Why available trucks don’t always equal healthy mobility—and how it can pinch your transferees
1 | Peak-Season “Plenty” Masks a Demand Problem
Early shipment data for January–February 2025 point to stagnating corporate-relocation volumes after a brief bump last autumn.
With fewer moves in the pipeline, capacity looks easy to book this summer—but that’s because the vans aren’t as busy as they should be. And, the answer may not be as good as one hopes, because of how movers are reacting to lower volumes.
2 | How Movers React When the Phones Go Quiet
| What the van lines do | Why it saves them money | How it hits the transferee |
|---|---|---|
| Park surplus tractors & trailers | Insurance, fuel and maintenance drop immediately | Fewer date options—crew availability tightens on short notice |
| Run smaller (2-person) crews | Cuts hourly labour in half | Longer load/unload days; higher risk of damage and fatigue |
| Lean on seasonal or temp labour | Avoids full-season payroll & benefits | Less experience on the truck, patchy customer service |
| Slow new-hire training | Training budgets are low-hanging cost cuts | Crews arrive without polished packing skills or policy awareness |
Result: service inconsistency creeps in even though trucks are “available.”
3 | Layoffs Ripple Through the Supply Chain
Freight markets have already shed 14,000+ logistics jobs in 2025 as volumes softened.
Household-goods agents feel the same squeeze:
- Smaller payrolls mean fewer experienced crew chiefs in the field.
- Drivers moonlight in other freight segments to keep miles up, eroding loyalty to the van line.
4 | Why This Pinches The Transferee
| Pain Point | Real-World Example |
|---|---|
| Missed preferred dates | Fleet trimmed—your “June 20” load window becomes “June 24–26” after booking. |
| Slower claim resolution | Lean back-office staffing stretches response times for damage claims. |
| More HR escalations | Employees go back to HR when crew quality slips and the RMC hasn’t stepped in. |
5 | What Mid-Volume Employers Should Watch
- Delivery spreads are widening – If your load-to-deliver transit windows suddenly grow, capacity has quietly contracted.
- Crew counts on the paperwork – Two names instead of three or four is a tell-tale budget cut.
- Training gaps – Ask transferees whether the crew explained paperwork, inventory, high-value items. Silence = red flag.
- Policy drift – When crews aren’t refreshed on corporate requirements (e.g., debris removal, unpack levels), compliance slides.
6 | Questions to Raise With Your RMC This Month
- How many claims per 100 shipments are your movers running YTD?
- What percentage of peak-season crews have less than 18 months experience?
- Have any core agents furloughed drivers or equipment since January?
- What’s your plan if a booked carrier walks away from a date to chase freight?
If the answers feel vague—or if you’re learning these trends from a newsletter instead of your provider—it’s a sign your RMC may not have eyes on the problem.
Closing Thought
A soft summer isn’t a gift; it’s a stress test. The movers and RMCs that stay proactive when volumes fall are the ones you’ll want when they rise again.
If you need a benchmark or a backup plan, let’s talk. Even a quick comparison of claim ratios and crew-experience levels can tell you whether your program is insulated—or exposed.
