What to Tell Your Movers Before Moving Day

Moving day outcomes follow one rule. Movers perform based on the information you provide upfront. Homeowners facing tight closings, renters racing lease deadlines, and families juggling workdays feel this pressure. Professional crews plan labor, trucks, and timing before arrival. They use the details you provide to dispatch. Companies operating under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules build that plan days earlier. They never build it on the curb.

This guide is for people who want control instead of surprises. Each section explains the exact details movers rely on, from access rules to item specifics. This introduction sets the groundwork for everything that follows. Clear facts reduce price changes, lower damage risk, and keep moving day predictable.

How Moving Companies Use the Information You Give Them

Here’s the part most people never see. When you share details with a moving company, the company enters that information into estimating and dispatch systems instead of saving it for later. Licensed movers operating under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules must convert your details into labor units, equipment needs, and liability exposure days before scheduling the truck. Nothing important is decided at the curb.

So what actually happens behind the scenes?

• Crew size is based on labor complexity, not home size. A smaller home with a king-size Sleep Number bed, several La-Z-Boy recliners, or a Samsung French-door refrigerator often needs more movers than a larger home filled with boxes. Estimators assign headcount based on lift weight, disassembly time, balance risk, and carry distance. Bedroom count does not factor into the decision.

• Truck size and equipment selection depends on item dimensions and weight. Dispatch teams choose between 16-foot, 20-foot, or 26-foot box trucks based on cubic footage and oversized items. One unreported upright piano triggers the need for piano boards, ratchet straps, and load securement under U.S. DOT cargo securement standards. If that item is not disclosed, the truck and equipment plan is already wrong before arrival.

• Routing and labor hours depend on access limits. Elevators, loading docks, and building rules affect the job. Properties managed by firms like Greystar or FirstService Residential often require reserved move windows and certificates of insurance. Those constraints increase on-site labor time and directly affect pricing and crew scheduling.

This explains why inaccurate details lead to under-quoting. Movers do not price jobs based solely on distance. Mileage stays fixed. Labor varies. When stairs, long carries, or specialty items appear without notice, the estimate changes because the original labor model was incomplete. The mover is not improvising.

When to Communicate With Your Movers

Moving companies lock decisions early because dispatch, insurance, and labor planning happen before trucks leave. Timing controls what movers can fix and what they bill.

The Communication Timeline That Works

Treat mover communication like a project schedule, not a reminder note.

At booking, which is usually weeks out:
• Confirm the addresses, dates, and time windows that will appear on the Bill of Lading.
• Disclose specialty items such as a treadmill, Tempur-Pedic adjustable base, or upright piano, since these trigger extra labor classifications.
• Flag building requirements like certificates of insurance, often required by HOAs and property managers.

Broker or Carrier?

Most moving problems start when you do not know who owns the truck. Before you sign anything, send one short email.

Ask this question:
"Are you the licensed carrier transporting my goods, or a broker arranging another carrier?"

If the company says it is a broker, ask for:
• The carrier’s full company name and USDOT number. You can verify this on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website.
• When you will receive the carrier’s official estimate and Certificate of Insurance.
• Who controls day-of decisions, such as crew changes or schedule updates

One to two weeks before moving day:
• Report access changes such as new stair counts, elevator reservations, or parking limits enforced by city permit offices.
• Update inventory volume if storage units or late purchases changed the total cubic footage.
• Reconfirm long-carry distances that affect labor hours under FMCSA tariff-based estimates.

Final confirmation, 48 to 72 hours out:
• Lock the start time, contact numbers, and payment method.
• Verify the equipment already assigned, such as wardrobe boxes or appliance dollies.
• This step confirms details and does not allow revisions because dispatch boards are already set.

Payment confirmation
• Accepted payment types: confirm exactly what the company accepts on move day
• Who pays on site: name the payer and confirm they will be present or reachable
• Authorization rules: whether same-day add-ons require recorded approval or signature
• Limits or conditions: any card limits, deposits already applied, or required certified funds

Changes That Must Be Reported Immediately
• Some updates cannot wait for a scheduled check-in.
• Added heavy or oversized items that require lift gates or extra movers.
• Address changes that alter mileage or routing compliance under U.S. DOT regulations.
• Building rule changes from managers, especially move-hour limits.

