Running a Moving Company During a Pandemic: A Practical Guide

Three weeks into widespread stay-at-home orders, the initial shock has faded and a harder question has set in: how do you actually run a moving company through this? Not the big-picture strategy — the Monday morning reality of dispatching crews, quoting jobs, and keeping your people safe.

This guide covers the specifics.

PPE and Supplies: What You Actually Need

Skip the hazmat-level gear. Here's what your crews need daily, based on CDC guidance for service workers in close-contact environments:

• Disposable nitrile gloves — One pair per crew member per job. Budget for 2-3 pairs per person per day. Your existing moving gloves don't count — these are for sanitization, not grip.
• Cloth face masks or disposable surgical masks — One per crew member per shift. N95 masks are in short supply and should be reserved for healthcare workers unless your crew has specific respiratory concerns.
• Hand sanitizer (60%+ alcohol) — One bottle per truck, minimum. Wall-mount dispensers for your warehouse.
• Disinfectant spray or wipes — For truck cabs, dollies, hand trucks, and pads between jobs. EPA-registered products on List N (the COVID-specific list) are what you want.
• Touchless thermometer — One per dispatch location for daily crew health checks.

Supply chain reality check: As of early April, many of these items have 2-4 week lead times from standard suppliers. Check restaurant supply companies, janitorial distributors, and even beauty supply wholesalers. They carry the same gloves and sanitizer through different channels.

Daily Crew Health Screening Protocol

Before any crew member gets on a truck:

1. Temperature check. Anyone at or above 100.4°F stays home, paid if possible.
2. Symptom questionnaire: cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste/smell, body aches in the last 24 hours?
3. Exposure question: close contact with a confirmed or suspected COVID case in the last 14 days?

Document this. A simple paper log with date, name, temperature, and a signature is enough. If an employee tests positive later, you'll need this record to demonstrate due diligence to health authorities and for potential workers' comp claims.

How to Handle Virtual Surveys

The in-home estimate is dead for now, and honestly, it may not come back. Here's how to run a virtual survey that produces accurate quotes:

The phone call first. Before any video walkthrough, have a 5-minute phone conversation to capture basics: move date, origin/destination, home size, known special items. This prevents the video call from dragging.

Video walkthrough. FaceTime or Zoom works fine — dedicated survey apps are better if you have them. Walk the customer room by room. Ask them to open closets and show the garage. Remind them to show the attic if applicable. Most missed items come from spaces the customer forgets to show.

Photo follow-up. After the video call, ask the customer to send photos of any areas you couldn't see clearly. A shared Google Photos album or a simple email works.

Padding your estimate. Virtual surveys miss 5-15% of inventory compared to in-person, based on early industry data. Build in a buffer, and be transparent with the customer: "Based on the video walkthrough, I'm estimating 6,000 lbs. There may be a 10% variance on move day. Here's how we handle that."

Online quoting tools that integrate with your CRM save you from re-entering data and let customers trigger the process themselves.

Customer Communication Templates You Need Right Now

Don't wing your customer communications. Create templates for these five scenarios:

1. Pre-booking safety message (goes on your website and in every estimate): "We're fully operational as an essential business. Here's what we're doing to protect your family: [list your specific protocols]. We offer contactless estimates via video survey."

2. Booking confirmation with COVID addendum: Include your safety measures, what you expect from the customer (clear pathways, open doors to minimize crew contact with surfaces), and your rescheduling policy.

3. Day-before reminder: Ask the health screening question: "Has anyone in your household experienced COVID symptoms in the last 14 days?" Make it clear this is for mutual safety.

4. Post-move follow-up: Thank them, request a review, and reinforce that safety was a priority. Customers who felt safe will say so in reviews — that's marketing gold right now.

5. Rescheduling/cancellation message: Be generous. Waive cancellation fees. A customer who rebooks in three months is worth more than a fee collected today.

Using a communications system built into your moving software means these templates go out automatically at the right time, even when you're busy managing a dozen other things.

Financial Survival Tactics

Apply for SBA relief now. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) are available to moving companies. PPP loans are forgivable if you maintain payroll. The application process is through your existing bank or an SBA-approved lender. Don't wait — funds are limited.

Renegotiate fixed costs. Call your landlord, your insurance company, your truck lease company. Everyone is negotiating right now. A 60-day deferral on warehouse rent could be the difference between making it and not.

Offer packing supplies for sale. If in-home packing services are too risky, sell supplies directly. Customers who pack themselves still need boxes, tape, and paper. Offer a delivered packing kit as an add-on.

Pre-sell summer moves at a discount. If cash flow is your biggest concern, offer a 10% early-booking discount for June-August moves, paid upfront. This isn't ideal for margins, but it solves the liquidity problem.

Crew Morale and Retention

Your crews are scared. Some have families with high-risk members. Others are worried about hours being cut. Address both directly:

• Be transparent about the company's financial situation and your plan
• Provide PPE without making crews ask for it
• Pay sick time for anyone who needs to quarantine — find a way
• Acknowledge the risk they're taking and thank them publicly

The companies that keep their best crews through this period will have a massive advantage when demand bounces back. Losing experienced movers and rebuilding a crew mid-peak-season is far more expensive than carrying labor costs through a slow quarter.

This pandemic will end. The companies that operated responsibly, communicated clearly, and took care of their people will be remembered for it — by customers and employees alike. Elromco is committed to helping moving companies navigate these challenges with the right tools and support.