The Relocation Blog

Local relocation companies and clients must have good communication in order to traverse the necessary layers of paperwork, organization and professional handling of all the details involved. One category of local relocation contractual obligations are pre notification items.

In essence, “pre notification” items are those details that need to be understood before your actual relocation. Specific details such as the agreement of what items need to be moved locally are covered in your moving contract, as well as delivery times and dates. Pre notifications regarding weighing details are important.

The weight of your shipment is determined by one of a few different methods:
Origin Weighing: If your shipment is weighed in the city or area from which you are moving, the driver is required to weigh the truck on which the shipment is to be transported before coming to your residence. This is called the tare weight. At the time of this first weighing the truck may already be partially loaded with one or more other shipments.
Destination Weighing: The mover is also permitted to determine the weight of your shipment at the destination at the time of unloading. The fact that a shipment is weighed at the destination instead of at the origin will not affect the accuracy of the weight of your shipment.

Pre notifications with weight for your local relocation:

Movers usually have a minimum weight or volume charge for transporting a shipment. Usually the minimum is the charge for transporting a shipment of at least 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms).
If your shipment appears to weigh less than the mover’s minimum weight, the mover is required to advise you on the order for service of the minimum cost before agreeing to transport the shipment. Should the mover fail to advise you of the minimum charges and your shipment is less than the minimum weight, the final charges must be based on the actual weight instead of the minimum weight.

Narrowing down the companies you want to work with is the first step to obtaining your free office relocation estimate. Actually interviewing these companies is an important next step, but one that is necessary in order to weed out those companies that you feel aren’t compatible with your business.

First, it should be very clear that interviewing a company when requesting an office relocation estimate is not rude, it is expected. You would never expect a client to give your business a large contract based on a simple advertisement, and neither would the moving company.

Interviewing Questions for Office Relocation Estimates:

Do you have a Registration Number with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA?) This is also called a USDOT number, or a US Department of Transportation Number. This number may not be required if the relocation company only travels within one state

What are your Rates and Estimates based upon?
Most companies will provide a rate per pound and a distance rate. If the company offers a quote based on cubic feet, you should not hire them. An estimate must be based on weight if you’re moving long-distances, but for short-distances, there may be a some charge a per hour rate.

Do you have Additional Transfers, and when do they apply?
For long distance office relocations, some companies may transfer your belongings from one truck to another. Additional transfers will obviously increase the risk of damage to your items as they are moved, unloaded, loaded, and moved again.

Moving kits are an invaluable resource during a self service office relocation. While you may already have many boxes in your office, those recycled paper boxes will not be able to withstand the strain of a complicated relocation and, most importantly, offer the protection your need for your valuable office items.

Moving kits are a perfect way to gather all of the supplies that you will need to ensure that your office relocation is a success. It is important to be sure you that you have the right moving and packing supplies on hand so that your goods arrive at your new location safely, in the same condition as when you packed them. Also, from a business perspective, having ready moving kits on hand during your hectic office move will decrease the labor necessary during the rushed packing time. Your business’ time is valuable and paying just a bit more for already prepared moving kits can save you and your staff a lot of time and effort during your move. supplies and packing kits can really save you in the end.
Moving Kits can be purchased generically or pre-set for your office relocation. For instance, packing supplies purchased specifically for computers and data equipment will include bubble wrap and specially designed space fillers!

If you are unsure of what kind of moving kit will be necessary for your office move, you can talk to one of our professionals. You can also use a simple moving kit calculator which will choose the number of boxes and supplies that you’ll need depending on the size of your move.

Packing and moving are hard - but moving kits can make it a lot easier.

In the office relocation industry, professionals are used to vying and bidding for office move contracts, but the difficult economy has opened the market up with some very severe consequences.

The sub-prime mortgage crisis has had a detrimental effect on home sales, and therefore relocation and moving revenue. In order to combat the decline in active business, some movers with only household moving experience have thrown their weight into the office relocation arena, with little or no experience with this type of move.

