To understand the history of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, it’s important to go back to the very early days of the company when it was just the original “two men” – Brig Sorber and Jon Sorber – moving customers in and around Lansing, Michigan.
It was the early 1980s and the two were doing a good job for themselves as high school students. Their mother, Mary Ellen Sheets, helped them place ads in local newspapers to advertise their services. Eventually, the time came for the two to go off to college, but Sheets was still getting calls about the services. So, she kept the little business going.
Being a working mom, she didn’t necessarily have a lot of experience running a business, let alone a moving business. With moving trucks taking up space, she needed a place to store them– and that’s where her mom stepped in.
“Grandma Eb”, as she was known, offered her backyard and barn to serve as the original office for the brand and a place to park the trucks. The brand’s early days began here, and her generosity and help were instrumental in helping TWO MEN AND A TRUCK grow to what it has become today.
Her influence led to the development of arguably our most important company core value, THE GRANDMA RULE, which means to treat everyone the way you would want your grandma to be treated. This motto has been adopted by the brand and serves as the overall mindset for our teams nationwide.
“THE GRANDMA RULE, to me, exemplifies everything we want and expect out of our employees and ourselves,” said Brian Stern, a TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® multi-unit franchisee with locations in New Jersey and Maine. “The idea is to treat each and every one of our customers as if they were our grandmothers. If we do that, every customer will be treated with respect, patience, and empathy during difficult moving situations.”
A large part of our customer base involves senior moving, and this makes the mindset of THE GRANDMA RULE all the more important.
Nearly 52% of all moves we complete are for people over the age of 50, and these can generally be tough moves due to the emotional factors involved of people parting ways with a home that has meant so much throughout their lives.
Our teams are specifically trained on how to handle senior moves and understand the importance of making sure they are able to communicate with the customer and provide the highest levels of care in order to make them feel at ease as they complete their moves.
“Often times, a senior move involves downsizing from a long-term home, and it can be a complicated and emotional experience,” said Alexa Lanier, a multi-unit marketing director for the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton locations. “Our customer service representatives and in-home consultants work with the customers to account for the destination of all items, which can involve multiple stops or storage. Our movers then take the time to make sure every item gets to where it needs to go.”
To learn more about THE GRANDMA RULE and its beginnings, click here! If you know a senior looking to complete an upcoming move, visit our website to get started on a free moving quote.
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.