Moving furniture can be a hard job, but with a positive attitude and good team
members, it can also be a fun and rewarding one. The most important part of
working at Your Local Movers is being a team player. Moving is not an
individual game it's a team sport, everyone has to play their role for the team
to succeed.
Sometimes people make assumptions about being a removalist, like its easy, or
moving can be learned overnight. Realistically moving is like any skill,
it takes time and effort to learn and to get it right. Our training system is
designed to help our staff through this learning process quickly and safely so
they can become professional removalists and productive team players. All new
staff are recruited and trained by our team leader who has been in the industry
for more than 20 years. They undergo a minimum of three months intensive
training before deemed qualified to lead a job.
New recruits participate in a full day of training, learning basic lifts and
techniques on how to work with furniture safely, and to avoid damage. They are
taught of the vital importance of keeping well hydrated and that the
trucks are to be kept clean at the end of each move. Techniques of how to
correctly fold pads (similar to thick blankets) and ties are implemented for
easy access, thus resulting in a smoother, quicker move for our customers. Once
certified, recruits are placed on 3-man jobs where they will continue to learn
hands-on and practice these techniques with an experienced driver and
off-sider. To begin with, they will be in charge of carrying small items
to-and-from the truck, whilst observing the senior movers how to manoeuvre safe
lifts in the workplace. Later in the moving day, they will begin lifting
lighter objects with the aid of their seniors.
Once comfortable with moving smaller items and manoeuvring basic lifts, we
introduce them to working on the truck, observing how it is packed correctly. A
wall of boxes are built against the back wall of the truck, our boxes are
designed to fit snugly next to and on top of one another. Next, mattresses and
lounge chairs are placed upright in-front of the boxes and tied off to create a
stable base. Large furniture items are then brought in and wrapped in pads to
avoid damage. Smaller and lighter items called plunder, follow next to
fill in any gaps. The last thing to be loaded are bikes or pot plants.
When learning the ropes of pre-packing, new staff will learn the basic
techniques in our depot kitchen before going out on the job. They are taught to
stack plates and glassware vertically to prevent breakage and the appropriate
amount of paper to use. It is important to use crushed paper as padding around
breakables to create cushioning and by layering heavy items at the bottom,
lighter items are not crushed. It is important that they begin to monitor the
weight of each box as its being packed to prevent injury when moving. Grouping
items in similar areas ie bathroom with bathroom, kitchen with kitchen, will
eliminate confusion when unpacking. Correct labeling such as appropriate room
or fragile stickers are implemented before conducting a first-time pack.
Now that they are familiar with the packing and moving process, recruits will
start working 2-men jobs, and are encouraged to be involved in the decision
making and take initiative for moving and loading.
"One Machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men.
No machine can do the work of one
extraordinary man."
Elbert Hubbard US author (1856 - 1915)