Company History
U-Haul Company is a successful equipment rental company with a high reputation. It has its corporate office in Phoenix, Arizona. The company has been carrying out its operations, serving “do-it-yourself” movers as well as their households in the best way possible, beginning from the year 1945. The company was set up by Sam Shoen together with his wife Ann Mary who worked very hard to ensure the company is established. Setting up the company was a result of the Shoens identifying a need among people to be satisfied. At the time the Second World had just come to an end, there was the general need for “do-it-yourself moving equipment that would be available on a one-way, nationwide basis” (“U-Haul specifications” para.1). The Shoens identified this need and capitalized on it by setting up the U-Haul Company and the company has actually achieved success.
Struggles and Success
The success of U-Haul was not attained without struggles and the founders had to face several challenges. At the start, the trailers that were purchased broke down from time to time and the cost of repairing them was higher than the rental revenues that were obtained. During that time, the Shoens had to make all the possible efforts to cut down the expenses as much as they could. For instance, one of the measures that were taken was for the Shoens to relocate to the family farm (“U-Haul”, para.9). Even if they did not have money, they held a belief that they owned a business. Following this determination, Sam went to get a loan from a lumber yard within the locality (“U-Haul” para 9).
Later in time, in the year 1952, there was creation of a financing plan of its own kinds in order to offer capital for expansion in the course of the 1950s. The plan facilitated either individual people or groups to buy at least thirty U-Haul Company trailers (Krueger 48). The owner of the trailer would in turn enter in to agreement with ARCOA Inc. in order to run their trailer fleet in the “U-Haul Trailer Rental System” (“U-Haul” Para 10). and engaged in sharing the revenue. The number of the company’s trailers had increased to forty two thousand and six hundred by the time the year 1959 was coming to a close. This was a very remarkable achievement.
Products
At the present, the U-Haul company has climbed to a very high level and is the first choice of “do-yourself movers”. It is currently having a set of connections of about sixteen thousand sites in all the states in the U.S and in ten provinces of Canada (Hinckley and Robinson 185). The company is the number one option of the customers as the biggest installing company of long-lasting “trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry” (“U-Haul”, Para 10). It engages in the supply of substitute fuel for automobiles as being among the country’s biggest propane retailers (“U-Haul”, para10). U-Haul also offers about 390,000 rooms and over thirty million square feet of storage space at more than a thousand held and controlled facilities all over North America (“Company history” para 11).
Company Policy
In order to ensure there is effective operation and to maintain its high reputation, U-Haul has put in place a number of policies. One of this company’s policies is the “Environmental, Health, and Safety” policy. Under this policy, the company carries out “Environmental, Health, and Safety” operations in a manner that offers a shared framework linking business activities with the systematic “EHS risks management, opportunities and impact” (“Environment, health and Safety Policy”, para 2). The company attains this objective by constantly engaging in the measurement and improvement of the performance.
Conclusion
U-Haul Company is a successful company with a high reputation and has been operation for over a half a decade. The success of the company has been achieved following the determination and hard work that the Shoens have had. U-Haul is currently the e first choice of do-yourself movers. To ensure effective operation, it has put in place policies such as Environmental, Health, and Safety policy under which there is ensuring that there is safety and good health among its employees and also to ensure the environment is protected and this is actually a good attribute.
Works Cited
“Company history.” amerco.com. amarco, 2009. Web. 14 September 2011.
“Environment, health and Safety Policy.” u-haul.com. U-Haul, 2011. Web. 14 September 2011,
Hinckley, Jim and Robinson, Jon G. The book of car culture: The Armchair guide to automotive Americana. New York: MotorBooks International, 2005.
Krueger, Luke. A noble function: how U-Haul moved America. New York: Barricade Books, 2007.
“U-Haul”. u-haul.com. U-Haul, 2011. Web. 14 September 2011.
“U-Haul specifications.” truck-rental-services-review.toptenreviews.com. truck rental services review, 2011. Web. 15 September 2011.
