Household Goods Shipping Update
June 11, 2026
Summer is absolutely here! Perhaps not officially, but in the moving business, it absolutely is. If you take nothing else away from what I’m about to say, just know that you need to book as early as possible so the transferee can get their ideal service dates.
This summer does not appear to be the cake walk we had last year. For the first time in a few years, we have partners that are booking up weeks in advance, with some already booked up for the rest of June and into July.
I am not sure whether overall industry volumes are up, but I know there are fewer moving and storage companies in the USA. I have lost track of how many moving and storage companies have been acquired by larger companies or have closed down in 2026. The mounting price pressure on the household goods industry over the last few decades is proving too much for smaller moving and storage companies with only one or two locations, especially in smaller markets. This does reduce the number of qualified crews available.
While our independence helps us accommodate customers, booking early is essential to lock in transferees’ ideal dates.
In the US and around the globe, fuel costs are having a dramatic impact on pricing, especially freight. Locally, our partners need fuel to get the crews to and from the transferee homes.
Ocean freight rates have been increasing steadily and, for some lanes, dramatically. For example, from Asia to South America, we are seeing rates at their highest in the past three years.
Naturally, not much has changed in the Middle East. We are continuing to use land bridges and air shipment when we can.
Storage is the ideal solution in the more challenging situations.
Last week The White House issued an executive order focused on strengthening customs enforcement on goods being imported to the US. We are not expecting any impacts on this, however, it is critical that all the documentation is impeccable when we present it to customs.
Finally, earlier this year, we had an interesting move coming from Vail, AZ, to WV. What made it interesting was that the transferee already had a loaded container, and all we had to do was move it. To make it more challenging, the container was very far away from a paved road, which meant we had to get a large crane and flat bed to a very remote location. We love a good challenge, so send us what you have!
Have a happy, successful, and safe summer!
As always, thank you so much for reading. If you have any questions or need any information, please don’t hesitate to reach out
For further information, please contact Alex Talbot (alex.talbot@interconex.com)
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