Introduction
Most moving company owners never get 40 minutes of real conversation with the operators they admire. At a 40 to 50 person retreat, you do.
This episode of Movified Wednesdays was recorded live after day one of the Moving Legends Retreat in Orlando, Florida. Hosts Mark Hirschi and Steven Reed pulled up stools in a 28,000 square foot mansion with three owners from three very different markets: Vincent from Las Vegas, James from Maui, and Chris Knowles from Tennessee.
The conversation covers the toughest licensing process in the country, how a small island operator survives, and why the smartest owners build assets underneath their moving company instead of relying on the trucks alone.
Key Takeaways
What You'll Learn:
- Why putting employees first helped one Las Vegas operator grow from $83,000 to $233,900 in a single February, with three trucks.
- How the Nevada Transportation Authority licensing process works, and why that barrier protects the value of a Las Vegas moving company.
- How a Maui operator uses containers and long distance work to grow on an island of 150,000 people.
- Why owning a warehouse, mini storage, or real estate can end up worth more than the moving company itself.
Table of Contents
- The Setting: Why Small Retreats Beat Big Conferences
- Las Vegas: Employees First and 300% Growth
- The Nevada Licensing Gauntlet
- Buying in Nevada: What an Acquirer Faces
- Maui: Containers, Honest Service, and Starting From Nothing
- Dolly Dash: Five Questions in 60 Seconds
- Own the Assets Under the Company
- Why Movified Preserves These Industry Stories
- Conclusion
The Setting: Why Small Retreats Beat Big Conferences
The Moving Legends Retreat brings together roughly 40 to 50 owners. Some run $500,000 to $1 million companies. Others run $1 million to $3 million, or $5 million to $20 million. Larry O’Toole, who spoke on day one, runs a $70 million operation with 26 locations.
That mix is the point. At a smaller retreat you play poker with the same people you learn from, eat dinner with them, and ask the questions you would never get to ask in a hallway at a 2,000 person show. Chris Knowles said it plainly: relationships were the reason he came, and he wanted more personal time with owners who are further down the road than he is.
Las Vegas: Employees First and 300% Growth
Vincent landed in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017. He worked at gas stations and other jobs, then spent about 14 months at a couple of moving companies. He saw how some operators treated customers and employees, decided he could do it better, and started his own company about six years ago. His company is now the highest rated mover in Las Vegas.
His philosophy is direct. The customer is not always right. When you take care of your employees, they care about the job, and they take care of your customers. His locations are all five star rated, he is usually the more expensive quote, and he still books the work.
The numbers back it up:
- Last February: $83,000 in revenue
- This February: $233,900, with three trucks
- 2025 revenue: about $1.5 million
- Today: five trucks and a warehouse
A year ago Vincent was doing everything himself. Then his sister-in-law Brooke, a former HR director at TripAdvisor, came on in December 2024 to run the office and HR side. She shifted the crews from average “burn and turn” employees to people who set goals and buy homes and cars. Vincent now focuses on high end sales. He also added a Ready Rolls executive assistant and a data activator. After two to three weeks of onboarding they had set nine on-site estimates worth $43,000 in revenue, for under $1,000 spent.
The Nevada Licensing Gauntlet
Vincent walked through what it takes to get licensed through the Nevada Transportation Authority:
- You submit your tariff and exactly how you price.
- You project fuel and payroll for each truck for the first two years.
- You project the revenue each truck will bring in over those two years.
- You show cash in the bank covering six months of expenses as if you earned zero revenue. His example: starting with 10 trucks means having around $1.5 million available.
- You attend a board hearing. Existing owners are notified and can show up to object.
The typical timeline is 18 months. Vincent’s took 10, and he said the person handling his file called him the fastest applicant she had seen in 12 years.
The numbers explain why owners protect this market. Vincent described about 15 legitimate licensed movers for 2.5 million people. By comparison, he said Miami has roughly 4,000 registered movers. He also said the NTA actively enforces against illegal operators, including following trucks to job sites.
Buying in Nevada: What an Acquirer Faces
Steven and Chris, both acquisition minded, pressed Vincent on what this means for a buyer. His answers:
- A new owner still has to be approved, even if the company name stays the same.
