Moving Services Industry Profile

Companies in this industry primarily provide local or long-distance truck transportation of used household, institutional, or commercial furniture and equipment, as well as related packing and storage services. Major companies include Atlas Van Lines, SIRVA, and UniGroup (all based in the US), along with Crown Worldwide (Hong Kong), Grospiron International (France), and Pickfords (UK).

Many large companies offer international moving services, which can be complicated due to regulatory and logistical issues between countries. Companies that specialize in cross-border moves also offer move planning services and corporate relocation planning services.

The US moving services industry includes about 8,500 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $15 billion.

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 US industry is fragmented: the 50 largest companies hold about 40% of the market.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Household moves and commercial moves are the major services offered in this industry. Other services include warehousing and storage, packing, and moving of goods that require special handling.

The industry is divided in ...