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2022 Study: The Best Side Hustle Nobody’s Talking About Is Starting a Local Moving Labor Company

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Key Findings:

  • Moving companies tend to earn between $75-128/hr. or between $206-352 per move
  • Based on HireAHelper data from 2022 so far, average mover earnings are $110/hr.
  • Seattle is potentially the most lucrative place to become a mover, with hourly earnings as high as $137/hr.
  • Movers in Maine and Iowa make an estimated $132/hr. — the highest rate in the country
  • Sherman-Dennison, TX has the biggest gap in the moving services market, with 608 moves per moving company registered in the metro area

As inflation continues to rise, many Americans are beginning to notice the prices of consumer goods are drifting out of reach. This is likely why, according to a recent study, nearly half (44%) of Americans are turning to side hustles to make ends meet.

moversAnd while the internet is awash with articles listing all kinds of side hustles to consider, there is one lucrative side gig few are talking about: starting a local moving company (or joining one).

Despite some real estate markets cooling off, the demand for moving services is high. Homes are still selling fast, and as rents climb higher, many are moving out of their homes to find cheaper accommodations or to live with family.

While starting a full-scale moving company with a fleet of trucks, drivers, and movers is an undertaking too big for a side hustle, starting a moving labor company is actually relatively simple.

All you need is a business license and some start-up costs. Ultimately, if you are comfortable with lifting heavy items and have time to spare, you could realistically start a moving labor business and earn upwards of $100/hr. by helping people move.

And the data shows that people who are currently doing it are doing quite well.

Moving Labor Companies: How Are They Defined and How Do They Work?

We often think of movers as folks that drive up in a truck, load up all your earthly belongings and deliver them to your new home. In the “biz”, these are known as “full-service movers”. And they tend to be more expensive.

This is why in reality, the overwhelming majority of moving companies that exist are what we call “labor-only” movers.

 

“…even if you charged at the lower end…at $250 per move, or roughly $90-100 per hour, you only need to pick up four moves to make $1,000. Not bad for a weekend, huh?”

 

Labor-only

The difference is that a moving labor company is a company that helps people with loading, unloading, and, sometimes, packing up people’s possessions — no driving. The average person often books their truck or container separately, as this is far cheaper.

Here are a few reasons local moving labor works as a side hustle:

  • In most states, you don’t need a special mover’s license
  • There are minimal start-up costs, as you don’t need to purchase a moving truck
  • Demand for moving services is highest on a weekend, meaning you can do it alongside your work or studies
  • Moving costs (read: mover earnings) in 2022 are the highest they’ve ever been in U.S. history

Where Do Local Movers Find Customers?

Of course, it’s not quite as simple as registering as a moving labor company and watching business come flying through the door.

Here are the typical places movers tend to use to attract customers.

craigslist movers
Craigslist

Craigslist

+ The most famous classified ads website, this is a typical starting point for moving labor hopefuls, with millions of people checking the website every day.

– Costs money to post ads in the moving section as a provider.

– Customers can also be flakey, often looking for bargain-basement pricing, and often end up being very hard to service.

yelp movers
Yelp

Yelp

+ Popular with people looking for local businesses, it’s a free place to get attention/find customers. Business owner tools allow you to upload logo/team photos of you and your crew to boost credibility.

– No actual online booking, you just accrue lots of “leads”. You’ll have to field lots and lots of messages, emails and phone calls from people looking for a price.

– Low rates of converting mean most of this work will not turn into orders.

HireAHelper

hireahelper sign up
HireAHelper sign-up page

+ Completely free to list, no membership fees or cancellation fees.
+ Your very own landing page you can show to potential customers where you can easily display and edit your own rates/availability so people won’t call you to ask.
+ Insurance and 7-day-a-week customer service for both you and your customers.

– Insurance and customer service operate on a fee that is charged per order booked through the platform, which is how they pay for all of the above.

