Webinar: Dos and Don'ts of Hiring Movers
by Lizann Lightfoot - April 4th, 2022
Brad Reineking: I’m the COO of Charter Transportation, and I’ve been in the moving industry for 30 years now, but for the past 10 years have focused on DoD moves, completing 8,000-10,000 moves per year!
David Cox: I’m the Executive Vice President of JKMoving Services in the D.C. area. I’ve been in the moving industry almost 30 years, and have worked at the same company as Brad for almost 20 years. I currently handle all the Household Goods moves for JKMoving, which is about 16,000 per year.
Watch the full interview here:
Moving Industry Updates:
Brad: Right now, the Personal Property Forum is going on with USTRANSCOM, and they discussed the Military OneSource site, which is the new website to begin your moving process, once you get PCS orders. It is now refreshed and an excellent place to get information.
You can still do either a full-service DPS move by logging into the system through Military OneSource and entering your move details there.
This year, the window of the 7-Day Spread has changed. You log in and put the last possible day of your move, and the system will calculate the 7 days prior to that. So if you need to be out of your house on the 31st, and your last possible day to move is the 30th, then you will see a move window from the 23rd to the 30th of that month. TSP should confirm that date within three days of you making that request.
Remember that you can request your own TSP if you had a successful move before. Contact the TSP that handled your previous move, for the best chance of getting similar treatment. The sooner you put in these requests, the sooner you can get everything reserved and avoid black-out dates.
Some people choose to move themselves, or to do a partial-PPM in conjunction with the government move, so make sure that you always have weight tickets so you can get the government reimbursement.
If the government cannot find a mover for you, they can approve an Actual Cost Move, but this must be discussed specifically with your Move Coordinator.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of hiring your own movers?
David: JK has had 40 years of experience as a consumer mover, so we have a lot of perspective. We know that moving is always stressful-- often listed as the 3rd most stressful thing you can go through, after the death of a spouse or a divorce.
When you are using military movers for a fully-funded military move, they are under strict standards, and this is when the service member is the most highly protected. That is not the same in the consumer space. There are good and bad actors, so the success of a personal move comes from choosing the right mover. Choose one with experience in multiple disciplines-- govt and military moves, corporate moves, and consumer moves. Then they will be familiar with your situations.
Referrals and reputation are a good way to select a mover. You can find information in Google Reviews--look for 100 or more reviews with four or more stars, or the Better Business Bureau. If you are hiring an interstate mover, go to this government website to find a national carrier. You’ll get good information about movers. Look at the size of their fleet, and the number of complaints that have been filed against them. If you see more than 20-30 complaints annually, that is a big red flag. When looking at their fleet size, if the number is zero, that means they aren’t a mover--they are a broker. They will contract out your move to a 3rd-party company. This is where most horror stories about moving delays and costs come from. You want a company that has its own trucks and can handle a move from start to finish.
How do moving companies provide estimates?
David: There are four different ways to get estimates. First, is when someone physically comes to your house and does a visual walk-through before moving day to calculate how many items you need to move. The send option is a video tour, possibly using your phone or a specialized app to show the estimator your entire house while you do the walk-through.
Third, there are now survey tools like Yenbo with AI-driven technology which will allow you to do a video survey of your home. This doesn’t involve an estimator because the technology generates a digital report and a cube sheet of your home.
The fourth option is a phone survey. If a surveyor calls you to ask questions about your home without doing any kind of video, you are likely to run into estimate inaccuracies. I encourage you to avoid the phone survey if you can. Instead, go for one of the video surveys, because then there is evidence of the discussions and the facts that go into the estimate.
I encourage you to get at least two, preferably three estimates, because you will see dramatic differences. Always check if they have the number of sofas correct, because if they mess that up, they probably have something else wrong.
Shuttles, custom crating, and any kind of custom requests will all have an impact on the estimate. Shuttles are necessary if you live in an apartment, in a place where a tractor trailer can’t reach your home. They will charge you for that shuttle service. So if it isn’t listed on your estimate, be aware that your moving company may charge you for that later.
How does the claims process work for private moving companies?
When you do a military move, you are used to your damaged or lost items being covered through a claims process. This is not automatically the case for a consumer move. There is a process called valuation, and you can purchase outside insurance for your own goods. But if you have not paid for the valuation or purchased your own insurance, then that means you do not have any coverage in place. You should see valuation charges in your statement. If it isn’t there, then you aren’t covered, and you need to ask a lot more questions.
Please leave yourself enough time for you to prepare for your move. A moving company will pack an average of seven boxes per hour. So if you are packing by yourself, you need to start several days--preferably several weeks in advance.
When packing your own boxes, pay attention to the quality of moving boxes from moving stores, and learn which boxes are meant for which items. Dish pack and glasses boxes are specifically designed with reinforcement, so they won’t be crushed. If you get your own free or used boxes, pay attention to their quality, and only use them for what they were designed to carry.
