The U.S. Congress has passed legislation, now awaiting President Bush's signature, that will re-establish the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). One of the industry's own, MIKE FERGUS, is rumored to be in line to be the Chairman of the resurrected ICC.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Fergus has been quoted as stating that his first objective will be to "re-institute complete federal regulation of the Moving and Storage Industry, including a return to the days of mandatory full-tariff compliance by all movers". Fergus was clear that it is his intention to "implement a compensatory rate structure" for movers, one that eliminates discounts and other roadblocks that have prevented movers from earning "their fair share" ever since the days of deregulation.....Interestingly enough, other former and current industry veterans are being considered for ICC Commissioner positions, including BART BARBEE, GERARD BARRIEAU, MIKE GREENBLATT, ALAN MILESKI and CHRIS NOBLIT.
It was reported that BERNIE KIRBACH withdrew his name from consideration as the Commission's Vice Chairman......
ONCE AGAIN, Graebel Van Lines is rumored to be for sale....this time we're hearing that UniGroup wants them under the Mayflower system....
Following the lead of the U.S. Congress on the federal level, BUBBA SPIVEY, Chairman of the Florida State Senate, issued a press release outlining Florida's plan to re-regulate the Moving Industry under the auspices of the Florida Public Service Commission. Bubba, a long-time Florida moving and storage businessman, was quoted as saying "Florida made a big mistake when we deregulated movers back in the 1980's....it's time that I (I mean the Moving Industry) started making good money again!" Florida Governor Jeb Bush is apparently ready to follow his big brother's lead and sign this legislation into effect once it reaches his desk.........
Speaking of movers making more money, it appears that the re-regulation of the HHG Industry may have come a bit late for Two Men and A Truck. This popular franchise mover, citing declining revenues and severe cutbacks, has had to change their name to One Man and a Van.......
Another smaller-name franchise mover,
Father and Son Moving and Storage, instantly became
United Van Line's largest multi-location agent with the surprising announcement that they had been purchased by "father and son" team
Dan McCollister and his son, Dan, Jr. Immediately after the purchase,
McCollister's Transportation Group announced that they will effect a complete name change to "Father and Son Moving and Storage" for the entire McCollisters' system....Details of the purchase and name conversion can be found at
www.mccollisters.com .........
It appears that fellow Denver-based mover Johnson Storage and Moving Co. wants to make a bid for Graebel Van Lines....Mark Johnson, Chairman, stated "if we're successful in purchasing Graebel, we will then move the entire Graebel operation to Texas, because there's not enough room in Denver for the both of us".......
The newly-formed "JAMA", the Jewish-American Movers Association, consisting of member movers such as Moishe's, Two Jewish Boys, Nice Jewish Boys and the "Not So Nice Jewish Boys" will become an affiliate of the American Moving and Storage Association. In a press release issued by Joe Harrison, President of the AMSA, it was announced that the President of JAMA will be former National Moving and Storage Association President Dr. Gary Frank Petty. Dr. Petty's first press conference featured an elaborate photo opportunity with Petty being pictured with all of JAMA's members, both collectively and individually. Petty announced the upcoming "JAMA-Rama", a celebration of "diversity in the HHG industry". Petty immediately left the press conference in order to attend a number of Congressional Hearings (just like he did when he was President of the NMSA) on matters that had nothing to do with the moving and storage industry whatsoever......
We're hearing that Bekins wants to hold purchase negotiations with Graebel Van Lines....conditioned however, upon DAVID CARUSO's right of first refusal to purchase the Denver-based Van Line.....
Clark & Reid, pursuant to a covenant in an earlier partnership agreement, will change it's name to Reid & Clark. A spokeswoman for this niche executive-relocation mover based in the Boston area said: "It's simply a matter of carrying out the wishes of the two founders of the company who agreed to share 'top billing' every twenty years or so"...The name change becomes effective May 1, 2005 and will revert to "Clark & Reid" in the year 2026 (unless Clark dies before Reid).....
