Movers

Hard work. Away from family. Meet new people. Some good shippers. Some not so good shippers. BS claims. Corporate greed. Good labor. Some labor not so good. Big discounts that shouldn't be there. Good agents. Bad agents. Road construction. Traffic. DOT. Being overweight on your trailer axles and nothing you can do about it. Doing your best despite it all.

It's about taking pride that someone has trusted you to move their most personal and prized possessions. And finding new places to boat and hang out along the route from origin to destination. It's about knowing that more and more shipments and being crates and freighted. And that most corporate companies know that simply loading/unloading trailers and hiring "no-touch" drivers is happening now and growing.

It's knowing you're a part of a dying breed, and saying the heck with it and continue to do your best anyway, knowing there's no way " crate and freight," or "no-touch drivers" could ever give the amount of customer service and personal care you give.

It's knowing that "mover" is just a label given by the industry, and understanding that "counselor/crew leader/'yes I will handle your grandmothers table with ultimate care'/customer care rep/advice giver/professional driver who can get into he trickiest spots so COD customer does not pay for a shuttle/...on and on.

At the end of the day, it's about moving a family from one location to another, and making it as smooth as possible regardless of ALL THE BS you put up with. It's about making it as happy as pleasurable for your customer. And if you've done that, you get a nod from your shipper on a job well done. And that gives you an inside feeling of satisfaction that cannot be explained in words. #moverslife

Summer

 

 

 

Be sure to take care of yourself and your truck during these hectic days of summer !

ALONE

Sometimes even though you try to do the right thing and work hard and help others you can still feel alone.
It is difficult at times especially for those of you that drive for a living when you start to feel alone, when you feel that no matter what you do people do not recognize you or your efforts.
I think maybe we all need some kind of acclamation or recognition at least every once in a while.
I personally do not seek out attention or need that pat on the back but that said I must admit that I too can sometimes feel alone or unappreciated.

All you can do is continue to do " The Right Thing "- in the end it all comes to surface.

I see today where it is getting harder and harder to break through and make true alliances and friendships and that is going to make people feel even more alone and in a silo.
I do believe that is why so many young people are turning to violence , we need each other , we need to know that someone cares and the more we become isolated the more people will need to reach out and sometimes the only avenue they see is violence, hate and fear.

Reach out to someone today and say thank you- that is it, that is all you have to do- try it.

Be Consistant

One of the important ingredients to success is being Consistent-
I use to have a driver from NY that drove for us that always seemed grumpy but with our customers he could find a smile and always did his job- I called him Mr. Happy.
( We may have a few of those drivers on now too )
I always goy along fine with him and tried to always fine that bridge with all drivers and employees and agents- we do not always have to slap our leg with laughter with every conversation as long as the job gets done. I did not mind Mr. Happy because he was consistent- I always knew what I was going to get. Unlike some people that put on a act for you and are happy one day and mad the next- I rather know what I am going to get then worry about what person was going to show up on any given day.
Do not worry about being buds with everyone - just do your job.
We are all different and for whatever reason some people you will gravitate to and others you may not- as they said in the Godfather- Don't take it personal - it's business.
Just be consistent- treat people with respect - and do your job.

What comes around..

Below is from Skip..


38 Years later

 

Most of you know, I'm helping Arpin do a bunch of stuff now, not just training, even helping Kristen with anything she needs help with. My main thing is taking care of the no touch guys and I'm having a blast, setting things up, getting crews set up, I guess I'm a dispatcher now too...The other day we had 13,000 that needed storage, WAY, up 101 in California, just north of Eureka. I've spent an awful lot of time up there and knew, not many movers...But , I'm getting way ahead of myself..

 

1981,I had a job assigned in Redding, we had an agent there, but he wanted nothing to do with military moves, so the Van Lines sent the Agent over from Eureka , finest kind of folks, the owner Steve, and his helper packed the job and helped me load it.Good trip, then jump forward 3 years, and I get a load out of Eureka and it was him and his family. He had sold his agency and had taken a job as a salesman in Tucson. I was living there at the time, knew the agent well, good folks..