Office relocations are a delicate balance of moving industry experience and business experience, as well as an extensive amount of planning and expertise in order to avoid negatively impacting the very business you are contracted to help. While household movers are professional and capable, the skill set for completing a successful office relocation simply isn’t the same.

Residential and Office Relocations: Not the Same

It is important to remember that, while some companies do offer both household moves and office relocations, (many companies call them “residential relocations and commercial relocations, respectively) they offer these services through different staff that are trained in different procedures to handle these two vastly different types of moves. Both staff may work under the umbrella of the same company, but their experience and training are not the same.

As an example of some of the differences, a residential relocater with no experience in office relocation would not necessarily know how to transport computers safely or protect office building walls, doors, floors, and elevators from being damaged. Classified documents and important data equipment would not be securely transferred in climate controlled moving trailers and networking and cabling by blue prints would not be accomplished.

You have enough to concentrate on during your international relocation without having to wonder if your relocation company is doing it’s job. It doesn’t matter if you are crossing the border to a new country or sailing the oceans to lands far away, the right international relocation company should be there to guide you every step of the way.

A professional international relocation company should provide complete follow-through for all of your moving needs, with confidence born from experience rather than desperate bravado. When undertaking such a complicated venture as international relocation, you need to pick a company with experience within the boarders of your new destination country. Only experienced professionals can ensure that your possessions will arrive, under professional care and direction with top notch communication, no matter what the language may be.

You revel in the adventure. We’ll handle the work.

The crew of your international relocation company needs to provide you with:

Estimates provided within 24 hours with follow up At-Home Estimates scheduled
Packing and loading at your residence into overseas containers
International tracking system to place an immediate trace on your shipment
Customer service 24/7
International crews who specialize in international relocations
Climate-controlled warehouse to protect your possessions from the elements
International information kits to provides comprehensive information on the customs and idiosyncrasies of your destination country
Trained international relocation specialist to complete the necessary customs paperwork
Real time tracking so you always know where your good are

International moves are incredibly exciting times for everyone involved, and you don’t want to spend your days packing and filling out paperwork. Instead, plan some adventures for yourself and your family to get familiar with your new home.

We have often discussed the importance of getting your relocation estimate in writing in order to protect yourself both financially and emotionally, but many consumers do not take that advice and mistaking choose relocation companies who provide a low bid, but no written estimate, no references, and no licenses. Whenever you are requesting a relocation estimate, remember that it must be in writing. If the company will not provide you a written estimate, they are probably using a “hijacking” maneuver, which means that the mover will increase the price of the estimate up after they have your goods loaded, leaving you no choice but to pay if you want your items delivered.

Relocation Estimates: At home inspections and written estimates:
If you have a written estimate done by a representative who came to your house than you have certain legal protections against an out-of-left-field price hike. As long as you do not make any material changes in the contracted move, the relocation company can only collect within a certain percentage of his estimate on delivery. If there are changes and you do own more money, you will not have to pay it on delivery. Many movers will even guarantee their estimate if they come to your home to do a home survey. This is why it is so important to have an in-home inspection for your written estimate.

Over the Phone Relocation Estimates: Never a good idea:
Some very shady relocation companies know that if they give you a written estimate, they will be legally bound within it’s limits. Because of this, they may try to talk you out of having an in-home estimate done. This is a BIG WARNING SIGN that it is a company you do NOT want to work with. Say goodbye, hang up the phone and deal with a reputable company that will send an estimator to your home.

Full disclosure of licenses is one of the most important aspects of any relocation company. When customers are searching the internet and local advertising sources for potential relocation companies, they are invariably bombarded with advertisements by companies both legitimate and not.

Recently, KPTV reported the following:

Police cracked down on movers who are operating without valid licenses in a sting operation on Wednesday. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office teamed up with the Oregon Department of Transportation works to catch illegal movers who are trying to work without having proper certification. Police and ODOT have teamed up for similar sting operations a few times before and each time they find more people trying to conduct moving business illegally. In most cases, the crews advertised their services on Craigslist. A quick record check shows

Look up the relocation company’s reputation!

