The Work We Do: Beningno Garcia of Jernick Moving & Storage

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My name is Beningno Garcia.

I live in Laurel. I only work local. I’ve been here for five years and a half now. 

I’m the driver and we have three more guys here working, packing and wrapping furniture. They’re going to finish in about another hour. I spend probably three or four hours driving per day. But always local. 

We came here today to pick up a shipment for Florida. So, this customer has two stops. 

Sometimes we move for 10 hours. Sometimes, we just do pick-ups. 

We work like three guys packing the kitchen. The other guys, they wrap furniture. One guy stays in the truck, packing the truck. Sometimes they have to pack very tight, because there’s a lot of stuff.

They have to check every box or [piece of] furniture they tuck in the truck. If something is broken or wrong, we tell the customer.  I write it down and keep track of it.

Sometimes it’s very hard…..bringing like, a heavy dresser in a tiny space. [It’s] fun when sofas, or sleepers, [customers] want upstairs — or heavy pianos.

Yes, I have got closer with my coworkers by working here. My brother works here with me. 

In the winter, sometimes it’s hard, because there’s snow on the ramps. And we have to clean it up first so we’re not slipping. Sometimes the house is too hot with the heat, but we go outside and it’s too cold. I like summer better, I think. 

I like this job because we are, like, moving and doing a lot of exercise. We keep healthy. We don’t feel that the day goes too fast. 

Maybe later I will leave the area. But not for now. 

And I don’t like just staying in one spot. I have to stay moving around.

Oh, and the other movers enjoy it when we get a tip.

“The Work We Do” is a Riverhead News Review multimedia project profiling workers on the North Fork made possible by Peconic Landing.