Family owned and operated Coleman Moving Systems of San Diego County has spent the past 40 years relocating people, businesses and their belongings from point A to point B.
Based at 3045 Rosecrans St. in Point Loma, father-son team Stu and Matt Coleman admit little has changed in the industry since Stu started out in 1979.
“I came out here in 1978 with a psychology degree and tried everything, including real estate,” said Stu, who graduated from college in Rhode Island. “I’d gotten married and had a wife and daughter. In the ’70s, everyone was buying and selling houses. So I figured I’ll get a rental truck, and if I need a helper, I’ll find somebody out of the newspaper.”
Turns out, the guy in the newspaper want ads above Stu had a rental truck. So they started out working on that truck until Stu broke out on his own.
Coleman Moving has been hauling households and offices throughout mostly San Diego ever since. The business is licensed, insured and movers used are all full-time employees with people skills.
That’s real important, noted Matt Coleman.
“If [movers are] nice and friendly and polite, things go a lot better,” said Matt. “Obviously, moving is stressful. You hear a lot of nasty stories about movers being rough around the edges or looking like they just got out of prison. All of our guys are really nice. We always get positive feedback on them. They’re not easy to get.”
Coleman Moving’s services include: antique, apartment, fine art and commercial moving including extra-large items, custom packaging, door-to-door services, furniture delivery and setup, loading and unloading, office moving, packing and unpacking, pick-up and delivery, residential moving, referrals and short-notice moving.
Coleman sells packing materials and their six trucks arrive loaded with pads, dollies and free wardrobe boxes.
“It’s $105 an hour for two men with a truck,” said Stu, of the hourly moving fee charge, adding, “What a lot of people do is just hire us for the heavy stuff. We’ll move everything, or nothing, it’s up to them.”
Stu said they charge a flat rate for large one-item moving, which his son, Matt, said can be challenging.
“Pianos going up and down stairs, those are really scary situations,” Matt confided. “You’ve got to be real slow — and careful.”
“The worst jobs can be hoarders with lots of infestation of creatures, or nasty apartments with dogs and cats all over where movers have to wear gloves,” said Stu.
“Strong backs, weak minds,” is Coleman’s business model, joked Stu, who added finding good movers is increasingly difficult. “It’s kind of monotonous day after day moving furniture,” he said. “Some people take to it. Others, it’s not their style.”
But those who are willing to work hard, find furniture moving can be profitable, if not fun.
“You do get good tips on this job,” said Stu. “Movers make out pretty well.” Coleman Moving Systems
3045 Rosecrans St., Ste. 202
619-223-2255, colemanmoving.com