Why Last-Minute Updates Cost More

• Late disclosures force movers into override mode.
• Crews get reassigned, which triggers overtime or premium labor rates.
• Trucks may lack the required gear, which leads to on-the-spot equipment rentals.
Insurance classifications can change and adjust liability pricing after dispatch.

Early information shapes the plan. Late information breaks the plan. When you communicate on the right timeline, movers price and prepare accurately. You avoid paying for chaos instead of labor.

Most-Forgotten Details

• Stairs behind attached garages or basements
• Second pickup (storage or relative’s home)
• Oversized artwork, glass tops, safes
• HOA quiet-hour limits
• Parking meter numbers and posting deadlines
• Access codes that change weekly
• Pets on site
• Who signs if the payer isn’t present

Confirm the Move Date, Arrival Window, and Your Flexibility

This is where many plans break down. Movers rarely promise an exact arrival time unless the Bill of Lading lists a guaranteed pickup under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) contracts. Most estimates list an arrival window, often four to six hours, because dispatch software schedules crews across several jobs. Assuming an “8 a.m. arrival” means 8:00 sharp often leads to rushed loading or unexpected overtime.

Here is what you need to clarify plainly and early.

Arrival window versus guaranteed time:
A guaranteed start usually costs more because it blocks the crew’s route. An arrival window lets dispatch adjust when earlier jobs run long.

Why flexibility lowers cost:
Flexible windows allow companies to route 16-foot, 20-foot, or 26-foot box trucks efficiently, rather than keeping a crew idle. Less idle time lowers the labor risk built into your rate.

What actually affects arrival times:
Traffic incidents logged through state DOT feeds, weather delays tracked by NOAA forecasts, and overruns at earlier stops affect when your truck clears dispatch. Poor planning is rarely the cause.

Before moving day, confirm these details in writing.
• Confirm the exact date and arrival window listed on the Bill of Lading, not only the estimate email.
• Ask how delays are handled. Find out whether labor hours pause if the crew arrives late or if the clock starts when the crew arrives.
• Share hard deadlines early. Lease expirations, elevator reservations, or same-day real estate closings affect how dispatch prioritizes your move.

The arrival time affects when your movers show up, how they are dispatched, how they are billed, and how jobs are prioritized. This section compares the two scheduling types.

Confirming Contact Information for All Parties

A move can be well planned and still lose an hour when the crew lead cannot get a gate answer, parking approval, or a clear yes on an extra stop.

Lock in contact roles in writing, not buried in a text thread.
• On-site contact for pickup and delivery: list a name, mobile number, and decision authority. Include what they can approve, such as furniture disassembly, inventory sign-off, or access to a storage cage.
• Dispatcher or move coordinator at the office: share a direct line or extension that reaches dispatch, not a general sales number. • Crew lead or foreman: use the number the driver answers during loading. This person needs approvals as issues come up.
• Building or site contact: include the leasing office, concierge desk, or HOA manager number. Note what they control, such as BuildingLink scheduling, freight elevators, or the loading dock phone.

Build a backup plan that works when calls go unanswered.
• Set up two backups in different places. Keep one near the pickup address and one near the delivery address. If a freight elevator fails, both backups should not be stuck in the same traffic delay.
• Name one payer contact if you are not paying on-site. This person must approve add-ons right away if pricing changes. Same-day changes often require recorded approval or a signature tied to the job file.
• Set a clear rule for silence. If the crew cannot reach you within 10 minutes, list the name of the person they call next. Put this call order in the same message as your addresses so it stays visible.

Provide Complete Pickup and Delivery Address Details

Let’s reset one assumption. A street address tells dispatch where the truck goes, not how the crew gets inside. Dispatch systems treat access details as operational constraints, not notes. If those fields are blank, crews arrive without access information.

What movers need beyond the address

You might wonder what “complete” means. It’s specific and boring, and it matters.