What questions should military families ask a moving company before hiring them?
Brad: Be aware of how the fuel surcharge can change on your estimate. We are seeing up to a 19% fuel surcharge on DoD moves.
David: Yes, there can be huge changes in the fuel costs in this current environment. The estimate is always based on current prices. If you get an estimate in March and aren’t moving until June, it may go up dramatically by then.
What services does a 3rd-party move company offer?
David: You can get any service you want, depending on your interests and your budget. If you want a full-service move, you can get the white glove service where you don’t have to handle anything. Or you can pack your own boxes and just ask them to move packed boxes and furniture. You can buy boxes in bulk from the moving company.
When you move yourself, you can also use a company that drops a container in your driveway--such as PODS or ABF--and you can load the container yourself. These aren’t always less expensive than a partial move or a hiring movers, so always do the research, because you may be surprised to discover some steps are more affordable than others.
Anything you pack yourself or don’t use professional moving boxes, those self-packed items are not covered under liability clauses if they are broken.
Brad: When an owner packs their own boxes, for a military move it has to be visually inspected to make sure it is packed correctly, and the moving company assumes liability for all boxes they move. That’s why the military movers prefer to pack everything for you. This is not the same liability coverage when you hire your own commercial movers.
How do claims work for damaged items during a PPM or DITY move?
David: If you have purchased full valuation coverage, it works similar to the full-service move with the military. The movers will do an inventory and document and pre-existing damage to the residence or the furniture. Damage should be recorded by the mover before the item is packed. Make sure you are involved in the check-off process. Bad things happen when the inventory sheet is not checked off correctly at time of delivery. Check off the sticker number at time of delivery, and inspect each item as it comes off the truck. Note any visible damage, missing items, etc. Some companies will deny a claim if it is not noted at delivery. Federal regulations allow up to 9 months to submit a claim, but companies don’t always accept it without notation.
A company will also prefer to repair an item and restore it to its original condition, rather than paying out for a replacement item.
What should military families photograph or document when hiring movers?
David: When the drivers do their inventory at origin, I encourage people to participate in that with the driver. If they are only using standard notations, rather than specific conditions for each item, then that is a red flag. That way, if there are additional scratches or damage, you can notice it on delivery and notate it in the receiving paperwork.
Where can we get quality moving boxes at a good rate?
David: Most consumer mover will have high-quality used boxes for sale. If not used, make the investment in new cartons rather than using left-over food boxes, because they hold up better and are less likely to be crushed during a move.
Who pays out the money for claims on damaged items?
Brad: There always seems to be a misconception that drivers don’t pay for claims, that it all must come from the company’s insurance. But in the moving industry, the driver is charged for a percentage of claims if they are being negligent or not managing their own crews well. About 75%- 80% of the time, the driver actually pays a portion of the claim.
How can you request a TSP?
Brad: The best thing to do if you had a great experience with a TSP company in the past, then contact your Move Coordinator, tell them you have an upcoming move, and ask them if you can request their services again. The TSP will help to walk you through the process and work with the Personal Property Shipping Office. People should want to do your move again, so if you had a good experience, reach out to them and they will help you to move again. You can email me at BradR@CharterTSP.com, so Charter Transportation is currently filling out requests for the summer. We have a sense of pride when we get a repeat request, and we will work hard to make sure they get the same level of care they had last time. You should do whatever you can to stack the odds in your favor.
Read more here about what it's like to be a mover for a PCS move.
Should we tip movers and drivers?
David: Sure, tips are never expected, but are always appreciated. If the crew has done a great job, they appreciate a tip, but it is not an expectation. This is true not only for military moving companies, but also for commercial movers you hire out of pocket.
This question was answer in more detail during a previous interview with PCS drivers here.
If you have a bad moving company, how can you report them?
David: There’s no such thing as a blacklist in our industry. The FMCSA site records mover performance, so if you experience any unresolved issues or a lack of professionalism, then using that site to record this issue serves two purposes. First, it gives the industry a record and a chance to resolve those problems. Secondly, it acts as a red flag to other families considering that company.
For intrastate moves, the laws vary for each state. You can go to the office of the Attorney General, or a consumer protection agency within the state to make a report. There are also investigative reporting agencies that will take on these issues.
For military moves, always report issues through your chain of command. Military movers can be suspended for not following protocols.
Brad: The Customer Satisfaction Survey is part of every military move, and that is how the DoD chooses which companies to award future moving contracts to. So please fill out your Customer Satisfaction Survey after every move!
Lizann Lightfoot, the "Seasoned Spouse" is a professional writer and speaker for the military community. After two decades with her service member, her family has been through 7 deployments and 6 PCS moves. Lizann has raised 5 children and published several books for military families. Her most recent book is "Open When: Letters of Encouragement for Military Spouses" published Sept 2021 by Elva Resa. You can find Lizann's articles and resources at SeasonedSpouse.com
