During a career that has spanned more than 40 years in the moving industry, I have been involved in introducing and implementing a number of global initiatives. Changing set patterns, initiating innovation, gaining traction and accelerating adoption to reach critical mass is never easy. It takes drive, determination, leadership and a fair bit of hard work but I do not think I would have had any success without the help of early adopters who shared my vision and pushed as hard as I did.

I am privileged to be working with IAM on its IAMTrusted Moving Company (ITMC) initiative. When IAM introduced the IAMX Validation system in 2017, we started from scratch. Today, we have over 1,450 IAMX-Validated members, which is 69% of our total membership. We have, indeed, reached critical mass; our data analytics report that we host over 30,000 searches per month, generating an average 7,300 e-mail clicks which connect IAM members seeking to do business with each other.

The IAMTrusted Moving Company program is powered and validated by the IAM Issue Resolution System. Without the IIRS and the ITMC’s absolute adherence to its guidelines, the program would be just another badge. The IIRS should be the final authority in resolving issues, but the IAM Learning professional staff development initiative aims to minimize issues in the first place by training members on best practices and standards for professional conduct.

Therefore, having at least one IAMTrusted Moving Specialist (ITMS) on staff at an ITMC is a requirement, as the best practices and standards for professional conduct are embedded within the ITMS training program. As the ITMC program develops, the training content and minimum requirements for ITMCs will also evolve.

More information is available on the ITMC Resource Page, including links to the ITMC Agreement contract, the ITMC training course, and much more.

Our very first validated member was Transworld International Removals, Ltd. In Auckland, New Zealand, and perhaps it is not surprising that they are one of our first 35 ITMC early adopters. Recognizing the importance of these pioneers, I reached out to some of them for their thoughts on the ITMC program and why they chose to lead the way.