• Unit numbers and building identifiers exactly as listed by the property manager or the USPS database. Towers, wings, and building codes matter in multi-structure complexes.
• Gate codes, call boxes, and security procedures, including whether access runs through a ButterflyMX, Doorking, or Aiphone entry system.
• The correct entrance for loading, such as a rear service door, freight entrance, or building-required loading bay.

Why dispatch needs this early
• Dispatch loads these details into routing and labor models before assigning trucks.
• Dispatch uses them to estimate walk distance, elevator use, and idle time. A crew staged at the wrong entrance cannot start billing under many tariff-based contracts until access is granted.

Problems this prevents on moving day

• Missing access data causes more than inconvenience. It creates measurable failures.
• Crews wait curbside because security desks require clearance or ID logs.
• Extra labor charges when the team must re-stage equipment or hand-carry from a farther entrance.
• Missed elevator reservations or dock windows that push the job into overtime.

A simple rule that avoids these problems
If a first-time delivery driver cannot enter the building using your instructions alone, the address details are incomplete. Treat access like a passcode, not a footnote, and share it with movers before dispatch locks the route.

Explaining stairs, elevators, and walking distance

Movers price effort, not floor plans. Vertical work and long carries change the job more than extra boxes. Tell movers exactly what the crew will face, not what you think counts. Be specific and literal.

Stairs details include the following.
List the number of flights inside the unit and outside the building. Note whether the stairs are straight runs or have tight turns that limit appliance dollies. Call out items like a Peloton Bike or solid-wood dresser that must go up or down those stairs.

Elevator details include the following.
State whether the building has a freight elevator or only passenger cars. Include the interior cab size and door width since these affect wardrobes and mattresses. Share any reservation rules, move-hour limits, or known outages enforced by property management.

Walking distance, also called a long carry, matters for pricing.
Measure the distance from legal parking to the door, not the curb you wish you could use. Mention barriers like courtyards, ramps, or security desks that slow hand-carry loads.

Why underreporting stairs leads to price changes
Estimators convert stairs and long carries into labor units before dispatch. One forgotten exterior flight can add multiple carry cycles for heavy items like a Samsung French-door refrigerator. When the crew arrives and finds more vertical work than disclosed, the original labor model no longer applies. The rate adjusts to match the real workload.

How elevators affect move timing
Elevators can speed a move. They can also slow it down. A reserved freight elevator allows continuous loading. A shared passenger elevator with move-hour limits forces staggered trips and idle time. Buildings managed by firms such as Greystar often enforce strict elevator windows. Missing that window pushes labor into overtime or rescheduling.

Parking Conditions and Permit Requirements

This detail often gets missed because it feels outside the move. It matters. Parking rules decide whether a 16-foot, 20-foot, or 26-foot box truck can legally stop, unload, and stay long enough to work. If the truck cannot park, the rest of the plan falls apart. Here’s how parking rules split between city departments and property managers, plus what movers expect you to handle.

Who secures the parking permits?

You might assume the moving company handles this step. Most moving companies do not. City-issued temporary no-parking permits are usually the customer’s responsibility. City DOT or parking departments issue these permits, not movers. Movers rely on you to confirm the permits are approved, posted, and active before arrival. If enforcement tows or tickets the truck, the delay and fines become billable downtime.

City rules and HOA rules both apply

Many moves fail because people address only one layer. City rules control curb access, parking meters, fire lanes, and temporary no-parking zones. HOA or property manager rules control loading zones, time windows, and approved truck locations on private property. Buildings managed by firms like Greystar or FirstService Residential may require written loading approval even when a city permit is valid. A city permit does not override HOA restrictions. You need approval from both.

Truck size changes the parking requirements

Movers do not bring a generic truck. A 26-foot box truck needs more curb length and turning clearance than a 16-foot truck. Some cities prohibit trucks over certain lengths on residential streets or during rush hours. Underground garages often cap vehicle height, which excludes full-size moving trucks. Ask the mover which truck is assigned, then verify the size is legal for your street.

