering top quality service, no matter how small the job is. You turn your lemons into lemonade and and you do not mislead your customer, nor do you convince him or her that a one size solution is best for all.

Atlas is a fine van line, one of the best, but I think this program, including suggesting the use of stock boxes, not official moving boxes is also a mistake by Atlas here, as on the one hand, they tell people that dish packs should be used for packing dishes and glasses--the standard for many decades in the moving industry--and they encourage the use of a single wall carton if you do it
yourself. Why?

I just wish that sometimes, large firms do their due diligence correctly, as we seem to forget what we have learned over the years, that we need to be service oriented and we need to provide good solutions for our customers, not something that is only a partial and not a complete
solution for their current and future small shipment customers. At the same time, these efforts only ensure that firms like Box Brothers will continue to play a part in this segment of the industry.

Self Service vs Full Service Moving; Who Stole the Savings?

For many years, consumers have always seemed to understand their choices when confronted with having to relocate or move their home. The thought process usually runs as follows:

"If I do it myself, and rent my own vehicle, and not use a mover, then I can savee some money..."
or
"If I hire a mover, it will cost a lot more than if I do it myself..."

Obviously, if someone does not have the means to hire a mover to move all of their possessions,
they really have little choice as moving options.

Today, with fuel prices so very high, it is our belief that each situation is different and should be
evaluated on its own merits. For example, there is a huge difference in moving locally vs moving
a longer distance, usually over 100 miles, as the farther away you move from your current residence, in both full service and self service moving, costs will rise the longer the distance between locations.

But what is most telling is that longer moves, over 1000 miles, I just do not believe that the savings in self service moving are great or compelling, if you have a choice. Consider these issues:
1) Fuel at $4.50 per gallon and YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT MOVING TRUCKS
DO NOT GET MORE THAN 10-12 MILES PER GALLON, ON THE ROAD. Going
Los Angeles to Chicago would easily cost over $1000.00 in fuel costs, or more
depending on the quantity of goods and how much weight is in the truck itself

Consider these additional factors:
You have to load the truck yourself or pay others to do it;
You are self insuring all of your goods for damage or loss and
there is no insurance carrier that will cover your own packing
moving negligence that leads to loss or damage; You are self
insuring your move;
You are not at all trained how to load a truck, with weight
distribution and making sure the load is packed correctly and
safely, as if the load is not secured properly, it can shift while
on the road and could lead to an accident;
Are you an experienced truck driver, used to stopping at truck
inspection stations, border crossings and you know all the roads
that are subject to flooding, or are not safe? Do you know where
the mandatory fire extinquisher is in the truck;
How about the toll lanes and bridge fees.....
HOw about the loading equipment and pads, they are extra...

I could go on and on, but my point is that if you carefully shop for your relocation and open your
search to a broader spectrum of choices, both the self service moving market and the newer containerized moving (i.e Pods) options are all very expensive in my opinion and the best approach in making a choice is to make sure you compare "apples to apples"

People need to become aware of how they are going to be charged: for full service movers, local moving is by the hour. End of story. But for long distance moves, it is usally by weight in the U.S. One needs to be wary of other means by which some firms charge, as in all cases, one needs to know what they are buying or paying for. So your move is based necessarily on what you have to move, not what you want to move, but what you actually take with you. Professional relocation firms, movers and firms like Box Brothers, always price their services on weight and iprice accordingly. What I see most often is that firms can under estimate the weight and make you feel that your cost will be x, when in fact, you are going to pay for every pound on that truck, no matter what. IT IS JUST LIKE BUYING BANANAS OR TOMATOES AT THE MARKET, WHAT YOU BUY IS WEIGHED AND YOU ARE CHARGED FOR THAT WEIGHT.

No mystery, no guessing, no fun and games. If you have 5000 lbs of goods, you will pay for 5000 pounds of goods. So you have to make sure when you compare services, you are comparing correctly to ensure that you are getting the best price per pound and the service
requirements you need, to start your new home, your new job, your new schoooling or whatever.

So many times, we find that our prices that we provide to our customers might seem higer than some of our competitors, as most people are confused by moving by weight as who would have any idea how much a bookcase weighs or how much their dining room table, 6 chairs and hutch weigh.....no one really does until is is weighed but I have competitors who ask their customers to guess how much it weighs, as it does not matter how they quote or how much you guess, you are paying for the whole enchilada, with cheese....