 At that point, I moved to Alabama, and lost touch with just about everyone there...It turns out 5-6 years later, they moved back to Eureka, went to work for Humbolt transfer( United agent)...Well...Day before yesterday, Kristen and I were talking and I needed to find a home for that 13,000.I got the AMSA source book out, and called Humbolt Transfer and got Joshua on the phone. At first he stated he had no way to take any storage until 7/7 and this needs to be off on the first...I told him I'd just have to deal with an agent in Redding and the long delivery out, but, could he answer a question.

He said yes, what's up? I told him I used to know a guy who worked there and I was wondering if he was still around, went on with the story, about the first time I'd met him and moved him to Tucson, his voice lit up.....He said that's my dad, and he was 4 years old when I moved them....He remembered me. Talk about an about face...He told me to call back and he would see what he could do...Now it's going into his warehouse, all from memories of 38 years ago...

We never know

"You fall, you rise, you make mistakes, you live, 

you learn.
You’re human, not perfect. You’ve been hurt, but you’re alive.
Think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive –
To breathe, to think, to enjoy, and to chase the things you love.
Sometimes there is sadness in our journey, but there
is also lots of beauty. We must keep putting one foot in front of the other,
even when we hurt … for we will never know what is waiting for us just around the bend.”

Pulling people down

If the only way you can move ahead is by pulling other people down it just plain is not worth it.
If the only quiver you have in your arsenal is to insult or hurt then maybe you should do something else.
It seems to be the popular way now a days to get ahead ( or at least that is what people think )- pull others down around you so you rise.
The major problem with this is it creates a false bottom and a weak foundation. Even if it works in the short run it will catch up to you.
The best way to move ahead is WITH others NOT in spite of them.
Build a coalition - knock down the walls- find common ground.
Do YOUR job- and help those around you along the way and you will succeed and build a solid foundation and one that will feel good and last for years.

Speak Truth to Power

Speak Truth to Power.
Choose your time and choose your words but speak the truth - the truth will set you free.
Speaking truth to power does not mean yelling louder then the other guy or pushing your finger in their face - it means being strong in your beliefs.- It means treating others the way you want to be treated and talked to.
It is all right to dis agree- as a matter of fact it is healthy to listen to other opinions- that is how you learn.
But DO NOT be bullied - be strong - speak from the heart and speak the truth.
Try not to hurt others along the way and try to understand that they too may be steadfast in their beliefs and respect that.
We all evolve and what it may believe today may change and evolve through the years.
Ali said- the man who looks at life the same way at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.
Live and learn and speak truth to power.

Faith

Faith is a funny thing, it is not something you can hold or touch or buy.
Faith is something that you believe.
Do you have faith in your marriage? If so you give and take and want to make the other better and happy. You do not mind sacrifices because in the end you know that it is for the good.
Faith is something that you can carry with you throughout your life and your work.
If you truly wake up every morning and do your best and try to help others and have faith that if you do that it will all come out in the end - that is faith . And it is faith that will sustain you.
It will sustain you because you will have good days and you will have challenges.
Faith does not mean that bad things will not happen to you- but it does mean that you can learn from them and get stronger.

The 4 Decision Styles

The 4 Decision Styles

There are four choices for how to involve others in decisions. Understanding your choices and knowing when to use them gets you farther, faster, easier, and with less headaches in the long run.

Independent: You obtain the information you need and make the decision on your own.
Consultative: You ask others for their ideas and opinions (either individually or as a team), but you make the decision.
Group: You bring the question to a group, and through a group discussion a decision is reached that everyone supports. You are a member of the group, and your voice is no more important than anyone else’s.
Delegating: You pass the authority for ensuring a good decision is made to an individual or a group. You are not involved in the decision-making process and agree to support whatever decision is made. Others are involved to a great extent.

The Pros and Cons of Each Decision Style

Independent
Pro: Takes less of your time.
Con: A greater risk of needing to spend time later fixing problems.
Consultative
Pro: Likely to get helpful information and viewpoints you have not considered.
Con: If the people you consult with are invested in their position, they might be upset if you go don’t take their advice. e.g. “You asked my opinion and then ignored it.”
Group
Pro: You make smarter decisions when more viewpoints are considered. And implementation goes faster and smoother because the decision is understood and supported by all. You might spend more time in the beginning, but you will make up for it by spending less time in implementation.
Con: Takes more of your time.
Delegating
Pro: Takes some time to set it up properly, but then takes very little of your time.
Con: You need to let go of control, so it’s important to have confidence in the person or team you are delegating to. Consider the Ten Tips for Effective Delegating.

