| Van Lines | Large Local Movers | How is the customer charged? |

Almost all the potential problems and anxieties of local moving apply to long distance moves, only they are often bigger because of the scope of the work. For local moves, your property only has to be on the truck for a couple of hours; with long distance, it's on the road for a few days, sometimes weeks, increasing the potential for damage, delays, loss of time and, obviously, stress. With local moves, you can usually schedule the move any day you want and your property arrives the same day; with long distance, pick up and delivery times are more complicated to schedule and delays are more frequent.

For all these reasons, it is even more essential to select a qualified mover who specializes in long distance work. There are two types of companies you will speak to: either a local (franchised) office of a national van line or a large independent company.

Van Lines.

A van line is a national company with network of local agents. The van line, as a company, establishes certain operating standards, training, coordination of services, etc. for its agents in different states. In some case the agent you solicit is the booking agent, who assigns the job to a different mover or hauler. At other times, the booking agent might be the one to execute the move depending on availability and if the agent has hauling arrangements with the van line.

In general, the quality of van line companies is as good as the quality of the local agent with whom you book the job. Don't assume that you don't have to qualify the mover just because he's affiliated with a van line. Consumer Reports took a poll of customers from 11 major van lines and found nearly 46% reported losses and damages during their move! The Household Goods Carriers' Bureau reported 25% of all moves end up in claims. You are entrusting your property to the hauler, so you should evaluate his qualifications carefully, using the same standards that apply to local movers.

Sometimes city residents pose a special problem for van lines. Many haulers are suburban based and will try to avoid smaller pickups in the City. This can mean more limited availability of pickup times and higher charges.

Large Local Movers.

There can be an advantage to using local movers to execute long distance moves. Many customers also prefer to deal with the mover directly, rather than indirectly through the booking agent. If a customer relied entirely on the Yellow Pages for his information, he or she would assume that every mover was a long-distance specialist.Nothing could be further from the truth! In order for a local mover to do long distance work effectively, he must be large enough and have the financial and the organizational strength to reproduce all the resources of a national van line.

This includes:
Having a fleet of tractor trailers fully equipped with air ride suspension. Training tractor trailer drivers who must be very carefully selected and must complete extensive courses in safe driving practices and proper moving procedures. (For example, drivers are not permitted to drive for more than 10 hours non-stop and must rest at least 8 hours.) Establishing a network of regional agents across the country. Every long distance shipment needs support in the event of breakdowns or a claim. The company must comply with all the proper documentation for the purpose of driving from one state to another;

Establishing a regular, frequent schedule of departure dates to all major destinations. For major moves with a large amount of items you can relocate with the exclusive use of a truck that is loaded, moved and uploaded with the same moving crew. For moving special items or a smaller amount of property, you can join one of our regularly scheduled MoveYou.com trips. Having professional storage facilities. Long distance jobs often go into storage for crating and consolidation, or for long-term storage. It is important to the customer's property that these facilities are clean, secure and well-maintained.

In qualifying local movers to do long-distance work, make sure you get evidence of his capabilities in each of the above areas.

How is the customer charged?

For interstate moves, most companies price their services using a standard set of rates based on weight/size and distance. Then they offer "discounts" - usually 10% - 40% off the standard rates - or special tariffs to encourage business in slower seasons or certain destinations. MoveYou.com offers a LOWEST RATE GUARANTEE on all interstate rates. Usually long distance movers will consolidate different customers' onto one truck. But to calculate your cost, the first customer's goods are loaded and weighted before your goods are put on the truck. Your cost will be the difference between the first weight (the tare) and the combined weight (the gross). You also have the right to see the weight ticket from the station. If you believe the weight of your belongings is too much, you can ask for a second weighting. This is done at no cost to you, unless the second weight is more: in this case you will be responsible for paying the higher rate. (Make sure to figure into the calculation whether the gasoline tank was full or empty.)

You have to be prepared for many extra (or accessorial) charges:
       • Stair charges for each flight.
       • Elevator charges: Are higher than the stair charge, because elevators take longer.
       • Transportation fee: for driving in the city.
       • Excessive distance fee: When your driveway is too small to accommodate the van, the movers have to push your goods the extra distance.
       • Piano fee: Both for moving the piano and for the number of flights it has to be carried.
       • Appliance disconnect/reconnect.
       • Packing/Unpacking charge, etc.

Make sure to ask a representative if any of these surcharges would apply to your move.

| Van Lines | Large Local Movers | How is the customer charged? |