WHAT MOVING COMPANIES DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW

1. Book An Early Move:

Here’s Why – moving companies like to make sure that their days are nice and full, so they generally book 2 – 3 jobs for the day. They are very rarely late for the first move of the day (well at least the good ones) because there’s not many things that could go wrong before the first move of the day. What generally happens is that the 1st. and/or 2nd. move usually take longer than expected due to things like: unscheduled or over-booked elevators, truck breaking down, movers staff leaving sick or injured, tiredness of workers slowing things down etc.. As a result, it’s the 2nd and 3rd move of the day that are affected. Another good reason to book the early move is that movers show up well rested and ready to work. Catch them on the 2nd or 3rd move and their physical capabilities have diminished. A tired mover means a longer move and more money out of your pocket.

2. Easy Breezy Hours:

Everyone likes to get paid for doing nothing. Movers love it! This is why preparation is key. If you live on a busy street, where parking is a problem, make sure that the first 3 spots in front of the home are available for the moving truck. Put some garbage cans or pylons with a small sign to indicate the spots are reserved for moving; people usually understand. Movers don’t mind enjoying a coffee watching you run from door-to-door for a half hour asking people to move their vehicles. Remember, movers start the clock on arrival. If you’re not prepared, you’re paying!

3. Disassemble Your Furniture:

You really should be paying movers to carry and move the things that you can’t: not for simple time-consuming items like disassembling a bed. Keep in mind, that a half-hour to take a bed apart multiplied by 2 or 3 beds in the household, at a rate of $80/hour, could be an extra cost of $80 – $120. Save time and money by doing as much of the prep. work as possible.

4. If You’re Paying, They Should Be Working:

Everyone requires a break but they should have done something to deserve that break. If you live in a condo or apartment and your movers have shown up to the job and can’t get into the loading area due to someone else occupying the space; they will likely tell you that the clock has started and that the other truck has to move in order for them to begin your move. A paid break already! However, there’s a lot of work that they can do that doesn’t require a loading dock. Have them bring as much of their equipment as possible into the hallway or loading area. If you’re paying, they should utilize the time productively while they wait for delays to be overcome.

5. Get An On-Site Quote:

Moving companies would rather give you a general quote over the phone or on-line because:

• Without a written quote the bill can run as high as the sky
• They’re just plain lazy
• They don’t want to spend the gas and pay employees to travel on-site to provide a free estimate

Suffice it to say, that good reputable moving companies will always offer to provide a free on-site estimate. Remember to get at least 2 or 3 estimates before you choose the mover.

6. Check The Company’s Credentials:

Keep in mind that you are entrusting your family’s personal belongings to complete strangers: make sure that you take a moment to check that the company you decide to work with has:

• an established track record
• good reviews
• is part of a professional association

CAM – Canadian Association of Movers – https://mover.net
BBB – Better Business Bureau – https://mwco.bbb.org/

• not had an unusual number of complaints registered against them.

– Remember with most businesses, the longer they have been established the more likely they are to have some type of complaint registered; while a new company may not have any complaints. Just make sure that there aren’t too many given their history.

See our Helpful Contacts & References section for additional ways to check your moving company.