How much movers are liable for during an interstate move

When determining what moving company to go with make sure and ask the moving company what their level of liability is in the event of loss or damage to your shipment.

On an interstate move the moving company should give you the following two options:

1. Full Value Replacement Coverage
If any item is lost, destroyed or damaged while in your mover's custody, your mover will, at its option, either, 1)repair the article to the extent necessary to restore it to the same condition as when it was received by your mover, or pay you for the cost of such repairs; or 2)replace the article with an article of like kind and quality, or pay you for the cost of such a replacement. 

Under Full Replacement Value Protection, if you do not declare a higher replacement value the value of your goods will be deemed to be equal to $6.00 multiplied by the weight (in pounds) of the shipment, subject to a minimum valuation for the shipment of $6,000.00

**Full Value Replacement Coverage has additional charges "premium" and typically a "deductible" to meet.

2. Release Value
If any item is lost, destroyed or damaged while in your mover's custody, your mover will only be liable for $0.60 per pound per article.

For example you move an item that weights 10 pounds and that item is damaged or destroyed you would only receive $6.00.

Seems a bit overwhelming to think about!!!  But knowing & understanding your movers liability ahead of time is better than finding out after something is lost or damaged.

Condor Moving Systems offers free full value replacement coverage at no additional charge for interstate moves.

Choosing a Moving Company

Moving is never easy, weather you decide to tackle the task on your own or the budget allows to employ the services of a full service moving company the decision process is lengthy and the “to do” list adds up fast!  Thankfully, moving is not an event that happens on a regular basis and aren’t we all thankful for that; however, when we need to move and are exploring the idea of hiring a moving company most of us are out of our element which brings about uncertainty of where to turn and who to trust.  Where can I get boxes?  How do we get Tuffy the puppy to Florida from Texas?  Can we take the plant Aunt May gave us?  Last but certainly not least- Who can we trust to move all of our precious household items 1573 miles across the country?  Naturally, in this day and age we sit in front of our computers and “google” it!  Normally, this brings about even more stress because we encounter horror story testimonials -that are usually exaggerated and biased along with the endless list of full service moving companies all promising what we all want- a LOW price and the BEST service!  Where do you start?

 

In most cases, customers will select three moving companies to speak with and interview for their business.  So then you have 3 companies, all offering a similar service and all within $100 of each other.  How do you narrow down your decision now?  We all have our on decision making process but one of the most common ways is online reviews.  We want to know what others experienced when in our position, whatever the case may be.  Let’s think about this logically, we want to see what others -we don’t know - have to say about a company- we don’t know- and just because we find it online human nature tells us it’s true.  This may work when trying to research the best DVD player to buy but when you are trying to find a moving company you can trust- trusting online reviews can be catastrophic. 

 

First of all, anyone, anywhere, anytime can go online and post a review about any company weather it’s positive, negative, true or false.  Who will ever know?  Who can it hurt?  The question is- why would we trust these reviews?

 

Second, who writes reviews most of the time?  Normally, people that have a bad experience write a review because it’s an avenue to vent and in some cases get “revenge” because the moving company lost their favorite broom.  Seriously, we’ve had this complaint. For every one positive review a company receives, you can bet that same company will receive 5 negative reviews-again its human nature- we are more likely to write a bad review than a good review because the consumer received the service expected.  Who wants to write about that?  Boring!

 

The other issue is; no one takes into consideration the volume of business a company does versus the complaint ratio.  This is huge!  If Condor Moving Systems relocates 2500 families a year and we receive 20 complaints from customers, that’s a pretty good ratio for any company. 

 

I could go on and on with this issue because it’s an area I’m very passionate in but in short I want to address the age old question- where do you turn to find a good moving company? Are there websites unique to the moving industry to help me?  Yes!!  The following information listed is for the Federal Motor Carrier, American Moving and Storage Association and Southwest Movers Association and are all organizations that specialize in the moving industry and can guide you in your search- they are non-biased and information found is based solely on facts and stringent criteria. 
 