Bekins Northwest (Agents for ATLAS Van Lines) and Atlas Transfer & Storage (Agents for ALLIED Van Lines), two companies who have set the standard for confusing brand names, apparently are in line for the tables being turned on them: Bekins Van Lines has announced that it is going to open agent offices in all of the locations of Bekins Northwest and will name those agencies "Northwest Bekins"....Atlas Van lines will open a new agency office in the San Diego market, home of Atlas Transfer & Storage, and will name it "Atlas Shrugged & Storage".........
Graebel Chairman Bill Graebel denied the rumors that his company was entertaining purchase offers from an exploratory group representing the combined interests of Paul Arpin, Wheaton and Joyce Van Lines......
A formidable group of Russian investors, combined with truck drivers from the former Soviet Union have formed a new moving company, named I-Van...(and yes, almost half of the company's employees are named "Ivan")......
SPEAKING OF NEW COMPANIES....It was announced last month that a new national van line has been launched. SUPER VAN LINES, of Los Angeles, CA, has been formed by a group of executives and former shareholders of defunct companies Security Van Lines, U.S. Van Lines, Pyramid Van Lines, Engel Van Lines and Republic Van Lines. The principals of the company stressed a desire to conduct business in a manner reminiscent of the "golden years" of the HHG industry. Along that line, the new company's stated goals were threefold: 1) To charge FULL TARIFF rates, avoiding discounts entirely; 2) Refuse to deal with third party relocation companies whom Super Van Lines' executives said "squeeze the profit out of national account business for movers"; and 3) Insist that their salespeople "err on the side of overestimating weight and costs" and that their owner-operators be paid a compensatory rate that will attract a higher-caliber of driver to our van line".....Super Van Lines began operations on March 1st of this year......
Despite chatter to the contrary, there apparently is no basis in fact to the story that Atlas Van Lines has reached "an agreement in principle" to purchase Graebel Van Lines.....Reports that due diligence was being completed on the deal cannot be verified......
NEW WORLD VAN LINES, the highly-successful independent national account mover owned by the Marx Family and based in Chicago, announced the opening of four (4) new offices this spring. NWVL will expand their operations to Portland, Phoenix, Minneapolis and San Diego. In keeping with the family tradition of installing family members as General Managers of their branch operations, New World was pleased to announce the "un-retirement" of four uncles, Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo as interim managers until a younger generation of Marx' can be groomed to take over. At a lively press conference announcing the expansion, every Marx Brother had a prepared statement for the press.....Only HARPO had no comment.......
SUPER VAN LINES, of Los Angeles, CA (SEE STORY ABOVE), announced that they were ceasing operations as of March 31st, citing a complete lack of business......
UniGroup has traded Suddath United and Armstrong Relocation to Atlas Van Lines for AtlanticRelocation, Alexanders Mobility Services and a multi-location Atlas Van Lines agent to be named later...An even bigger 3-way blockbuster trade was in the works but collapsed when McCollisters, Beltmann northAmerican and Berger Allied invoked the "no trade" clauses in their agency agreements with their respective van lines.....
And Finally,..........
In a conciliatory gesture, major third party relocation companies including Cendant, Prudential Relocation and others issued a joint press release this past Friday stating that they would henceforth concentrate their efforts on other areas besides HHG transportation, thus freeing up the moving industry to once again deal directly with their national account client base. As such, movers will no longer be required to compete with the third party relo companies for national account business, beg for unprofitable moves or accommodate unreasonable demands. Prudential and the others made a special point of acknowledging the great service and extraordinary efforts of all of their moving vendors and said "it is time for the movers to once again reap the benefits of their hard work and investment in equipment, facilities and labor....we need to get out of their way and let them do what they do best: Move people well and at a profit!"
And if you haven't figured it out by now:
APRIL FOOLS!
We hope that you have enjoyed our little fictitious spoof.
Mark Gray
Movers Search Group
678.373.3634
The U.S. Congress has passed legislation, now awaiting President Bush's signature, that will re-establish the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). One of the industry's own, MIKE FERGUS, is rumored to be in line to be the Chairman of the resurrected ICC.
