When you think of an “engine”, what is the first image that comes to mind? A male? A common bully? Well, it turns out that I am a biker, so I took an online survey. And yes, the results broke my heart.
Of the 100 who responded, the Composite Motor was uneducated, low-class, rude, and unreliable. Basically the sleazy stereotype you see smoking cigarettes outside a pawn shop, hat thrown back, using the f-word a lot, and spitting on the sidewalk.
I admitted it. I’m a mover. I carry other people’s stuff, from their new 60″ HDTV to their sweat-stained mattresses, 40 hours a week. I make about $2,850 a month after taxes, drive an old pickup truck, and rent an apartment in a rundown section of My knuckles and shins are always chipped, and I have chronic back and shoulder pain, but I don’t have health insurance.
I also have a degree in music and can play a piano like Rachmaninoff. In college, moving was a weekend job, then a summer job. I graduated in 2005 and I still move.
You are probably wondering why I am still in this profession. Trust me, my friends and family ask me that all the time. Honestly? I’m good at it. Very good.
As with most industries, there is a hierarchy of company personnel. We engines would call it a “pecking order.” I prefer to work in a 3 man team so I’ll use that as an example.
The lowest rung motor is a “lumper”. As its name suggests, the “lumper” carries boxes and folds down the movable pads; he’s either too inexperienced or too sloppy to trust him to help carry an antique sideboard or handcrafted leather sofa. He may smoke and spit on the ground, but then he may be a good guy who wants to move up the ranks.
On the next rung is the “second man”, or simply “#2”. He has some experience, maybe even pride in his work, and can carry heavy and/or breakable items up and down stairs and around tight corners. He knows many tricks of the trade, generally has a pleasant personality, if a bit rough around the edges.
On the top rung is the “charger”. (That’s me). I’m the guy who assembles the load on the truck so everything fits and nothing gets damaged in transit. Believe it or not, loading a truck is a methodical process. Safely wrapping and accommodating all the furniture, appliances, boxes, fixtures, and ends of a 5,000 square foot home in a 2,000 cubic foot truck is difficult, especially when the customer pressures you to go faster and be more careful when driving. Same time. .
And don’t get me wrong: as a loader, I don’t stay in the truck while the “loader” and the no. #2 bring me the merchandise. In most moves, I carry my fair share. Plus, I’m quick to set the pace for the crew. #2 and I handle every item that is delicate, unwieldy, or valuable to the customer. In my 10 years of experience, I have developed a distinctive style for handling difficult items, managing the load as a whole, leading my team, and interacting with the customer. The results? For one thing, my team always gets a big tip when the job is done. What’s more, other moving companies ask to work with me, and other heads of moving companies want me to work for them: seriously, they call as headhunters and make me better offers. I can say, with complete humility, “I am the rock star of this industry, in this town and the town next door.”
Let’s go back to the “engine” stereotype. Unfortunately, even a talented Charger (or #2 or “Charger”) can also be a scoundrel, drug addict, or thief, but so can pop stars and famous divas (LiLo, Paris, etc.). .) that we all know and love. I’ve worked with guys who stole from the client. One guy stole a coin collection, another guy stole a lawnmower from storage. Honestly, there have been dozens of “incidents” where a colleague of mine has shown zero morals. Scum of the earth kind of thing.
Being a mover isn’t glamorous, and there have been times when I was embarrassed to say, “I’m a mover,” like when I was socializing in more exclusive circles: My girlfriend is a scientist and she likes to hang out with that crowd, with me on my back But that’s more my personal life… to be a humble engine again.
It’s true that there are few rewards in moving, which is why movers are often such unrewarding people, as my survey indicated. What few rewards there are are snatched up by guys like me, who give it their all, who catch a little zest for excellence, at any task.
And no, I don’t plan on being a moving truck loader my whole life. I am arranging the purchase of the moving company I work for now. It is a strong and reputable operation, and most of the problems stem from the high turnover rate of “porters” coming and going. I believe I can recruit the best movers in town and nearby towns – honest people with skills and positive attitudes who will provide great pay and benefits. It would pay to have superior moving companies and dominate the other moving companies in the city.
I cannot disclose to the mover that I am in the gradual process of purchasing. If my teams find out, it could disrupt our dynamic. But I can give credit to a couple of moving companies where I received the best training and leadership opportunities. They are Help-U-Move in Tri-Cities, WA (http://help-u-move.com) and Gentle Giant Moving Company in Seattle. I’ll write another article on how things are going once I’m running the show!