–Written by Erik Sargent
Of all the things that encapsulate what we stand for at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, perhaps no story fits better than Tyler Whalen’s.
From working on the frontline and climbing his way up to participating in Mary Ellen’s Moving People Forward® Scholarship program and ultimately becoming a successful multi-unit TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchisee, Whalen has been a walking billboard for how this company promotes from within and works hard to move people along in their careers.
“I started with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK fresh out of college and took a driver position to hold me over while I searched for my ideal job in my career field,” said Whalen, who is currently the franchisee of six different locations in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and New Mexico. “I graduated with a degree in agricultural business management, and also agricultural GPS. I guess you could say I really shifted gears when I started working at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK.”
Although he went into that summer driving position expecting it to be just a quick pit stop, Whalen quickly realized there was more to this company than just a paycheck.
During his five years of employment before officially becoming a franchisee, Whalen was able to build a confidence and trust in what the brand has to offer that has carried him to where he is now. He ultimately worked his way up from a driver to the general manager of two different locations, and also enrolled in the Mary Ellen’s Moving People Forward® Scholarship program during this time.
Halfway through the scholarship program, Whalen realized the opportunities that were laid out for him and quickly jumped on the opportunity to take the next step.
“In May of 2015, I became a franchisee with the transfer of the Omaha, Nebraska location,” Whalen said. “I had been the general manager there and had started the scholarship program. When I entered the scholarship program, I had the mindset of becoming a franchisee, but I did not know if that would be through a new start up or a transfer opportunity. Halfway through the scholarship program, the Omaha location became available, and that made more sense to me than a startup so I started pursing the opportunity immediately.”
From that point on, there has been no looking back for Whalen as he continues to expand his franchising footprint within the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK brand.
Initially, despite his experience as a general manager, he said one of the biggest challenges of taking over the job was learning the financial side of the business, but he was quickly able to adapt and understand the necessary components. His favorite parts of the job include making a difference for the almost 300 employees his franchises employ and continuing to find new ways to serve customers.
“We are always looking at what’s the next best thing for our stores to be able to offer customers,” Whalen said. “We currently offer the Value Flex® long-distance moving option at four of our six locations on a large scale. It’s been a fast-paced but fun journey so far as I grow with franchising.”
As Whalen moves forward, his biggest goal remains helping to grow the current franchise group he is part of and work on promoting people into new roles. He mentioned how rewarding it was to recently promote a general manager at one of his locations to a partner, and he looks forward to having the opportunity to do that again in the future.
The journey of franchising with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is something Whalen would recommend to anyone, especially those that have a true love for customer service.
“Most franchise models are proven to be very successful, and I believe TWO MEN AND A TRUCK goes above and beyond their support model,” Whalen said. “We are a brand that focuses on customer service, and a brand that has built a reputation as the staple of the moving industry.”
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.