Your own website

+ Full control over how you present your new brand and services.
+ Direct booking puts every dollar right in your pocket.

– You need to create, design, and maintain the website.
– You’re responsible for all the customer service, marketing, and insurance.
– Cost of purchasing a domain, fees for website hosting.

Needless to say, you can also create a page for your moving labor company on Facebook and Instagram, or even list it on your local Yellow/White Pages. Oftentimes, a mixture of approaches is useful at the start, before you figure out which one works best for your moving side hustle.

Do You Really Need Moving Blankets? Why Furniture Pads Save Moves and Where to Get Them

How Much Can You Earn as a Mover?

movers

Let’s face it, if you already have a job or other commitments, you’re probably not going to launch into moving as a full-time pursuit.

The good thing about moving as a side job is that nearly one in three (30%) moves takes place either on Saturday or Sunday. In other words, if you’re looking to casually work as a mover over the weekend, you’re in luck, because that’s when the demand is highest.

To calculate a ballpark number of how much local movers earn, we’re going to make the following assumptions:

  • You only work on weekends
  • You don’t work more than eight hours a day
  • You have a partner with whom you work as a two-person team and split earnings 50-50

With that said, the average take-home an individual moving job earned on HireAHelper in 2022 was $110 per hour (after fees).

That rate is based on the service of two movers loading and unloading a customer’s belongings (meaning, not counting potential tips, one mover will typically get about half of that, or $55 per hour.)

“The data show that 6 of the 20 metros where the demand for moving services most outmatches the current supply exists in Texas, especially in Sherman-Dennison, TX, where the ratio of moves to moving companies is roughly 600 to 1!”

 

Similarly, Yelp reported a local move quote average of $128. Forbes suggests local movers charge between $25 to $50 per mover, per hour, while ConsumerAffairs estimates the average cost for a local move is $80 to $100 per hour for a team of two movers.

The following graph shows how much you could be earning as a two-person team, using the reported average duration of a move of two hours and 45 minutes.

Please note that the above figures are indicative only. As a newly registered moving company, you probably won’t be able to charge high rates straight away. Moves also come in all shapes and sizes, affecting how much you could charge for them. This is just an average.

That said, even if you charged at the lower end of that scale at $250 per move, or roughly $90-100 per hour, you only need to pick up four moves to make $1,000. Not bad for a weekend, huh?

Cities & States Where Movers Earn the Most Money

moving company city

Your earning potential, among other things, will depend on where you are in the country.

According to a recent estimate of moving costs, people pay the most for their moves in San Jose ($520) and Seattle ($495). But that’s just a broad snapshot. Let’s break it down more to see how services translate into mover earnings, and where it may actually be most lucrative to start a moving labor company.

Cities

Using data on moves booked through HireAHelper.com, taking into account commission rates and the typical duration of a move throughout different cities, here are the top 10 cities where movers make the most money per hour.

Looking at the data through this lens, Seattle grabs the top spot with an estimated $136/hr. net earnings. In cities like Columbus, OH ($126/hr.), San Francisco ($125/hr.), and Oakland, CA ($125/hr.) the earnings are all around the $125/hr. Mark.

States

Moving on to states’ potential mover earnings, we find Maine ($132/hr.) and Iowa ($132/hr.) with the joint highest earnings, with Utah and Washington closely behind ($129/hr.).

Going down the list, Arkansas is next with $128/hr. in potential net earnings. This highlights that moving is a universal need, and that small states can compete against states with big cities like San Jose or San Francisco, where the cost of living is highly expensive (and therefore potentially more lucrative). The average earnings for movers in California are comparatively middling in the take-home department, averaging around $110/hr. per move.

Check out the chart below to see what mover earnings are like in your state.

This section is based on data from moves booked through HireAHelper and their partner sites. Earning figures represent average estimates; actual earnings may vary.

