Loading up the truck and heading to Phoenix

Phoenix ranked ninth as a U.S. Destination City on the U-Haul migration trends report.  

“There’s a lot of independent businesses out here. It’s a great place to come and start a business. It’s a great place to have a business,” said Whitney Beall, U-Haul Company of Metro Phoenix and the East Valley president.

In addition, Beall explained that people are drawn to Arizona’s sunny weather and outdoor activities.

Employment in Arizona is expected to increase by more than 165,000 jobs over a two-year period, according to the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity.

“Being that we have a lot more people migrating in, we also have a lot more businesses opening up and a lot more companies that are bringing their business here, as well. For that specific reason, we have plenty of people that are moving in to get jobs,” Beall explained.

Earlier this year, Governor Doug Ducey signed House Bill 2569 into law.

The bill allows those with an out-of-state occupational license or certificate in good standing for at least one year to obtain an equivalent license in Arizona without taking an exam.

“That’s a tremendous bill,” Beall said. “Giving everybody an opportunity when they come in and they don’t have to wait around for a job or go through the re-licensing, re-certifications. They can jump right in. Honestly, I would expect it to grow even more.”

Phoenix jumped four spots since last year’s report. With the projected job growth and occupational licensing bill, Phoenix may continue to grow as a U-Haul Destination City.

U-Haul releases the U.S. Destination Cities Report every May leading up to Memorial Day.

“We try to center our summer moving reports around the major holidays that kind of mark the beginning of moving season,” said Jeff Lockridge, U-Haul International media and public relations manager.

The report ranks the top destination cities by tracking the total number of one-way trucks arriving at a destination.