So I may disagree

So I may disagree with a persons life style or maybe I believe in a different religion.. how and what should I do ?
Nothing !
It is none of my business-
Does it effect me directly?
Does it stop me from doing whatever I want to do when I want to do it?
No-?- Then what do I care ?
I thought that was the whole idea behind this great experiment called the United States.
Our country is suppose to allow everyone to worship whomever we want and we are suppose to have the freedom to live wherever we want with whoever we want.
That is what we are and who we are.
Why do some people feel like they have to impose their ideals and views on others?
What gives anybody that right?
Just worry about yourself and how to be a better person while you spend what little time we have here on the earth..that should be enough of a goal.
Breathe- Look around- Listen- Love
Hate only begets hate

This Was the Year…1969

This Was the Year…1969
U.S. President & Vice President
Richard Nixon

The Vice President

Spiro Agnew
Time Magazine Person Of The Year


Middle Americans

(People living in the central U.S.)

Cost of Living Cost of Food
New House $15,525 Granulated Sugar $ .76 for 10 lbs

Average Income $ 5,894 Milk $ 1.26 per gallon

New Car $ 3,278 Ground Coffee $ .95 per pound

Gallon of Gas $ .35 Bacon $ .76 per pound

Movie Ticket $ 1.50 Eggs $ .40 per dozen
Popular Movies Born This Year
Midnight Cowboy (Academy Award®winner) Jennifer Aniston

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Steffi Graf

Easy Rider Brett Favre
True Grit Catherine Zeta-Jones



National and World News
 Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first hu-mans to set foot on the Moon.

 Woodstock attracted more than 350,000 rock and roll fans.


 The Beatles recorded their final album, Abby Road.

 The first troop withdrawals from Vietnam began.

 Members of the cult let by Charles Manson murdered five people.
Popular TV Shows Music
 Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In Come Together (The Beatles)

 Gunsmoke A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash)


 Bonanza Get Back (The Beatles)
 Mayberry R.F.D. Suspicious Minds (Elvis)

 Family Affair In the Year 2525 (Zager & Evans)

 Here’s Lucy Leaving on a Jet Plane


(Peter, Paul & Mary)
 The Red Skelton Hour Sugar Sugar (The Archies)

How do you learn?

How do you learn best ?
Are you good at reading instructions and learning from books?
Or
Do you learn better if you are hands on?
Personally I learn best by on the job training- I may mess up but I guarantee to you I learn from my mess up and along the way I seek a better way of doing things.

I was the youngest manager of a retail chain , 21, and had to learn a lot in a hurry. I changed how they did payroll and improved their inventory system.
From there I dispatched servicemen all over the New England area for Honeywell, Again I had to learn on the job. I changed the way they dispatched and did their preventive maintenance checks for all the hospitals and schools in the area and once again changed their inventory set up.
Then can Arpin, I dispatched but instead of servicemen I had to learn the moving business. I eventually worked my way up to Vice President and changed the way the they dispatched their drivers and organized loads and reloads amongst many other programs.

Point being you can learn as you go, you just have to be willing to listen, make mistakes but learn from them and have a genuine affection to want to help others.
 In every job I held my changes to the system came because I wanted to do a better job and more efficient job for the people that I worked with. - That was my motivation.- The pay and the raises and promotions came after but that was never my motivator.

How do you learn best ?
What motivates you ?

10 Things to Get Out of Your Head to Become Fully Present

10 Things to Get Out of Your Head to Become Fully Present

1. Turn off your email. Not forever. Just try it for one day.
2. Sing. Loudly and off key is perfectly acceptable. I sing in the car at full volume with the windows down!
3. Dance. With abandon. My daughter dances on the soccer field. My wife shimmies and shakes when she cooks.  Dance down the hallway to your office. Music is optional.
4. Breathe. Deeply. And again. And again. And again. Suck in air all the way to the bottom of your lungs—and now a little deeper. Let it out slowly.
5. Laugh. At your favorite comedian, at a movie, at the silly things little kids do.
6. Help someone else. I highly recommend holding doors open or letting someone go in front of you in the grocery store.
7. Praise someone. Sincerely.
8. Thank someone. Sincerely.
9. Call a friend or a family member to say “I love you—and here are 5 reasons why.”
10. Look someone in the eyes. Really look. SEE who they are.