Metered streets and enforcement rules

Parking meters do not pause because you are moving. Some cities require meter bags issued by the parking authority. Enforcement ignores cones. Temporary signs often must be posted 24 to 72 hours before the move to be valid. Tow enforcement operates independently of police. Posting a sign five minutes late can void the permit.

What to confirm in writing before moving day
Use this checklist to avoid curbside problems:
• The exact truck length and height assigned to your move
• Whether the street allows commercial trucks at your arrival time
• Permit approval numbers and posting deadlines from the city
• Written loading approval from the HOA or building manager

Clarifying Exactly What Services You Expect

Up to this point, you’ve told movers where and when the move will happen. Now you need to tell them what they are expected to do, in operational terms. This is where most disputes start. Words like “full service” mean nothing unless they tie to specific tasks on the Bill of Lading.

Define the service scope in plain language

You might assume movers will handle it. They won’t unless the contract spells it out. Be explicit about which services the contract includes:

Full packing
Movers supply materials such as 3.0-cu-ft cartons, dish packs, and wardrobe boxes. They pack everything except items prohibited under FMCSA guidelines, including cleaning chemicals, propane tanks, and ammunition.

Partial packing
Movers pack only named rooms or item types, often kitchens, mirrors, and TV screens. You handle the rest. Specify exclusions like home offices or closets to avoid same-day add-ons.

Loading only
The crew loads items you already packed. This matters because released value protection can change when boxes are customer-packed.

Unpacking and furniture placement
Unpacking means removing items from boxes. It does not include organizing cabinets. Furniture placement means setting items in designated rooms. It does not include rearranging layouts or assembling modular systems like IKEA PAX units.

Appliances: Confirm Prep Status Before the Crew Arrives
Movers need to know whether appliances will be ready to move at arrival. Undeclared prep work stops loading and triggers add-ons or refusals.

Confirm in writing for each appliance
• Disconnected: gas/electric/water lines are off and capped where required
• Drained: washers, dishwashers, and ice makers fully drained
• Emptied and defrosted: refrigerators and freezers
• Secured: doors taped or strapped per mover instructions

Who does what
• If professional disconnection is not included, state that the appliance will be ready.
• If you request the mover to perform prep, ensure it is listed on the estimate.

Separate what movers do from what you do

Ambiguity costs money. Prevent it by dividing responsibilities before dispatch locks the crew:

Movers will: Load, transport, and unload items. They will perform only the services listed on the estimate and Bill of Lading using assigned equipment like appliance dollies or lift gates.

You will: Pack excluded rooms, disconnect electronics, empty refrigerators, and secure small items unless professional packing is explicitly included.

Explicit exclusions to confirm:
Wall mounting, appliance reconnection, disassembly of custom furniture, handling items restricted by U.S. DOT safety rules, and transport of high-value items unless declared.

Put it in writing or expect a reprice

Dispatch relies on written service codes, not verbal assumptions. If a task is not documented, crews cannot perform it without revising the work order. Revisions often trigger higher hourly or add-on rates. Before moving day, review the estimate line by line and confirm the service labels match your expectations. If the scope feels obvious but isn’t written down, it doesn’t exist in operational terms.

Sharing Your New Home Layout in Advance

You already told the movers how to arrive. Now tell them how to finish. A layout plan turns unloading into a one-pass route instead of a guess-and-shuffle job.

What to send your mover:
• A labeled room list that matches the new home: "Bedroom 2 (front right)," "Office (downstairs left)," "Garage bay closest to the house," and "Basement storage (unfinished)."
• A simple floor plan. A PDF screenshot works. Write room names directly on it and mark the drop zones you want kept clear, such as "DON’T BLOCK: electrical panel, HVAC closet, stairs landing."
• Known choke points that control what goes in first. This includes tight hallway turns, narrow doorways, or corners where a sofa must pivot. If you already measured, include the narrowest doorway width and tightest turning corner so the crew can choose the right approach before packing the truck.

