Uncategorized – TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®

October 11, 2021 Movers Who Blog Uncategorized

2021 Halloween Boxtume Tutorial : iPod

At TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, we love box costumes, or “boxtumes” as we call them. With Halloween quickly approaching, you might be looking for a quick and easy DIY costume for your kids – we’ve got you covered! Follow along these steps to create an iPod boxtume.

What you’ll need:

One TWO MEN AND A TRUCK medium-size box
Red and grey paint
White poster or white construction paper
Duct tape
Glue

Step 1: Grab your TWO MEN AND A TRUCK box and cut the bottom and top pieces off to help close the box.

Step 2: Paint the box red (or any color you want your iPod to be!).

Step 3: Cut out a square from the white poster to create the screen. Then, cut out a circle to create the menu/volume options on your iPod.

Step 4: Draw an apple on the square (or print one you find online) with the grey paint and then draw the pause, volume, and menu buttons on the circle with the grey paint as well. Once all the paint is dry, glue the square above the circle on the red box.

Step 5: To make easy straps for the costume, fold the duct tape in half long ways (so there is no sticky side) and make the tape as long as you want your desired straps to be.

Step 6: Paint the straps red (or whatever color you chose for your box) and once they’re dry, glue them at the front and back of the box.

Complete this costume by wearing a red long sleeve shirt that matches the iPod. Once all the paint and glue is dry, you’ll have a fun and creative costume ready for trick-or-treating and Halloween festivities!

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.

September 27, 2021 Movers Who Blog Uncategorized

Company core value “THE GRANDMA RULE” helps shape the mindset of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK teams

Many companies have a set of “core values” they talk about, where they might include them in mission statements or put them on a plaque somewhere around the building.

We have these at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK as well, but here, they are more than just a list of ideas to promote – they are a literal way of life for each team member with the company, from top to bottom. These core values are highlighted by one that stands out above the rest, and that is THE GRANDMA RULE®.

THE GRANDMA RULE means to treat everyone the way you would want your grandma to be treated. It is such simple, yet effective idea, and it resonates with everyone who hears it. Whether it’s our movers and drivers on a move helping a customer, a move consultant on the phone booking a move, or a marketing manager out in community: keeping THE GRANDMA RULE top of mind encourages us to treat everyone with care, compassion, and respect.

“I believe THE GRANDMA RULE is such an important core value because it truly represents the culture of this company,” said Lauren Trost, a former marketing and sales manager for the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Chicago locations who now works at our Home Office location. “TWO MEN AND A TRUCK employees not only practice this core value while at work – it is deeply engrained in their everyday life. Before I started working at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, the Lansing franchise actually moved my grandma. I witnessed a wonderful display of compassion and strength. For several weeks after her move, my grandma could not stop talking about how impressed she was with the two young men who moved her.”

If you’ve followed our company at all or heard of THE GRANDMA RULE, you might have heard of Grandma Eb. The mother of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Founder Mary Ellen Sheets, she served as the inspiration for this core value due in large part to becoming a key figure in our brand’s inception.

She offered her home, backyard, garage, and whatever else was needed in the very early days of the company in Lansing, Mich., to help support and grow TWO MEN AND A TRUCK. Her support helped our company build its base, and THE GRANDMA RULE is a fitting tribute to her contributions.

Across all TWO MEN AND A TRUCK locations, you’ll find signs about THE GRANDMA RULE and hear our team members talk about what it means to them. At the same time, it helps put our customers at ease knowing it’s something we make a priority.

“THE GRANDMA RULE, to me, exemplifies everything we want and expect out of our employees and ourselves,” said Brian Stern, a TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® multi-unit franchisee with locations in New Jersey and Maine. “The idea is to treat each and every one of our customers as if they were our grandmothers. If we do that, every customer will be treated with respect, patience, and empathy during difficult moving situations.”

Taking it even further, it’s a great reminder to our seniors that they’ll be in great care if they decide to move with us. Nearly 52% of all moves we complete are for people over the age of 50, and these can generally be tough moves due to the emotional factors involved of people parting ways with a home that has meant so much throughout their lives.

