After 25+ years as movers in Orlando and Baltimore,we’ve heard just about every question you can imagine
Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions for both home and business moving that we’ve been asked. We also have a list of common moving terms that you might need to know.
Home Moving Questions
Do I need empty dresser drawers before moving?
Most dresser drawers must be emptied before moving, especially if it contains breakable items. You might be able to leave some lightweight items inside smaller dressers of five drawers or fewer. We typically ask you to empty them for the safety of your furniture, walls, hallways, and stairways.
Will movers unpack any boxes at our destination?
1st Class does offer the additional service of packing and unpacking if you would like it. For your furniture, we wrap and unwrap it for free.
Will the movers disassemble and reassemble my furniture?
We will disassemble basic furniture items, such as bed frames, mirrors on dressers, two-piece china cabinets, table legs, and so on. We’ll reassemble the same items at your destination. Some disassembly might require an extra charge, such as pool tables, exercise equipment, water beds, universal gyms, outdoor swing sets, etc.
Do I have to be present during the loading and unloading process?
We highly recommend that you’re present during the loading and unloading of your belongings. This is so that services are performed in the way you expect. However, we know that can’t always work out. So if you can’t be present, you must have someone who can act on your behalf. That person will need to sign official documents and know about your move, such as the proper placement of your furniture to your new home.
Are there any items that can not be moved in your moving van?
Yes. These items are potentially dangerous, so they are not allowed to go in our vans. They include: tar remover, auto batteries, gasoline, paint and paint thinner, any type of acids, kerosene, bleach, propane tanks (even if they’re empty), naphtha, muriatic acid, oxygen tanks, cleaning fluids, matches, chlorine granules, lighter fluid, ammunition, powder explosives, guns, hair spray, any type of combustibles, solvents, live plants (interstate moving only), household cleansers, deodorant, insecticides, tarnish removers, car cleansers, flammable material.
Can I leave items in my car while it’s being transported?
You should not leave items in your car while it is being shipped. If you leave any items in your car, it will be at your own risk if they get damaged or your vehicle is damaged in any way. In addition, your car should be in running condition (otherwise an additional fee might apply) and it should have no more than ⅛ tank of gas.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept payments in the forms of cashier’s check, money order, cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Credit cards used for payment must be present for imprinting. A personal check might be accepted when moving into our storage facility for no less than 10 days.
What is the difference between Valuation and Insurance?
Valuation is when the mover accepts a higher liability than the standard 30 or 60 cents per pound. The mover agrees to repair or replace any lost or damaged items up to the declared value of your shipment. No insurance policy is issued. Insurance, on the other hand, is a policy that will be purchased from a licensed insurance company specifically for your move. Insurance is normally a lot more expensive than Valuation.
Business Moving
What type of moving cartons will you provide?
The best moving carton for business moving measures between 1.5 and 2.0 cubic feet in volume. Anything larger than that could weigh more than 70 pounds when packed. That can be too heavy for your employees to handle safely during the packing stage. According to the National Safety Council, 75 percent of all workers’ compensation claims nationwide come from back injuries caused by lifting.
How will you handle our computers and electronic equipment?
At 1st Class, we prefer to wrap each computer component in bubble wrap, then place the wrapped equipment on a steel or wooden cart. This will ensure safe transport for your equipment, plus protect it from dust particles. That saves you both time and money.
Will you move my company on a weekend?
Yes. Most business moves happen on weekends or evenings to minimize downtime and keep your business running. And we don’t charge extra for evening or weekend moves.
How will you move our library?
Luckily, the process of moving a library has evolved past the extremely labor-intensive method of creating mountains of boxes that lead to mix-ups and downtime. Now, we can move your books easily using rolling book bins or bookcases on wheels. This procedure will greatly reduce downtime by providing 100 percent access to your books immediately before and after your move.
How will you protect my office building from damage?
Protecting your office building is a major part of your move. We place masonite sheets down the center of the hallway that can protect carpet. We also clamp special pads to doorjambs to protect from anything bumping into them.
Do you provide packing and unpacking services?
Yes we do. We can help pack and unpack files, supplies, books, computers, pictures and wall hangings, and nearly anything else.
What provisions do you have for emergencies, such as a truck breakdown, elevator failure, or the need for additional men or equipment?
Safety is a number one concern at all times. We aim to do everything as safely as possible, but we can’t always predict everything that could happen. So, we have a top level manager accessible at all times during your move, including overnight or on weekends.
What can we do with our old furniture if we’re buying all new furniture for our new offices?
Your old furniture can be sold, donated, given away, recycled, or thrown away, whatever you can do with it. 1st Class can help with all of these situations if you need it.
Will we be permitted to audit your invoices?
Absolutely. There is a small minority of moving companies that bill for “ghost movers” (laborers who didn’t actually perform any services). Not 1st Class. You should always make sure that the company will allow you to examine its payroll and cost records if you deem it necessary to verify all moving charges.
How will you get the furniture in the right place in the new office?
