Vacations Blog

Occasionally, moves bring us hundreds of miles away from home – to new states, nations or continents. Creating a detailed inventory of personal effects can significantly reduce the strain and cost of this type of unexpected relocation.

Maybe, neither you nor your family had much experience in moving long distance. Perhaps you don’t know too much about the moving business procedures and what is ultimately bad is that not knowing enough could make you pay hundreds of dollars for moving long distance. This is why it is imperative that you close the gap in that knowledge and fully comprehend your right and responsibilities under the law – the same law that governs the moving industry.

Intrastate Moves

Within the moving business, customer relocations are categorized in these groups: Intrastate Relocations – moving without leaving the state. To summarize, the company which moves you doesn’t have to transport your belongings across state lines. For example a move from Miami, Florida to Orlando Florida is considered an intrastate move.

Interstate Relocations

Interstate Moves – relocating across state lines regardless of how a few miles there are between points. Even though a move from Hoboken, NJ to Queens, NY is only a matter of miles, this is still considered an interstate move.

International Relocations

Finally, these moves are the ones that cross country boundaries. For example, a San Diego, California to Tijuana Mexico is considered an international move.

In this article, we’ll focus on some shady moving practices done by long distance moving companies when they engage in an interstate move. Most people are told that the price to relocate their belongings from State 1 to State 2 is based by the pound on the weight of the moving truck. In other words, the heavier your move, the more costly it would be.

Moving Weight Standard:

For your long distance move, if a mover offers a non-binding moving estimate, then charges will be based on the actual weight of your shipment. By law, the mover may not add transportation charges based on cubic feet, hourly rates, or anything else like that other than weight alone to compile your shipment charges. Your belongings are supposed to be weighed by the mover on a state certified scale and a copy of the weight master ticket is supposed to be given as part of final papers to settle the moving transaction.

Moving truck weight is calculated by weighing the truck before loading and after loading – the difference is what you pay for.

The weight readings can also be taken by the moving companies at the destination of the shipment. The driver will take the weight of your truck with your shipment on it and take the weight again without your shipment.

Unscrupulous movers purposely neglect to tell you that as a customer, you have the right to be present at the weight station to watch the procedure and consequently, customers end up spending much more than their fair share.

It’s beneficial to know that these weights reflect the real weight of what you are moving.

Make sure:

1. wheels, implements, bedding, carts, dollies and the like all make up the first and last weigh-in. What you want to avoid is having items that were not part of the first weight to be weighed in as part of the final shipment, adding someone else’s weight to your shipment.

2. the diesel the truck has is same before and after the weight process. Full fuel tank on the initial reading must be done the same at the final reading. If the reading was done on an empty fuel tank, you don’t want to pay for additional weight of a full fuel tank. You must expect the reading to be done consistent so that you can gauge the true weight of your belongings.

3. you attend weigh-in stations at the beginning and end of the trip. By law, a reputable moving company should welcome such initiative from consumers.

Dishonest moving companies might take advantages of this variation in weight and considering the fact that you are not around. These readings do render an opportunity for unscrupulous movers to “slide in” more than it’s considered fair charges. Even a shady mover would rethink its strategy to over charge you because it seems like you’ve done your homework.

If you think there is a discrepancy in your original weight, you can have the mover re-weight the load before the truck is emptied. The moving company may not charge you for this re-weight; however, the final charges will be assessed based on this new reading.

You have the power to witness the action for each time your cargo is weighed. If you insist upon having the item re-weighed, then you have to waive the right to watch them re-weight it in writing.

Moreover, it isn’t necessary for all moves to be subjected to a weigh-in. There are difficulties associated with binding and non-binding estimates, as binding estimates tend to be more rigid than the alternative and they do not carry the requirement of estimating the weight of the shipment, itself.

Finally, any shipment under 3,000 pounds is not required to be weighed at a state certified weigh station, and may instead be weighed on a certified warehouse scale.

Making yourself available for these readings and learning how the moving industry operates can help you avoid any moving headaches and unnecessary over charges.