If you are a consumer researching a relocation company for your moving needs, we urge you to check any potential companies references, licenses and also a Better Business Bureau report on the company itself. Be wary of any company that is brand new. This is a red flag that they operate under a new name every year so that their bad reputation doesn’t catch up to the new business. A relocation company that has many years of business under the same name with a stable BBB record and available references will be your safest choice.

Request a copy of the relocation company’s licenses!

If your potential relocation company does not show you a copy of their up-to-date licenses, walk away immediately. There is no excuse that is satisfactory.

DITY relocations for families in the military is an option that is given to allow for reimbursement or allowances for the cost of relocations to new facilities or bases. Service members who are eligible to move at the government’s expense can utilize the DITY program to minimize their out of pocket costs for moving. The government will cover 95% of the total moving costs for a service member to relocate to a Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Temporary Duty (TDY), or Temporary Additional Duty (TAD). The costs are determined by the member’s maximum authorized weight allowance.

There are four different types of DITY relocations. The first two are:

Rental Equipment: This is, essentially, a Truck Rental. You will do all of the physical work and drive the rented truck or trailer to your new home.
You Load/They Drive: This is a Self-Service Relocation. You will do the physical work, but a professional driver will transport your goods in a commercial moving truck or trailer.

The Third and Fourth DITY relocations are:

Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) - No operating allowance advance on a POV DITY is authorized. You may use your own or a borrowed vehicle. If you are borrowing the vehicle, you must have written permission from the vehicle owner for all POV DITY moves as well as the vehicle registration. The POV must also be a “cargo” type vehicle and not designed for passenger transport. Click here for moving supplies

Move in Connection With a Government-Arranged Mobile Home Shipment - Household products such as heavy appliances and furniture, air conditioners, awnings, etc. are eligible, but must be removed from the mobile home.

The relocation industry has developed a close working relationship with military and government services to provide for relocation packages. Service members who are eligible to move at the government’s expense can utilize the DITY program. The government will cover 95% of the total moving costs for a service member to relocate to a Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Temporary Duty (TDY), or Temporary Additional Duty (TAD). The costs are determined by the member’s maximum authorized weight allowance.

There are four different types of DITY relocations. The first two are:

• Rental Equipment – In this scenario, you will rent truck or trailer and receive an operating allowance advance. Remember that this advance is based on mileage and estimated weight of cargo. Using truck rental services, you will be responsible for the entire relocation. This includes packing your belongings, loading them on the truck rental, driving the truck to your new location, unloading the truck and unpacking all of your goods. You are, essentially, relocating yourself with the services of a truck rental. Any storage at your destination is at your expense, with reimbursement later. Separation orders offer no advance. Click here for truck rental options

• You Load/They Drive – This option is also called a Self-Service relocation. Using this option, you will pack all of your belongings and load them onto a commercial moving van or truck. The relocation company that you have hired for your Self Service Relocation will then drive to your destination. Upon arrival, you will unload and unpack your goods. Remember that the relocation must provide you with an ICC number or State/Federal Regulation numbers and you must request the company to provide weight tickets. Click here for a free Self Service Relocation estimate.

Military life means the continuous hassle of long distance relocations to various bases around the country, and even around the world. Because of this, the stress on families can be overwhelming, so the government developed the DITY Military Moving program. By working with the right relocation company, your DITY Military move can be over quickly and cost effectively.

The DITY program is designed to help service members who are eligible to move at the government’s expense. This program is both cost efficient and even possibly profitable, depending on how well you stick to your budget.

Here is some of the background information on DITY Military Moves:

• The government will cover 95% of the total moving costs for a service member to relocate to a Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Temporary Duty (TDY), or Temporary Additional Duty (TAD). The costs are determined by the member’s maximum authorized weight allowance. Most times, the government will clearly list that relocation costs are available for those who post to or are transferred to a specific job.

• The maximum authorized weight allowance is determined based on the service member’s rank, number of dependents and whether the move is to a Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Temporary Duty (TDY), or Temporary Additional Duty (TAD). In return, the service member is responsible for making all the moving arrangements any additional expenses incurred.

• There is also an incentive if the service member goes about the move in an economical manner. If the move costs are less than the government allowance, the service member gets to keep the extra money!