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

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