Real-Life Math
"The most important math skills that are required, mainly with operations
personnel, packers and van operators, is geometry [space requirements]. Most
packing and loading are done on space requirements. The space requirements
are then converted to average weights, but the vans will be booked and scheduled
based on space available," says MaryScott Tuck of the American Moving and
Storage Association.
Leo Miller is the owner of a small moving company.
"Math skills are good, but you can be trained to do the basic math that is
needed," he says.
As an owner or manager of a moving company, you will
have to provide various types of insurance coverage to your clients in case
you lose or damage some of their property. Some coverage provides minimal
returns at minimal cost and may be provided free by a moving company. Here's
an example:
Free coverage costs the moving company $0.40 per pound
for each item shipped. That means the customer will receive $0.40 per pound
for anything that is damaged. In unloading a desk weighing 150 pounds from
the back of the truck, one of your drivers drops it and damages it beyond
repair. How much would you have to pay the customer?
If the customer
wants to pay for a higher level of coverage, they could take
out a premium based on the item's actual value. If the customer had paid
for this coverage at $0.90 per each $100 of stated value and declared that
the desk was worth $500, how much would the customer have paid for the coverage?