AIM was officially launched at the Movers & Storers Show in 2013. At launch, it was called the Alliance of Independent Movers, but changed its name 4 years later to the Association of Independent Movers. This was the intention from the start, but to call yourself an Association, there are some legal requirements, and it took time to get everything in place.
AIM, which has always been owned and run entirely by movers was formed with the objectives.
Now, in 2023, AIM is one of only two not-for-profit Trade Associations specifically for the removals industry in the UK, (the other is the British Association of Removers, which has been around for over a hundred years) but there are many groups, clubs, trade bodies, etc that operate on a for-profit basis, which means they have a financial interest in keeping their entry standards low and there is no incentive to spend the membership fees on member benefits.
AIM has a list of criteria that applicants must meet to become members. All members must work to a Code of Practice and are automatically enrolled in an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme, provided by the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO).
We will continue to encourage a high level of professionalism and service standards from our members in the hope that, over time, the public will recognise that removals is more than just manual labour and transport. It is a trade that requires expertise, specific knowledge and skills that are not found elsewhere.