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.
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