“Don’t you love how we have this impression that our stuff is safe in some Ft Knox storage outfit, when in fact it is a big non-temperature controlled warehouse with everyone’s stuff just separated with ropes and free reign of workers walking back and forth…I’ve been in one myself, so I know… it’s no wonder …”
I read this comment on this post last month and knew there was only one thing I could do in response: see military household good storage for myself. “Surely what she said could not possibly be the norm,” I thought. “Surely, there must be some explanation.”
And it is for that reason I bring you “PCS Storage: Exposed.” Are you ready?
That commenter was right. Sort of. Mostly her general points were right, but the impression they gave me was not. And I have a video to prove it.
I shot this video last week at Thompson Moving and Storage here at Fort Campbell. David Taylor, the warehouse manager, was kind enough to give me the nickel tour.
Wasn’t that the most exciting and scandalous thing you’ve seen all year? Yep, that’s what I thought, too.
Here’s how the whole thing works:
Household goods (or HHG) storage is governed by a set of rules enforced by Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, which has regional managers across the country conducting surprise inspections on contractors throughout the year. Temporary storage, or how things are stored in between pick-up and delivery during stateside moves, and long term storage differ slightly but follow some of the same basic rules, said James Fomby, one of the regional managers.
- Goods in temporary storage for more than 72 business hours must be put either in vaults or stored on wrapped pallets at least two inches off the floor. Long term storage is treated much the same way, with some of the key differences being that pallets are not used, all the goods are wrapped in paper and any stuffed furniture, like couches, has to be wrapped and put on shelves individually.
- HHG can be left on the floor for 72 business hours at a time during a “staging” period. This allows the movers to drop-off the stuff to the storage facility where it is checked-off against the inventory list and the people who will be delivering it to move it back into their truck while inventorying it again.
- While the warehouses are not temperature controlled, they must be controlled for humidity levels.
See? Not nearly as scary as we feared. According to Blythe Wilson, a specialist with surface command (and whose voice you can hear in the first part of the video), the storage set-up in our video is the norm. During a move my stuff, generally speaking, lives in crates unless it is in the process of being moved in or out.
Where the ropes separating different family’s things come into play, said Taylor, the manager in the video, is mostly during peak moving season. His company may have five, six or more pick-ups and deliveries on one day during that time. To make those moves happen and get you your stuff, he said, he has to lay it out side-by-side in the warehouse so the delivery trucks can get it out. And while there are instances of stuff getting lost in the shuffle or misplaced, he said his team is extremely careful to make sure the lot numbers – and things labeled with them – don’t get mixed-up.
Yes, there is room for error and, yes, you can see how things may get mixed-up during this process, he said. But by and large, properly labeled stuff gets where it is supposed to go. Disgruntled employees roaming around, taking their pain out on your things, are likely few and far between. The biggest key, he said, is in preparation and making sure the movers see and then inventory all of your things before they go on the truck.
And that’s where we get to the sticky part: the labels. (Ah, that was a good pun — labels are sticky … get it? OK.)
As it turns out, according to the people at Thompson, most moving problems come when things don’t get labeled and put on the inventory like they should. It’s particularly easy for movers, said Taylor, to miss putting stickers on items that don’t fit in boxes or are being moved loose – things like garden tools, ladders, screws to bedroom furniture and many of the items listed in the comments here.
“If it’s something like a broom or mop – garden tools are a big item, something outside or in a corner or something. That’s your more common items that [go missing]” Taylor said.
But it is in companies’ best interest to make sure people get their stuff without destroying it in the process. Unhappy MilFams can very easily mean the end of government business for a moving or storage company, Blyth Wilson pointed out. And since many of the moving contractors are small, local businesses who rely almost entirely on military moves for their bread and butter, keeping us military folks happy is a very high priority, Thompson said.
“At my house all of my pictures belong to me – I don’t borrow them out of storage,” said owner Ricky Thomas. “We don’t use the jet skis, we don’t mow our lawns with the lawn mowers … When it comes down to it, taking care of people’s things is a business decision. The most important thing is that the member is happy.”
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Yes, that was me who posted that comment about storage facilities. Glad you dug in deeper. Honestly, this is one of the better facilities you investigated. The one I was in, also in the SE (four years ago), was NOT this way….sorry! I don't know if they all have different standards but hopefully, with more people aware of the range of how their stuff could be handled….will prepare us all for a more successful move.
With that being said, I was surprised on our last PCS move where the movers insisted on not using the stickers (instead using markers to mark the #s on the boxes). This resulted on four boxes with double #s, which I was able to correct by double checking the inventory vs the # of boxes as they were moved out.
Remember, it's your move (I don't care if the govt pays for it or not), and it should be in your best interest to pay attention and to have a good system of monitoring the movers/packing like I mention on my blog.
Thanks again for following up!