Bonus Activity

11. Put your phone down for 15 minutes. Turn it completely off.

Being fully present is a gift you give to others and to yourself. It improves the quality of interactions with others and the overall quality of your life.

A message from Peter Arpin

Can a 116-year-old moving company be reborn? If so, how and why?

Arpin Group started in a remote area of Canada in 1900 delivering ice and coal. The world pretty quickly stopped needing home delivery of ice and coal. And, so, the company shifted, used its existing fleet to move household goods, caskets...whatever the customers needed. Arpin moved itself, from Canada to NY to RI and in 1950, pieced together the necessary operating authority to become a national company.

Now in its fifth generation the family who runs it, an entity today at $250 million and a global mobility leader, has braved political upheavals, wars, famines, recessions, depressions and, today, speed-of-light changes in the industry and in the world. Yet, the company thrives. Why? At the top of the list is an ability to quickly, intuitively, adapt and react to the changes around them. Working on short-term plans Arpin simply morphs as client needs evolve. Survival is keyed to reacting to the marketplace and, with some adjustments, working to deliver the best value, the right combination of service and price, to an ever more demanding market.

That attitude, cultivated across five generations, has propelled this simple, traditional, nothing-more-than a mover to the top of the sustainability heap. Arpin recognized a long time ago it did not want to be the same moving company for 100 years. So it invested heavily, early on in the transformation race, in efficiency, clean tech for trucks and warehouses, renewables, paperless operations, biofuels, and a 24/7 web network to communicate seamlessly to customers around the world. Arpin cut most waste from landfills, quickly became a leader in recycling, partnered around the world with green leaders, self-audited every division and became recognized, by Audubon and other leading organizations, as the greenest moving company in the world.

Revenue and profits are up. Arpin has expanded company facilities on every continent. Customer service levels are at historic highs, thanks to huge investments in online global training. Yet, the base reasons for continued success goes back to a great grandfather and team who refused to get stuck in tradition. The rewards are reaped from innovation and reshaping on the run. A decision to drive towards high ESG standards was in-bred when coal and ice evaporated from consumer's homes. Adopting a triple-bottom line passion was simply the next chapter in reflecting the desires of a sophisticated marketplace. Delivering value today encompasses protecting eco-resources, shifting, like the rest of the world, to a low-carbon method and protecting a planet for future generations. Doing anything less is the beginning of the end for Arpin or any company blind to the possibilities of serving humanity and God.

Ali

Muhammad Ali - born 1942- died 2016

Ali was a remarkable man and he showed us all that one man can make a difference.
He stood by his beliefs and was a true people champion.

He was bold and brash and was black and a Muslim- he never ran from any of it.
He backed up his mouth, man could he dance in the ring- a heavyweight weighing over 200 lbs. and he danced on his toes the whole time- his opponents could not catch him.
They took away 4 of his prime years as a athlete but still came back in one of our most brutal sports, not twice but three times.

There is no reason in the world he should have beaten George Foreman to regain the title , George had just whooped Joe Frazier and Joe has just beat Ali. George a monster and in his absolute prime.
But Ali out smarted him, he knew what to do and he did it- simply amazing.

But what Ali did outside the ring was even more amazing, at a great time of civil unrest and time of war he stood up and said what was in his heart- that is real strength.
He sacrificed it all and came back to be the most loved athlete in the entire world.

Everyone that knew him said he never refused a autograph.
Muhammad once visited our Children's hospital in R.I., just dropped in unannounced to help bring a smile to the kids. He stopped at a little milk store on the way out and within minutes the place was flooded with people, he smiled and shook hands with everyone.

I was at the 1991 Super Bowl and attended the tailgate party threw by the NFL, it was the first of it's kind, bands playing , actors and past athletes walking around and yup the Greatest showed up.
The event was in a huge arena and my friend came to where I was on one side and said you have to come to the other side and that Ali was there- he knew I was a huge Ali fan.
I battled the crowd, working my way to him shouting the whole time- ALI YOU ARE STILL THE GREATEST- I got o right in front of him still shouting and handed him my Redskin hat- he looked at me and smiled and chuckled , signed the brim and handed it back.

