If you have moved home or business in recent years, then you must be aware of the stresses and pressures that come with relocation. Well, this stress only increases when you make a long-distance move, which usually is any relocation that covers more than one hundred miles. Long-distance moves require patience, perseverance, and a partnership with a great moving company.
For your information, even with the best movers, there are still some things that you can do on your own to simplify the process. Some industry experts have put together the following 5 tips for simplifying a long-distance move with the aim of getting you ready for your relocation, so that you can have an effortless and enjoyable experience.
Understand The Concept Of ‘First Available Delivery Date
Whenever you have items being transported by a moving company, they are contractually obligated to deliver those items within thirty business days of the first available delivery date. One can define first available delivery date as the first possible day that you’re ready for your belongings to be delivered and thus, the first day that they can be delivered. Moving companies will coordinate their deliveries with the first available delivery date so that no time is wasted during the transportation process.
When the moving companies schedule their deliveries around the first available delivery date, it becomes easy for them to avoid having to wait to deliver a shipment (which costs both you and the moving company money). Once you are able to understand ‘first available delivery date’ you can choose the best possible time and date for your items to arrive, and this will help plan your move more efficiently. You have the freedom to choose your ‘first available delivery date’ accordingly when you need time to prepare your new home before your items arrive. If you want your stuff to arrive precisely when you do, then you should set the date accordingly. Planning a move efficiently can be really helpful in simplifying a long-distance move, which is why it is important to remember to study up on the ‘first available delivery date’.
Understanding The Various Charges Involved
The next step is to understand the various accessorial fees you can and maybe charged during your relocation. Long-distance moves are subject to fees that include stair fees, elevator fees, long carry fees, shuttle fees, storage fees, extra stop fees, and bulky article fees, as compared to the local moves which are charged by labor hours. Going forward, elevator and stair fees apply if the movers must carry items up to eight or more stairs, or if they must use an elevator.
Long carry fees apply when the moving company must carry items further than seventy-five feet when traveling from the unloading or loading destination to the truck. This fee is bound to increase with each additional fifty-foot increment. Shuttle fees, on the other hand, are incurred when the moving company is forced to use a smaller vehicle to transport your items from the truck to the final unload destination (such a situation occurs when the truck cannot fit at or near the final location).
Storage fees and extra stop fees are a result of the moving company having to store your items for any period of time, or from having to unload at multiple destinations. The bulky article fee is specialized and depends on the item, its size, and what tools are required for the transportation of that particular item. Other than that, instead of labor minimum (as with local moves), long-distance moves are charged by the cubic foot or total weight amounts. A better understanding of what you have to pay for on a long-distance move enables you to make a rough calculation of what your move may cost, and you can prepare for any issues that may increase the total price.
Get A Dedicated Truck
Although this is a service that will cost an additional fee, even then it will add a level of convenience to your move that makes it worth the cost. In the moving industry, a dedicated truck is defined as a truck that is used for only one shipment. This offers the exclusivity of having your items travel alone, and the convenience of having the truck makes no other stops or deliveries. Often different shipments are loaded into the same truck in long-distance moves in order to ensure that the moving company can take care of multiple moves on the same trip. But, with a dedicated truck, there is only one shipment transported by at that time.
Because this makes the moving companies lose the opportunity to take on other shipments, they charge more for the dedicated truck service. If you want to have privacy for your items, along with the guarantee that they do not make any other stops before arriving at your location, then you want a dedicated truck. This is the simplest way to get your items from one destination to the other during a long-distance move.
Choose Expedited Delivery
Expedited delivery is used when you want your items to arrive exactly on a specific date. Expedited delivery eliminates the first available delivery date and makes it easy to plan the unpacking process. With this service, you don’t have to wait up to thirty days for your items to arrive, and you get the added benefit of having the same crew who loaded your things, handle the unloading. This is a result of the fact that expedited delivery often requires moving companies to send two crews of the best movers so that they can drive for longer than the twelve hour legal limit.
These two crews should be the same men who handle the loading of the truck, and that familiarity will lead to increased efficiency during the unloading process. It also provides peace of mind that you know who is handling your belongings throughout. Expedited delivery comes at an additional cost, but that is to cover the fact that there is a second crew that the company must pay. When you know exactly when your stuff will arrive, and you know who is handling the unloading, the long-distance move suddenly becomes a lot simpler.
Plan Properly
The most important aspect of move, however, is to plan properly. This gets covered when you hire a reliable moving company like A1A Movers. The goal is to handle the logistics in a way that allows your move to work with maximum efficiency. From picking the perfect date to choosing the right services (like a dedicated truck or expedited delivery) the moving consultant will make sure that the planning and preparation phase of the move is simple and effective.
They will also ensure that you take care of the little things that must be done, including transferring billing information, shutting off or transferring your utilities, notifying all banks, schools, etc., and taking care of discarding unwanted items that will not be making the move with you. Not only will the planning be easy, but with proper preparations, you will save money on your move, and the stress of the transition will be significantly reduced. The best way to simplify a long-distance move is proper planning, therefore, it is important to ensure that you have lots of time to plan and prepare (at least two months).
Now that you have these five tips, your long-distance move will be much more simple and effective. All that’s left is to find a mover that can provide the services you need at a rate that fits your budget.There are many great long-distance moving companies out there, so the key is to get quotes from as many companies as possible. Once you have a potential moving company, verify their licensing and abilities with the Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Transportation. Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to get moving.
A1A Movers & Storage started off as a moving company in Miami, FL back in the year 2010 combining over 25 years of experience across the board in the moving industry. We are committed to serve more than 100 million people locally or cross country and make their lives easier through our services which include:
- Local moving
- Long-distance moving
- Commercial moving
- Expedited moving
- Full packing services
- Flat rate moving
- Storage services
Whether you are moving to your new destination right away, or your move-in date is scheduled for some time in the near future, you can count on our professional movers in Miami to keep your valuables safely organized. Find out more about the services we offer by dialing 877-212-6682. You can also write to us @ [email protected]