Our on-site PM establishes a labeling system to identify the exact location of each item in your office. Prior to the move, the PM will placard the new office space with floor plans and directional signage to allow the most efficient placement of all items.
Orlando Moving Company Terms
A
Accessorial (Additional) Services: Services such as packing, appliance servicing, unpacking, or piano stair carries that you request to be performed. Charges for these services may be in addition to the line haul charges.
Advanced Charges: Charges for services provided by a professional other than the mover, such as a craftsman or other third-party, at the client’s request. Charges are billed to the mover who in turn, bills the client.
Agent: A local moving company authorized to act on behalf of a larger, national company.
Appliance Service: The preparation of major electrical appliances to make them safe for shipment. Charges for these services may be in addition to the line haul charges.
B
Bill of Lading: The receipt for your goods and the contract for their transportation.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to understand the bill of lading before you sign it. If you do not agree with something on the bill of lading, do not sign it until you are satisfied that it is correct. The bill of lading is an important document. Do not lose or misplace your copy.
Broker: A company that arranges for the truck transportation of cargo belonging to others, utilizing for-hire carriers to provide the actual truck transportation. A broker does not assume responsibility for the cargo and usually does not take possession of the cargo.
C
Carrier: The mover transporting your household goods.
Cash on Delivery (COD): Payment is required at the time of delivery at the destination residence or warehouse.
Commercial Shipper: Any person who is named as the consignor or consignee in a bill of lading contract who is not the owner of the goods being transported but who assumes the responsibility for payment of the transportation and other tariff charges for the account of the beneficial owner of the goods. The beneficial owner of the goods is normally an employee of the consignor and/or consignee. A freight forwarder tendering a shipment to a carrier in furtherance of freight forwarder operations is also a commercial shipper. The Federal government is a government bill of lading shipper, not a commercial shipper.
E
Estimate, Binding: An agreement made in advance with your mover, which guarantees the total cost of the move based upon the quantities and services shown on the estimate.
Estimate, Non-Binding: This is what your mover believes the cost will be, based upon the estimated weight of the shipment and the accessorial services requested. A non-binding estimate is not binding on the mover. The final charges will be based upon the actual weight of your shipment, the services provided, and the tariff provisions in effect. You must be prepared to pay 10 percent more than the estimated charges at delivery.
Expedited Service: An agreement with the mover to perform transportation by a set date in exchange for charges based upon a higher minimum weight.
F
Flight Charge: A charge for carrying items up or down flights of stairs. Charges for these services may be in addition to the line haul charges.
For-Hire Carrier: A trucking company that is paid to transport cargo belonging to others.
Force Majeure: A defense protecting the parties in the event that a part of the contract cannot be performed due to causes which are outside the control of the parties and could not be avoided by exercise of due care.
Freight Forwarder: A company that arranges for truck transportation of cargo belonging to others, utilizing for-hire carriers to provide the actual truck transportation. A freight forwarder assumes responsibility for the cargo from origin to destination and usually takes possession of the cargo at some point during the transportation. Freight forwarders typically assemble and consolidate less-than-truckload shipments into truckload shipments at origin, and disassemble and deliver shipments at destination.
Full Value: Under this option, the mover is liable for the replacement value of lost or damaged goods (as long as it doesn’t exceed the total declared value of the shipment). If you elect to purchase full value protection (FVP), and your mover loses, damages or destroys your articles, your mover must repair, replace with like items, or settle in cash at the current market replacement value, regardless of the age of the lost or damaged item. The minimum declared value of a shipment under this option is $5,000 or $4.00 times the actual total weight (in pounds) of the shipment, whichever is greater.
For example, the minimum declared value for a 4,000-pound (1,814.4-kilogram) shipment would be $16,000. Your mover may offer you FVP with a $250 or $500 deductible, or with no deductible at all. The amount of the deductible will affect the cost of your FVP coverage. The $4.00 per pound minimum valuation rate may be increased annually by your mover based on changes in the household furnishings element of the Consumer Price Index established by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Unless you specifically agree to other arrangements, the mover must assume liability for the entire shipment based upon this option. The approximate cost for FVP is $8.50 for each $1,000 of declared value; however, it may vary by mover. In the example above, the valuation charge for a shipment valued at $16,000 would be $136.00. As noted above, this fee may be adjusted annually by your mover based on changes in the household furnishings element of the Consumer Price Index.
G
Government Bill of Lading Shipper: Any person whose property is transported under the terms and conditions of a government bill of lading issued by any department or agency of the Federal government to the carrier responsible for the transportation of the shipment.
Guaranteed Pickup and Delivery Service: An additional level of service featuring guaranteed dates of service. Your mover will provide reimbursement to you for delays. This premium service is often subject to minimum weight requirements.
H
High Value Article: Items included in a shipment valued at more than $100 per pound ($220 per kilogram). NOTE: These items should be disclosed to the mover to ensure that they are protected accordingly.