 

Supply and Demand: Cities and States With the Greatest Need for New Moving Companies

movers

High earnings are great to aim for, but it’s worth bearing in mind that crowded markets where earnings are high are often hard to compete in — especially for a brand new company.

Like with any kind of business, the supply and demand (and thus the price people are willing to pay for moving services) vary by location. If you’re just starting out as a moving company, ideally you’d like to start where there’s a gap in the market.

Cities

Based on our analysis of moving company data and the number of moves in America’s biggest metropolitan areas, here are 20 metros where the gap between potential demand for moving services and their supply is the biggest.

The data show that 6 of the 20 metros where the demand for moving services most outmatches the current supply exists in Texas, especially in Sherman-Dennison, TX, where the ratio of moves to moving companies is roughly 600 to 1!

Among larger metros with favorable demand-to-supply ratios are the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ area (393 moves per moving company), the Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX area (276), and the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX area (255).

States

At the state level, the opportunity is greatest in Arizona and Missouri, where there are more than 200 moves per moving company. Kansas (188), Washington (187) and Texas (186) round off the top five.

To see what the supply and demand for moving services look like in your state, check the graph below:

Convinced? Here’s How You Can Get Started

If you think you have what it takes to safely move some couches, luckily, you don’t have to go in blind.

If you really wanna get the ball moving, here’s a moving business guide for starting and running your own local moving company. It has information on how to register a business, set prices for your services, where to find customers, which tools you need to buy for the job, and way more.

Want a license to drive on the job too? Here’s a guide for starting a fully-fledged moving company, detailing the necessary steps for starting a moving business with links to the proper business licensing authorities in each state.

Sources and Methodology

General mover earnings were estimates were compiled using indicative rates from HireAHelper, Yelp, Forbes, and Consumer Affairs.
Mover earnings by state and city were calculated based solely on data from moves booked and completed through the HireAHelper platform and their partner sites. Earnings figures are indicative of the amount earned minus fees.
The number of moving companies was calculated using the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Business Survey (count of companies listed under “Transportation”) and Yelp (number of companies listed as “movers”).
The number of moves was taken from U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, as available through the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.

PODS 101: All the Stuff You Should Know

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We all prioritize different things when it comes to planning a move. While some might prefer to take it easy by packing and loading at their own pace, others may prefer things go as swiftly as possible and settle quickly in their new home. In any case, moving containers like PODS offer many possibilities for organizing the move you need. 

In this blog post, we will cover the basics of moving with PODS: What are they, how do they work, and how much can they fit inside. Let’s dive in!

PODS Company Overview

PODS (Portable on-demand Storage) was the first company to make all those portable storage units you see on the road, in people’s driveways, or sitting in one of their 230 storage centers across the country.

With over 4 million deliveries and more than 900,000 long-distance moves under their belt, it’s safe to say they are the leading “you-pack it, they-move it” moving container companies. 

What are PODS?

PODS are portable steel and aluminum storage containers that are delivered straight to your home, office, or wherever you designate as a delivery address. Once it’s in your location, you can keep it as long as you need and get billed monthly. Some of their most popular features include: 

  • You get to schedule your delivery and pick-up dates
  • Available storage facilities for as long as you need
  • Translucent container roof which allows sunlight to come in
  • Security locks (just make sure to ask for them in advance)
  • Free insurance, covering up to $10,000 
  • 4.48/5 avg. customer reviews

How big are PODS?

There are three container sizes to choose from 7′, 12′, and 16′. However, they all have the same steel skeleton with aluminum skin and steel roll-up door. 

The size you will need depends on how big your house is or how many rooms you plan to fit in it. We put together a small chart to help you figure out what size is best for you, considering your house’s dimensions and average room furnishing. 

Length Width Height Dimensions  Capacity
16’ 8’ 8’ 1,200 sq. ft. or smaller 3 to 4 rooms
12’ 8’ 8’ 500 – 1,00 sq. ft. 2 to 3 rooms
7’ 7’ 8’ 500 sq. ft. or smaller Dorm or small apartment 

How much do moving PODS cost?