Our teams are specifically trained on how to handle senior moves and understand the importance of making sure they are able to communicate with the customer and provide the highest levels of care in order to make them feel at ease as they complete their moves.

“Often times, a senior move involves downsizing from a long-term home, and it can be a complicated and emotional experience,” said Alexa Lanier, a multi-unit marketing director for the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton locations. “Our customer service representatives and in-home consultants work with the customers to account for the destination of all items, which can involve multiple stops or storage. Our movers then take the time to make sure every item gets to where it needs to go.”

It may seem like a small piece in big puzzle, but THE GRANDMA RULE is who we are at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, and we work each day to live up to this core value!

If you or someone that you know is looking to complete an upcoming senior move, be sure to contact your local TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchise and see why we are known as the “Movers Who Care®”!

August 23, 2021September 13, 2021 Movers Who Blog Uncategorized

Safety tips to keep in mind when you own a home

-Written by Christina Baker

Moving into a new home gives you and your family a chance for new beginnings. You may be feeling a mix of emotions such as excitement and stress – after all, a new home means more responsibility. There are many different safety precautions that must be taken before you move, and we’re here to help break a few of them down for you!

Use this checklist to ensure proper safety precautions are taken before you move into your new space!

Smoke alarms and detectors

Make sure your home has enough smoke detectors throughout the entire house. Then, make sure each detector has batteries and test them to be sure they work properly. Keep some backup batteries just in case! It’s also a good idea to put carbon monoxide detectors on each level of the home.

Electrical

The best safety tip to live by for the electrical in your home is if it doesn’t look quite right, check it out. If you’re unfamiliar with electrical work, call an electrician to double check that everything is how it should be. Since frayed wires and cords can easily start fires, it’s best to make this a priority for your new home.

Water and pipes

In case of an emergency such as a broken pipe or flooding, it’s best to know exactly where you can shut off the water to your house. You should also have the pipes of the house inspected to make sure they’re fully equipped to work properly without any leaks or breaks.

Home protection system

A home protection system may not be needed by everyone, but it’s a great investment for those who would like a little more peace of mind. Since home burglaries are unfortunately quite common, finding good home security will help to keep the chances of someone breaking in lower.

It’s also crucial to double check the locks on all doors in your house, including the garage.

Have an emergency plan

Have a discussion with your family on exactly what you will all do incase of an emergency. This can include plans for a fire, flood, etc.

If everyone has an idea of what they need to do and where they need to be in case any of these events take place, your family will feel slightly more at ease and in control.

Miscellaneous emergency items

Several stocked first-aid kits around the house
Keep all the emergency phone numbers somewhere safe and visible in the house
Use this comprehensive guide from the American Red Cross to create an effective emergency kit

Once you’ve taken the proper safety measures, you’re ready to make your new house a home!

August 16, 2021September 7, 2021 Movers Who Blog Uncategorized

Six tips for sending your kids back to school

-Written by Christina Baker

Some kids are excited about back-to-school time, while others may dread it. Either way, you want your kids to start of the year with their best foot forward. Use these tips to ensure your child has a positive start to their new school year!

Get your kids back into a routine

A week before school starts, try your best to get your family back into a “school routine”. Make sure they’re ready for the early bedtimes and early mornings that are essential for school time. Be sure your alarms are set!

Talk to them about what classes they’re looking forward to

Asking your kids about their favorite subjects will help them to get a little more excited to be back in the classroom. If they don’t have a favorite class, encourage them enter their new school year with an open mindset and willingness to learn about new subjects.

Introduce them to their teachers

Many schools allow you to go meet the teachers and pick up textbooks a couple days before school starts. Use this opportunity to introduce your children to the teachers so they may feel more comfortable with them before school even starts.

Let them pick out fun school supplies

Even if they’re not looking forward to school, more often than not, kids enjoy picking out their new school supplies every year. If your budget allows it, encourage them to pick out their favorite folders, notebooks, and pens. This will give your kids a sense of creative control over their supplies!

