The Chairman's Corner

By Thomas McCarthy

June 2019

Spoiler Alert…Summer is here!! Now the real question…are you ready for it? The much anticipated and often long-awaited for peak season is upon us, and it is our time to get busy moving. I know we all look forward to this time of year with excitement and maybe a little fear of the unknown because it will help define our whole year. Now in crunch time, we get the joys of labor issues, drivers not showing up to load direct, shipments that run late, demanding customers, and often more customers than we can handle. I hope you have made a plan and are ready to take the “field” of battle that is peak moving season 2019. During this time of year, CMSA goes mostly dark on the chapter events, but the work continues. We just sent some of our staff to the MAX 4 Tariff workshop that was just held, and there will be another one this month by popular demand. I think that with the interest and support we are getting from the Department of Consumer Affairs, it is on us to make sure that while we point fingers at the rogues, we also make sure we are doing things right ourselves. I encourage you to participate in this workshop. While it may feel like we are just struggling to keep our heads above water this time of the year, there is always something else to do and plan for. By now, I am sure you as well are getting emails to sign up for and travel to your van lines conventions as well as other associations that you might participate in. I know for myself I am already starting to look at the calendar ahead for when CMSA President Steve Weitekamp and I start our Chapter tour and the dates that we will be traveling. I am excited to begin the tour, but there is a lot to do between now and September before that can happen. Then what feels like is years away is April, which will bring us our next CMSA Convention in Kauai. But if you are anything like me, if you don’t start planning now and getting it on your calendar, you won’t have the time to go. I know that I am looking forward to it because by the time I am done with this next year, I will be ready for some aloha.

As you know I chose the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network as my Chairman’s Choice Charity recipient. I am confident this will make a difference in people’s lives. A longtime friend of the family’s dad just passed away from cancer last week, and we need to do all we can to bring an end to this disease. I am working with them to create an event we can do to help raise funds to donate to this cause. More to come in future columns. To wrap up, I wish for you success and as much business as you can handle in June. Before you know, it will be July and then August and then you will be wondering why the ride ended so soon. I leave you with this pearl of wisdom in a time when we need everyone to step up. “Don’t tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” -George S. Patton

June 2019 - CMSA Communicator