Relocation Terms

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From time to time, in the planning and execution of your move, you will come across terms and acronyms, which the industry uses. Although not all the jargon can be listed, the followings are the most likely you will come across:

Please note that these terms and abbreviations below most legitimate licensed movers should know and is a good way (for you the customer) to determine if your going to be getting a good relocation specialist.

• Access – Basically, how accessible is the property? The room to park a vehicle, the distance from vehicle to front door, the availability of lifts, how many floors the building has, and so on, all have an influence on access.
• Agent - Usually another moving company appointed to act as a partner in your move. The most likely situation is that your mover will appoint someone at destination to receive your shipment, clear it through Customs and arrange final delivery. The agent’s services will be included in your quotation.
• Bill of Lading - This is your contract with the carrier. It is your receipt for your goods and the contract for their transportation. Your signature on this document acknowledges that your goods have been loaded on the moving van and "released to the carrier".
• Binding Quote - A guaranteed price based on the inventory. For Example: If we estimate your weight and your load weighs in heavier than what we estimated, than the overage weight/cost will be on us. You will not have to pay one cent more! But beware that this will only be for only the items that were previously estimated. If you should add more items/boxes before the movers arrive, or if additional services are requested or required at either origin or destination (such as a "shuttle" to or from a location to which a full-size van cannot operate directly or a "long carry" from the street to residence), the total cost will increase. Binding estimates are valid for the time period specified, up to 60 days.
  If you add items to be moved or require additional services, such as packing, between the time of the estimate and the time of your move, there will be additional charges. An addendum specifying these additional charges will be prepared for your signature. If you are interested in obtaining a binding estimate, please let us know.
• Bonded Warehouse – A warehouse that meets with local Customs specifications, and allows shipments to be stored pending clearance by Customs.
• Booker - The company which you have chosen to be in charge of your move.
• Chargeable Weight - The weight used by an airline to determine the air freight charge.
• COD (Cash On Delivery) - Shipments where customer pays moving charges at the time of delivery. For COD Shipments, payment is requires in cash, any major credit card, or company check (for business moves only & provided prior arrangements have been made).
• Consignee - The person to whom the shipment is to be delivered.
• Container – A modular steel box (usually 20-ft or 40-ft) for moving goods securely. Usually used on ships but increasingly linked to road and rail transport.
• Corporate Account – Your employer company, which is responsible for the relocation charges.
• Cost per 100 lb. – A rate given on the estimated weight of your belongings. These charges apply to any intrastate moves (moving within any given state), Interstate moves (moving across any State Line) and International moves (moving out of the continental United States.
• Crate Overseas/International – A timber case for an overseas shipment (often referred to as a liftvan).
• C/U – Means “Contents and Condition Unknown”
• Customs Clearance – Formal inspection procedures carried out before allowing a shipment into a country.
• CWT - This abbreviation stands for the rate or charge per 100 pounds.
• Declared Value – Value the owner declare its goods to be for the purpose of insurance. This will form the basis of your insurance coverage and it is important that it reflects the value of your belongings. This can be applied either for moving or storage purposes.
• Destination Agent - The moving company appointed to act on your behalf at destination.
• Direct Shipment- A container/or truck carrying your belongings exclusively, with specified move dates as agreed with your mover. This type of move usually gets the highest priority to any eastern state within 2-5 days depending on the state being moved to and weight being shipped. Please check our EZ Express Services for more on next day delivery.
• Drive Time: A timed measured distance charge for the cost of movers and truck usage from our nearest office location to your pickup location, and from your new location back to our originated office location.
• Export Wrapping - Method of packing household and personal effects for transportation overseas. Usually involves heavier and more specialized materials.
• Full Replacement Insurance Coverage – Detailed insurance coverage, usually includes loss, theft, fire and breakage, (breakage maybe restricted to items packed by your professional mover). May carry excess or deductible, maximum limits on total value or certain types of items, pairs and set clause, mechanical derangement clause and specific exclusions, for example money, stamp collection and jewelry. Always read details carefully.
• Groupage – Where your shipment will not fill a container, you can save money by sending it groupage. This means your shipment will be loaded with others to fill a container. You should pay lower shipping charges, but delivery will take longer.
• Insurance Certificate – The official insurance document given to you by the insurance company. You will need this in the event of a claim.
• Inventory List – This document lists all the goods that are either packed or moved in a shipment and has 4 main purposes: It is used to check the goods at all stages of handling; as a receipt, therefore the importance for the customer of signing for agreement when the goods are collected and unpacked; as an attachment to the insurance certificate as it is an evidence that the goods were shipped and their conditions at the time of packing, or moved, and/or for customs clearance as proof of the goods which are being imported. The inventory sheets are often used also when being moved to the mover’s storage facility for short or long term storage or when Full Replacement Insurance is purchased for certain items. Please see number 22 for more information on this.
• Less than Container Load (LCL) - Where your shipment does not fill a complete shipping container.
• Linehaul - The charge to move your shipment by road from point of collection (which could be at the dockside) to its final point of destination.
• Non-Binding Quote: With this quote, you’re given an estimated weight and a cost based on the estimated weight hauled and distance traveled. With non binding estimate chosen; if your estimated weight falls below our estimated projected costs, your cost for your move will cost less and that’s what you will pay. However, if the weight goes the other way and goes over the estimated weight and cost, then you will have to pay the difference as well. To see the other option available, please refer to Binding Estimate.
• Origin Agent - The moving company appointed to handle your move at origin.
• Packed By Owner (PBO) – When you choose to pack your belongings yourself, either into cartons supplied by the mover or into your own boxes. Insurance companies often refuse to insure goods packed by their owners.
• Packers – Persons in charge of packing, wrapping, loading the goods at origin and unpacking, unwrapping and unloading the goods at destination.
• Routing – The route the shipment will take to the eventual destination (the route itself as well as the mode of transportation and type of carrier service).
• Shipper - The person (customer) whose goods are being moved.
• Storage In Transit (SIT) - Temporary storage of your household goods in the warehouse of the moving company, pending further transportation.
• Survey Visit – To provide you with a quote the moving company will send a sales consultant to your home to assess the volume or weight of the goods to be removed.
• Third Party Services – Some movers offer to arrange / coordinate additional professional services e.g. Plumbers, House Cleaners, Waterbed dismantling/assembling, carpenters, maid service.
• Travel Time – The time indicated between collection and delivery of your belongings.
• Vault/Storage Containers: A custom timber container used for storing your goods in a warehouse climate controlled environment waiting for departure to your new location.