- The NTA runs a background check and the license is revised with the new owner’s name and DBA.
- An asset purchase is faster than a fresh application, roughly three to six months instead of 18, because they are mainly verifying the owner.
- The board meets monthly, so timing depends on when the paperwork lands.
Chris’s read as a buyer: a Nevada company should hold its value above other markets. The time and cost to enter the market are real, and skipping them can save six months or more. The risk is still there, because approval is never guaranteed.
Maui: Containers, Honest Service, and Starting From Nothing
James grew up in Westchester, New York, and moved to Hawaii at 20 in 2013 with no job, no girlfriend, and no plan. His first place was a shared room for $500 a month. He worked at a rib spot, sold supplements at GNC, and discovered commission there, earning about six dollars a box. He studied sales, marketed timeshare tours, and passed his real estate license on his 13th attempt.
He left timeshare because the sales approach felt dishonest. He wanted an honest service, and moving fit.
Running a company on an island of about 150,000 people changes the playbook:
- Much of the work moves through containers, inbound and outbound, from the island to ports on the West Coast.
- He buys trucks new and ships them in, since local mechanics and parts are limited.
- Remote markets often have poor service because crews switch between too many job types. Strong SOPs and training keep the work efficient.
- Some customers want to pay at destination, so he handles collections with care, often asking for a cashier’s check.
Steven pointed out that going long distance with containers is how a small market operator avoids being stuck in one lane.
Dolly Dash: Five Questions in 60 Seconds
Dolly Dash, brought to you by BHC Insurance and Trey Scaliola, gave the guests under a minute to answer each question.
James, what is your biggest obstacle running a company on an island? Resources, and limiting beliefs. He told himself there were only 150,000 people and not enough moves.
Chris, any investments planned outside of moving? He is adding an event space to his next home on a lake near Nashville. It will host realtors, industry professionals, and moving company retreats, and help cover the cost of a larger mortgage.
Vincent, are you leasing or buying trucks? He does not believe in leasing. He bought three last year, all cash.
Where do you stand on diesel? Vincent prefers it, and the hosts debated Freightliner versus International and Cummins versus Detroit.
James, how do you buy trucks on an island? He buys new, ships them over, and accepts that warranty service is harder to reach.
Own the Assets Under the Company
Chris’s advice for 2026 was to get into real estate and add complementary bolt-ons: selling materials, junk removal, long distance. Same guys, same trucks, more revenue.
Mark closed the episode on the same theme. Anyone can start a moving company today with a website, a couple of trucks, and $20,000 of ad spend. What lasts is a hard asset the company sits on: a warehouse, mini storage, or a property. Sometimes the real estate ends up worth more than the moving company. Without it, a five to ten year old company is easy to replace. A buyer can offer $200,000 when the owner wants $800,000, then start fresh tomorrow.
His question for every owner: what do you own underneath the company that makes it worth more than the trucks?
Movified exists to document what business textbooks miss. This episode captured three markets on one night: a licensing system that keeps a city’s moving industry small, an island operator who built around containers, and an acquirer who is already planning how to buy well.
Movified’s value is in conversations like this one:
- Owners sharing real revenue numbers and the decisions behind them.
- Operators explaining regulations in plain language.
- Peers swapping ideas on hiring, trucks, assistants, and investments.
Why Movified Preserves These Industry Stories
Movified exists to document what business textbooks miss. This episode captured three markets on one night: a licensing system that keeps a city’s moving industry small, an island operator who built around containers, and an acquirer who is already planning how to buy well.
Movified’s value is in conversations like this one:
- Owners sharing real revenue numbers and the decisions behind them.
- Operators explaining regulations in plain language.
- Peers swapping ideas on hiring, trucks, assistants, and investments.
Conclusion
Vincent proved that a culture built on employees can outgrow the market, even in a city where the license takes 18 months to earn. James proved that a small island is a starting point, not a ceiling. Chris and Mark made the case that the strongest play is owning assets that outlast the company.
Get in the room with other owners. Ask what they changed. Then decide what you are building underneath the trucks.
