include services other than the transportation of the customers goods. Services including packing, unpacking and extra pickup are performed by the carrier at the customer’s request. Charges for these services are in addition to the transportation costs.

is used if the assigned over-the-road van is unable to make a normal pickup or delivery because of physical constraints (extremely narrow road, inadequate parking area for the truck, weak bridge, etc.). In addition, some major cities do not allow large moving trucks in certain areas. An auxiliary service is the use of a secondary, smaller vehicle to complete the pickup or delivery. Charges for this service are based on the weight of the shipment and the area of the country where the service is performed.

is the customer’s receipt for goods and the contract for transportation. The customer’s signature acknowledges that the household goods can be loaded on the van and “released to the carrier.”

Booking agents accepts the order for the customer’s move and registers it with the van line. The booking agent may or may not be the origin or destination agent.

include such items as boats, snowmobiles, golf carts and campers. These “bulky” items usually carry an extra charge to compensate the hauler for the difficulty of loading and unloading, as well as for their unusual bulk or low-weight density.

is the moving company providing transportation for the household goods under whose Department of Transportation registration the shipment is moved.

is a statement of loss or damage to any household goods while in the care, custody or control of the carrier or its affiliated agent.

(cash on delivery) shipments are those where the customer pays the moving charges at the time of delivery. For C. O. D. shipments, payment is required in cash or by traveler’s check, money order or cashier’s check. If a credit card is used, it must be arranged with the booking agent ahead of time because authorization is required prior to loading.

is the person whose household goods are being moved.

is the federal agency which, through the Surface Transportation Board within the DOT, governs the interstate transportation industry, including movers of household goods.

is the agent designated in the destination area to be available to assist or provide information to the customer or the van operator regarding the shipment.

is an approximation of the probable cost of the move based on factors such as the van space required, the weight of the household goods and the origin and destination of the shipment. The two basic types of estimates are binding and non-binding.

the customer knows in advance what the move will cost, excluding required destination services, regardless of variances in the actual weight (as long as the inventory of the items actually moved is the same as the estimate inventory and additional services are not requested).

is based on an inventory of the customer’s household goods and provides the customer with a pricing guideline. There is no contractual commitment to this estimate, and the final charges the customer must pay could be higher or lower than the estimated costs, depending on the actual weight of the shipment, the actual services provided and the origin and destination of the shipment.

is the weight of the van and its contents after goods are loaded.

is used for items of “extraordinary value” such as antiques, coin collections and jewelry included in the shipment. Items worth more than $100 per pound per article are considered articles of extraordinary value.

is a detailed list of the items in the shipment and their condition before the van is loaded. The van operator will present the inventory to the customer after the van is loaded and again when the shipment reaches the customer’s new home. The customer’s signature on the inventory acknowledges that the goods have been delivered in the same condition as received by the mover for transportation.

are items that should not be included in the household goods shipment, including hazardous materials such as poisons, corrosives and flammables. Unless special arrangements are made, perishables such as refrigerated and frozen foods are not allowed. All non-allowables are prohibited by law.

is a document authorizing the moving company to transport the customer’s household goods.

is used to identify the customer’s shipment and appears on the upper right corner of the Order for Service and the Bill of Lading. This number should be used whenever the carrier is contacted.

is the agent designated in the origin area to be available for preliminary readying of the shipment before movement or to provide information regarding the customer’s move.

happens when articles to be shipped are left behind due to insufficient space on the primary van. A second van is then utilized for transportation and delivery.

means the articles are packed by the customer and not the moving company.

Storage-In-Transit is the temporary storage of the customer’s household goods in the warehouse of the carrier’s agent, pending further transportation at a later date.

performed by an agent to examine the customer’s goods in order to develop an estimate of move charges.

is that of the van and its contents before the customer’s goods are loaded.

is the carrier’s provisions ( including rates) for services performed applicable to the customer’s move.

are performed by someone other than the carrier at the customer’s request or as required by federal, state or local law (e.g., appliance servicing).

includes removing the customer’s goods from containers and placing them on a flat surface, as well as the disposal of such containers and packing materials. If ordered, unpacking services must be performed at the time of delivery unless requested otherwise.

is NOT insurance. It is a tariff-based coverage for a customer’s household goods while they are in the care, custody and control of the carrier.