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Movers brace for military's summer rush

May- 9-2005 » Filed Under: 2/25 SBCT

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By Harold Nedd, Pacific Business News

Moving companies in Hawaii are bracing for their largest-ever summer-long rush in business from the military as the armed forces look to pack up thousands of soldiers who are leaving the state and welcome hundreds more from the U.S. Army's Stryker Brigade combat team.

Come June, the moving industry expects to see a 75 percent boost in business from the military, despite growing worries about whether it has the capacity for what the armed services say they need.

From the increased demand, the movers are poised to capture a significant chunk of the $4 billion that The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii estimates the military generates for the economy, second only to tourism in the state. [...]

Movers are competing with the building industry for a growing shortage of qualified drivers. Commercial drivers are needed for flatbed trucks and tractor-trailer rigs that can haul tons of household items for the soldiers.

Moreover, storage space is tight. Movers expect to be especially confronted with that issue as household belongings arrive ahead of 2,263 soldiers, spouses and children from the Army's Stryker Brigade.

At the same time, moving companies are betting that the biggest challenge for the industry is going to be providing quality service in a short period of time without overworking employees, who could be looking at 12-to-18 hours work days.

"I'm sure companies out there will work until 11 at night to meet the military's demand," Parker said.


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