RALEIGH, N.C. — According to the United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there are 10.6 million job openings across the country, but employers, including the owner of one Raleigh moving company, can’t seem to find people to fill all those jobs.
There are 10.6 million job openings across the country
Larry Hinnant is the owner of Miracle Movers and says 2022 is set to be his most successful year yet
Hinnant says he is struggling to fill job openings at his company and could be 15 to 25 movers short in the coming months
Larry Hinnant started Miracle Movers in 2016 with just one truck, and now he has a fleet.
“We have 21 trucks, four pack vans, one Class B truck and one 18-wheeler,” Hinnant said. "The last couple of years in the Triangle have been great. Business is booming. Things are great.”
It’s safe to say his business has seen a lot of growth, and he credits that to the professionalism of his entire crew.
“We have a certain way that we do everything. The way we wrap and protect the client’s furniture, the way we protect the client’s home. Just a higher end level of service is what we provide,” Hinnant said.“We have a certain way that we do everything. The way we wrap and protect the client’s furniture, the way we protect the client’s home. Just a higher end level of service is what we provide,” Hinnant said.
He’s on track to make 2022 his most successful year yet, but there’s one problem: “The labor force and trying to get quality movers that want to actually work,” Hinnant said.
On top of that, he’s also feeling the supply chain issues down to the furniture pads he uses.
"Most of our vendors don’t even have them in stock at all. We’re having to order them out of China. The last container, we order them by the container. Normally we used pay $1,500 to $2,000 for shipping. The shipping cost alone on this last container was $11,000,” Hinnant said.
“Everything has gone up. Fuel has gone up. Truck rentals have gone up. Labor has gone up. Everything has gone up probably 40%,” Hinnant said.
Hinnant currently has 48 movers, but says he’ll likely be short staffed as jobs start to pick up.
“We’re good right now as far as movers are concerned, but in the next 45 days, we will be back into the challenge. We will be anywhere from 15 to 25 movers short,” Hinnant said.
He feels pay shouldn’t be a factor because he says his company offers competitive wages.
“Your typical moving industry will pay anywhere from $10 to $15 for a mover. We start at $15 and go up to $20 and $22. It just depends,” Hinnant said.
Even though Hinnant is facing higher operating costs and plenty of job openings, he believes things will work out in the end.
“I think everything has to cycle around. We’re going through challenges now, but it will always come back to what it’s supposed to be. You have to be flexible. It’s forever growing and changing. That’s what we try to do,” Hinnant said. “How can we navigate and deal with the cards we’re dealt?”
Hinnant says he knows that some people are skeptical about using moving companies, so he’s constantly working to be transparent about his services and practices. One way Miracle Movers does that is by being a member of the North Carolina Movers Association.
That organization helps vet moving companies and recommends you do the following before hiring movers: verify the company is on the list of movers at the North Carolina Utilities Commission, ask the mover for proof of their utilities commission number and get an “in-home” estimate as well as take inventory and photos of your property.