So please look at all your options, never be afraid to ask questions and you can ask any of us who
are professional to bind their estimate or guarantee their rates and services, so that you can get the best value and the best service, but you have to be willing to invest the time to obtain an understanding as most consumers just go for the thinking spelled out above, that one is always cheaper than the other and the other one is more expensive, but that analysis is so shallow, it will not be persuasive and correct for most moving consumers.

Leap Year From Las Vegas.

February is supposed to be a month of catching up from the hustle and bustle of the holidays, but our store has been running non-stop. Me and Cowboy had to crate 5 huge 8'x8x8' dragon statues for the Wynn Casino while Chris had to pick up and pack over 100 awards. We filled a whole Fed-Ex Truck twice with all the boxes and lucky for us the Fed-Ex driver didn't even complain once! Aside from the usual strange size pictures we have to pack up and the normal household freight Gus/Cody get out each day the month has been steady. Gus even picked up a 700lb bronze statue from the Fashion Show Mall on the Strip. He had to go down a flight of stairs and across the whole mall, I have no idea how he managed it but it gone done on time like usual. 

I wanted to talk about how long our boxes last, a customer came in the other week requesting a generalized box. She brought in an old box brothers box that had tons of old tape and labels on it. She told me the artwork that traveled in that box brothers custom cardboard box has traveled around the world 3 times and has been to over 50 countries. I was pretty amazed that it has held up for over 2 years while traveling so far while keeping its structure. We made her an exact box and told her we will see her again in another 2 years!

Happy leap year everyone!!
Jacob P.

Congratulations Shera

I just wanted to let all of you know that Shera and her brand new son, Oden, came into this world this past Saturday, almost 3 weeks early—he could not wait to get here, as he wanted to watch the NBA All Star Game and the Daytona 500, apparently he is a big sports fan…..   All kidding aside, mother, son and family are doing great, just resting.  Just wanted to let you all know, and please give them a day or two to enjoy this family time.   Then in a couple of days, we can bug the heck out of them……….Congratulations……. Can you believe Olivia is going to be a Godmother?

No Cookies With This Milk !

Yesterdays Press Release, Click the link. No Cookies With This Milk !

Bass Pro Shops, Shops at Bonhams and Ships with Box Brothers....

As always, our San Leandro Office handles valuable and rare items.... Last month when I was in that office, we got a call from Bass Pro Shops Corporate Office.... They were the winning bidder on a Kiowa Painted Buffalo Robe from the Native American Fine Art Sale... We picked it up From Bonhams and Butterfields, crated it, shipped it and insured it for over $20,000.00 in value... Ganzo and Biamba made sure that it arrived in perfect condition... They also handled a rare stained glass that arrived in perfect condition... Here are a few photos of the stained glass and the buffalo robe.....

Has the Economy Really Turned a Corner? A Small Business Perspective....A Mixed Bag In an Election Year

I have written before that I, myself, a small business person of many years, would actually see
the recession weary economy--would actually get stronger as the months before the next national election, this coming November, 2012.

For most small businesses, with retail and online offerings, it is no secret that sales fell off a cliff
when the recession started and no matter what anyone says, or reports (unless you are in the oil
or insurance business), business has not come back to the level it was prior to the recession.

Many of us have been holding on, figuring that business had to improve at some point, but for many, I have found, they have lost their ability to even be optimistic. That is one of the reasons, I believe, that there is so much emotion built into this coming election. People are tired
of this suffering and they somehow think that electing a new leader will change that, or that staying the course is the best option.

I really do not care, and many of those who know me might now believe me, but I simply want my business and my employees to be better off than they were a month ago, a year ago or even
two years ago--but that is not the case and I am right there with them.

Those hopes of better times and more business due to the election, due to the improved job numbers, and monthly governmental reports--all seemed to indicate, especially with today's jobs report, that times are actually getting better. Allow me to indulge some of what I saw and heard in the last week.

I was visiting Las Vegas on business last week. A giant concrete show was just ending, but when I was there midweek, the town was pretty empty, no gambling tables were full and most if not all of the casinos were at less than 60% capacity. Then I saw two to three construction sites half done, work abandoned, like a giant sculpture of our times: incredible promise and beauty, unfulfilled. Then I heard that some homes actually went up a little.......when I returned to one of our retail stores, I was helping a customer who had come in looking for a box and some packing supplies. He was shipping an auto part. I asked him if this was for his business, and he told me
that it was not; that he was picking parts off his car to be able to pay the rent, selling them on eBay. I gave him some free materials for his shipment.