Encourage them to join a team/club

If your kids are having an especially hard time looking forward to the new school year, joining a club that interests them or playing a sport they enjoy could help make the adjustment easier. These activities will allow them to make new friends and even discover interests that they may not have known they had!

Keep up with open communication

Keep up with honest discussions between yourself and your children about the day they had at school. If they had a bad day, try and come up with a solution together on how to make the next one better.

The summer to fall transition can be a tricky one, but these tips can help to relieve some of the stress off of both you and your children.

July 26, 2021 Movers Who Blog Uncategorized

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK services that don’t require moving trucks

Often times when people think of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, they y think of our white moving trucks driving around town with the iconic logo that has become a staple in so many communities.

While this type of home moving is what we’ve been known for over the last 35 years, we’re so much more than that. We offer a wide variety of specialty moving services to help any moving need and often times, our moving trucks aren’t even necessary.

You can hire the expertise of our professionally trained movers to help with whatever you need so you don’t have to worry about doing the heavy lifting yourself!

Load and Unloading

Known as our Carry Crew moving option, we offer customers assistance with loading and unloading for those who want to avoid doing any moving and lifting.

With this service, customers would rent their own truck or container, then call one of our teams to load it all up or unload it as needed. This saves you the trouble of doing it yourself and provides you with the peace of mind in knowing your items were handled by professionals. It’s a win-win!

Furniture Rearranging

We’ve all been there before: you’re looking around the house (or maybe even an office) and you want your furniture or other items rearranged. Then, you realize how much work this would be, and you put it off even longer.

With our furniture rearranging services, you can get anything moved around your home or business quickly and efficiently. Our movers will move as little or as much as you’d like so you don’t have to. This option is great for those undergoing home renovations, staging a home to sell, hosting a large gathering (safely, of course), or who just want something in a different spot.

Packing and Unpacking

This may not be a service involving any heavy lifting, but it’s equally as important and useful. Our teams can take care of the packing up of your belongings so you can focus on something else.

Given that we are professionals, we can efficiently pack as much items as you’d like us to. We can even provide the packing supplies and moving boxes!

Delivery Services

Ok, so technically this does involve a moving truck, but it’s still worth mentioning. If you have found yourself in a situation where you’ve ordered a large item – say a new appliance or piece of furniture – and you have no idea how you’ll get it home, we have you covered!

We can schedule the pickup and delivery of large items like this and get it to you safe and secure, even moving it into your home and placed exactly where you want it.

For more information on how TWO MEN AND A TRUCK can help you with all of your moving needs, visit our website to find the franchise closest to you!

June 21, 2021June 22, 2021 Movers Who Blog Uncategorized

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises gear up for “Busiest Move Weekend” 2021

For all of us here at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, we know that when the school year starts to wind down and the weather starts to warm up, it means one thing: busy moving season.

The summer months are always our busiest time of year, and our franchises nationwide are geared up and ready to rock as they help customers and businesses move forward in these next few months. Studies show that the months of April through September generally contain the most moves throughout the year, and we can confirm this based on our three-plus decades of moving!

“There’s a lot of excitement and energy around Busiest Move Weekend for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, as it truly reflects the brand’s strength and how hard our teams are working in their communities,” said TWO MEN AND A TRUCK President Randy Shacka. “We embrace this as a brand and look forward to serving a record number of customers during what may be one of the most stressful times in their lives.”

For 2021, this last week of June is looking to be what we call our “Busiest Move Weekend” – the time when our franchises are completing the most moves over one weekend as a brand.

It’s a time to celebrate all of the hard work our movers, drivers, and customer service representatives put in and to show our appreciation to customers for trusting TWO MEN AND A TRUCK to handle their moves.

“We take great pride in our moving services and are so appreciative of the record number of customers choosing TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, whether they’re moving across their town or across the country,” Shacka said.

Whether you’re planning to move this weekend – or anytime this summer – we’ve added some helpful tips, resources, and ideas below for you to ensure you have best moving day possible!

