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Moving Terminology

A
Accessorial (Additional) Services: Services such as packing, unpacking, additional stopover that a mover is required to perform. Additional fees will be charged for these supplemental services.

Agent: A local moving company, affiliated with a national company and authorized to operate on its behalf at the point of origin or destination.

Air Waybill: A document signed between a customer and an air carrier, serving both as a receipt for cargo and as a contract for its transportation.

American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA): An organization of moving companies, designed to promote the common interests of the transportation industry.

B
Bill of Lading: The contract between the mover and the customer, which also serves as a receipt of the customer's goods.

Binding / Non-Binding Estimate:
Binding: Combining the bill of lading and the order service, a binding estimate stipulates in advance the exact cost of your expected move. This price is based on the services your mover is required to provide during the relocation process. If additional services are required in the course of the move, or if the number of items to be moved or the distance to be traveled both exceed the original figures provided by the customer, the agreed upon cost will change accordingly, regardless of its binding nature.
Non-Binding: A cost estimate provided by the mover, based on his past experience with similar moving jobs. Non-binding estimates are liable to change.

C
Carrier: The mover responsible for the transportation of one's belongings.

Claim: Reporting loss or damage inflicted on a customer's property while in the care or custody of a mover or one of his affiliated agents.

C.O.D (Cash on Delivery): Payment required upon delivery to the final destination or the warehouse. The nature of the payment – cash, credit or check – should be determined in advance.

Cost of Move: Movers usually calculate moving costs by hourly rates or weight rates. Additional crucial factors which determine the total cost of the move are distance and location. Whereas hourly rates usually apply to local or short moves, weight rates are used for long distance moves. The cost of the move does not include additional expenses such as extra charges or insurance fees.

D
Department of Transportation: The federal agency in charge of the interstate transportation industry.

Depreciation: When the value of a property is diminished.

Door-to-Door Service: Services rendered from the origin to the destination places of residence, respectively. Door-to-Door service does not include such additional charges and services as warehouse handling, storage-in-transit, etc.

Door-to-Port Service: Services rendered from the place of residence at the point of origin to arrival of the cargo at the destination city, either by sea or air. Door-to-Port service does not include such additional charges and services as storage-in-transit, customs duties, warehouse handling, etc.

E
Expedited Service: For an additional cost, the customer can arrange with his mover to have his or her belongings delivered on a predetermined date.

F
Flight Charge: An additional cost charged by the mover for carrying a customer's belongings up and down flights of stairs, either at the point of origin or at the final destination.

Freight: Items intended for shipment or transportation.

Full Service Mover: The full service mover basically takes care of every aspect of the move, i.e. packing, loading, hauling and unloading.

G
Guaranteed Pickup and Delivery Service: A first-class service provided by the mover, in which both pickup and delivery dates are determined and guaranteed in advance. Should any setbacks occur, the customer is reimbursed by the mover accordingly. This special service usually has minimum weight requirements.

H
Hauler: The van operator or agent that transports the goods by means of his or her own equipment.

Homeowner's Insurance Policy: A residential insurance policy covering the house and all it contains. May also partially cover household goods while in transit.

Household Goods: Personal belongings found and used in a place of residence.

I
Interstate Move: A move that traverses a state line.

Intrastate Move: Any move which does not traverse a state line. Usually exceeding 40 miles (64 km).

Inventory: A detailed list, specifying the condition and quantity of each of the items intended for shipment. The inventory should be attached to the bill of lading, and should be approved by the customer before any of the items are loaded onto the moving van. A detailed inventory can come in handy if a customer is compelled to file a claim for damages inflicted upon his or her property while in transit.

L
License: To carry out local, intrastate and interstate moves, movers must be licensed by the proper official authorities. While unlicensed movers may offer less expensive services, they do not comply with the same safety, insurance and financial standards upheld by licensed movers. For moves within New York, moving companies should be licensed by the New York State Department of Transportation. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) licenses NYC movers to operate across state lines.

Local Move: A move carried out within state boundaries, usually not exceeding a distance of 100 miles (160 km). Local moves are usually charged by hourly rates.

N
Non-Allowables (Prohibited Items): There are some items that are not accepted for shipment. These include flammable, corrosive or explosive items (such as chemicals and pesticides), and perishables (food and plants) which may be ruined in transit. In addition, movers refuse to ship valuable or sentimental items (important documents, jewelry, etc.), and assume no responsibility if these items come into their possession without their knowledge.

O
Order for service: The first document which the mover is obligated to provide, the order for service in fact specifies the various details of a move, from the services that are to be supplied by the mover, to pick-up and delivery dates and estimated costs. Although not a contract, both the customer and the mover are required to sign the order for service before the customer's belongings are transported to their new location.

Overflow: A situation which arises when a moving van cannot contain all the articles intended for shipment. Consequently, an additional van is used to transport the remaining items.

P
Packing Service: When opting for full-service moving, customers can benefit from the professional packing and unpacking services offered by the mover.

Peak Season Rates: Top rates that are charged for moving services in certain months of the year. The summer months are a pertinent case in point.

Permanent Storage: Storing goods for an indefinite amount of time. Once the initial storage-in-transit period is up, permanent storage begins.

R
Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move: Compiled by the Federal Motor Carrier and Safety Administration (FMCSA), this booklet specifies consumer rights and responsibilities to those planning interstate moves.

S
Self-Service Mover: With self-service moving, a driver hauls the customer's goods after the latter has packed and loaded his/her stuff onto the truck. At the destination point, the customer unloads the vehicle and the mover picks it up when all the boxes have been removed.

Shuttle Service: Refers to a situation when a smaller vehicle is used to transport goods to or from a location, which a larger moving van is unable to reach due to physical constraints.

Storage-in-Transit: Often, when relocating, one's new abode is not quite ready for residence. The interim period during which a customer's belongings go into storage is known as 'storage-in-transit', indicating it is a temporary stopover before the goods are delivered to their final destination.
The valuables are stored in a facility operated either by NYC moving companies or by a local warehouse. During this period, the customer is required to comply with the mover's rates, terms and conditions, agreed upon when the bill of lading is signed. In New York, storage-in-transit periods last up to 30 days. They can amount to 180 days elsewhere. Once these initial periods are up, the goods go into permanent storage, whereby the customer is obligated to adhere to the rules and regulations of the warehouse.

Summary of Information for Shippers of Household Goods: Compiled by the New York State Department of Transportation, this pamphlet specifies consumer rights and responsibilities to people moving entirely within New York.

T
Tariff: The mover's official price list, specifying the rates and charges for rendering interstate moving services.

V
Valuation: Instead of insurance, moving companies provide valuation. Valuation is the extent of the liability coverage offered by movers, as agreed upon and specified in the bill of lading. Valuation is usually quite low, and it is therefore recommended to purchase additional insurance.
There are three types of valuation to choose from. The decision should be based on the nature of the shipment and on the value of the items being shipped.

1. Declared Value: This type of valuation is based on the total weight of the items being shipped. Reimbursement is calculated according to the depreciated value of the damaged property.
2. Lump Sum Value or Assessed Value: Recommended if the transported items are priceless and valuable.
3. Full Value Protection: Reimburses the customer for any lost or damaged items.

Whichever type of valuation is agreed upon, its terms and conditions should be explicitly specified in the bill of lading.

W
Warehouse Handling: Additional costs charged when storage-in-transit service is provided, compensating the mover for various services rendered within the warehouse.

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