Moving companies base their prices on factors like relocation type – whether local, long-distance, or international – travel distance, and shipment weight. While it’s easy to understand how a company can gauge travel distance, how does it calculate shipment weight? The process is fairly straightforward, and understanding it will give you a better idea of how movers establish their price quotes.
Onsite Estimates
In the industry, it’s well-known that providing accurate estimates over the phone is virtually impossible. That’s why reputable movers will send representatives to your home to assess its layout and the challenges it might present on moving day. They’ll be on the lookout for tight hallways, narrow doors, and multiple flights of stairs, for example. The representatives will then take an inventory of your belongings and will calculate the weight of the shipment using proprietary furniture weight charts, and of course, professional judgment and experience as well. After that, you’ll receive a price quote based on the total weight of your belongings and the distance of the move. According to the American Moving and Storage Association, the average price quote for moves is based on an average weight of 7,400 pounds of items.
Actual Moving-Day Weight
Remember, the total weight of your items is an estimate only. To determine exactly how much your belongings weigh, your moving company needs to weigh your shipment on a certified scale once the moving truck has been loaded with your items.
There are two types of weight-taking methods: origin weighing and destination weighing. In the former, movers weigh the truck before arriving at your place and then once more after all of your items have been loaded. They then calculate the net weight of your shipment by subtracting the first weight from the second. In destination weighing, movers perform the process in reverse order. They weigh the truck after they arrive at your destination home, and after they unload your belongings, they weigh the truck again. To obtain the net weight, they subtract the second figure from the first.
If you’d like more information about the weighing process for moves, contact Atlantic Relocation Systems. With over a half-century of industry service to customers nationwide, we can provide you with a guaranteed not-to-exceed price quote so that you know beforehand the maximum amount you’ll pay for our relocation services.