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Moving Terminology

A
Accessorial Services (also: Additional Services): These extra moving services your mover may offer include the packing and unpacking of goods, stopping over at particular destinations, etc. Use of these services will typically result in additional charges.

Agent: An agent is a moving company representative that is authorized to act on its behalf at the point of origination or destination.

Air Waybill: This document serves both as a cargo receipt and as a contract for cargo transportation. It is signed by both the customer and the air carrier.

American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA): An organized association of moving companies which serves to promote the transportation industry's common interests and goals.

B
Bill of Lading: The receipt of the customer's goods that additionally functions as the contract between the customer and the mover.

Binding / Non-Binding Estimate: A binding estimate, as the name suggests, is a total statement of the costs you are required to pay; it includes both the order for service and the bill of lading. The estimated price is based on the services your mover is required to perform during the moving process. Even a binding estimate can increase if the customer requests additional services, if the number of items to be moved is more than the customer stated, or if the distance to be moved is greater than expected.

Non-Binding: A non-binding estimate is an approximation of moving costs that a mover may offer to customer based on that mover's previous work on similar moving jobs. Non-binding estimates will most likely change during the course of the move.

C
Carrier: The particular mover who is in charge of the transportation of one's property.

Claim: A report specifying those customer items which were lost or which sustained damages while in the possession of a mover or one of the mover's affiliated agents.

C.O.D. (Cash on Delivery): Indicates the payment required upon final delivery of a customer's goods at a particular destination. You should determine in advance the nature of the payment: whether in cash, credit or check.

Cost of Move: Hourly rates or weight rates are usually used by movers to calculate moving costs. Location and distance are also major factors in figuring the cost of moving. Local and short distance moves are normally billed by the hour, while long distance moves are charged according to cargo weight rates. Insurance fees and extra charges are usually not included in the price of the move.

D
Department of Transportation: A federal agency which oversees transportation of goods or items from one state to another.

Depreciation: The decline of property value.

Door-to-Door Service: Services provided from the point of origin to the point of destination. Warehouse handling and storage-in-transit are some of the charges that are not included in Door-to-Door moving service.

Door-to-Port Service: All services provided between the cargo's departure point and its arrival point, by either ship or plane. Storage-in-transit, custom duties, warehouse handling, etc. are certain extra services and charges that are not typically included with door-to-port service.

E
Expedited service: If you would like to have your belongings delivered on a date specified in advance, you can enjoy this service for an extra charge.

F
Flight Charge: Requiring movers to go up or down flights of stairs at the point of origin or point of destination, will result in this additional incurred cost.

Freight: Items that are to be shipped or transported.

Full Service Mover: This type of mover takes care of the entire move, including unloading, hauling, packing and loading.

G
Guaranteed Pickup and Delivery Service: This is a 1st-class moving service, where item pickup and item delivery dates are decided upon in advance, and backed with a guarantee of service on these dates. In case of any delays, the customer will receive monetary compensation. There is generally a minimum weight required for this service.

H
Hauler: This is the person who operates the van or moves the goods in his own vehicle.

Homeowner's Insurance Policy: Coverage against loss or damage of a home and its contents for a residence. It may also provide some coverage for household goods during the moving process.

Household Goods: Items belonging to the resident(s) of a home, which are found and used there.

I
Interstate Move: Moving from one state to another.

Intrastate Move: A move which occurs within the boundaries of a state. Normally, the distance exceeds 40 miles (64 km(.

Inventory: A comprehensive list of the items you plan to ship, documenting the quantity and condition of each of the items. The customer should approve the inventory before the moving van is loaded; keep the inventory with the bill of lading. A thorough inventory is useful when a customer is forced to file a claim for damages sustained to his or her property during transit.

L
License: A license allows a mover to perform local, intrastate, and interstate moves. Licensed movers do cost more, but they are required to uphold standards for insurance, fees, and safety that unlicensed movers are not necessarily obligated to.

Local Move: This is a move that takes within the state's borders, generally not exceeding 40 miles (64 km) from origin to destination. Usually, hourly rates apply for local moves.

N
Non-Allowables (Prohibited Items): These are items that cannot be accepted for shipment; typically these items are easily damaged/ruined during transit, or pose safety hazards. Perishables (food or plants), and flammable/corrosive/explosive materials (chemicals and/or pesticides) are typical examples of Non-Allowables. Moreover, most movers generally won't ship valuable items or items of sentimental value, and won't assume responsibility if they are packed without the movers' knowledge.

O
Order for service: The order for service lays out the various specifications for a move, from the services your mover is hired to carry out, to pick-up and delivery dates and cost estimates, and is the first document your mover should provide you with. While it is not considered a contract, both the mover and the customer must add their signatures to the order for service before the customer's belongings are picked-up or moved to their destination.

Overflow: When a moving van cannot accommodate all the articles of the move. The remaining items are thus carried by a second van.

P
Packing Service: A premium packing and unpacking service typically offered with full-service moving.

Peak Season Rates: Premium rates charged during the busiest months of the year for moving services. You can expect to pay more during the summer.

Permanent Storage: The storage of items for an undetermined time period. Permanent storage begins after the initial storage-in-transit period.

R
Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move: This helpful booklet published by the Federal Motor Carrier and Safety Administration (FMCSA) provides important information about interstate moves.

S
Self-Service Mover: With self-service moving, the customers pack their belongings into a truck, and a driver transports them to the required destination. When your belongings arrive at your new home or business, you unload the vehicle and unpack the cargo; the mover then picks the vehicle up when it is empty.

Shuttle Service: The use of a smaller, additional moving vehicle used to transport goods from a location which a larger moving vehicle is unable reach.

Storage-in-Transit: You may be required to move before your new home is ready. The storage-in-transit option is used when customers’ belongings are kept in temporary storage areas until they can be delivered to a permanent address. A local storage area or a facility, operated by your local moving company or a local warehouse, is typically used for storing the valuables. When the goods are first placed in storage, the customer is required to comply with the mover's rates, terms and conditions, as specified and agreed upon in the bill of lading. When the initial storage period is over, the items move into permanent storage, and the customer must follow the rules and regulations of the warehouse.

T
Tariff: This is the official price list provided by the mover, which specifies all possible charges that can be incurred for interstate moving services.

V
Valuation: Instead of insurance, moving companies offer valuation. Valuation, as determined in the bill of lading, is the liability offered by your movers for moving your belongings. Valuation doesn't always cover the items, so additional insurance is usually recommended.
You can select from three different types of valuation. When determining your level of valuation, take into account both the value of the items to be transported, as well as the mode of transportation you opt for.

1. Declared Value: Valuation based upon the gross weight of goods to be transported. Appropriate reimbursement will be calculated using estimates of the depreciated value of the damaged property.

2. Assessed Value or Lump Sum Value: Suggested if you are moving a priceless or highly valuable item or items.

3. Full Value Protection: Customer is reimbursed for any and all damaged or lost goods.

Terms and conditions of valuation should be explicitly specified in the bill of lading, no matter which type is agreed upon.

W
Warehouse Handling: If you request storage-in-transit service, the additional services provided by the mover are covered by warehouse handling fees.