PODS can accommodate a wide range of moves: from local to long-distance, studio apartments to large houses. Naturally, prices can go up depending on how many PODS you will need and for how long. Remember, PODS bills monthly. 

We analyzed actual HireAHelper data from thousands of people who have used PODS to move and broke down the average costs and reviews by distance; take a look below at how much moving PODS cost: 

Distance Average Cost Average Review 
Local Move (under 50 mi) $664 4.51/5
Medium distance (50- 250 miles) $1,503  4.59/5
Long distance (250+ miles) $3,364 4.49/5

As you can see, planning a large, long-distance move with PODS might be on the pricier side compared with other moving container companies. But some of their different features can make the price worth it, such as:

  •  The convenience of keeping the container as long as you need
  • They have one of the largest storage facilities networks in the Country
  • Avoid driving a trailer across states with tons of your furniture in it
  • Seamless operations and logistics, according to their customer reviews 

How exactly does PODS work?

Let’s talk about how you can plan your move if you decided to go with PODS. 

Use their online estimator, or call them

There are a couple of ways you can book your PODS. You can build your itinerary on their site, according to how much stuff you have and your needs. Make sure you have an accurate estimate on the things you’ll be moving; there’s nothing worse than ending up spending too much by adding more containers than necessary or running out of space too soon (yikes!). If you’re planning a long-distance move, you’ll need to call the PODS line for a customized moving quote: 888-371-9441.

Reserve your date

Once you settle the details, your container will be delivered to your location. You can keep the containers on your property as long as your need, but remember that they bill monthly, so if you go one minute over the month, you get charged for another.

Keep in mind that you will need the space in your driveway or the street for the container. You don’t want to be that neighbor. You may need a special permit for your container if you plan to keep it in the street, so make sure to sort those details out before the delivery day, or you could get fined.

Wait for delivery 

How do I load my PODS moving container?

One interesting thing is that you don’t necessarily need to be present for your PODS delivery, as long as you leave detailed delivery instructions for the driver to place your container. Nevertheless, some users might recommend it’s better if you’re present if any issues need to be solved at the moment. 

If having a big metal container in your front yard isn’t your thing, just ask PODS to pick it up once it’s loaded. They can keep it safe in one of their 230 storage centers across the country until you are ready to have it delivered to your destination. 

The Bottom Line About Moving with PODS

PODS is convenient because they take care of all the transportation logistics while giving you enough time and space to plan your ideal move. However, prices may seem a little steep compared to the competition, especially for long distances and if you need more than one PODS container to fit in your stuff.

Also, keep in mind that PODS are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so depending on their availability, you can secure a container on the dates you need if you plan early. Generally speaking, summer tends to be the peak season for moving, so if you plan to move during these months, remember to book your PODS with plenty of time in advance to secure your container.  

It doesn’t hurt to shop around and get more quotes, but always keep in mind that time is your best friend for booking a move. Usually, planning months ahead gets you a better deal, depending on the size of your move and the distance you have to go. 

You can start planning by taking a look at our Moving101 page about moving containers,  we have a myriad of information on the most popular moving container companies, their pros, cons and reviews.

Meet the World’s Most Expensive Movers

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Tired of hearing about how expensive it is to move? “Why is there a charge for shrink wrap?” “I shouldn’t have to buy more boxes, you guys should fit everything in the ones out in the garage!” “What do you mean furniture pads aren’t free?!”

Well, believe it or not, there is a cure for these experiences. Their names are Stephanie, Sara and Cassio, and apparently, they are more than happy to pay all kinds of extra charges for what they are being told is a “white-glove move”.

Courtesy of the New York Times, here are some examples of what this white glove mover service in New York City is willing to help you out with.

