The heritage of moving and storage leadership written by Bekins began in the horse and buggy days and has continued into the international Information Age. Whereas a strong back was the primary criterion for moving goods in the late 1800s, information technology and 24/7 visibility to shipments define today’s moving and storage industry. Not only has Bekins changed with the times, we have led both the national and international industries with many important advancements.
Bekins has led the way in moving and storage through innovation:
- Bekins was the first to specialize in moving household goods
- When covered moving vans were introduced, they carried the Bekins name
- Bekins led the moving and storage business away from horse-drawn wagons with the first motor trucks-1903
- The first concrete and steel warehouse was built by Bekins-1906
- The first transcontinental motor van move was completed by Bekins-1928
- In 1960, The Bekins Company established Bekins Wide World, later known as Bekins International
- Bekins becomes a leader in residential delivery services, later named HomeDirectUSA-1994
- Bekins lead an industry consortium to develop the CPM (Certified Professional Mover) program, a CD-Rom based training module-1995
- Bekins is the first van line to earn CPM status-1996
- Bekins is the first van line to install a nationwide warehouse and storage management system to assist in order management and tracking-1997
- Bekins opens a $4M driver training facility in Bolingbrook, IL-1997
- Bekins wins Industry Innovator Award for utilizing technology to make tracking shipments faster-2000
In 2002, Bekins became Agent owned. Agent ownership appears to be the most successful model for a van line in our industry. The new partnership between Bekins Van Lines and its Agent Family is committed to providing outstanding customer satisfaction, and continuing to build and support Bekins’ array of products and services. Our plan is to continue to provide “World Class” service, while continuing our growth plan in the International market.
The future will be an exciting time for the Bekins family and our customers as we continue to drive towards excellence.
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