Sioux City, Iowa needs movers ASAP

Full service relocation crews with trailers or trucks.

The following is a professional plea I saw posted yesterday by Don Claeys at a relocation related group on Linkedin. Don is the CEO of Action Moving, Inc., an Atlas Van Lines agent based in Sioux City, Iowa.

Dakota Dunes S.D. Is flooding and I have a list of over 16 homes requesting services. We cannot handle the volume in the required time frame. If anyone is nearby and capable of assisting please let me know. Thank you.

Several things impressed me with Don's urgent, selfless request.

First, note that the appeal is not about helping Don, Action, or Atlas.

It's all about helping sixteen desperate homeowners living in a small, isolated residential community sandwiched between the Big Sioux River and the Missouri River in the most southeastern tip of South Dakota from having all their household goods, personal effects and family mementos lost to rapidly raising flood waters.

I suspect most don't even know about Don's post … or the fact that he made their problem his personal challenge. If that attitude doesn't do anything for his business, it certainly should for his Karma.

Second, it appears that Don's company is affiliated with at least two national industry organizations that could – and should – help him beat his drum and more quickly spread his request for immediate emergency relief support.

The American Moving and Storage Association, AMSA, has ties to over 3000 intra and interstate movers in the U.S. Meanwhile, as one of the largest national household goods carriers in the country, Atlas Van Lines has access to a wealth of local agent and 409 resources in the area. Both should be using their own internal networks and social media channels to spread Don's message. As an industry that prides itself on service, I think everyone in the business has that public responsibility.

Finally, like me, Claeys is no spring chicken. I think it's remarkable that an older member of the relocation industry turned to a large popular professional networking site like Linkedin to plead his case in the virtual world – especially during one of the busiest, most hectic weeks in the movin' business. Particularly the fact that Don stepped outside his comfort zone and used a worldwide social network to solve a local community problem.

If you can help Don, contact him at:

Action Moving, Inc.
316 Floyd Blvd
Sioux City, IA 51101
Phone: 712-252-1938 | 800-383-7185 Toll free
Fax: 712-252-2046
Email: info@ams31.com

If you can't, at least say a prayer for his neighbors.

Update: June 1, 2011

I am seeing less of a need than I anticipated. Thanks to a long holiday weekend a large number of people have secured pods and trailers and we are all pitching in. The Corp of Engineers only allowed a couple days notice. It has been complete pandemonium. My list is getting shorter by the minute. Thanks everyone.

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