On the move: Two Men and a Truck franchisee filling niche

Two high school boys bought a truck and moved folks as a way to make pocket money in the early 1980s. With the opening of Two Men and a Truck in 1985, a unique market niche was established: offering local moving within a system that provides service uniformity. Since then, the company has grown into the first and largest local-franchised moving company - and a national industry leader.

Known as the "movers who care," Two Men and a Truck has also become a cult favorite on the big screen. Branded boxes with the logo of two men riding in a wobbly truck were shown in several recent blockbuster movies, including Adam Sandler's "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," Catherine Zeta-Jones' "No Reservations" and "Miami Vice" with Colin Ferrell and Jamie Foxx.

"When people hear the name Two Men and a Truck, they frequently think there is just one truck and two movers. Great pride is taken in promoting that image," said Jeff Taylor, who watched the franchise grow throughout the 1990s. When he wanted to open a business in Central Mississippi, Two Men and a Truck fit the bill.

"Our business was established in mid-1999 after approximately a year of researching the local market, gauging the need for services," said Taylor. "We determined there was not strong name recognition for local moving services and felt we could fill that niche."

Taylor was attracted to the people behind the Two Men and a Truck system and the system concept itself.

"The system is filled with very honorable people throughout, which reflects the excellent reputation throughout," he explained. "I liked the fact that it was a service business providing a service which should be always be somewhat recession-proof. It also provides us with various charitable opportunities utilizing our labor/truck resources."

Taylor said the primary market for his Ridgeland-based business, which the International Franchise Association named Franchise of the Year, is the metro-Jackson area, even though he has intrastate and federal interstate authority to do business anywhere in the U.S.

"Probably the biggest challenge that we've faced was establishing the name recognition that we needed to sustain our business," said Taylor of the early years. "We feel that we've been successful thus far in accomplishing this by the amount of business we receive from our referral base. Approximately 70% of our business now comes from repeat or referred customers."

Two Men and a Truck, which has more than 200 locations in North America, has a simple mission statement: to continuously strive to exceed customers' expectations in value and high standard of satisfaction. Specifically, the company's core purpose is to be a role model in the industry. It requires franchisees with integrity, who give back to the community, are compassionate, like to have fun and follow The Grandma Rule of "treating everyone the way you would want your grandmother treated."

"One statistic that is kept at top-of-mind awareness is the fact that moving day can represent one of the most stressful events in a person's life," said Taylor. "Every move is not a 'bigger and better' situation and may be the result of difficult circumstances. Two Men and a Truck prides itself in providing a service that, regardless of the factors that may necessitate a move, proves to be a positive experience and gives each customer peace of mind."

Taylor's organization consists of 25 movers and drivers and six frontline support staff.

"We hire the best people we can find," he said. "We feel that you cannot train integrity, character, honesty or work ethic. Those attributes are already instilled. If a candidate for employment has those traits, we can train the job specific functions."

Copyright Mississippi Business Journal May 26, 2008
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