Bill Paxton from Paxton International in Washington, DC has been appointed as chairman of AMSA (American Moving and Storage Association).

Bill has taken on the two-year role following several years on the AMSA Board including periods as treasurer and vice-chairman.

AMSA is the largest moving association in the USA representing around 3,000 movers, van lines, van line agents, and suppliers to the industry. The organisation can track its history back to 1920 and has been formed through the amalgamation of predecessors: the American Movers Conference (AMC), the Household Goods Carriers’ Bureau (HGCB), and the National Moving & Storage Association (NMSA).  The organisation’s ProMover certification is nationally recognised as a measure of quality. 

In addition to running the AMSA Board meetings and the Executive Committee, Bill said one of his main priorities will be to increase the diversity of representation on the Board. “Out of a board of over 40 people we only have three women and one person of colour,” he said. “This doesn’t represent the customer base we serve.”

Pressed on the benefits of further diversification Bill said that he believed that people of different backgrounds think differently and have different experiences from which to draw.  “This will put different thought behind the decisions we make,” he said. He also wanted to encourage more people to become involved in the sub committees that bring information to the Board.

Migration is also high on Bill’s list of priorities.  “We think of ourselves as the land of opportunity but maybe right now the climate in our country is less inviting than it should be,” he said.  He believes that the current restrictions on employing people from overseas is seriously affecting the moving industry’s ability to operate, especially during the busy military season. “A lot of companies rely on these people.  It’s a lottery system right now.”

Drivers’ hours are on the AMSA agenda too.  Bill said that nobody wants safety to be compromised, however he believes the current regulations are too tight.  “I think there are mechanisms through which drivers can get the rest they need and not be as regulated as they are now.”

One big issue in the USA right now is the proposed changes to the way in which the US military household goods contract is administered.  Bill said he didn’t yet know how that was going to shake out, however the AMSA will be lobbying Capitol Hill and working closely with IAM (The International Association of Movers) for the benefit of the whole industry.

Photo:  Bill Paxton

Find out more about the AMSA from Scott Michael, AMSA President: