National Moving Service Notes a Southern Trend in 2007

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More Long-distance Moves Inbound to Southern States and Out of the Northeast

FORT SMITH, Ark. (March 12, 2008) – A new report issued by the national moving service ABF U-Pack Moving® lists Texas as the number one destination long-distance moves within their customer base. The company, which specializes in long-distance moving, recently released their first-ever Moving Trends Report.

Other states with a higher proportion of inbound moves include Western and Southwestern states such as California, Arizona and Colorado. New states appearing on the list are from the Southern and Southeastern regions. These include North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Florida has long been a popular destination. Washington and Illinois round out the top ten for most in-bound moves. States with more outbound moves include Rhode Island, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Several cities in California made the high out-bound move list. Also on the list were Stratford, Connecticut; Flint, Michigan; Providence, Rhode Island and Paterson, New Jersey. Significant in-bound cities include the micropolitan areas of Cookeville, TN and Tupelo, MS. Micropolitan areas are cities with populations of 10,000 to 49,999 which are centers of commerce and culture for the surrounding area and are removed from other larger Metropolitan areas.

Charlotte, NC tops the list of larger cities with a higher inbound ratio of moves. Eighty percent of U-Pack moves for the Charlotte area are inbound. New Orleans also made the list indicating signs of revival. Seventy-six percent of U-Pack moves for the New Orleans service center were inbound. States with multiple cities on the list include Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina and Kentucky.

ABF is one of the first companies to offer the innovative “You Pack – They Drive” residential moving services. The company studied moving trends within their national customer base in 2007. The report is unique for its focus on long-distance moving. Local and intrastate moves are not documented. “The focus of the report is on trends within the segment of the moving industry that U-Pack specializes in – long-distance, do-it-yourself moving,” says Jim Ingram, Vice President of Market Development for ABF Freight System, Inc.

The report looks at social and cultural influences on moving as well. One aspect is internet usage in the moving industry. More people than ever are researching and coordinating their long-distance moves online. Kay Lynn Clay, ABF Business Development Manager says, “Ten years ago, when we started the service, people were more reluctant and uncomfortable with e-commerce. Now, an increasing number of people obtain free quotes or make reservations online.” Clay also notes that the company has responded to the shift with services such as online shipment tracking and the company’s latest innovation – upack.mobi. Customers can now receive moving or packing tips, get a free quote or track a move over their cell phone.

The report also notes other cultural trends such as foreign language service requests. Ingram says, “By understanding long-distance moving better we can offer better service to our customers, which is always our goal.”

Request more information, a copy of the report or specific statistics for your area - contact publicrelations@upack.com Kay Lynn Clay 479-785-8686.

U-Pack is a service of ABF Freight System, Inc.®, an award-winning transporter of general commodities. In 1997, ABF® began offering its shipping services directly to consumers via U-Pack Moving. In doing so, the carrier introduced an alternative means of moving residential and business belongings cross country. U-Pack® combines the professional driver and equipment of a traditional full-service mover with the cost savings of a rental truck.