Moving Checklist

The most important factor in completing a stress-free move is using a moving checklist. Thankfully for you, we’ve put one together using all of the tips and tricks we’ve accumulated over the years. You can find it, here.

Packing Tips

A seamless moving experience starts with effective packing, and this packing tips guide will point you in the right direction to make sure everything is taken care of when the movers arrive at your home or business.

What Moving Companies Can’t Move

Unfortunately, not all of your belongings can be handled by professional movers, and it’s important to know what they can and can’t move so you aren’t left scrambling on moving day. We’ve put together that list, here.

Moving With Pets

For those with pets, that’s another dynamic of moving you have to worry about when moving day arrives. You can find useful tips and tricks for moving with your pets, here.

Home Safety Guide

Although not necessarily a “moving tip”, this safety guide for when you arrive at your new home is a good idea to look over so you don’t run into any issues as you get settled in.

June 7, 2021June 28, 2021 Movers Who Blog Uncategorized

Five easy ways to make the moving process a positive experience for kids

-Written by Christina Baker

Moving tends to have an emotional and even daunting reputation – especially for children. They may not like the idea of too much change at once, and it’s probably overwhelming for them. However, there are several ways a child can learn to adapt to – and even enjoy – their moving experience.

Follow these tips to better your move for the whole family!

Explain the situation

Your children may be having a hard time understanding exactly why you’re moving. Have an open and honest conversation with them on why this is what’s best for your family. Encourage them to ask any questions they may have.

Prepare your kids for the move by having these conversations throughout the moving process so they will feel more comfortable.

Stay in touch & meet new people

A big part of the reason kids don’t want to move is because they might be scared to leave their friends. However, you can assure them they will still see their friends from your old neighborhood. Set up playdates for the future with the other parents so your child knows for certain that you’ll stay in touch.

It’s also important to let kids know they can make friends anywhere. Take them to your new neighborhood and introduce yourselves to the other families in that area. Taking this approach helps kids to see they can have friendships regardless of where they live.

Get them excited

You can get your kids excited about the move by taking them to the new house, if possible. Show them their new bedroom, and even ask them how they want to decorate it. Walk them through the house and explain to them the benefits of the new house, such as a pool, a new playroom, etc. Showing your children the endless possibilities of memories that can be created in your new space will allow them to look forward to living there.

Make it fun

Throughout the process of the move, try not to take it so seriously in front of your kids. Make games out of packing your belongings and allow them to have fun during this time. You could even keep your moving boxes. Kids love to be creative with objects that may otherwise be thrown away. Encourage them to even make a fort out of your moving boxes once you’re finished with them.

Mini Mover Mania Game & Coloring

If you want to keep your kids busy during the move, we have the perfect fix! Our interactive video game, Mini Mover Mania, gives players the opportunity to sit in the driver’s seat. This exciting racing game encourages players to get their customer’s belongings to their new destination in a safe way, while still trying to beat time and tackle rough terrains. For kids who would rather color, print off this TWO MEN AND A TRUCK coloring page! It’s sure to keep kids occupied as they color in Truckie embarking on a new travel.

To get TWO MEN AND A TRUCK’s Mini Mover Mania video game as well as the coloring page, visit our “Moving With Kids” page on our website!

Moving can be a hard time on your children. However, by following these steps, your transition should become much smoother for your kids, and the rest of the family as well!

June 1, 2021June 22, 2021 Movers Who Blog Uncategorized

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK now provides junk removal and cleanup efforts

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Junk Container in Driveway

By now you might have noticed our black and green junk removal trucks driving around your town and we’re here to remind you of our new junk removal service for home and business customers!

We’re known as the leaders of the moving industry with our world-class moving services, and we’ve now expanded our service offerings for our customers with junk removal. Instead of renting a dumpster or doing all of the heavy lifting to remove unwanted items yourself, you can call one of our specialized junk removal teams to help you remove and dispose of any unwanted items you have laying around your home or business.