Two fast, physical cues that stop wrong-room drops:
• Put painter’s tape on each destination door frame. Write the room name in marker, such as “PRIMARY,” “KITCHEN,” or “NURSERY.” The crew can read it while carrying items.
• If you have new floors, tell the mover where you want a protected pathway from the entry to main rooms. Many crews use Ram Board for temporary floor protection or rigid tempered hardboard panels, often sold as 4 ft. by 8 ft. sheets, for high-traffic paths. This instruction lets them stage protection before the first heavy item enters the home.

For office or small business moves, movers need a workstation map, a network equipment list, and any COIs required by the landlord. Identify fragile electronics and confirm elevator reservations during business hours to avoid after-hours fees.

Creating a Detailed Inventory Movers Can Actually Use

By now, you’ve handled timing, access, parking, and service scope. This step controls the move. An inventory turns your move from “estimated” to accountable. Small, hourly local moves do not always require an inventory. It becomes required for binding estimates, long-distance moves regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), high-value claims, and any job tied to a Bill of Lading with declared valuation.

Build the inventory the way dispatch and claims teams read it. Movers don’t scan narratives. They work from structured lists tied to labor and weight models. A usable inventory looks like this:

List items room by room instead of using one household list. List the living room, primary bedroom, garage, and storage unit as separate sections. Call out large furniture and appliances by type, such as a sectional sofa, king mattress, upright freezer, or front-load washer. Estimate box counts for each room, even if the numbers are rough. Ten kitchen cartons instead of “some boxes” changes truck space planning.

Why accuracy changes price and liability

Inventory errors affect more than loading speed. They affect cost and liability protection.

Underreported items can void a binding-not-to-exceed estimate and trigger a same-day reprice. Missing items complicate loss or damage claims because adjusters compare claims to the signed inventory attached to the Bill of Lading. High-value articles not listed separately may default to released value protection instead of full valuation.

Use serial numbers for electronics and specialty items

This step is often skipped. It remains one of the most effective safeguards. Record serial numbers for items like an Apple MacBook, desktop tower, gaming console, or home audio receiver. Serial numbers help identify misrouted items on multi-stop routes and speed up recovery if cartons are separated. For business or hybrid home-office moves, this also supports insurance documentation beyond the mover’s valuation.

If you want movers to use the inventory, don’t bury it in an email thread. Attach one clean document. A standardized form keeps details consistent across estimating, dispatch, and claims. Download the MoversCorp printable inventory form and complete it room by room. Send it with your final confirmation so it’s locked into the job file before the crew is dispatched.

Drawer Policy and Box Choices

• Dresser drawers: Ask your mover whether drawers must be emptied. Many crews require empty drawers for safer lifting and to prevent items from sliding. If drawers can stay loaded, confirm the weight limits and which contents are not allowed, such as liquids or fragile items.

Boxes: your own vs. mover-supplied:
• Your boxes can lower material costs, but damage claims may be limited for cartons you pack yourself.
• Mover-supplied boxes usually meet stacking and handling standards and can reduce disputes if items break.
• Ask your mover to confirm in writing how PBO cartons are handled under your selected valuation option.

Declare What Is Not Being Moved

Movers plan truck space and labor based on what you say is included. They also need clear direction on what is excluded. If you do not declare excluded items, crews load everything they can see. This leads to inflated volume estimates, the wrong truck size, and inventory disputes.

What to tell your mover:
Include a clear list of items not going on the truck, grouped by reason.
• Donations: items scheduled for charity pickup. Include the pickup date and time.
• Disposal: items set aside for junk removal or curb pickup.
• Stay-behind: items sold with the home, left for the next occupant, or stored off site.
• List any rooms, closets, garage bays, or storage cages that are out of scope.
• State whether excluded items will be removed before loading starts or separated on site.

Ask What Movers Cannot Transport

You might wonder, “Isn’t a moving truck allowed to carry anything from a house?” That is not allowed under U.S. DOT hazardous materials rules. Before moving day, ask your mover for their written “do-not-ship” list and confirm how they want prohibited items handled. Federal guidance warns shippers not to include hazardous materials in household goods without informing the mover.

