Negosentro | How the covid-19 pandemic changed the moving industry |Moving companies throughout the US have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic (covid-19). From NYC to LA, most moving companies report a shortage of moving trucks, drivers, movers, and supplies like moving blankets.
Major impacts of the COVID-19 on the relocation industry
- No-contact delivery: Moving companies adopted social distance standards into their moving procedures in order to reduce the number of points of interaction between them and their clients. Most reputable moving firms promote online payments, document uploading and updating, and electronic billing.
- Virtual evaluation: The pre-move survey performed in person at the customer’s home to determine moving costs is now done through video call. The client will now be needed to give them a tour of their house to assess the relocation requirements. Because of the social distance standards, every piece of paperwork will be signed electronically.
- Half in moving: With highways that connect cities shut down, the transportation of goods was no longer possible. Many truck drivers went home because there was no employment. Due to the drop in GDP, fuel prices fluctuated, resulting in fewer vehicles on the road.
- Safety precautions: Moving businesses must implement COVID-19 safety procedures. During the relocation, moving experts must wear N95 masks, gloves, and PPE kits. Every box that is packed is sanitized, and workers and customers never came into contact with each other.
- Demand in warehouse services: During the epidemic, demand for warehousing and storage services increased dramatically. People may save money on rent while still ensuring that essential goods are kept secure until they relocate. Short- and long-term services are offered for those who need them.
- Domestic shifting: One of the most noticeable effects of the pandemic may be seen in the supply chain. Many people started moving inside their own country because international moving companies had to halt for a short time because of covid-19 regulations, so this was a big rise in domestic shifting
Moving changes in top 5 cities because of covid-19
Top cities of the US (NYC, New Orlean, Washington DC, Detroit, Chicago) were hit hardest by covid-19. Since the outbreak of this epidemic began, working remotely has been the most typical trend in cities across the whole United States. As long as you were not an essential worker, you were required to work from home, which resulted in fewer individuals leaving their homes to go to work every day.
The questions that caused a significant increase in long-distance moving
- Why would you reside in a city where rent is so high if you work remotely?
- Why would you remain in a place when the college campus was closed due to Covid-19?
- Why should you remain in an area that is now extremely contagious?
As a result of these inquiries, the demand for long-distance moving businesses increased significantly across more than half of the country.
Since most individuals worked from home, places like Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco were unnecessary. Around a quarter of people, if not more, chose to migrate to the most affordable locations with the largest net gain. People are taking advantage of the situation and moving to cheaper cities.
United States Postal Service data during covid-19
It has received an average of 37 million change of address requests every year over the previous 10 years, according to the United States Postal Service (USPS). As a result of the epidemic, we witnessed an average of more than 2 million individuals every week seeking a change of address, bringing the total number of change of address requests to more than 192 million, which seems like a ridiculous amount, doesn’t it?
A moving company’s perspective
Moving companies who previously gave moving quotations by in-home surveys have to adopt a new strategy. Fortunately, today’s technology allows for precise moving quotes through digital evaluations.
Good thing
In the absence of travelling to a customer’s home or office, virtual surveys were a more cost-effective way of getting to know more consumers than in-person meetings ever could.
Since at least one family member was working remotely from home, we’ve noticed greater flexibility throughout the day from clients.
In addition, the covid-19 epidemic resulted in a lack of storage containers and vehicles. On moving day, several customers found themselves without a moving truck, which forced them to look for a temporary relocation solution since they were required to evacuate their existing location before the vehicle arrived.
Challenging thing
Temporary relocation has been popular in recent months. We have received many calls from moving companies on the day they were meant to pick up a moving truck from their rental company, pleading for help.
When moving companies couldn’t deliver services in a short amount of time, moving brokers took advantage of the situation by charging high markups on moving estimates and collecting large non-refundable deposits.
High demand caused a delay in delivery
All moving companies place a high priority on getting their clients’ belongings to them as quickly as possible. However, there was a huge shortage of trucks, drivers, and movers across the country, which caused a lot of delays. Customers in California, Washington, New York, and Florida were the most affected since it took between four and six weeks for their commodities to reach their final destination.
Conclusion
The moving company is more aware than ever before that the pandemic is a serious threat. We’ve observed a rise in the demand for moving and storage services since so many people are leaving their houses behind.
During this epidemic, we gained a great deal of knowledge. Most significantly, we realized that when anything goes wrong in our life, it is essential to remain calm and look for solutions.