 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration or call (888)368-7238

 

The American Moving and Storage Association or call (703)706-4993

 

The Southwest Movers Association or call (800)759-2305

 

You could also make it easy on yourself and just call us first; Condor Moving Systems will carry you home from start to finish!  Our moving consultants are waiting for your call………

 

Happy Hunting! 

 

Moving Household Plants

Moving Household Plants

Looking to move out of state and you have plants you need moved and not sure what to do.   Most movers will take your household plants but under strict restrictions such as the plants have to picked up and delivered within a 24 hour period and they can be moved outside of state lines.

Most people moving don't realize that their plants may be place in an area with no sunlight or water and when placed in a moving truck with a  bunch of furniture and boxes may get crushed.

The most important thing to know about moving plants out of state is that it may not be up to your mover on whether they want to accept the liability of take your plant but beware of federal and state regulations that prevent the transport of certain plants.

Most states require that plants are certified and by the local department of agriculture office.  In Texas contact http://www.texasagriculture.gov/Home/ContactUs/TDALocations.aspx.
The moving company will not arrange for inspection of household plants.

If you are moving plants make sure you do the following:

1. Find out if your mover will accept plants and what their rules are

2. Find out of your state agricultural department has restrictions on shipping certain plants

3. Decide is it worth the time and investment to take the plant

Customers want to know moving companies transit times

How long do I have to wait in my empty house before my shipment arrives?    This is probably one of the most frequent questions we get here at Condor Moving Systems.    Every time someone moves there is always inconvenience.  These inconveniences can  either be having to get together friends and family to take off time to help move you in a u-haul then driving to your destination or hiring  a moving company then having to wait for shipment at your destination.    Most people hate the concept of having to wait in a empty house or sleep on the floor even just to move.  What people don’t realize is what it takes to do a long distance move.   

 

As soon as someone books with a full service moving company for a move that is going from one state to another it takes careful planning on the part of the moving companies part in order to get the best rates possible to the customer.  Once a moving company has picked up a customer’s shipment  the shipment are sometimes taken back to a that companies warehouse where shipments are consolidated onto a 18-wheeler and sent to multiple destinations.  This  the part that determines how long the actual transit time is going to be which is figured out by  where the shipment is going and how many stops the driver will have before he gets.      So how long am I going to have to wait in a empty house again?    This can vary depending on the moving companies written tariff.   It can either be with Condor it is only 1-10 business days.    Condor will let you know 24 to 48 hours before delivery  when your shipment will arrive.    In conclusion always ask what the transit time  for a company you choose to go with.   But how can I get my shipment earlier?   A moving company can get a shipment to you sooner with what is called a dedicated truck which is expensive almost twice as much as a standard move so to get best price you will always have a few days to wait for a out of state move.   

Motorcycle Shipping

Working in the moving industry means adapting to the needs of our customers. Now, not everybody owns a motorcycle or an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle), but for those of us who do, we love these things like they were our children! Just as we have a responsibility to keep our children safe from harm, the same goes for our beloved bikes and ATV’s when it comes to shipping. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have heard from motorcycle and ATV owners the horrible results of having their “babies” shipped improperly. If a moving company is acting responsibly, then these complaints should be null and void.

 

Let’s create a hypothetical scenario; John Doe wants his Harley Davidson “Fatboy” moved with his household goods shipment. Unfortunately for him, We Couldn’t Care Less Movers arrive and simply throw a few moving blankets (if he is lucky) on his very expensive motorcycle, roll it into the trailer of an interstate truck (meaning an 18 wheeler), strap it down (again, if he is lucky) and then expect this item to arrive with little or no damage. This is absolutely wishful thinking! Interstate trucks are always packed for maximum load and what this means is that this is already turning into a nightmare scenario for poor John’s motorcycle! Let’s not forget; all of the household furniture, appliances and boxes must also be packed onto this truck. A full truck keeps the shipping costs down for the carrier, so they will certainly exploit this option. So, just where will all of these additional household items end up when there is no more space to exploit? Right smack on John Doe’s motorcycle! While it might not arrive completely destroyed (though we have definitely seen this happen due to such negligence), dings, scratches, dents, broken mirrors and lights are the norm. Typically these companies will also make the owner of this vehicle sign a waiver saying they take no responsibility for damages to the vehicle. At best, they will only recoup your losses at 0.60 per lb.

