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HELP WANTED
Staffing Your Mobile Storage Business
By Elizabeth Ferrin
The business plan is finished. Warehouse space has been secured. Containers have been purchased and are being shipped out. Opening day is just a few weeks away and everything is going as planned. Smiling, the soon-to-be owner of a mobile storage company goes through several scenarios for opening day. The owner pictures hoards of phone calls with happy customers scheduling many container deliveries for that very week. Visions of a hectic warehouse and busy drivers come to mind. Suddenly, the owner’s smile begins to fade as a terrible realization hits—the business is not properly staffed.
Of course, no one wants to find themselves in this situation. Most business owners and operators will agree that staff members alone can make or break a business. They know that having the right team is crucial to a business’s success. However, mobile storage is a relatively new and maturing concept with few proven business models to look to for staffing answers and advice. With that in mind, many new mobile storage business owners are left in the dark, trying to “guesstimate” the right number of employees to hire. They’re also left wondering about the necessary job functions and required training for mobile self storage personnel.
With so many questions, it’s easy for a mobile storage professional to become overwhelmed by staffing issues. However, a quick breakdown of the mobile self storage model and an inside look at the necessary players in a mobile business can help new owners and operators ensure that they are on the right track with their new businesses. When the “help wanted” signs go up, these businesses will know just exactly how many employees are needed and what type of experience, training, and job skills are necessary in forming a successful and profitable mobile storage team.
In looking closely at a mobile storage business, three main job functions quickly come to mind: an administrative staff, operations personnel, and drivers. When first examining the necessary administrative functions at a mobile storage business, owners and operators will find a variety of jobs that need to be covered. “You should first start with the office folks,” recommends Frank Amodio, Sr., CEO of Hartford, CT-based Amodio Warehouse on Wheels. “These positions are not necessarily full time, they’re just various job functions that need to be filled.”
An Efficient Office Staff
First, the mobile self storage business will need a general manager. The general manager is the person responsible for all aspects of running the company and capable of making decisions on behalf of the mobile storage business owners. In addition, the general manager is skilled in the supervising and training other personnel at the site. This person will also serve as a direct line of communication between the staff members at the mobile self storage site and the business owners. Responsibilities under this job description may include planning, organizing, managing, reporting, evaluating, and recruiting.
When looking at the office and administrative category, the business will also need a sales staff. It’s important to note that the sales force that works at a mobile self storage business is very different from one that would be seen at a traditional self storage store.
“With traditional self storage, sales isn’t always such an important function because most customers are walk-ins,” says Jim Triller, CEO of Door to Door Storage, Inc., headquartered in Seattle, Wash. “In mobile, the sales staff is on the phone and the Internet.”
With that in mind, salespeople must have proven success in selling a product without actually meeting the customer. The sales team should also be skilled in easily identifying the customer’s needs, selling to those needs, and closing the sale. An administrative assistant or office manager is also vital to the successful operation of a mobile self storage company. The office manager is responsible for organizing and facilitating all administrative activities necessary to run the business as smoothly as possible. Depending on the size of the business, this employee may need to answer the phones, type documents, handle the mail, arrange meetings, purchase office supplies, and successfully run the computer management software.
An accounting clerk or bookkeeper is also necessary and would be expected to perform such duties as administering the payroll system, keeping records of all financial transactions for the company, and reconciling and balancing all business accounts. “Many customers will use a credit card for their transactions and sign up for monthly debits to pay for their storage fees,” says Amodio. Since a large portion of customers book online, the bookkeeper should also be comfortable and experienced in working with computers and retrieving information directly from the company’s Web site.
Looking to the operations side of the business, the mobile storage business will first need an operations manager. The operations manager must be able to plan, organize, and direct the operations of the storage warehouse. This position is also responsible for maintenance of the storage containers, warehouse machinery, and equipment. In addition, the operations manager is in charge of creating and implementing programs that will lead to optimum efficiency and organization at the mobile storage site.
Under the operations manager is the job of dispatcher. A crucial position at any mobile storage business, the dispatcher schedules and dispatches the drivers to deliver and pick up the storage containers. He or she may also schedule repairs for trucks that become inoperable en route to a pickup or delivery. The best dispatchers also work to schedule an optimum route for deliveries, minimizing gasoline usage, mileage, and wear and tear on trucks.
Warehouse staff also fall under the operations category. The warehouse team members should be trained in successfully loading and unloading containers from the trucks. They also need to be familiar with running the equipment necessary for the placement and storage of the mobile storage containers.
“Warehouse workers should have forklift training or experience,” adds Amodio. “Our people are required to have forklift certification.”
Employees On The Road
Another group of employees that make up the mobile self storage equation are the drivers. These drivers are responsible for delivering and retrieving the container to and from the customer and returning it to the warehouse for storage.
The driver should be skilled in loading and unloading the container. In addition, a driver needs to be able to troubleshoot mechanical problems with the truck and should offer solid, on-the-road expertise and experience. Many drivers and warehouse employees are used interchangeably, so both groups should be trained to successfully fill both types of jobs. Perhaps surprisingly, good people skills should also be a top consideration when hiring drivers.
“In traditional self storage, you usually have customers that come to you,” says Gary Crawford of Hide-Away Storage Services, which serves Florida’s West Coast. “In mobile self storage, your employee is taking the storage product to the customer. In this case, your driver is interacting with the customer who you may never see.” Since they are the face of the business, so to speak, drivers should also be trained in business protocol and customer etiquette.
All qualified drivers need to have the right type of on-the-road experience and proper licensing to operate your trucks. “Drivers have to meet the Department of Transportation requirements,” says Crawford. These qualifications vary from state to state, but most drivers are required to carry commercial class drivers’ licenses.
