A proposed restructuring of membership categories, the first expansion of the ProMover program to a state, and the moving industry's annual visits with members of Congress highlighted last week's 2010 fall board of directors and committee meetings of the American Moving & Storage Association.


"Our board received the report of a special task force established to streamline our membership categories, yet create new ones to accommodate a broader range of members," said Linda Bauer Darr, AMSA president and CEO. "This six-month effort is another major step in AMSA's multi-year strategic plan which we believe will significantly increase our membership base."

The AMSA board also approved an agreement with the California Moving & Storage Association to bring the ProMover program to that state, marking the first time the consumer protection program has been authorized for intrastate, or local moves. Currently, only qualified movers with federal interstate operating authority are permitted to use the logo, which provides consumers with a trustworthy starting point when selecting a professional mover.

Sixty moving company executives held 50 meetings with members of the House and Senate and their staff during the annual "Moving Day on the Hill," again urging lawmakers to strengthen federal consumer protections against "rogue operators" -- unlicensed movers -- as well as to push forward with multi-year highway funding legislation.