Why Movers Should Switch to Barcode Labels

So, the summer moving season has begun.

And I can easily imagine my fellow movers quietly cursing while peeling colored tags off shirts and pants.

The act itself — finding and removing the tags — is harmless enough. But the real frustration? That comes during inventory checks, with mix-ups and shortages.

That’s where arguments start. That’s where insurance claims are born.

The Problem with Colored Tags

Colored tags have served the moving industry faithfully for over a century. And chances are, they’ll stick around for a while longer.

But today, let’s talk about a modern alternative: individual barcode labels, a product of the digital age. We’ll walk through the advantages of using barcode labels — and explore why, despite their clear benefits, adoption across the industry has been surprisingly slow.

What Are the Benefits of Barcode Labels?

1. Strong Adhesion

Barcode labels stick to almost any surface — moving pads, shrink wrap, cardboard, even dusty furniture. Ironically, traditional tags were praised for the opposite: they didn’t stick too well, which made them easy to remove without damage. Back in the day, we’d place tags directly on polished furniture.

2. Unlimited, Organized Numbering

Tags come in rolls of 200 or 500. Run out in the middle of a job? You switch rolls. The issue is, partially used rolls often get reused, so a job might start at tag #137 — not #1. That creates confusion in your inventory.

With printed barcode labels, you can generate exactly the quantity you need. The numbers are sequential and visible, so spotting duplicates or skipped numbers becomes simple. Writing numbers by hand with a marker? That invites mistakes — especially after long hours on the job.

3. Brings Order to Chaos

Barcode labels introduce structure to moving jobs. You can break a large move into clear, trackable steps.

Here’s a simple example:

• The crew receives a batch of labels and paperwork.
• Instruction: Stick one label on every box.
• Leftover labels? Place them on the inventory sheet — or hand them to the warehouse manager.

This creates accountability and a satisfying sense of completion.

4. Better Customer Involvement

Even customers can take part in the process:

“Make sure every box has a label — otherwise, it might never reach your new home.”

It works. It gets their attention. It makes them care.

5. Smoother Warehouse Receiving

Once the shipment arrives at the warehouse, responsibility shifts to the warehouse manager.

Now they’re motivated to check that:

• Every listed item has arrived.
• Each item clearly belongs to this shipment.

If the labels display the client’s name, job number, and route, errors become much less likely. But the most reliable method? Scanning the barcodes.

What About the Tech?

In the past, scanning barcodes required expensive warehouse systems — which discouraged movers from adopting the tech.

But that’s changed.

Now, there’s Voxme’s Bingo Portal: bingo.voxme.com. For just $300 per year, you get:

• Label printing via a Zebra printer.
• Access to the digital Bingo app for scanning and tracking job completeness.

Let’s Talk Costs

• A Zebra printer lasts about 10 years. Even at $1,000, that’s only $100 per year.
• Labels cost about $1 per hundred.
• That puts the average label cost at about $3 per move — usually less than 1% of the job’s revenue.

In return, you get:

• Peace of mind.
• Protection from mix-ups.
• Insurance claim prevention that could save you thousands.

Bonus: Setup and Branding — Free

We’ll help you get started — free of charge:

• We connect as many printers as you need to your company’s account.
• Your company logo appears on each label — also free.

This isn’t just about branding — it’s about marketing.

Most customers forget who moved them a week later. But a logo on the label? It’ll still be there on that unopened guest room box. And when that box gets reused — passed to a friend or relative for their own move — your brand keeps traveling.