1) Hazardous materials

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s hazmat outreach list includes common household items that still count as hazardous materials during transport. Do not wait for the crew to find them. Walk through your home and remove anything that matches categories like:

• Aerosols, such as disinfectant sprays, hairspray, and spray paint
• Flammable items, such as gasoline cans for lawn equipment, charcoal lighter fluid, and fireworks
• Batteries and battery-powered items, such as car batteries and loose lithium batteries

What to do instead: place these items in a clearly marked “NOT ON TRUCK” box. Use a local household hazardous waste (HHW) drop-off or collection program. The EPA warns against dumping HHW down drains, on the ground, or into storm sewers.

2) Perishables

Movers usually will not take perishable food because temperature control and spill risk are not part of a household-goods shipment. Use food safety rules to decide what to eat, donate, or transport yourself. USDA FSIS and the FDA both reinforce the “two-hour rule” for foods that need refrigeration. The limit drops to one hour if temperatures rise above 90°F.

What to do instead: pack a dedicated cooler with ice packs for items you plan to keep. Schedule a final fridge clear-out the night before loading so nothing gets packed by mistake.

3) Personal documents

Even when movers can carry an item, letting them do so can create risk. Personal documents are hard to replace and often excluded from moving claims. Many consumer moving guides recommend keeping documents and irreplaceable items with you instead of on the truck.

What to do instead: create one “carry-on file” with your passport, birth certificates, Social Security cards, closing paperwork, and lease documents. Keep it in your vehicle. This follows the same logic as carrying medication instead of checking it with airline baggage.

Pets, Children, and Household Safety Planning

Heavy lifting changes the injury risk inside your home. Crews follow workplace safety rules, not household routines. If pets or children are present, movers need that information early so they can plan walk paths, manage doors, and reduce injury risk under Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidance.

What movers need to know before dispatch locks the route
• Pets on site: species, size, temperament, and where they will be during loading. Dogs that react to dollies or strangers matter. Cats that run through open doors matter.
• Children present: ages and nap schedules. Crews plan loud work windows and keep pinch-point areas clear.
• Designated safe zones: rooms that stay closed and unloaded, or confirmation that pets and children will be off site.

Why this changes the move plan
• Open doors and rolling equipment increase escape and trip hazards. Movers may reroute walk lanes or load items in a different order to meet Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration safety expectations.
• Bite or fall incidents stop work. When safety pauses occur, labor time often continues until conditions are secure.

Simple rules that prevent delays
• Choose one locked room or off-site care for pets and children during active loading.
• Label that room clearly and tell the crew lead when they arrive.
• Share any timing constraints in writing so dispatch can plan quiet windows or faster loading sequences.

Building Rules, HOAs, and Required Documentation

Many condos and rentals will not allow a crew to start work until the administrative side is cleared, especially when the move affects common areas such as elevators, corridors, or loading docks. Axis HOA is explicit. “No moving company will be permitted entry” without proof of insurance.

1) Certificates of Insurance (COI): ask for the exact template, not "a COI."

Most buildings want a Certificate of Liability Insurance on the ACORD 25 format because it standardizes coverage, policy dates, and the certificate holder section.

What to request from the property manager or HOA office in writing:
• The building’s sample COI. Many properties post it in BuildingLink instructions or a welcome packet.

The exact way the building wants to be listed:
• Certificate holder name and mailing address, exactly as the building specifies.
• Whether they require Additional Insured status. ACORD’s form language states this requires a policy endorsement, not a typed note.
• Whether they require Waiver of Subrogation. This is also handled through policy endorsement language.

• The submission destination and deadline. For example, SoMA at 25 Water Street requires COIs emailed to its administrative office for approval before move-in or delivery and links a sample through BuildingLink.

2) Move-in reservations: treat them as a hard dependency, not a courtesy.

Some buildings manage moves as a formal reservation. Many use BuildingLink’s Reservations module to make elevator reservations and schedule time blocks.

What to send your moving company after you book it:
• The confirmed reservation shows the date, start time, and end time.
• The building’s rules sheet, if it exists. SoMA links to a move-and-delivery rules document through its welcome packet on BuildingLink.
• Any staff requirements tied to the reservation. For example, SoMA requires a walkthrough after move-out is complete.

