A LocalMovers.com video series
Movers Academy: How to Run a Moving Company
Free short-form video lessons for owners and operators — ten minutes at a time.
- Hosts
- Bretton Auerbach · Dan Hunter
- Format
- Video · ~10 min per episode
- Cadence
- New episodes drop regularly
Movers Academy overview
5 episodes·2 industry-veteran hosts·~10 min each·Free, forever
Movers Academy is a free video series for moving company owners — short episodes on the decisions that actually move a business forward: choosing your business model, earning your first jobs, pricing without reviews, and building a brand customers can find. Hosted by Bretton Auerbach and Dan Hunter, two operators who’ve run the crews, priced the jobs, and built the brands from zero.
What’s inside
- Choosing your business model
- Going from side hustle to owner
- Solo vs. finding the right partner
- Earning your first $1,000
- Pricing without reviews
- Picking a name that stands out
- Building a website you own (with AI)
- Owning your Google Business Profile
Frequently asked
What is Movers Academy?
Who is it for?
Is it free?
How often do new episodes drop?
Do I need an existing moving business to watch?
The Curriculum
- 01
Foundations
Choosing Your Business Model
Industry veterans Bretton Auerbach and Dan Hunter open Movers Academy with the first — and most consequential — decision every moving company owner will make.
Apr 15, 2026
~10 min
Watch →
- 02
Foundations
From Side Hustle to Business Owner
Bretton and Dan on the mental preparation — and the obsession — required to transition from a side hustle to a real moving business owner.
May 5, 2026
~10 min
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- 03
Foundations
Going Solo or Finding a Partner
Bretton and Dan on the first major fork in the road for any new owner — going solo, or pairing up with the right partner.
Apr 25, 2026
~10 min
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- 04
Lead Generation
The First $1,000
Bretton and Dan on the seven-day sprint to your first $1,000 — the lead funnel, pricing without reviews, and the social proof that turns a stranger into a second customer.
Apr 26, 2026
~10 min
Watch →
- 05
Brand & Discovery
Owning Your Own Platform
Bretton and Dan on graduating from third-party apps — building a website in hours with AI, owning your Google Maps profile, picking a name that stands out, and getting paid without the middleman.
Apr 27, 2026
~10 min
Watch →
- 06
Marketing
Paid Ads and Lead Generation
Bretton and Dan on turning the website into a lead machine — channel tracking, niche keywords, the affluent zip-code angle, and why reviews are the foundation that lets paid ads work.
Apr 28, 2026
~10 min
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- 07
Operations
DOT, FMCSA, and Going Legit
Bretton and Dan on the boring-but-necessary paperwork that separates local side hustles from high-revenue moving enterprises — DOT numbers, FMCSA registration, the $75K bond, BBB, LLC formation, and the margin jump from local to interstate work.
Apr 29, 2026
~15 min
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- 08
Operations
Tools, Gear, and the Craigslist Hack
Bretton and Dan on building the professional kit without burning your margin — what you actually need on day one, what to upsell, and why you should never drop $1,000 at Home Depot before checking Craigslist.
Apr 30, 2026
~15 min
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- 09
Finance
The Six-Month Review and Cash Runway
Bretton and Dan recap the first six-month roadmap and the jump from side hustle to full-time operation — burn rate, cash runway, seasonality, channel elasticity, and the recurring revenue that keeps you off the failure list.
May 1, 2026
~15 min
Watch →
- 10
Team
Hiring Your First Crew
Bretton and Dan on the high-stakes game of scaling through people — treating hiring like sales, the banana test, working side-by-side before you trust the china, and building a merit-based culture from day one.
May 2, 2026
~15 min
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- 11
Operations
Fleet Management and When to Buy
Bretton and Dan on one of the biggest capital decisions in the business — when to stop renting and start buying, lease vs. buy, total cost of ownership, and why a truck is a cost center you should turn into a rolling billboard.
May 3, 2026
~15 min
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- 12
Operations
The Damage Game
Bretton and Dan on handling the mistakes that are inevitable in moving — why your response defines you, the math that makes paying out cheaper than a bad review, and the three-step system that prevents most damage in the first place.
May 8, 2026
~15 min
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- 13
Sales
Pricing and Closing the Deal
Bretton and Dan on the hardest hurdle in the business — turning a quote into a closed deal with the right math and the right psychology, from base hourly rates to Good/Better/Best anchoring and the fixed-price promise.
May 11, 2026
~15 min
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- 14
Growth
B2B Moves and Finding Your Niche
Bretton and Dan on the lucrative B2B world — industrial equipment, corporate relocations, and specialized niches that command 1.5–2x residential rates, plus the RFP process and cash-flow realities of selling to enterprise.
May 12, 2026
~15 min
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- 15
Finance
Cash Flow, Deposits, and Tips
Bretton and Dan on protecting your revenue — why cash is king, dodging the chargeback trap, the 50% deposit rule, non-refundable contracts, and the golden rule of payroll that keeps a crew loyal.
May 13, 2026
~15 min
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- 16
Growth
Franchises, Acquisitions, and Van Lines
Bretton and Dan close the series on the advanced models — franchises, buying existing companies, and national van lines — weighing the brand credibility and leads against the royalties, fees, and loss of control each one costs you.
May 15, 2026
~15 min
Watch →
The Hosts
Co-Founder · LocalMovers.com
Bretton Auerbach
A moving-industry operator with years of hands-on experience running crews, pricing jobs, and building brands that customers actually remember.
Co-Host · LocalMovers.com
Dan Hunter
A veteran of the relocation business who turns hard-won operational lessons into plain-language playbooks owners can apply the next morning.
A free consultation
Talk to a founder
Get a free consultation with Bretton Auerbach.
Stuck on pricing, hiring, or a growth question? Book a free one-on-one call with Bretton — Co-Founder of LocalMovers.com and co-host of Movers Academy. No pitch, just practical advice from an operator who's run the crews and priced the jobs.
Typically a 20-minute call · Zoom or phone
Stay in the loop
Don’t miss the next lesson.
New episodes drop regularly. Learn more at LocalMovers.com.