It definitely doesn’t pay to cut it close when planning for a delivery spread. I want to stay home with my family as much as the next guy, but a lot is at stake when you don’t give yourself enough time.

Even if you’re careful about speed limits, you can’t predict things like weather or traffic accidents. I’ve often been glad I took the time before a haul to take care of my truck. I hit a terrible blizzard one winter while hauling a cross-country move and was glad took the truck in for maintenance ahead of time. I had also packed well personally for bitterly cold weather.

It can add a lot of unnecessary stress to a move for a customer if you cut it too close on arrival. The customer is already anxious about moving in the first place. Worries about timing concerns can add another layer of stress. And the last thing you want to do once you get there is rush the loading process. Having the right pace and sufficient time for loading avoids many problems and minimizes the possibility of claims – and that’s one way to manage your bottom line.

Mike J., Suddath

Most of my trips are coast to coast. My hauls can keep me on the road for two or three months at a time.

Right now I’m in Rolla, Missouri. I started a week ago from my home near Allentown, Pennsylvania and I’m on my way to Phoenix, L.A., and San Diego. I won’t be home probably for another six weeks. This is pretty common for me.

Before I was a van operator, I was in restaurant management for six or seven years. One day I said to myself, you know, you’re spending a lot of time making money for somebody else. I saw an ad in the newspaper for drivers. I called the recruiter, had a good conversation with him, and soon I was on my way to Indianapolis for some basic training to learn how to drive, load, and do the paperwork. It really takes you years to learn how to properly load a truck, but the initial training was a great start and set me on my way.

When I made the job change, some of my friends thought it would be too big of a change being on the road all the time. But I figured I was spending an hour and a half twice a day driving to and from Philadelphia for work. I thought, gee, I can convert that time into making some money. Sometimes I notice all of the people wasting time sitting in traffic around major cities and I think, hey, I’m getting paid for this. I left the food industry making just $14,000 a year. I started as a van operator in May of 1977 and bought a used truck. That first year, with just eight months of work under my belt, I cleared $35,000 after expenses. Three years later I bought a house.

Pat Q., Suddath

I like to be home most nights, so give me the local moves. My moves keep me close to the D.C. area and I like that. I might take a longer haul a couple of times a year, but that’s all.

I’ve been a van operator for 17 years and have been with Suddath a little over 10. I do all kinds of moves but I like deliveries in and out of the warehouse the most. These are typically temporary moves for the customer to hold their things until they’re ready to move to a new place.

I’ll admit that when I first got into the business, I just needed a job. A local moving company ran an ad in the paper and I had experience driving trucks, so I applied. The company put me through a training program where I learned how to pack, lift, load, do the paperwork and all the rest. I learned just as much or more watching other guys with experience. I got my own truck after four years and that really changed things for me. The money was better. I saw how much I enjoyed the people I met and worked with. Meeting different people all the time has a lot of appeal for me. And nothing beats being your own boss.

As a local mover, my hauls take me to a different part of town almost every day so I’ve been able to learn a lot about my area. Looking back, I don’t think I’d change my decision to be a van operator. I was able to raise my kids and give them a good home. Just by answering an ad in the paper years ago, I fell into a good situation.

Shawn K., Suddath Van Operator

Your chance to win: Register to win a free oil change for your truck, courtesy of Suddath Relocation Systems.  We want to know how you have made your life on the road healthier.  All you have to do is submit your story for our “Life on the Road” or “Lifestyle Tips” section with ideas for staying healthy on the road.

How? Submit your story to kmurray@suddath.com along with your email and phone number, so we can reach you. If your story is chosen for our Drivers Room blog you will receive one free oil change.

When? Drawing for the winner will be made on April 30, 2012. We’ll contact the winner within a few days, and publish the winning blog entry on the Drivers Room site.

Become part of one of the fastest growing careers in the country by joining the winning team of SuddathRelocation Systems. As the largest agent for America’s #1 mover United Van Lines, Suddath can provide the resources to maintain your profitability year-round.

WHY SUDDATH:

• Unigroup’s largest booking agent
• Company driver positions available
• Tremendous hauling opportunities
• Centralized dispatch causing less dead-head miles
• Growing company with increased demand
• Significant career-development opportunities
• Payment within 72 hours of completion
• Financial Stability

Responsibilities:

• Drive van to loading point and consult with customer on household goods to be moved
• Supervise labor and give direction regarding moving articles to van
• Wrap furniture with blankets to prevent damage
• Load truck, distributing weight evenly, forming compact load, and utilizing space efficiently
• Drive van to destination and unload cargo
• Obtain customers signature or collect payment for services

Requirements:

• Excellent customer service skills and positive “can do” attitude
• Proven history of driving with a safe driving record
• Valid CDL driver’s license: clean MVR
• Ability to lift up to 75lbs throughout the day
• Must pass DOT medical screen, pre-employment drug screen, criminal background search and pre-employment driving road test
• Prior moving and storage experience is preferred
• Suddath Relocation is an equal opportunity employer offering a professional working environment, competitive pay and excellent benefits

For further information, contact our Van Operator Recruiter at 888.768.3056

By email: vanoperator@suddath.com  Resumes may be sent in confidence…

Congratulations, Mike Anzolone, on your Suddath 2011 Continental Van Operator of the Year award. Well deserved.

I think Suddath and Barrett do a great job of recognizing good work in their van operators. I was fortunate enough to win the American Moving and Storage Association Lifetime Achievement Award for 2011. Barrett asked me if I’d consider letting them nominate me. I didn’t think much about it. I thought, sure, fine, try it and see what happens. Well, lo and behold, they told me I won. We went to Jacksonville, Florida for the convention last March and attended the awards ceremony. It’s an industry-wide award so I have no clue how much competition there was for it. We spent two or three days at the convention and had a nice time going to some good meetings, luncheons, and meeting interesting people. It was a pretty entertaining time.

I’ve been a van operator since the early 70s. I’m 61 and I still feel like I have as much energy as I used to and can work just as hard. I enjoy this work. It’s a treasure to meet people who are good to you. It seems like what you give, you generally get back. I enjoy giving people a quality move. I’ve always put out a 100% and considered every day a learning experience.

Rich R., Barrett

My dad was a Suddath van operator for many years. I followed in his footsteps and have been a van operator with Suddath since 2003. I started in household and then switched to commercial, doing mostly office and storage moves.

In commercial, you work a lot of nights and weekends. I know many drivers who don’t care for it. But I like commercial better than household and I don’t mind the schedule. With household, the inventory is more detailed because of the type of load. It’s also a more emotional move for the customer. With commercial, the customer’s concern isn’t so much about the furniture as it is about the computers. For computers, we shrink wrap and bubble wrap them, then load them into a computer cart and let the customer seal and lock it. At destination, the customer unlocks the cart just before we empty it. This is standard practice and it gives the customer confidence in our security and protection.

A customer’s biggest concern usually is about what happens at destination. When you’re moving 20 or 30 cubicles of items, they want to know everything will be clearly marked. I put in the extra effort to explain and show them how well everything is marked. We need that same assurance to do our job well and avoid any confusion at destination.

Carlos G., Suddath

My dad was a truck driver in Brooklyn, NY. I often rode with him and watched how he did his job. 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 as long as I possibly can. 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