I then dealt with a customer who sold an old beer sign to someone on eBay, and it broke in transit and the buyer nixed the sale through Pay pal, so the customer was out $250.00.
She called us screaming, like we had assaulted her, as Pay pal took her food money, apparently.
She blamed us and then I asked her for a little time to put the facts together and do an investigation on her behalf, as the service we provided to her was from another one of our
local Las Vegas outlets.

I spoke to the manager who handled the transaction and recalled the details and had put together a file, just in case something happened. He told me that he informed the customer
that in order to prevent damage, she had to protectively pack this item with cushioning on all
six (6) of its sides, as just wrapping the item with Bubble Warp or Paper, would not ensure its
safe arrival. After, we do this for a living, we always inform the customer so they can decide
if they want to take the risk or pay the cost of doing it right.

This customer chose not to do it right, for two reasons: one, today, the package carriers charge for size and packing this sign right meant that she would be charged more for shipping it, due to the enlarged size, and two, she did not want to spend the money to have us guarantee pack the sign.

This was not about fairness, equity or what she did not do or if she got what she bargained for,
as all of that was true, but she was just going crazy cause she had no money to feed her children
because Pay pal took her money unilaterally.

I hope that the jobs numbers are actually true, as help needs to come quick to those who need it most, and the problem from my perspective, is that these recoveries are often uneven and unfair as sometimes, the rich get richer before the poor or middle class gets better, but I am not
talking about politics here, it is just that housing, which got hit hard in this recession, affects those in California, Nevada and Arizona more, as that was our economic core driver in the past, since we do not make or manufacture anything in the west anymore.

I have seen signs, as some might suggest that our business--selling moving boxes, helping people move, small loads, packaging and crating, stock boxes, packaging aid, shipping, moving, etc., are all activities that lead to more activity. If a customer buys a few moving boxes, and moves, he engages all kind of services, from alarms, furniture, carpet cleaning, maid service, painting, plumbing, remodeling, construction, water bottle service, not to mention a new customer for the dry cleaning, the hear salon, the restaurant, etc. They used to say that one move results in 7 other moves as a domino effect, but I really am not sure how that number was obtained.

I do know that we are seeing more activity in some of our stores on the west side of Los Angeles,
our locations in the bay area have seen more improvement too. I am hopeful that these are signs of improvement, but I definitely do not want to do a forecast as I have been hopeful before, too. But I am hopeful that with this election and with the hope for better times a head, considering how long we have been under this recession, one can't help but hope that maybe, just maybe, better times are really on the way. For all of our sakes, lets hope so.

The New Milkmen Delivers.

We take our job here at box brothers seriously. When we got a call to pack and ship breast milk from city center we were suspicious of this new territory. The job is quick work for us though, since we build foam lined boxes all the time. The hardest part of getting something frozen across the country is keeping it that way without actually solidifying the liquid. The first step is to determine the amount of interior space needed. Next you have to build a styrofoam lined box and get the dry ice ready. It is very important to wrap the dry ice in kraft paper so the ice will not crack the bottles of milk and make a huge mess plus an angry customer. Surround the bottles with the papered dry ice and make sure the item is secured with enough paper. Last important tip is to not exceed 5.5 lbs of dry ice otherwise it is considered a hazardous material deemed by UPS. Seal up the box and shake it lightly, if you feel anything rattling around pack some more paper in the box until tight. Close and seal the box, then send it overnight priority! We have done 8 shipments so far including: MGM, Wynn, City Center, Planet Hollywood and every single one of them arrived on time and safely. We keep babies happy and full! So if you are ever in the Vegas area and are staying away from your kids, give us a call and we will make sure they are fed.

We are the future of milkmen! 
http://boxbros.com/locations/las-vegas-nevada/

Happy New Years From San Leandro

The New Year has provided Box Brothers with a new start.... Our lives in the packaging industry never seems to take a break from having to pack and ship any such item... Our San Leandro Office is no exception... They are always busy doing whatever comes there way... Ganzo, Sharie, Kiyosho, Biamba and Javier always get challenging items needing to be packed and shipped all over the world... Here are a few photos of what is in the warehouse currently...http://boxbros.com/locations/sanleandro-california/