  • $150 extra per move for a special “low-noise” box tape: For people who “don’t like the screeching sound of regular packing tape.” (Bonus guarantee: If the low-noise tape runs out, someone will hold their white-gloved hands over your poor delicate ears for you.)
  • $180 per hour (!) to figure out your move: That means they’ll do “…everything from taking an inventory of your home, to creating a budget and interviewing moving companies.” (Just don’t expect them to lift anything heavier than a pair of white gloves.)
  • $200 for a ride to your new home: Because, my god, have you ever seen how dirty a cabbies hands can get?
  • $500 per day to call the cable and gas companies to inform them of your new address: Yup, someone out there will pay you 500 clams to be put on hold for you.

To prove that people are willing to toss their money around like this, the Times also offers a few quotes, including a couple beauties from private citizen Stephanie:

“As with many of us,” says Stephanie, “my moves have often been hideous experiences.” (My god! They’re not even wearing white gloves!)

This type of service is “extremely helpful,” she continues. “Not like having boxes in a dark basement that are stuffed with 50 dining room dishes and a lampshade.” 

Pamela Muller, co-owner of NouvelleView, the company in question that specializes in suckering customers into thinking they can’t handle an address change, says her firm will “oversee every aspect, from the initial strategic plan to seeing that every box is unpacked.” (Especially the ones in that dark, scary basement.)

“I always say to clients that we are the most expensive in the business,” says Michael Jaque, a director at the shipping company Gander & White. At least they know what’s coming.

The funniest part about all this? NouvelleView says many of their clientele, with their delicate ears and their taxi cab allergies, still hire a traditional moving company to handle the bulk of the items!

And this is where you come in. Charge Stephanie, Sara and Cassio whatever you want for that shrink wrap, those boxes and the furniture pads you’re getting back anyway.

Just make sure you pick up some white gloves at Wal-Mart on your way over.

Cover photo from The New York Times.

‘What’s an SEO?’ Simple Strategies to Drive More Traffic – and Customers – to Your Moving Website

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Rare is the person who has never heard of “SEO”, or Search Engine Optimization. Or at least someone who doesn’t know that someone out there is paid a lot to know how it all works.

SEO is critical for driving more traffic – and more potential customers – to a website. But how do we movers “do” SEO? How do we convince those internet search engines to point more people to us?

There are actually tons of ways. Some are easy to implement, while others … not so much. Today we offer up three easy strategies you can put to use right away (plus a tip for holding onto those potential customers who come to your virtual door).

Keywords are everything.

Keywords are what bring your customers and you together – provided you are using the right ones! So what are those magic words? Just think: What would people type into that little search box on Google if they want to find a moving company in, say, Boston? That’s right: “Boston moving company”. But how many moving companies are there in Boston? You’ll want to set yourself apart somehow so those search engines will pay you some attention.

How? People moving in to or from Boston aren’t usually just looking for a moving company. Really, they’re searching for “Boston movers that can assemble furniture,” or, “insured Boston movers.” What specific services or features do you offer? When you’re writing your webpage, build one that cleanly and clearly explains each feature you offer, so that as Bostonians search for “Boston area pet-friendly movers”, they’ll find your animal-lovin’ crew at the top of their search results.

7 Embarrassing Lessons I Learned While Moving People

7 Embarrassing Lessons I Learned While Moving People

Lessons I, Kevin The Mover, learned during my earliest days on the job through the mistakes of others (and my own).

There’s a website for that.

As good as your plain guesses might be on what people are searching, go one step further with these free SEO keyword tools that help unearth even more magical keywords:

Moving Company SEO Tips

With Moz’s Keyword Explorer, you can do 20 free searches per month. Plugin your best guess at a search phrase and Moz reveals data for that phrase, including how many times that phrase gets searched, its ranking difficulty, along with a list of additional keyword ideas.