3) Quiet hours and building move windows: get the allowed hours in writing.

"Quiet hours" isn’t just about noise. It is how buildings enforce predictable staffing and elevator availability. Rules can be very specific. Axis HOA publishes a defined reservation block from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and also lists loading dock hours.

To prevent a same-day shutdown, confirm the following:
• "The property manager has received the mover’s ACORD 25 COI and confirmed it is acceptable."
• "I have a reservation confirmation or written approval for the move window."
• "I have the building’s written move rules, including hours and required forms, in the same email thread I forwarded to the mover."

Tipping, Courtesy, and Professional Etiquette

Gratuities and etiquette are where “everyone assumed” turns into awkward moments, delays, or a crew that feels nickel-and-dimed.

1) Ask about the company’s tipping policy before moving day

Some movers want tips handled a specific way, and some prefer none at all. Do not guess. Ask your move coordinator in writing:

• Are tips allowed? Some moving companies discourage tipping through the company but still allow direct tips to crew members.
• Cash, card, or app? Tipping is usually done in cash and paid to each mover individually.
• Split crews: If you have separate loading and delivery crews, which is common on long-distance moves, ask if the company expects tips for each crew instead of one combined tip.

2) Practical tipping ranges that will not surprise your budget

Tipping is not a fee, but it is common enough that planning for it prevents last-minute ATM runs. These ranges show up often in general moving guidance:

• Percentage method: A common guideline is 10% to 20% of the total moving cost.
• Hourly method: Around $4 to $8 per hour per mover is another widely used rule of thumb.
• Flat-per-mover method for local moves: $20 to $40 per mover is a commonly cited range if you prefer not to use percentages.

3) When to tip and how to avoid tip drama

• You might wonder, “Do I tip up front to motivate them?” Do not. Tip at the end, after you see the full result.
• Tip after the final walkthrough, once you confirm the truck is empty and all items are in place.
• Use labeled envelopes, one per mover, so the crew chief does not have to split tips later. Each mover should receive their tip directly.
• If service is genuinely poor, it is reasonable to reduce the tip or skip it. Respectful handling and completed work set the baseline for tipping.

4) Refreshments that help without creating a mess

This is not about playing host. It is about keeping a physically demanding job moving.
• Set up a small, visible station with sealed bottled water, paper cups, and a trash bag near the exit route.
• If it is hot or at high altitude, add electrolyte drinks like Gatorade and keep them sealed until you offer them.
• Skip sticky or crumbly food near cartons. Powdered donuts, open chips, and fruit trays often end up on box tape and moving blankets.

Clear Communication Is the Best Moving Insurance

You might think, "I already bought insurance." On interstate moves, your strongest protection is often the paper trail you create before the truck door closes. Valuation, claims, and disputes rely on signed documents, not memories.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) explains that movers must offer two liability levels: Full Value Protection and Released Value Protection. Released Value can be as low as $0.60 per pound, per item. That amount barely covers the loss of a lightweight, high-cost item.

Treat communication like a claims file you build in advance. Put these items in one move packet as a single PDF. Send it to your coordinator so it attaches to the shipment record. • Your valuation choice in writing, either Full Value or Released Value, along with any declared value paperwork the mover provides.
• A change-order rule that states, “No added services without written price confirmation and my signature or recorded approval.” This forces cost disputes into a clear approval step.
• Condition evidence, such as date-stamped photos of high-risk items like TV screens, mirrors, and appliance doors, plus photos of any existing scratches before loading starts. This provides claims teams with an objective record to compare against the delivery condition.

• Also list items with hidden damage risks, such as press-board furniture, particleboard shelving, or glass inserts, so crews can pad or crate them separately. Record any existing damage on the inventory. This record protects both parties.

If a dispute still happens, understand your position. Federal law requires household-goods carriers to offer arbitration for certain loss, damage, or charge disputes. FMCSA notes that movers must take part in arbitration when the claim is $10,000 or less, but they can refuse higher amounts. That reality changes how you document decisions. Arbitration rewards clean records.

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