Thanks for the idea! No doubt every facility is slightly different, and that some violate the rules (and then get booted from the system later), but the surface command folks swear up and down that the standards are set universally and enforced…. I do not believe, however, that stickers are necessarily the absolute rule. I was told that some companies have started using scanable bar codes (whoa!) but the whole writing thing doesnt surprise me much either.
Thank you so much for the inside look! It helps to see what "really" goes on rather than just hearing horror stories!
Looked like they were very organized and had a process that they were following. I would be pleased if they made my move.
Did you know you can DITY storage? We used PODS. We aren't back yet, but we selected the warehouse. We packed our stored goods. We pay the bill, and the AF pays us back. We made sure we selected a climate controled warehouse, and we have the padlock keys. So there are always options. We are in the military by choice and we are NOT victims.
I always wondered why, when the container door was opened, my wife's beautiful oak dining room table was lying crushed on the floor of the container, with my motorcycle lying on top of it. It damaged as well.
I try to credit them for all they do…, but we've never moved without having the most "cared for" items arrive at the other end in a "destroyed" condition.
Mititary moves are a jip!!!! Most of my HHG were damaged in our move. We have 6670 worth of damages. The moving carrier messed us over. Then I filed thru the MCO and they jscked us over and gave us 1084 fo our stuff. Now I have to write a letter because I do not agree with this. We did not break our things but yet we suffer because no one will take responsibility for what has been done. The Mil needs to up their game and start doing a better job with the companies they choose to move our things. My husband works hard to do the best job he can. He gives 110% everytime. But we just get forgive me but half ass work!!!!!
We will be PCSing overseas in 3 months. Reading all this has me more nervous about the process, but grateful that I know to keep a watchful eye.
We PCS'd from hurlburt field florida to cannon new mexico. We watched the folks pack our stuff and label it and put lots of little stickers on the items. When we got to cannon to pick our stuff it was boxed differently and different color stickers. The inventories did not match. I had boxes of breakables with books thrown onto the top of it. The boxes smelled of mildew and we had pictures and furniture with water damage. The movers said they could not tell us if all of our stuff was there because the inventories did not match. I had linens for the dining room found in my son's toy box. My son's silver baby cup was dented. Lots of damage.
Movers in North Fl area are terrible. There was damage to every piece of large furniture, with missing handles and bolts! Couch wasn't even covered when it arrived and we knew it was when it left Las Vegas! T top it off, they refused to put a desk together after asking a 300+ mover to. Not use my nightstand as a chair, and asked another to not use my front yard as an ash tray for his cigarettes. If you live anywhere in No FL you know there are burn bans throughout and this numbskull was throwing them in our yard. I have yet to hear anything come of our complaints. If you're moving to the FL panhandle, good luck to you…you'll need it!
We had paid for the extra insurance for the move as well. We contacted the moving company and they sent some old decrepied man out who could not even operate the camera that he had, to adjust our claim. We contacted the air force because the low balled our stuff. We got the run around of a life time. Basically, its not our fault you will have to sue the storage company that held your stuff.
When we left cannon we did our own packing rented a full sized rig to come pickup our stuff and drop it off at the other end in Geaorgia. I think I had one chipped glass out of that move. I will NEVER let the military move us again. The military does not care if the movers destroy all of your possessions nor do they think that they should pay for the damage. They also do not show up to inspect the packing or receiving of such said items. The military members that work in the PCS/claims office forget that they are military to and to take care of their miltary counterparts.
No matter who the moving company is moving military/dod civilians, ..most good/bad things depends on the packing, loading hauling crews. Years ago, we use to have back to back government inspectors show up watching over us. Documenting everything. GIgging us on things not done right. Problem is, often times, pack crews are lazy, or just not into working as a team (with others to do the job and do it right). THE trucking company folks, same attitude..They really dont care. As to what companies get selected to do each job, talk to UNCLE SAM. THey select the tucking companies that come in the "cheapest". THE most expensive carries (use to be North American Van Lines) didnt get alot of use, but had the better reputation (but that was years ago). I have worked as a shipment clerk (in the offices) and as a lead packer with trucking companies. These days, one cant hired in those jobs unless one is top notch computer programmer/trouble shooter, etc. Not to mention, being related to some one. From all reports, over the years, I have heard many complaints on PCS moves. I have also witnessed the laziness, unreliability of many workers. IF PCS move is in CONUS..do a dity (do it yourself move). If its overseas..See about paying your parents to store your goods in a temp controlled warehouse, etc.
Our stuff was put in storage in Pennsylvania when we were in Germany for three years you would not BELIEVE the amount of rat defecation in our stuff. It was absolutely horrific and sad. A lot of my Grandmothers handmade blankets, irreplacable children momentos, things that are important to us and not others, were ruined. And these items were IN the boxes. That was three years ago. Our stuff is now in storage again for a year while he is in Korea, I can't wait to see how bad the rodent population is in Texas, where our stuff is right now. *yuck*