085 | Back from Italy, Into the Fire: Military Moves, Market Shifts & What’s Next

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After his first-ever June vacation in 35 years, Dan Lammers returns from a two-week Italian adventure—only to dive straight into peak season chaos, major industry shakeups, and global uncertainty. In this episode, Dan shares personal reflections from the hills of Tuscany to the roundabouts of Florence, before pivoting to the pressing news rocking the moving world: the Department of Defense has pulled the plug on the Global Household Goods Contract.

Dan doesn’t hold back as he breaks down what this means for service members, service providers, and the future of the relocation industry. With his signature mix of straight talk, humor, and real-world insight, this is a must-listen episode for anyone connected to moving, logistics, or military life.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

• Why Dan took a June vacation (and why it might be his last)
• Driving in Italy: beep-happy rental cars and fearless roundabouts
• What led to the DoD contract collapse—and why it matters
• ACE’s crystal ball: how booking trends from April to June show what’s ahead
• Industry opportunities in the wake of failure—and how to seize them
• Thoughts on American pride, military families, and working through stress
• Plus: TV recs from Dan (yes, he finally watched The Morning Show)

🧭 Chapters

00:00 – Intro: Back from Italy, peak season at ACE 
01:15 – Vacation overview: Tuscany, Pisa, Lake Como 
03:15 – Driving in Europe: chaos, roundabouts & sensors 
05:09 – Guilt over being gone during June 
06:21 – Awe of historic architecture & Roman history 
07:04 – Why they skipped Rome (heat + chaos) 
07:26 – Major events while abroad: LA riots, Iran-Israel tensions 
08:39 – Being American in Europe: no hate, lots of English 
09:19 – Big industry news: DoD terminates global HHG contract 
10:35 – Why HomeSafe Alliance failed 
12:13 – Return to legacy military moving program 
13:14 – Supporting service members through transition 
14:24 – Daughter's June move (again!) with Golden Van Lines 
15:29 – Crystal ball time: demand growth from April to June 
18:33 – Managing 4M lbs of shipments: the summer squeeze 
20:24 – Last-minute orders & consumer behavior shift 
21:15 – Forecast: busy into August, hope for Sept/Oct 
22:35 – 2025 vs. past years: a longer, more intense summer? 
23:15 – Stress across teams, but optimism remains 
23:56 – Quote from *Landman* + TV show recs 
25:35 – Reflections on COVID-era decision making 
25:52 – Closing: pride, purpose & arrivederci!

Subscribe to Ace Relocation Nation — hosted by Dan Lammers — the #1 travel podcast in the moving and storage industry.

📦 Let’s move some weight—and do it right.

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