Policyholder Spotlight: Baton Rouge Cargo and Moore Care

Baton Rouge Cargo is a transportation company that delivers large or bulky items to homes and businesses. “We deliver and unpackage things for people right in their home or business,” explained Rinaudo. Baton Rouge Cargo has Louisiana locations in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, New Orleans, and Shreveport, as well as locations in Jackson, Mississippi, and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Rinaudo emphasized that lifting injuries are the primary safety hazard for Baton Rouge Cargo employees. “Our guys are getting in and out of big trucks, operating heavy machinery, and lifting awkward items. We really have to keep safety front and center for those employees, and I think we do that well.”

The Company holds weekly safety meetings and employee training, highlighting key risk factors and reminding workers of basic safety precautions with lifting and moving large items.

Rinaudo said that lifting injuries are also the top safety hazard for Moore Care, the in-home personal care company he runs with his wife. “Our employees often care for people who can’t move around well independently for different reasons. If a patient is dead weight, it’s on you and your back to move that person.” Rinaudo said that Moore Care requires comprehensive initial training for all employees, followed by eight hours of additional safety training annually. The Company also provides safety tools like harnesses and transfer slings.

Safety and business challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic affected both of Rinaudo’s companies a few years ago. With Baton Rouge Cargo, “we stopped sending people into other people’s homes to do deliveries for a while. We took a major revenue hit because of that and ran fewer hours, but we never laid anyone off.”

Moore Care was declared an essential business during the pandemic, “so we couldn’t just stop those services.” Rinaudo said the challenge with that company was developing risk mitigation protocols to keep employees and their patients safe, but, in the end, the Company still lost revenue in the pandemic because “many people understandably just didn’t want outside people in their home.”

In 2021, his family had the opportunity to use Moore Care’s services. “When my dad was sick, we learned firsthand how exhausting it can be to take on a very high level of care for a loved one who is ill,” shared Rinaudo. “My wife and I were able to offer our business to help our family care for my dad, and it made a huge difference for us. We realized in a deeper way how important the work we do at Moore Care really is for patients and families.”

When you’re focusing on running two businesses—especially businesses that provide services that involve manual labor—“you have to have a sound foundation in place,” said Rinaudo.

“For something like insurance, you need a responsive and educated agent, and you need a company you know will be there, be competent, and take care of you when you need to use it. LUBA delivers that for policyholders, and I’ve seen that across the board using them for both of these companies.”

In 2024, Rinaudo said life and business are both continuing to grow into new territory. “We are continuing to look ahead with my business partners at expanding both of our companies in various ways. And my wife and I are about to be empty nesters with our youngest daughter graduating from high school this year. We are looking forward to traveling to visit our three girls as they build their own lives outside of our home.”