Household Goods (when used in connection with transportation): The personal effects or property used, or to be used, in a dwelling, when part of the equipment or supplies of the dwelling. Transportation of the household goods must be arranged and paid for by the individual shipper or by another individual on behalf of the shipper. Household goods includes property moving from a factory or store if purchased with the intent to use in a dwelling and transported at the request of the householder, who also pays the transportation charges.
I
Individual Shipper: Any person who is the consignor or consignee of a household goods shipment identified as such in the bill of lading contract. The individual shipper owns the goods being transported and pays the transportation charges.
Interstate Move: The transportation of goods in the United States from a place in one State to a place in a different State (including a place outside the United States); OR between two places in one State through another State or place outside of the United States.
Intrastate Move: The transportation of goods within one State that never crosses State lines or includes a segment outside of that same State. NOTE: Intrastate moves are NOT regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Please consult State and Local Resources for assistance with intrastate moves.
Inventory: The detailed descriptive list of your household goods showing the number and condition of each item.
L
Line Haul Charges: The charges for the vehicle transportation portion of your move. These charges, if separately stated, apply in addition to the accessorial service charges.
Long Carry: Charge for carrying articles excessive distances between the mover’s vehicle and your residence. Charges for these services may be in addition to the line haul charges.
M
Motor Carrier: A company that provides truck transportation. There are two types of motor carriers: private and for-hire carriers.
O
110 Percent Rule: Movers are required by law to deliver your goods for no more than 10 percent above the price of a non-binding estimate.
Order for Service: A document authorizing a mover to transport an individual shipper’s household goods.
P
Peak Season Rates: Higher line haul charges applicable during the summer months.
Pickup and Delivery Charges: Separate transportation charges applicable for transporting your shipment between the storage-in-transit warehouse and your residence.
Private Carrier: A company that provides truck transportation of its own cargo, usually as part of a business that produces, uses, sells and/or buys the cargo being hauled.
R
Reasonable Dispatch: The performance of transportation on the dates, or during the period, agreed upon by the mover and the individual shipper and shown on the Order For Service/Bill of Lading. For example, if a mover deliberately withholds any shipment from delivery after an individual shipper offers to pay the binding estimate or 110 percent of a non-binding estimate, the mover has not transported the goods with reasonable dispatch. The term “reasonable dispatch” excludes transportation provided under a mover’s tariff provisions requiring guaranteed service dates. The mover will have the defenses of force majeure, i.e., superior or irresistible force, as construed by the courts.
Released Value (Basic Value): This is the most economical protection option available. This no-additional-cost option provides minimal protection. Under this option, the mover assumes liability for no more than 60 cents per pound ($1.32 cents per kilogram), per article. Loss or damage claims are settled based upon the pound (kilogram) weight of the article multiplied by 60 cents per pound ($1.32 cents per kilogram).
For example, if your mover lost or destroyed a 10-pound (4.54-kilogram) stereo component valued at $1,000, your mover would be liable for no more than $6.00. Obviously, you should think carefully before agreeing to such an arrangement. There is no extra charge for this minimal protection, but you must sign a specific statement on the bill of lading agreeing to it.
S
Shuttle Service: Use of a smaller vehicle to provide service to residences that are not accessible to the mover’s normal line haul equipment (large moving vans).
Storage-in-Transit (SIT): The temporary warehouse storage of your shipment pending further transportation, with or without notification to you. If you (or someone representing you) cannot accept delivery on the agreed-upon date or within the agreed-upon time period (for example, because your home is not quite ready to occupy), your mover may place your shipment into SIT without notifying you. In those circumstances, you will be responsible for the added charges for SIT service, as well as the warehouse handling and final delivery charges.
However, your mover also may place your shipment into SIT if your mover was able to make delivery before the agreed-upon date (or before the first day of the agreed-upon delivery period), but you did not concur with early delivery. In those circumstances, your mover must notify you immediately of the SIT, and your mover is fully responsible for redelivery charges, handling charges, and storage charges.
Surface Transportation Board: This agency within the Department of Transportation regulates household goods carrier tariffs among other responsibilities.
T
Tariff: An issuance (in whole or in part) containing rates, rules, regulations, classifications or other provisions related to a motor carrier’s transportation services. The Surface Transportation Board requires that a tariff contain three specific items. First, an accurate description of the services the mover offers to the public. Second, the specific applicable rates (or the basis for calculating the specific applicable rates) and service terms for services offered to the public. Third, the mover’s tariff must be arranged in a way that allows you to determine the exact rate(s) and service terms applicable to your shipment.
V
Valuation: The degree of “worth” of the shipment. The valuation charge compensates the mover for assuming a greater degree of liability than is provided for in its base transportation charges.
All movers are required to assume liability for the value of goods that they transport. Most movers offer two levels of liability—basic and full value. “Basic value” is also referred to as “released value.”
W
Warehouse Handling: A charge may be applicable each time SIT service is provided. Charges for these services may be in addition to the line haul charges. This charge compensates the mover for the physical placement and removal of items within the warehouse.