At Storage Scholars, our peak season aligns perfectly with university move-out schedules across the United States.

The East Coast empties in early May, while the West Coast typically wraps up in late June.

This staggered timing allows us to deploy our crews strategically rather than stretching them thin.

Between now and mid-May alone, we’ll relocate approximately 10,000 students—about 500 moves per day—before shifting our trucks westward for the California exodus later in the summer.

Regardless of location, students typically enjoy a three-and-a-half to four-month break, and we’ve structured our nationwide operation to service both coasts effectively.

This year, we’ve already completed move-outs at five or six of our partner colleges, with many more scheduled in the coming weeks.

Preparation Beats Game Day Every Time

After nine years in this business, I’ve discovered that the real work happens long before the first box is lifted.

Throughout spring, I refine our playbooks, train crews, and stress-test our technology so that when May arrives, I can be the calmest person in the room.

This year stands out dramatically—it’s the least stressed I’ve been during peak season in all my years running this operation.

In previous seasons, I’d be severely sleep-deprived, constantly putting out fires and bracing for the next crisis.

This change didn’t happen by accident; it’s the direct result of building an exceptional team of capable leaders and implementing robust systems.

My role has evolved from hands-on crisis management to ensuring our systems and standards are consistently upheld.

We pursue excellence, which we define through clear, measurable metrics: minimizing missed moves, ensuring punctuality within promised delivery windows, and dramatically reducing damage rates.

Simply telling our team to “be careful” doesn’t work.

Instead, my job is to equip every single person with the systems and training needed to make excellence an everyday reality.

Experience Over Hyper-Growth

This year, we’ve made a deliberate decision to prioritize quality over rapid expansion.

Last year, we served 152 schools; this year, we’ve slowed our growth significantly, adding only 40-50 new campuses.

The reason is straightforward: no campus is run by a first-time manager anymore.

Proven Leadership at Every Campus

We made a firm decision that every single campus would be overseen by a proven leader with prior experience.

We’re willing to fly these managers in—paying for plane tickets, hotels, whatever it takes—because the cost of one bad week far exceeds the expense of travel.

This investment in quality is essential, especially after experiences where new hires quit right before difficult work began or became unreliable when we needed them most.

Before deployment, each lead manager gets a personal 30-minute video check-in with either me or my co-founder, Sam.

We use this time to pressure-test their plans, and personally thank them for their commitment.

I’d rather challenge them during these preparation sessions than have them face difficulties unprepared during the actual move week.

Three-Person Crews, Twenty-Minute Moves

Our operational data has remained consistent over many years: we average three moves per hour per truck, with each move taking approximately 20 minutes.

This efficiency stems partly from serving primarily on-campus residences, where students have relatively few possessions.

The average order consists of about seven total items—typically five boxes plus one or two bulky items like a mini-fridge, microwave, TV, or bicycle, rather than large furniture pieces.

Our standard crew includes a minimum of three people: one driver and two helpers. The driver manages navigation, customer communication, and the crucial digital inventory process, while the helpers handle the physical loading onto dollies and into the truck.

For any normal peak day, this three-person team structure is our minimum.

Our resource allocation follows clear data patterns: one truck handles up to 30 moves daily, two trucks for up to 60 moves, and a minimum of three trucks for anything above that threshold.

We primarily use 26-foot box trucks for our operations.

Real-Time Inventory and Technology

Our technology platform is central to managing this scale and complexity.

Every item is photographed and tagged with a unique label before leaving the dorm, then verified again at the warehouse.

The driver captures photos of all items and logs them meticulously in our online system, creating a digital record that follows these possessions throughout their journey.

Our Labeling System

Our labeling system is thorough—each box receives a unique code and name for identification, with specialized labels for items like suitcases.

For surfaces where labels don’t stick well, such as felt couches or certain luggage types, we train our staff in secure labeling techniques—wrapping around chair legs or creating “label sandwiches” that attach to themselves and connect to luggage tags.

These photos act as a crucial backup if a label falls off.

When items arrive at the storage facility, our team must verify what they see by checking each item against the digital inventory.

This confirmation step remains essential for maintaining our high standards of service and accountability.

Protect First, Bill Later

Our approach to fragile items like televisions has evolved dramatically. In the past, we required students to use original packaging and wouldn’t insure items packed otherwise.

Televisions particularly caused concerns since students rarely keep factory boxes, leading to potential damage claims.

This year, we’ve equipped every truck across the country with specialized TV boxes and extra packing supplies.

If a student hasn’t properly secured their fragile items, we now offer to repack them safely for a small fee.

I prefer billing customers to protect their belongings rather than having their items damaged and telling them it’s their fault.

To align our team with this vision, we’ve created incentives by paying them more each time they repack something.

This gets them excited about protecting customer possessions, making careful handling a shared priority.

Fragile items arrive intact, customers feel satisfied, and word-of-mouth handles a significant portion of our marketing.

Why Slower Growth Leads to Faster Success

Pausing our hyper-growth initially felt counterintuitive, but we’ve discovered that quality compounds faster than mere headcount.

Each delighted student becomes a walking five-star review; each stress-free manager multiplies next year’s training and operational effectiveness.

The payoff already shows: lower damage rates, fewer emergencies, and—perhaps most importantly for me personally—full nights of sleep during May.

This investment in quality creates positive word-of-mouth that ultimately builds a stronger business long-term.

Slowing down now creates something that will eventually grow even bigger through reputation and reliability.

The Storage Scholars Difference: Quality and Precision

Moving 10,000 students in three weeks will never be “easy,” but with disciplined preparation, experienced leadership, and a culture that values care over speed, it becomes predictable—and even enjoyable. That’s the Storage Scholar’s way.

Our multiple safeguards protect against lost items, while our technology-driven inventory system ensures accuracy.

We incentivize our team for proper packing and take a strategic approach to growth. All these elements reflect our commitment to excellence in student moving and storage.

By prioritizing quality today, we’re building a foundation for sustainable success and developing an impeccable reputation that will drive our business forward.