Moving can be stressful and expensive, even more so for military soldiers and their families who may be constantly on the move. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, military families relocate about every two to four years, sometimes even more frequently, depending on military deployments and orders.
“One important aspect of a military move is you have to be on point with timing,” said Roger Vance, CEO of Safe Ship Moving Services, in an interview with Military.com. “If the move doesn’t happen, it matters because the soldier has to go to work either way, especially if it involves a PCS move or permanent change of stations.”
Safe Ship Moving Services is a relocation brokerage firm that specializes in coordinating military moves with smaller companies that do the actual moving. Industry-wide, Safe Ship Moving Services is considered the largest direct-to-consumer interstate household moving brokerage in the country, helping to relocate more than 100,000 families since 2020.
“We started in 2020 with me and my partner, Stanley Drinkard, who is a combat veteran of the Iraq War. It was right in the middle of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Vance. “It was a lucky coincidence though. We wanted to start the business sooner, but Stanley was diagnosed with lymphoma and it took about a year until he was well enough to start the business.”
Business Started During COVID-19 Pandemic
Ironically, their lucky strike was due to the pandemic.
“The moving industry exploded during COVID-19. There was a mass exodus of people moving from all over the country to Florida and Texas. Also, the federal government made COVID-19 relief funds readily available, and people used a lot of that money to relocate.”
What the pandemic emphasized was the importance of timing and care. Vance said that’s especially true for military moves, which can happen with limited notice and often involve relocating a soldier and their family across state lines.
“Primarily we deal with spouses of military members. But we have always focused on military relocation, though not exclusively,” said Vance. “Stanley’s military background gave us a window into the intricacies of a military move, but we also take pride in serving those who serve our country.”
Still, there are added logistics with military moves that Vance and his company have successfully mastered.
“Of course, you have to be on point with timing. Sometimes there’s just a matter of days or a couple of weeks to make a move happen,” he said. “Also, you have to use all documented workers with background checks, otherwise the movers can’t get onto the base for security reasons. We have to have all of those logistics already in place.”
Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Johnny Hill and his wife had a massive move to make late last year. Hill accepted an assignment that required him to relocate from Joint Base Lewis–McChord in Tacoma, Washington, to Huntsville, Alabama, more than three thousand miles away.
He said Safe Ship Moving Services offered a competitive quote, but the military connection made the difference.
“When I was looking for movers, their quote came in among the lowest,” said Hill. “But what set them apart was their experience with military moves and the timing involved. They guaranteed our move with an on-time pickup and delivery in a set timeframe. They confirmed with us pretty fast.”
Sgt. Hill added he was impressed with their attention to detail, before and after the move.
“They constantly texted and emailed me that they would be there on this day and time,” he said. “It took them five hours to load up because they were being extra careful. But it only took an hour and a half to unload because they had everything organized.”
Community Service And Innovation
While Safe Ship Moving Services is a business, it goes to great lengths to support military communities and events, while also investing in technology to help their relocation customers.
“I think our charitable donations are probably the part of the business that makes us the most proud,” said Vance. “We donate 10% of all of our proceeds to charity, and we’re participants in the national Veterans Day Parade in Washington D.C. on Veterans Day.”
Vance says his company’s philanthropic efforts are just as important as its financial success.
“We have about 360 employees and my personal philosophy is not to make a bunch of money,” he said. “We’ve given $2.5 million to charity in the last three years. “But I want to operate a good business and provide good service. That’s what sets us apart and makes our work more meaningful.”
Part of that work involves innovation, particularly when it comes to using artificial intelligence.
“We’re not dispatching moves anymore in the traditional sense. Our AI system matches a family or service member to fit their military needs,” said Vance. “Our proprietary AI system collects 20 different metrics to account for every aspect of a move. The software then gauges the best mover for the client’s needs. We make the match, and other companies do the actual moving.”
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