How Do I Choose The Type Of Long Distance Mover For Me? Part One

Posted by & filed under Long-Distance Moving, Moving Estimates.

As with so many other things these days, consumer choices for moving are almost endless. When you’re moving across country, there are the big name brand movers, there are local movers, there are containers that you pack and others move, there are moving storage containers and of course, you can always rent a truck. All of these options have their advantages and depending on your needs, any one of these could be the solution for you.

First off, let’s start with the big guys. The pioneer in long-distance moving is still around. They are a company called American Red Ball. They started out in 1919 and used horses and wagons.

Fast forward a century and while the act of loading a vehicle and unloading it hasn’t really changed, the types of vehicles has.

American Red Ball is still around, but a handful of other companies seem to dominate the market, at least it seems that their blue trucks or orange trucks dominate the nation’s highways.

At first blush, the big named van lines might seem the way to go. They have history so they must be reliable, right? Well, it’s not that simple. When you contract with one of the big guys, you are typically contracting with two companies if not three. There is the company who will pack you and send your items to a warehouse. There is the company that will move your goods across country and there is the company that will deliver your goods. Occasionally and especially if your shipment is big and you are flexible on your move out date, one company will do all of that, but if you need a precise move out date and your load isn’t all that big, you will be dealing with at least two relatively independent companies. That’s not to say this is necessarily bad, but when shopping for a mover, check the credentials and reviews of not just the major van line, but of the company that’s picking you up as well.

Van lines could have hidden costs. If you need your goods to be stored while you wait to move in, you could end up paying a lot — often more than with independent movers and storage companies. Van lines also tend to be less flexible with shuttles. Meaning, if you live in a place that’s not accessible by a tractor trailer, you might have to pay a shuttle fee. That means a smaller truck may have to pickup and/or deliver your goods. If that’s the case, you’ll have to pay for the labor involved in transferring your goods to and from the large truck as well as for the truck.

Still, there are many very reliable companies that carry the name of one of the major van lines. Don’t rely just on their name, though. As always, do your due diligence and perhaps consider shopping for other types of moving solutions as well.

Not all companies that have the words “van line” in their name is actually a van line. Many are independent movers and many don’t even provide the moving services. Next week, we’ll talk about independent movers.

Featured image via Pixabay.

Part Two: How Do I Choose The Type Of Long Distance Mover For Me — Independent Movers

Why Is My Moving Bill So Hard To Understand?

Posted by & filed under Moving Estimates, News.

A truck, some strong movers and some packing materials. That’s all moving is, right? If that’s the case, then why is my moving bill so hard to understand?

It’s not your imagination. Moving is a rather simple process, but the pricing can be very confusing. In California, all licensed moving companies must adhere to a schedule of charges. These can be based on the guidelines of the big van line companies or companies can design their own pricing structure. As long as it’s approved by the California and national licensing boards, the structure will be legal.

For interstate moves, there are typically two ways of charging. One is by weight and the other by volume. Both have their benefits and problems.

Most (but not all) large interstate moving companies charge by weight x miles + packing. Many smaller companies follow this pricing structure as well, but many charge by volume (cubic feet) x miles + packing. So, what’s the difference and which way of pricing is more honest?

Regardless of pricing structure, there are ways for disreputable moving companies to rip you off. When movers charge by weight, they are supposed to offer you a weight ticket that shows the weight before loading the truck and after loading the truck. While this does seem clear cut, there are ways to game that system too, such as include other goods or fill up the gas tank before the second weigh in. Believe it or not, that can add hundreds of pounds and hundreds of dollars.

Dishonest companies can also rip you off when they charge by volume. In some ways, you need to take their words for it and just assume the space used is logged correctly and that the truck is loaded correctly.

In other words, if a company is out to rip you off, they will do it, regardless of their pricing structure.

Interstate moves should only be charged by the hour if the destination is close. The advantage there is you generally have next day delivery, whereas if you are sharing space (usually a significant cost savings), delivery could take days or sometimes weeks.

Regardless of how moving companies ultimately charge, they all estimate by volume.

Wait, what?

Estimating a move isn’t rocket science. All but the most old school moving estimators come prepared with what’s called a “cube sheet.” Sometimes the cube sheet is a literal piece of paper, sometimes it’s built into software, but it is a standard list of items with standard cubic feet of each. It’s your inventory list and it’s important. An average sofa, for example, is 50 cubic feet. When companies charge by weight, they just take the entire cubic footage and multiply it by seven. In other words, that same sofa should weigh around 350 pounds. Believe it or not, the calculations are typically quite accurate. Honestly, this is something most people could do for themselves, but we don’t recommend it in most cases simply because moving estimates should be at no cost to you and you want to make sure the mover has the full scope the job.

Many movers guarantee their pricing and while that’s a good thing, even the weight-based movers are charging based on that cube sheet. You should receive a copy of the cube sheet which allows you to verify that the estimator recorded everything. If they didn’t, notify them and they will adjust the pricing. Guaranteed prices are based only on what is on the cube sheet. You will pay for any additional items.

 

Next week we’ll talk about how ensure that your mover is honest.

 

Image via Brad Montgomery/Flickr.com.