Still have that hat-

Ali helped many -mostly by being a example .

One man can make a difference -

Paranoia

Lyrics from the Kinks..

Silly boy ya' self-destroyer.
Paranoia, the destroyer

Self-destroyer, wreck your health
Destroy friends, destroy yourself
The time device of self-destruction
Light the fuse and start eruption


Stop listening to the little paranoid side of your brain..it will only destroy ya

Remembering Joe Farmer- a great mover and a even greater person

Below is from a Arpin employee that Joe Farmer worked with and moved-

I'm still at a loss over Joe's  passing. : (

Here are photos of them at my house delivering my shipment  during the aftermath  of a CAT 4, almost 5 Hurricane that swept through  my town in Northwest  Florida. Poor Joe was already in route and the storm hit. They hung out on the way down  to be  allowed to be allowed into my area. 

One of the pictures  you can see me taking pictures  driving looking at the storms path,  while  his truck was behind me. (Sideview mirror ) I was so amazed at the landscape, how much was torn up, etc. When we arrived to my house, he was so sweet. He just hugged me and said, "That ride must have been awful for you, to see such a beautiful  area torn up, but let me tell you what, (in his sweet accent) we are gonna get you set up and on your way*with his reassuring  smile*)

As soon as he said those words, my electricity in the house was restored!  He said "Now that's the power of prayer"

Those 10 minutes meant the world to me. The move meant the world to me but he was so sweet, calming and reassuring  that it did feel ok.

He was a sweet, kind and happy soul. I am truly sadden  by his passing.

 

Sinners have a future and Saints have a past

I recently heard that quote in a song-
"Sinners have a future and Saints have a past "

It is true-
Have you done wrong in the past? Said things that you may regret?
If you had to do it over again would you do it different?
We all have a past and we all have stepped on our best intentions ..do not carry it around with you forever.
No mater what you have done forgive yourself and move on.
All sinners have a future.

And if you look at some people and think that they are better or have it made remember that they do have a past and are stumbling their way through this life just as you are.
All Saints have a past.

The main thing is to forgive- forgive yourself and forgive others..from there you will begin to feel lighter and begin to soar.

Eagle

The eagle is a symbol of strength, authority, and power, and was given to those of ingenuity and distinction.

Today a good man is retiring from Arpin- Al Whittaker- Al joined Arpin in 1981.
Besides heading our Mail Center Al also ran our supply department but most of all Al was a man on honor and dignity.

Al Whittaker was a Eagle Scout- Below is from a recent article on Al-

- Scouting doesn’t end at 18; in fact, becoming an Eagle Scout is just the beginning, Whittaker said.

“You learn the stuff when you’re younger, between 11 and 17,” he said. “But if you become an Eagle Scout, that’s when Boy Scouts really start for you as an individual because that’s when you have to teach children how to take care of themselves, what to do, what to say, how to respect people, and how to be great citizens and make good choices in different situations.”

In 1968, Whittaker joined the Army, became a sergeant and was deployed to Vietnam from 1969 to 1970.

In 1971, he was stationed in Colorado and then he returned to Rhode Island where he became the first “homegrown” Scoutmaster of Troop 1 Conimicut.

 

And in 1981 Arpin was fortunate to have Al join the family.

 

Al was always a good compass and role model for everyone, I know that for myself I always admired the way that he always remained himself and throughout his career here he treated everybody with respect.

 

Thank you Al - you certainly deserve the title of EAGLE - for just as the definition of eagle is written at the top of this post- you were and are a symbol of strength, authority and power and you sir have integrity.

 

Here is the link to the full article on Al-

http://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/richmondhopkinton/8746178-154/once-an-eagle-scout-always-an-eagle-scout.html

 

GOD BLESS

 

 

 

3 Simple Rules

Show Credit where Credit is Due

In a world fueled by selfies, live streaming, and doing crazy stunts for likes, one can say that we have become a pretty self-centered society. 

Complimenting one’s success has been replaced with a sense of overshadowing the next person’s achievements.  But I wonder what would happen if we took a step back from praising ourselves and praised one another? 

 

 Sometimes it is good to let someone else get the credit. 

 

Paul says in Romans 12:10 to “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

 

  So next time you want to get all of the credit, show your spouse, co-worker, or friend some love and give credit where credit is due.