Mobility Matters, Episode 5: "What's Happening in the Household Goods Arena?"

The latest episode of Cartus’ Mobility Matters podcast, “What’s Happening in the Household Goods Arena?” is available now on all leading podcast subscriber platforms. The episode is led by Dan Gerlich, Director, Global Talent Mobility, Cartus, and Tom Lacey, Director, Supply Chain Management, Cartus, who welcome two of our valued supplier partners and industry experts, Barry Schellenberg, President and COO of Atlas Van Lines and Derek Duffy, President of Armstrong Moving.

The episode deep dives into the world of household goods in both the U.S. Domestic and International spaces, exploring how the pandemic has permanently impacted the industry, the current challenges faced, and ways organizations can overcome such hurdles. Our experts also share their hopes for the future of household goods, including the current focus on sustainability.

Following are a couple of excerpts from the podcast, to give you a flavor of what was discussed:

Barry Schellenberg, President and COO of Atlas Van Lines on how to achieve a successful household goods process: “Ideally, we need to be connected and work closely with our customers in order to be good partners, so that both sides are aware of the challenges and objectives. Ultimately, the only way that happens is if we plan and set expectations ahead of time, so that everyone understands what the process is going to be and the time in which it’s going to take. That way, if something does change, at least both sides remain aligned on what the task is in terms of labor and transportation requirements, and what we can deliver. That makes for a very seamless transition.”

Derek Duffy, President of Armstrong Moving: “The capacity issues on the international side also exist. It’s quite challenging to meet the expectations of customers in terms of when we set their packing dates, pickup dates, and also the delivery dates. They often have a planned schedule of when they expect to relocate with their family but then when they’re connected with us, the reality doesn’t always meet their expectations. This can be challenging but through clear communication and advanced planning, we usually achieve a happy medium.”