Moving and Storage
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Industry Overview
The US moving and household storage industry consists of about 8,000 companies with almost $12 billion in combined annual revenue. Large companies include UniGroup (owner of United and Mayflower); SIRVA (owner of Allied, Global, and North American); Atlas; and Bekins. The industry is fragmented: the 50 largest companies hold about 45 percent of the market.
Self-storage services, which involve leasing of storage units but not moving services, and warehousing and storage, which typically involves logistics services as well as storage, are covered in separate industry profiles.
Competitive Landscape
Home sales, residential rental turnover, and corporate relocations drive demand for moving and storage services. The profitability of individual companies depends on good marketing, as services are largely the same. Large companies have economies of scale in marketing and in being able to consolidate loads on long hauls. Small companies can compete with large ones by specializing in local markets and by offering competitive prices and better service for local moves. The industry is labor-intensive: average annual revenue per employee is about $125,000.
Products, Operations & Technology
Companies in this industry move household and office goods, as well as specialty items such as pianos and trade show exhibits, either locally or interstate. Moving companies also provide long- and short-term storage for the items that they move, referred to as storage-in-transit (SIT).
The industry is divided into three tiers. The top tier includes long-distance moves handled by large national van lines. Shorter interstate moves, the second tier, are handled by smaller movers, who may also make long-distance moves. The third tier is regional and local independent moving companies.
The large van lines operate mainly through independently owned agents who, in most cases, own trucks, hire drivers, and operate in an assigned territory -- much in the manner of a franchise. The van lines themselves provide mainly logistical support and sell services (like moving insurance) to their agents. Interstate moves are often accomplished via coordination of services between two or more agents.
Despite sophisticated computerized techniques for scheduling and planning, this industry remains a low-technology business. Many companies leverage their internal logistics expertise and shipping and tracking systems (STS) to build new lines of business, such as outsourcing logistics and delivery fleets. Long-distance companies may use GPS to track cross-country shipments.