We’ll remove as little or as much as you need and do our best to properly dispose of the items in a safe and efficient way. Our moving teams are trained to handle all of the heavy lifting so you can focus on more important things.

This service is charged as a flat-rate and is dependent on how much we fill up one of our containers. If you’re cleaning out the garage or basement, undergoing home renovations, staging your home for selling, or just want old items out of the way – our junk removal service is perfect for you!

Items that cannot be taken with the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® junk removal service include:

Hazardous materials, liquid based items, wet paint, oil, chemicals, household cleaners, HAZMAT materials, flammable items, gasoline, propane, mercury based materials, oil filters, and batteries
Asbestos
Sealed tanks/drums
Medical waste
Household trash or garbage

Items that may be restricted (please check with your local government, state regulations, or disposal facility) include:

Electronics that are considered e-waste, including CRT televisions
Appliances with liquids associated with them (considered hazardous materials), AC units, refrigerators, freezers, and dehumidifiers
Appliances not emptied
Yard waste such as trees, brush, grass, sod, mulch, and other vegetative waste can be hauled with guidelines. Most disposal facilities recycle this material so it shouldn’t be mixed with other junk material. Dirt, sod, or mulch may have capacity limitations due to weight.
Tires are usually not accepted at disposal facilities and considered hazmat, however, you could reach out to a local tire recycle or business to see if they would take them.
Heavy or dense material such as roofing shingles, concrete, asphalt, dirt, brick, or miscellaneous debris.

To learn more about our junk removal services or to book a junk removal, click here!

May 24, 2021June 14, 2021 Movers Who Blog Uncategorized

Create a moving checklist to keep you on track during the moving process

Home moving is a delicate process, one where a good amount of planning is required in order to eliminate unwanted stress or chaos as you transition from one home to another.

Some of the steps required include packing all of your belongings, figuring out which items you’ll be parting ways with, changing addresses for utilities and bills, hiring movers, and much more. We’ve helped people move for more than 35 years now and the best piece of advice we can give to customers for eliminating move stress is always the same: proper planning and organization – specifically by using a moving checklist.

A moving checklist is the best way to take your move in stride and chip away at the process piece by piece as you work toward moving day. From figuring out your plan of action to determining how you will go about packing, and everything else in between – a moving checklist is a good way to track your progress and give you an idea of how things are going.

One helpful moving checklist resource we’ve developed for those who want to take this virtual is Movetrac, which is a comprehensive list of moving resources and checklists where you can see real-time progress and get your moving questions answered all in one place!

We’ve also put together some of the most important tasks in a comprehensive moving checklist you can follow below. Enjoy!

Moving Checklist

One month before your move

Contact, schedule, and hire a mover as soon as you know you are planning to complete a home move to ensure you get the moving day you want and that movers are available.
Begin the cleaning of various areas of your house – closets, attics, garage, etc.
Begin changing your local address where necessary in areas like mailing, insurance, school records, and so on.
Purchase moving boxes and packing supplies to help get things rolling on your move – local TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchise locations offer a wide-variety of moving and packing supplies to fit all of your moving needs.

1-2 weeks before moving day

Start canceling anything that is tied to what will soon be your past home address – Internet, cable, newspapers, or any labor services you receive around your home.
Call all of your local utility companies and be sure they know the exact day to stop charging your old home address for services.
Start the packing process and go room by room so you don’t overwhelm yourself. Be sure to properly label and organize boxes so you know where everything is on moving day.

The week of moving day

Finish up any last-minute cleaning around your home and make sure everything looks nice for when you officially move out.
Continue working on packing all of your belongings and try to be finished before moving day arrives. For items you no longer need, donate them to a charitable cause or sell them if possible.
Make transportation plans for the day of the move so you know how you’re getting to the new place. If you have kids or pets, develop a plan that fits their needs, too, and figure out where they will be while the home move is taking place.
Mail in any change of address forms so your new place is ready to go with your information.

