The Man's Message
Established 2003 | "Tetritus fortis sine gym"
Friday, February 06, 2026
Crew of the Weeks
Dynamic duo, Oscar Hoelscher and Imran Basir, take home COTW this issue delivering a quality moving service while doubling as security.
On Time? They were even early! 2nd time I've used Man With A Van and the removalists were never late.
Uniforms? They looked great.
Worked Efficiently? Incredibly efficient, only went slightly over quoted time although this is understandable as there were furniture that needed to be moved to a separate storage unit on the premises.
Overall Comments? The 2 movers, Oscar & Imran, definitely deserve some sort of reward for their hard work and great attitude. There was even a lady who tried to barge into our apartment unit while moving and Oscar handled it excellently.
Nice work you two! Catch Jack Tandy around the depot to collect your well-earned reward.
Milestone Movers
The Man has had a bright start to 2026 with four staff members hitting the 1,000 move milestone. They are now entitled to don the illustrious 1K shirt. Congratulations!
Reinier Owen - #661 The very recent return of a Church Street stalwart has hit the ground running by notching up his one thousandth move. Not a bad return for a week's work.
Jake Joyce - #878 It's taken a touch over 7 years but Jake has finally cracked quadruple digit moves! Now you can wear that 1K shirt without repercussions.
Harrie Weatherall - #1111 Everyone's favourite good vibes mover eased past the thousand move mark so delicately, not even Harrie himself noticed.
Sachin Smith - #1270 Who'd've thunk it? Sachin Smith, that's who.
There are a few movers hovering in the high 900s so expect a few more names to be added to the 1K honour board. And for those playing at home - The reigning King of moves, Raf Okada, is sitting on 3,900 moves. Not long now 'til he transcends hi-definition at 4K.
Movers' Council
The first Movers’ Council meeting is holding their first meeting Friday, 13th 4:15pm - 5:15pm in person & on zoom.
Thanks to everyone who submitted their expressions of interest in helping create an internal staff body to provide a voice and guidance to management on topics including:
- Policy proposals or changes
- EBA stuff
- Training of new staff
- General improvements to MWAV life and depot
- Improvements to our systems and processes
- Guidance on culture, vibe and social events e.g “should the weekly bbq be held out the front of the depot, or on the balcony where the actual bbq is?“, or “what are we doing for the Lifties this year?”
- Anything else
This body would be a key part of creating a more collaborative and consultative process around decisions that affect your daily work life. It would involve key staff members, TWU delegates, workplace health and safety representatives, management representatives and anyone else interested.
Any meeting attendance would be on paid time.
If you like to attend or request more info, please contact Matt Windsor: 69@mwav.org or staff rep Alex Morris: alexandermorris111@gmail.com.
Apology
Last week, a column in this newsletter referred to family and domestic violence moves as "potentially spicy break ups". This was wrong, and should not have been published. Once the error was pointed out, we immediately removed the reference. Family and domestic violence is absolutely a scourge on our society, and Man With A Van takes its responsibility to victim survivors of family and domestic violence extremely seriously.
As the General Manager of Man With A Van, I take responsibility for what was written and offer my sincere apologies to everyone hurt by this reference.
Sincerely, Matt Windsor
Thanks Graeme!
Graeme MacLean has made the decision to hand over his hard hat as Cranbourne's Health & Safety Representative.
His enduring passion for safety and procedure was evident in the way he has represented the Cranbourne depot on the OHS Committee with fastidious diligence since the middle of 2023.
The Man, along with the rest of the OHS Committee, sincerely thank G-Money for all his proactive deeds.
Graeme will still be visible in the trucks and audible on the phone so please shake his hand as you thank him for his service.
So, now we put the call out...
Cranbourne Needs A Hero!
Cranbourne needs a new Health & Safety Representative. If you are passionate about health, safety, and representation then nominate yourself.
Email your nomination to managers@manwithavan.com.au before the DEADLINE: 6pm Friday, 13th November.
If only one person nominates, they will be appointed as the new HSR unopposed but if two or more people nominate, it will be put to a vote. The more the merrier.
Abbotsford Door Dark Age
The motor on the automatic door is not currently operational which sadly means you will have to open & close the door with your hands.
You still need to unlock the door by swiping your fob.
Hopefully, it will be back to fully contactless automation in the next week or so.
Safety Tip
Proactive Help: If your job looks like a "landmine" due to the sheer volume of items or stifling heat, call the office for practical solutions as early as possible.
The earlier you communicate your needs, the easier it is to have them fulfilled. If the call for help doesn't come 'til 4:30pm - 5pm, the most helpful options will most likely have already clocked off for the day.
Straps
New straps have finally arrived!
Thank you to everyone for making do with the less slick stopgap straps whilst we waited on the delivery.
These new straps have the cool MWAV branding we all know and love along with silhouettes of our three truck sizes.
Make sure you load up your truck with 15-20 straps before you head out from the depot in the morning and before you depart each customer's address throughout the day.
Fridge over troubled water
We’ve had a recent uptick in scratched, dinged and bumped fridges, specifically rather unfortunately expensive french-door units. A reminder to please make sure to use as many blankets as necessary to safely secure these fragile giants and avoid potential damage. Don't pack any sharp corners or hard edges against the doors of these units and remember not to over-tighten any straps when securing them for transit.
Tommy's Tales
A terrifying near-miss this issue with one of our team slipping down a staircase tumbling directly into a glass screen door. Thankfully not injured, the team submitted a perfect damage report and jumped straight on the blower with the office to discuss solutions.
An easy enough fix for a glazier to perform, the pane was replaced only a couple of days later leaving the customer glad everything - and everyone - was ok in the end. Be sure to watch your footing when coming down stairs and take things slow and steady when you need to!
The Vibe
A ripper turnout on the vibe this fortnight without only single mediocre review to spoil the bunch. Outside of a minor booking issue, Melbourne has no notes on your moving prowess so keep up the great work team!