So what is the proper way to ship a motorcycle or an ATV? Crating is the only reliable answer. Not only will this ensure the safe transport of your prized possession, but this also allows the carrier to stack items properly in their trailer to maximize efficiency. This keeps theirs and your costs down and this will also prevent a lot of tears in the end!

 

I have included pictures of proper transport of motorcycles, ATV’s and let’s not forget Scooters for those of us who are “mods”!  

Happy Trails!

 

 

 

I motorcycle shipping

 

 Shipping a Street Bike

motorcycle shipping

Shipping an ATV

motorcycle shipping

Shipping a Vespa Scooter

motorcycle shipping

Closed Motorcycle Crate

motorcycle shipping

Shipping a Harley Davidson

 

 

 

 

 

Moving

As if life isn’t already busy enough, when you incorporate moving you and your family to a new home, whether its five miles down the road or five hundred miles down the road the added stress can make anyone a little crazy.  So, how do you ease the endless list of things to prepare before making the big move?  The answer-hire professional movers and packers!  Yes, there is the initial task of interviewing and collecting quotes from various movers but if you remember to stay organized and perform your due diligence on selecting your mover; the end result of leaving the menial and daunting task of packing your grandmother’s antique china will be in the hands of the professional packers.  So what’s the price tag on hiring professional movers and packers?  Well, this will vary depending on what you have to pack and move, the contents of each person’s home varies, but can you put a price tag on your sanity and the safe delivery of the precious pieces of art you bought on your honeymoon in Spain?

 

The convenience of hiring mover is you can customize the service you require.  You’re a bit of a control freak and you don’t want anyone packing your dishes but you really have no idea how to protect your 60” plasma TV- well, your packers can pack as much or as little as you want them to! On the other hand, you are mom of the year that handles the car pull for all the working moms in the neighborhood, you volunteer at the school and manage your own household that the thought of having to scrounge for moving boxes and actually pack the boxes makes your head spin and sends you into a near nervous breakdown- well, do not fret your professional movers and packers can pack your home top to bottom and all you have to do is open the door!   So, what are you waiting for?  Condor Moving Systems, Arlington Texas based full service moving company can help you from start to finish no matter where you’re moving in the continental United States.

 

Moving & Storage Company

MOVING         PURCHASED/SOLD FURNITURE       STAGING          DE-CLUTTERING

A full service moving and storage company can come in handy not only when you are actually moving out-of-state but when you need an extra hand when you have purchased or sold furniture, staging a home for sale or de-cluttering.

Have you purchased or sold a piece of furniture that you need picked up or delivered? Online auction sites being so popular today it would be nice to know that there is a simple way to move large pieces of furniture that won't fit in a standard size car.

Staging your home to sell is one of the best things to do to ensure a quicker sale.  When staging your home it typically requires moving out a lot of extra pieces to make maximize the space in your home.
Staging is simply to take away the distractions, stimulate the imagination, and highlight the key architectural features of every home. Wondering How can full service moving and storage company help.  By hiring movers you are able to have them come to your home load up those additional items and hold them in storage until your home has sold.  Once your home has sold the movers will take your items out of storage, come back out to your home load up the remaining furniture pieces and finally get your delivered to your new home.

If you are simply remodeling your home and need things moved out of the way versus bring a container unit to your home and be forced to load it and unload it on your own hire a mover.  When you hire a moving company the movers can come out to your home load it up, store it and then bring back out to you when you are ready for it. 

The next time you need furniture moved around think about hiring a full service moving company.

http://www.condormovingsystems.com