Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/680184
they're working not with lumpers but with families, good customer relations. A driver may spend a week packing boxes, itemizing every box and piece of furniture, and loading – then another week unloading. "You spend a lot of time in the trailer and in people's homes," even more than time in the truck, he says. "Moving drivers are the primary contact with families during a stressful time," Michael says. "He or she needs to be able to put them at ease. Our cus- tomers are trusting the driver with their most cherished personal possessions." Loading is far more complicated than most other types of freight. "You want to get as much density as possible to use up every square corner," Michael says. "That prevents claims, loss from damage due to items getting broken, and the more weight you can cram in there, the more you get paid because you're paid on the weight of the items." One of the biggest challenges is to ar- range for helpers to load and unload, and to arrange protection for their potential injury claims. The helpers can be supplied from the van lines or brought on by the owner-operator, who usually keeps a list of helpers in various cities and is responsible for paying them. They usually have com- pleted background checks and certifica- tion through the van line or AMSA. They usually are paid as casual labor- ers, typically $125 to $350 per day. Owner-operator Bob Hirchak of Sher- ryville, Ind., has used the same helpers for almost 25 years. "You can go either way, through the agency [van line] or the cash guys," says Hirchak, who's leased in California to NorCal Mov- ing Services, an Allied Van Lines agent, and drives a 2014 Volvo 780. "Usually the cash guys are the better guys, the cream of the crop." Each moving company has its own criteria and injury protection for the people hired to work on their jobs, Michael says. "Many do require their owner-operators to provide worker's compensation that covers the people they hire on a part-time or per-move basis," he says. Arrangements for doing so vary, as do state requirements. Hirchak's work- man's compensation coverage for his helpers is included in his own insurance package, but Pettigrew pays a monthly fee to an insurer for his helpers. For all its extra job duties and expens- es, household moving can open doors to more than just higher earnings. There are opportunities to haul special commodities such as museum exhibits. 6 www.bigrigowner.com J U N E 2 0 1 6 Cover Story Mark Pettigrew was named AMSA's 2013 Driver of the Year. He drives a 2016 Kenworth W900.