Driving for Local Movers - Good or Bad?

Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by jamezfb07, Sep 24, 2015.

  1. jamezfb07

    jamezfb07 Bobtail Member

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    Sep 24, 2015
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    Hey all,

    I'm starting a business to help local moving companies. Movers always talk about is how hard it is to find good commercial drivers (both over-the-road and local). I thought that you guys might have an idea why...

    What makes working for a local mover less desirable than working a traditional trucking job?

    Are there any truckers who have worked for moving companies before?

    -James
     
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  3. Badmon

    Badmon Heavy Load Member

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    its some real back-breaking work captain
     
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  4. Bobble

    Bobble Light Load Member

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    Had an exbrother in-law who worked for and later drove for North American. He told me the company on the delivery end always got blamed and sued for any damages or missing items. It didn't matter who was to blame. Any time there was a trailer going long distance, it was hauled by anyone they could get if there was not a driver available. Word your contracts wisely. It might be worth it to have a lawyer look them over before you start. Good luck.
     
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  5. austinmike

    austinmike Road Train Member

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    I applied At one of those outfits. The idea of unloading one of those things after you have driven it all day was not a good one. I ain't 20 years old these days.
     
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  6. Big Don

    Big Don "Old Fart"

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    Those outfits will eat you alive, if you let them! I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole.
     
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  7. G.Anthony

    G.Anthony Road Train Member

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    i worked ONE DAY..that was enough. the helper was drunk, showed up to work drunk. damaged the ceiling coming down some stairs, when the bed post dug into it.

    here i can say that movers are busy only at certain times of the year, like summer time, when many people move. during the year, i can see many trucks parked.

    if you want to provide any service, why don;t you GO IN PERSON to the moving companies..???

    i highly doubt you're gonna find any better help then they can. can you offer work 5-6 days a week...?? benefits..?? high pay..???

    a bottle of booze for the drunks..?????

    best to shelf this idea.....and move into a more lucrative service, like opening up a liquor store on skid row instead.


    then all the drunkard movers helpers can liquor up before they stagger over to the job.
     
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  8. Big Don

    Big Don "Old Fart"

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    There certainly are places for hotshots, but I wouldn't think household moving would be one of them.
     
  9. jamezfb07

    jamezfb07 Bobtail Member

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    Sep 24, 2015
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    Thanks for the replies folks.

    @G.Anthony - I've thought the same thing and have asked two local movers if I could ride along with them, but they've been too busy or too skeptical to let me jump on a crew for a day.

    I'm not sure if I can help with this pain, but I want to understand what it is like from a driver's perspective. Bummer that your first and last experience with a moving company sucked.
     
  10. G.Anthony

    G.Anthony Road Train Member

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    most of the reputable movers have a good source of daily workers. i was actually hired on with an Allied Van Lines, local agent. i had wanted to go OTR for them, but was told only o/o's do that, not company drivers, this was way back then. how it is now, i do not know. then the trailer driver (o/o), would call a local agent near his delivery point, and that agent would call in his workers.

    tell you the truth, i wasn't built for the constant heavy lifting anyways......

    so i was glad i had one day's worth of this to chalk up to experience.
     
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  11. Lobster49

    Lobster49 Bobtail Member

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    i worked for a moving company we handled high end furniture delivering to peoples homes, they pay pretty good but after your first day of carrying furniture up and down stairs you'll see their aint no amount of money to make it worth while, something broke? no problem call dispatch and catch hell from both ends over something the warehouse people did, i worked up north in a foot of snow and down in tampa sweating so much i changed my clothes 3x a day. glad those 7 months are over.
     
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