Licensing requirements do vary widely by locality. “They may be required to have a CDL or CDL-B license for trucks that are over 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight,” says Amodio. “Depending on what trailers are used, your drivers may actually be required to have a CDL-A license. However, many companies try to design delivery methods so they can utilize non-CDL vehicles. This way, they have a bigger pool of drivers to choose from and they can pay them less than CDL drivers.”
While the type of license is critical in selecting a driver, it is not the only factor that a mobile self storage business owner should use in the hiring process. “Our drivers need a commercial drivers’ license,” Triller says. “However, the most important thing is that they have a strong work ethic, customer service skills, and a positive attitude. First and foremost they really need good customer service skills.”
Moving often goes hand-in-hand with mobile self storage and many companies choose to offer moving services to their customers. If you use movers, you’ll need to hire them as an additional labor component. Often mobile self storage companies contract out the moving portion of their services to other qualified businesses. In addition, many use contractors to support the long- distance and cross-country transporting of containers.
Although many companies choose to subcontract, others prefer to keep all work in-house. “We’ve tried to use a third-party contractor for some services,” says Crawford, “but, we only want people who are direct employees and involved with our procedures to have contact with our customers.”
A Great Place To Work
Once the necessary employees are identified and all the positions are properly filled, mobile storage business owners should set out to create high-quality working conditions for their teams if they want to hold onto good workers. One of the best places to start is with a proper new employee orientation and a well-thought-out employee handbook. The orientation should always include thorough training on the company’s policies and procedures.
“We typically give all new employees a walk-through of how our company operates,” says Triller. “We also train them on our CRM or Customer Relationship Management system that we call ORCA. In addition, we help them understand all the paperwork, contracts, and customer receipts we use in our daily business.” Depending on the new employee’s background, other training may be necessary to successfully fulfill the job requirements. In general, most training is similar to that offered to a new hire at a traditional self storage facility. “The only training that really differs from self storage is the driver and warehouse worker training,” Amodio says. “The other functions, like sales staff and office workers, are similar to other businesses.” Of course, most companies offer different sizes of containers and different methods of delivery.
With that in mind, the warehouse staff will always need to be trained in each site’s individual procedures in order to compensate for these differences. An employee handbook, specific to both mobile storage and an individual self storage business if applicable, is also a smart component of any employee orientation. “Many companies develop their own handbooks,” says Amodio. “These handbooks detail the requirements of individual jobs, the company’s benefits package, and the rules and regulations of the mobile storage business.”
Proper insurance is also a consideration for new mobile storage operations. One of the first considerations is obviously protecting the delivery truck. “You’ll need basic vehicle insurance,” says Crawford. “You’ll also want some sort of warehouse insurance, which is different depending on what’s being stored in the warehouse. You may also want to offer contents insurance to customers who want to buy additional insurance for their containers.”
Finding And Compensating Employees
Although mobile storage businesses generally require more insurance than their traditional self storage counterparts, owners can take steps to reduce their insurance costs. One cost-saving measure includes employing only certified employees to work at a mobile storage site. “We use certified fork lift operators to lower our insurance rates,” says Crawford. “We also keep costs down with a program of random drug testing and a drugfree workplace.”
Pay rates in mobile self storage vary widely and often fluctuate based on the requirements imposed at different mobile storage operations. In general, the pay rate offered for office workers is comparable to the compensation for administrative workers at a traditional self storage facility. Compensation for sales staff is also similar, although bonus and incentive programs can vary.
However, the addition of drivers and warehouse personnel usually raises a mobile storage store’s costs when compared with traditional self storage. In addition, certified employees and commercial drivers’ license holders command higher salaries than non-certified workers. For those unsure of the going rate for certain positions, there are several resources available to employers including local government agencies and informative business Web sites. These sources can give owners a solid estimate of salary ranges for job titles in different local areas. In addition, incentive and bonus programs can be structured to help a mobile storage business meet its goals and growth plan while rewarding hardworking employees.
Once mobile storage owners nail down jobs and salaries, they must then find qualified people to fill the open positions. Most experienced mobile storage professionals recommend advertising in the local newspaper as well as posting ads on job search Web sites. Others rely more on word of mouth and the company’s solid reputation to find good staff members. A few owners have been successful finding top-notch workers by scouting out employees who are currently working full-time in complimentary fields but are looking for extra part-time or weekend jobs. “We can often find part-time drivers who work full-time for UPS and then work weekends for us,” says Crawford. “Bakeries are also a good place to look for drivers. We also have some semiretired guys on our staff. We’ve found that truckers with good over-the-road experience get tired of long hauls but still like driving. They end up looking for something local so they can be home at night.” This type of worker is a good candidate for a driving position at a mobile storage store.
Although hunting for the right employees to fill all of the necessary jobs at a mobile storage business can be tough, the search is always well worth an owner’s time and effort. Employees are critical to a business. Good team members can ultimately help make a company successful. Poorly performing employees, on the other hand, can doom a business to failure. Finding the right person, who fits both the job and company, is key. It’s also important to remember that most mobile storage businesses start out small and grow over time.
“We started with one employee, the driver, who was a jack of all trades,” recalls Crawford. “Our driver was also the warehouse person and the paperwork person.” Today, that same driver is still with Hide-Away Storage Services, but now he’s running the company.” As with any exceptional worker, this team member’s hard work has paid off—leading both the company and the employee to profits and success.
Elizabeth Ferrin is a freelance writer and editor based in Maple Grove, Minnesota. She is a frequent contributor to the Mobile Self Storage Magazine, Mini Storage Messenger, and Self Storage Now.
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