My dad was a truck driver in Brooklyn, NY. I often rode with him and watched how he did his job. He did moving jobs on the side and when I was older, I followed along with him to earn some extra money working on his crews. I guess it was in my genes from my old man because I went on to get my commercial license and passed the test to drive a rig.

I’ve been with Suddath since 1997, first doing household moves, then commercial. I liked household, but I like commercial a lot more. I just find it more interesting and challenging. Office moves, trade shows, each one is so different. I also do cubicle installations.

I was the warehouse manager here at Suddath for a while, too. But I missed hearing what was going on out on the road. I came back to driving again and I dived in right away.

We just finished the move for the GOP primary elections here in Florida. It’s a four-day job start to finish. We load and unload the equipment at the voting sites. An electrician hired by the people in charge of the voting is there to hook up the computer equipment. After the polls close, voting agencies bring us the ballots. Then we’re escorted by police to the site where the votes are counted. We loaded 28 trucks with voting equipment, each truck delivering to 9-12 sites. We deliver to about 100 voting places in all. This is my ninth year of doing this job for every election inFlorida. I’m sure the average voter never thinks about how those booths get there.

Fredo P., Suddath

In this job, the right attitude makes a huge difference. I believe you should walk in the house with a great attitude and leave your personal problems on the truck. You can deal with the personal stuff later.

Having my own crew has also worked very well for me when it comes to ways of making the move go well. Many of my crew members have been with me for 10 or 15 years. Most long distance guys don’t haul with their crews. But I do mostly local and regional household moves. For local moves you’re expected to bring at least one person with you. I usually bring two or three along. I believe my steady crews are a big reason why I never have any issues with claims. I now have a lot of repeat business, too. I often move pro basketball players, bank presidents, and CEOs with 30,000 lbs. hauls.

Some guys who move coast to coast rely on a comfortable truck they can live in and feel very comfortable. They believe their truck helps them make the move go better and maybe it does. I mostly drive a 500 mile radius so my truck isn’t as important. I own a 2000 International, it performs well, and I want to drive it until the wheels fall off. My truck is very clean and presentable and I make sure it is, but I’m not like some guys who dote on their trucks. I think it’s better to dote on my wife.

Michael P., Suddath

My advice to make the move go smoother is to keep a positive attitude. Just try to get the customer to relax. People can be really uptight about moving and not everyone is moving for happy reasons.

The customer might be moving because of a job relocation. They’re naturally under stress because the company told them they have to move to keep their job. Their boss might be giving them only 60 days notice to move their family across the country. That can put people on edge before they even start packing.

When you think about it, you’re walking up to these people’s houses and they’ve never seen you before in their life. Now you’re responsible for protecting everything they own. Maybe their neighbor told them about a bad move they had. Plus, the person’s company most likely hired you, not the customer, so that can add to the tension. After about an hour of being with them and explaining things, you can get them to feel a lot more comfortable. Inexperience can make a customer feel anxious and I don’t blame them. I’d feel the same if a first time mover showed up at my house. I explain my years of experience. Some will say, “Well, if you’ve been around that long, you must know what you’re doing.” Crews might not have much experience, though, and are often still being trained. That can be a challenge if they’re asked about their experience. I coach my crew to say, “I’ve been with the company for a while.”

To protect myself from claims, I take the time needed during inventory to make careful notes on every item regarding existing scratches or damage. It can take four or five hours to do but it’s worth it. If I have the time and the customer is agreeable to it, I like to come a day ahead of the move and do inventory so that inventory won’t be rushed and moving day goes faster.

Brady B. Suddath

 I do nationwide household moves. Having the right equipment and working with experienced crews makes all the difference because if you don’t do it right, you’re buying it. When you get a challenging move with a heavy, high value load, you don’t want to work with a bunch of rookies. Be clear with the agent where you’re getting your help that you need the best crew you can get.

I also take pictures from my cell phone of a lot of the things I do to protect the house and the pieces we move. That way I have a photo catalog I can fall back on in case someone comes back with a complaint. I label all the pictures and include order numbers and dates. I don’t always do that, but if I walk into a home and the first words out of the customer’s mouth are, “I’m really worried about my floors,” I’ll have the guys take their shoes off, we cover the whole floor and I’ll take pictures. I might not even use dollies on certain floors because of the weight. For example, if they have a marble or slate floor, the weight of a loaded dolly could crack it if there’s any air space between the tile and the foundation. I’ll ask if there’s another way in or out of the house and try to use the dollies elsewhere.

Pictures can also help prove a situation of equipment failure. Let’s say I loaded a vehicle and the strap broke and the vehicle was damaged. A photo will prove that I did everything I could but it was equipment failure that caused the damage. That protects me from a claim because if I do everything I can and my equipment fails, I won’t be held responsible.

Wade M., Barrett Van Operator

I haul special commodities, mostly electronics and exhibits. It’s far more challenging and interesting than regular freight. I drove a refrigerated food truck years ago. Mind-numbing work. All you did was hold a steering wheel.

I’ve been intrigued by trucks since I was a kid. I liked working on cars in auto shops as my first jobs because there was always something new to learn. I recently did three CAT scan installs and de-installs in one week and every one of them was different. From maneuvering your truck in a parking lot that was never designed for a semi to figuring out the floor plan of the hospital and figuring out how to get in and out the door. Every place you go to has a different set of riggers helping you move. I like the variety of the moves—what I haul and where I haul it. For a guy like me who has ADHD really bad, that could explain it I guess.

 Kurt F.