Google Keyword Tool

Google’s Keyword Tool is also a great tool. It’s powerful, offering long lists of related keyword suggestions alongside search volumes for each phrase. It’s true that you have to log in to use it, but anyone can sign up for a free Google account. (You might benefit from using Google’s advertising tool, Adwords – but that’s a post for another day!) Keep in mind – Google purposefully does not show all the keyword suggestions they have in their secret vault. They also only report an estimate of the search volume (the times a keyword phrase is searched). That means if you’re seeing phrases estimated at 10-50 searches per month … it could actually be double or triple that.

There are about a million other keyword suggestion tools out there – Übersuggest, SEO Book’s keyword tool (requires a free account like Google), and others each offer their own spin and data on keyword search ideas.

What do you do with these words?

Now that you’ve got your master list of keywords, the question arises: Where do we put them?

Answer: all over your website! This piece on keyword placement suggests several places to put them, from the obvious (the title of your website) to the semi-technical (your META description) to the biggest, broadest aspect of your entire website: your content. 

This does not mean you cram a keyword phrase into every corner of a page. Using a phrase 100 times on a page to try and rank for it in searches will actually get you “in trouble” with the search engines (you won’t rank). Use the phrase normally as you would on any page talking about that topic. A page talking about pet-friendly movers will naturally mention being “pet-friendly” a decent amount of times.

What does “content” mean, exactly?

This is the meat of your website – It’s about writing high quality, authoritative content around topics you’re already an expert on.

Search engines have gotten surprisingly good at doing more than scanning your content for the right keywords like they did in 2000. Now, search engines basically read your content and separate which content is high quality versus keyword fluff. That means if you’ve spent the last 10 years training your crews in the intricacies of moving pets (and have had a website that whole time), Google will detect if you write content that’s from your expertise… or just “words words words keywords words keywords”.

Don’t get me wrong, the keyword phrases on your list need to appear in the content at least a few times. In fact, after you’re done writing, it’s important to search your content for that keyword phrase to make sure it’s in there. But like I said before, don’t cram the keyword into every line. Your content should sound natural and informative to any reader. Just like you would want to read.

Protip: Search engines tend to pay more attention to websites that are updated regularly. This means it is advantageous to add content to your site once in a while. The most common, and perhaps most relevant way to do this as a moving company, is to maintain a blog! It can have tips for packing, guidelines for moving or even stories about your company. Just make it clear, quick and fun. And yes, find a place for those keywords!

Keeping a blog takes time, but it can be time well spent when those blog posts start bringing in interested customers.

Putting links to other people is essential.

The “World Wide Web” is exactly that: a web. And in this massive, intertwined virtual community, where would you rather be? Off by yourself hanging out in a remote corner? Or in the middle of thousands of people?

“Backlinks” are a specific type of links, which in themselves are just electronic threads that connect your website with other websites. From a technical standpoint, backlinks are links on other websites that transport people to your website. The best (not the quickest or easiest, but the best) way to create these backlinks is by creating content for other websites – content that either contains or ends with a link or links that will bring people from that website to yours.

That means giving other websites reasons to link to you!

The important point to note here is that with backlinks, you aren’t solely attracting the people who read those guest articles you write for other websites. It turns out that when other sites link to your site, search engine starts thinking you must be something special and will bump you up higher toward the top when someone does a search using the keywords you’ve embedded in your site.

It’s all coming together!

To score a couple of backlinks, you might start out by writing moving-related articles for your local paper or an organization like your Chamber of Commerce. Or go big and shoot for a place like the Huffington Post that draws millions of readers every month. Not everyone will read what you’ve written, but the mere fact that you now have a backlink from a site as heavily-trafficked as the HuffPost means search engines will really think you are something special.

One last thing protip!

Speed. Let’s face it. People are impatient. Once upon a time, we would be excited if the postcards we sent from our tropical vacation got home to our friends before we did. Now we get frustrated if we can’t upload our selfies right there on the beach.

