Affiliate Spotlight: Moving Business Forward by Putting Others First

Having worked in the furniture and self-storage business, Justin Hart had seen and heard firsthand how movers poorly handled their clients. Resolved to help families have a better moving experience, he started Just-In Time Moving & Storage in 2005 with one truck, a small team and a mission to treat customers like family and their belongings as if they were his own. 

It’s a mission that has helped propel his Metro Phoenix business into a full-service local, long-distance and international mover, with more than 20 trucks, more than 70 employees and well over 1,000 five-star reviews across the internet. Justin is currently President of Arizona Moving Association — an elected position — and a few months ago, Yahoo Local named his company the “best long-distance mover serving Phoenix.”

Going Above and Beyond for Clients

“Moving shouldn’t be a horror story,” Justin says. “We work hard to treat people like we want to be treated.” Striving for 100% customer satisfaction, he says he and his staff take responsibility for themselves and their work. “If we make a mistake, we apologize and work to make it better. We always work to get better.”

Administrative Manager Sonya Duncan agrees. “Justin will find a solution even when the mistake isn’t ours. He goes above and beyond.”

Quickly pointing out that this put-others-first mentality extends to more than customers, Sonya says she has never felt better cared for by an employer than she has during her 11 years at Just-In Time.

“We respect and value one another,” Justin says of his staff. “We serve our team well so they will, in turn, serve their clients well.” 

That includes providing his staff with quality equipment and technology. For example, the Just-In Time fleet includes state-of-the-art trucks with GPS technology, advanced climate control systems and enhanced safety features that protect drivers and the loads they carry. 

“It makes our drivers happier when they are working with equipment they can trust,” Justin says. “We don’t want to have to replace people. We want to find good people, keep them on board and help them grow with us.”  

Caring for Employees for the Long Haul

Indeed, the long tenure of his employees — an average of 10 years — has provided Just-In Time with consistency and structure. “I’ve watched employees grow up, move out of the house, afford a car, a home. I think an employee should get a good wage, be treated well and have a good life,” Justin says. 

Several employees began in their teens. Miranda Duncan, Sonya’s daughter, is one such employee. While in high school and college, she took on increasingly complex tasks and learned about the business, eventually advancing to a full-time position as project coordinator, overseeing military moves.

“I heard a lot [from my mom] about how amazing it was to work here!” Miranda says. “Justin was very understanding and flexible with my schedule during high school and college.” 

Having worked for other companies while also working at Just-In Time in the earlier years, she says none of them have “even come close to the perks of working here. I’m proud to say I’ve been here nearly a decade, and I don’t plan on ending that streak.”

Supporting Non-Profits to Serve the Community

Part of Just-In Time’s culture of putting others first involves serving the community. Food and housing security and providing for the needs of children are dear to Justin’s heart. 

Since 2020, the company has moved 8 million pounds of food for Move For Hunger. They have partnered with Furnishing Dignity to provide free moves, collect and move furniture to set up families escaping homelessness and return their dignity. 

And they have joined the Rotary Club of Mesa to come alongside students who are unhoused and/or don’t have permanent guardianship by providing a mentorship program, paying a stipend to the student for going to class and getting good grades. 

“We set them up with outfits, give them a free MacBook computer by working with another partner, fulfill their holiday wish list and provide them the structure and support to keep from dropping out of high school so they can enter their next phase of life.” A recent graduate and Just-In Time mentee, interested in entering the moving business, will soon join Justin’s team as an employee. 

“We’re willing to take on as much as we can to help the community,” he says. 

It turns out that doing good for its clients, employees and the community has been good for Just-In-Time's business. 

“When you’re starting out, you think you have to advertise, advertise, advertise,” Justin says. “But your number one way [to market] is boots on the ground: meeting people, finding out what is needed, spreading the word. It’s critical.”

In other words: putting others first.

Partnering With National Van Lines To Move the Company Forward

“We’re big fans of National Van Lines,” Justin Hart, owner of Just-In Time Moving & Storage says. “The staff is knowledgeable and willing to train us without asking for anything back. 

“Being a NationalExpress Move Affiliate provides opportunities for us to handle moves we can’t otherwise fill,” Justin says. “Rather than tell clients we can’t serve them, we can contact National Van Lines and ensure the client gets the right service they need. And we still make money for the move.”

“I especially appreciate how willing everyone has been to help me understand the paperwork and what is needed to move the military,” Project Coordinator Miranda Duncan says. “The service members appreciate our ability to come alongside them and our communication.”