The day before moving day

Be in contact with your moving company and double-check that everything is set in stone for the ensuing moving day. If you’re moving with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, we will send a pre-move email solidifying all important details of your home move.
Ensure all breakable items have been removed from dresser drawers and packed away.
Take out some cash to hold you over during the moving process. This might come in handy if you need to get some pizza or snacks to feed everyone!
Perform one final cleaning of your home and appliances.

Moving day

Pack an essentials bag for items you can access immediately when arriving at your new home. This can include anything from chargers to toothbrushes, quick snacks, etc.
Make sure there is a clear moving path inside and outside of your home for movers to operate.
Be sure you are at the home when the professional movers arrive so that you are accessible should they have any questions and concerns.
Once the movers have loaded everything onto the moving truck, do one final walkthrough of the home and make sure nothing was left behind. Last but not least – go say goodbye to your neighbors!

If you’ll be moving soon and would like to see more of this moving checklist, click here! If you are interested in using our moving services for your next home move – or if you need any other service such as junk removal – visit our website to learn more!

May 17, 2021June 7, 2021 Movers Who Blog Uncategorized

Moving yourself vs. hiring professionals: The differences between the two and how each cost is different

Often times when we get asked about moving, the first question is always the same: How much does it cost?

Cost is usually the deciding factor in how people go about home moving, whether they’re planning to hire a professional moving company like TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, or try and complete the move themselves. The common misconception thrown around in the world of home moving is that doing it yourself is a “cheaper” option than hiring professionals. On the surface, this might seem like the case, but once it is broken down, you’ll see moving on your own can add up price-wise.

Below, we’ve broken down some of the costs and factors you should consider when moving yourself vs. hiring professional movers.

Time

While not technically a cost, time is still important and valuable, and moving yourself takes a lot of your own personal time. You’ll still be responsible for packing up all of your belongings into boxes, loading them into a rental truck, and unloading at your new house

If you’re doing this alone or with friends who aren’t professionally trained, it will more than likely take a few trips. Multiple trips can generally lead to multiple days of moving as opposed to just one, and this is more time spent on gas, renting the truck, and the miscellaneous costs of keeping you and your friends happy, hydrated, and fed.

Moving equipment

If you’re planning on moving yourself, what equipment will you use? It’s not a smart idea to try loading it into a pickup truck. For a full home move, you’re going to need a moving truck, which means renting a truck from a rental company. The costs of renting also includes the gas for the truck, which isn’t cheap.

You’ll also need to get your hands on equipment like moving straps, dollies, ropes, stretch wrap, and furniture pads, or packing supplies and moving boxes so your belongings stay safe.

The potential for damage and injury

Moving isn’t as easy as it looks, and there’s a reason moving companies are considered “professionals”. Trying to move heavy items on your own puts you at risk for injury if you aren’t properly trained on moving techniques.

This can also lead to added stress during the move, which creates a miserable experience for everyone.

Finding “help”

The old “find a friend with a truck” has been around forever when it comes to moving, but in all seriousness, you’re going to need help if you plan on handling a move yourself.

Recruiting friends can be tough, but you’ll also need to compensate them for their time – whether that’s just paying them straight up, or offering them food for their troubles. Either way, this is more cost on your end.

Why you should consider hiring movers

When you factor in everything above – the money you’ll spend on trucks and equipment, the potential for damages due to not being professionally trained, or the long-term health effects of trying to move yourself – you’ll realize you’re not saving as much as you might think.

Hiring a professional moving company like TWO MEN AND A TRUCK ensures all of the instances listed above are taken care of while you sit back and focus on more important things. The saying “you get what you pay for” has never been more true than with our company, and you’re getting a full-service, professional experience when you use our teams.

With TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, you get:

-Free moving estimates, in-home, over the phone, or online

-Packing options and packing supplies for sale

-An in-home walk through with our professional moving teams, followed by a walk-through of your new home so we know exactly how to plan for your move

If you have an upcoming move, consider hiring TWO MEN AND A TRUCK to get the job done and let us show you why we’ve earned the nickname “Movers Who Care”!