Same with using the net. People don’t want to wait. So if your site doesn’t appear within no more than a few seconds, your potential customer will start hitting that back button to move on to someone with a faster homepage. 47% of consumers expect a web page to load in 2 seconds or less, according to Kissmetrics. This is particularly relevant with the mobile version of your site – Google itself reports that 53% of mobile site visits are abandoned if pages take longer than 3 seconds to load. And what takes the most time to load? Images!

There is a myriad of ways to minimize the time a potential customer has to spend waiting for your site to load. Many of them require a bit of technical know-how. But reducing the size and thus the load speed of your images is simple. Want to know how? Try tinypng.com to compress your images – as they get smaller without losing quality, you’ll see how much faster your site moves!

Taking over your block.

So will this SEO advice really work for you, the small moving company with big ambitions? We think so. For a real-live example of how a moving company figured out how to boost its SEO situation, check out this story on SLC Moving of Salt Lake City.

Go the extra mile to map out a strategy for increasing your traffic, your customer base, and your bottom line. That’s what the big moving companies are doing.

How to (Properly) Wrap Cords For Your Customers When Packing

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Tips on packing electronics and other electrical household items are easy to come by. What’s not as common is how to safely deal with their electrical cords or whether they are fixed, detachable or retractable. Do we tie them up? Tape ’em down? Wrap them around what they’re attached to?

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How to Use a Moving Dolly Like the Pros

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Moving house without a hand truck – or a moving dolly – is like riding a bicycle without a seat. It’s technically possible, but honestly, who does that?

A sturdy, reliable hand truck is any mover’s best friend. Used properly, it saves you time, rescues your back and it can singlehandedly keep your stuff from getting damaged.

(Thinking of a square furniture dolly?)

But they’re not as easy to use as they look, provided you are using them in the proper way. With that in mind, here are tips compiled by moving pros as to how to optimize that hand truck you found in the back of your moving truck, or that one your friend let you borrow and you don’t want to return broken.

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Packing Shoes the Right Way

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There are two basic ways to pack shoes.

  • Line a carton with paper, drop in a pile of shoes, tape the box shut and mark it with a big fat “SHOES” sticker
  • The right way

Even if the customer’s stuff will only be in boxes for a few days, improperly packed shoes can come out ruinously misshapen. Here are a few tips to prevent this from happening.

Before the Pack

shoeskevinbefore-copy

We’re basically talking about shoes here, not sneakers. But whatever the case, a few preventative measures should be considered:

  1. Pack only dry shoes. Moisture can do bad things, particularly to suede and leather. But mold? It can make even the king’s cross-trainers smell.
  2. You know those balls of tissue in the toes of the shoes in the shoe store? They’re not there just to annoy us. Besides helping a shoe maintain its shape, some balled-up paper can absorb any residual moisture that might be lingering. Pro Tip: Consider using socks for this.
  3. Wipe those nice shoes clean. No need to set up a shoeshine booth, but dust and dirt can mar a shoe’s surface over time.

For the Pack

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Now that we’ve taken measures against moisture, mold and marring, our prime concern is to make sure our customer’s shoes don’t get crushed.

  1. When possible, pack shoes in their original boxes. The nicer the shoes, the better the chances the customer will still have them. Regardless, it’s still a great idea to wrap them in paper to keep them from rubbing and scuffing each other. When enough paper is used it prevents that shoebox from getting crushed.
  2. Unless you’re packing (a) long-legged boots or (b) Shaquille O’Neal’s size 23 Nikes, one sheet of packing paper should be enough not only to adequately cover both shoes but to provide enough excess to form some protective padding for your bundle. Roll up one shoe, then the other in order to keep them separated – no need to be a neurosurgeon here but keeping the left and the right off each other is good practice. Note that some sources suggest wrapping shoes with their soles touching, others with the soles out. We lean toward putting the soles in against each other.
  3. Start with a cushiony layer of paper at the bottom of the carton. Usually a 3-cube works for packing shoes but a 4.5 will work too. Either way, those shoes at the bottom will want a bit of protection underneath. A layer of paper between layers of shoes further protects against crushing.
  4. Pack shoes on their sides to allow the soles to add some support and integrity to your carton. Form a layer of bundles of shoes on top of a layer of packing paper. Generally, heavier shoes go at the bottom. However, boots (those ladies’ long dress boots, not bad weather boots) can suffer creases in those long leggy parts if there are several bundles of shoes on top of them. Pack these items on top, again making sure there is paper separating them.
  5. Dress sandals and open-toed shoes are particularly susceptible to being misshapen. While less critical, sneakers and summer sandals (i.e., flip-flops) should be shown at least some degree of care.

