Letter to My Military Moving Company Packers
by PCSgrades Staff - May 14th, 2022
Dear packers and military movers,
Despite the fact that as a military family we move every couple of years, military moving is NOT easy! In two short years, we fall in love with our house, our new neighbors, the kids’ school and the soccer team. So our military moves are sometimes heartbreaking and emotional. We and our possessions need to be handled with care. Here is what military families want our military movers to know.
Notes to military movers:
We love how everything is wrapped so nicely, but wrapping a plastic spoon and fork in six sheets of paper is a bit much! One plastic bowl wrapped in 10 sheets of paper is over the top! Using excess packaging materials can put us over our weight allowance, and cost us major money. But please DO pack my grandmother’s china in approximately 20 pounds of paper.
And can you ask me about the obvious trash (the used pizza box, rolled up Kleenex, greasy paper plate) before you pack it?
Please respect the timeline!
Our stress and anticipation builds with every minute we wait for your arrival. The later you arrive, the more chance that our ENTIRE pack and move out timeline can go awry. We go to great trouble to get our young children out of the house so they don’t see their toys tossed in a box and to spare you from having them under foot all day. Same goes with our beloved pets. We usually ask a friend to watch the dog so you can work in peace. Just show up on time, or communicate if there is a change in the schedule!
We need you to believe us--we know our stuff and have moved with it before. When we are on our seventh military move and it has always taken three days to pack our household goods, don’t dismiss this info and schedule a two-day pack out. Chances are it will take the full three days. Any change will really mess with the truck loading schedule. Having movers and packers in our home on the same day is extra stressful.
We've had things broken or stolen before
Please don’t hold it against us if we linger in the room as you do our job, or if we check all the labels, and ask to see damage before signing the inventory sheet. Despite what you’ve been told, our military salary is not double that of the civilian world so we do value what we own. It would be most appreciated if you could refrain from commenting on “how much” we have. We know--based on our weight and moving allowance--that we have about the same as most other military families.
And when we ask to have the TV packed last on a three-day pack out, could you please not have it unplugged and wrapped before the end of the first day? You will go home after the first day of packing; we will have two kids to entertain as we eat our takeout among the boxes. A little TV can go a loooong way!
We often provide cold drinks, snacks, and lunch
This is NOT part of the contract. We do this because we want to, not because we have to. Military moving is not fun for you or for us, but we do try to make it as pleasant as possible. If you want to know whether to pack a lunch that day, just ask! We may ask you what your favorite local restaurant is, and if they deliver.
Read our easy meals for moving day here.
Please try not to sweat on everything
It's hot, we know! We can crank up the AC, turn on the fans, and even provide you with clean sweat towels. Please use them! Do what you need to, but please don’t leave a sweat stain on my daughter's brand new upholstered headboard. We don't want that souvenir.
Treat our things like your own possessions
If something accidentally breaks, just let me know about it. Do not try to discard it in the trash so that I have to claim that it was lost. We know to you this may be just a job…..with long days and sometimes impatient families. But you have a lifetime of our memories in your boxes, and to a military family, those are especially precious because it’s all we take with us on endless moves away from family and friends.
Sincerely,
A proud military family
PCSgrades offers Moving Company Reviews! This is a unique opportunity for military and veteran families to leave a review and let the world know the good (and bad) about a particular moving company. Please go to PCSgrades.com today and let us know about your last move, or to read reviews from other military families.