A Final Word

Moving across town might not demand the same amount of care as a long distance multi-day move that involves storage. Good old common sense goes a long way and saves precious time. But with a customer’s pricey shoe collection we can never be too careful. Replacing those wingtips or stilettos might not be impossible, but getting all bent out of shape is a hassle the customer would undoubtedly like to avoid.

Packing an Oil Painting: Slick Tips

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[Synopsis: Packing higher-end art calls for special materials and top-notch techniques.]

We come across large picture frames and mirrors often enough to know how to pack them. Wrap them in newsprint – or better yet, large sheets of kraft paper or that brown paper the big guys always have on hand. Grab a mirror carton or custom-size a box and pack the corners with packing paper and tape it up well.

Nothing to it, right?

But the day may come (if it hasn’t already) when we come face to face with an oil painting. We may use the same brown paper process and come away unscathed, but there are a few tips and tricks we can employ to keep that piece of art in prime shape, maybe even impressing our customer in the process.

Our Weapons of Choice

For the specialized packing we are about to attack upon we’ll need a few things we might not normally have on hand:

  • Bubble wrap
  • A mini roll of plastic wrap (on a handy-dandy dispenser)
  • A locking tape measure
  • Some large sheets of foam board
  • A knife to cut them to size

For that ultimate professional touch, we’ll arm ourselves with a couple of new weapons, namely artist tape and a type of water-resistant, grease-resistant paper called Glassine. And, as the guys in the following two videos prove, the ability to wield a tape gun can really come in handy.

Food For Thought: Video #1

In this first video, our host tackles his oil painting pack job by using foam board and a mini roll of shrink wrap to make what he calls a painting sandwich. Pretty slick, ay? (Start at the 2:35 mark. It goes to about 3:50.)

Note: Our painting sandwich maker uses peanuts for protection – and makes a decent mess of things. We suggest sticking with packing paper.

Mega-Supplies: Video #2

The host of our second video is a real stickler for protection. But so are his customers. First, he breaks out his Glassine at about the 1:23 mark. To keep it in place he uses artist tape rather than packing tape or even masking tape. Watch from the 1:43 mark to hear the (probably obvious) reasons why.

Done with the Glassine, he turns to his massive stash of bubble wrap, keeping the flat side against the surface of the painting. And he uses PLENTY of the stuff, in two different bubble sizes! We may not need to go nearly as crazy – unless our customers want us to. Ask them ahead of time.

For glass frameworks of art, our hero puts strips of artist tape right on the glass, to prevent damage to the art should the glass crack or break in transit.

Finally, at about 14:50 he talks about putting cardboard corners on before the bubble wrap. He also ensures the safety of the piece by placing a piece of cardboard over the front/glass side.

Note: He does admit that not all of us will have mountains of the stuff on hand, and suggests at the 6:25 mark using sheets of Styrofoam. Again, this is an option – but so is our packing paper.

Wrapping Up

We may or may not encounter a customer with fine artwork. But they do exist, and what if those people are looking for someone who knows how to handle their oil paintings or other expensive paintings? If you have that skill on your list of offered services, you may just get the call over someone else.

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