Glossary
Moving industry, plainly explained
Every term you'll hear when booking a mover, reading a contract, or filing a complaint.
1
A
Accessorial Charges
Charges for services beyond basic loading, transportation, and unloading — such as packing, appliance servicing, long ca...
Appliance Service
Disconnecting, servicing, or reconnecting major appliances such as washers, dryers, and refrigerators with ice makers so...
B
BIPD Insurance
Bodily Injury and Property Damage liability insurance that interstate carriers must carry, commonly a $750,000 minimum f...
Bill of Lading
The legal contract between you and your moving company and the receipt for your goods. The Bill of Lading lists the serv...
Binding Estimate
A written agreement guaranteeing the total cost of your move based on the quantities and services listed. If you add ite...
Binding Not-to-Exceed Estimate
A consumer-friendly estimate in which you pay the actual cost if it is lower than the estimate, but never more than the...
Bingo Sheet
Nickname for the numbered inventory tags applied to each item and the master sheet used to check them off at delivery —...
Broker
A company that arranges your move but does not own trucks or transport goods itself; it sells the job to a carrier. Repu...
Bulky Article Charge
An additional fee for handling oversized or hard-to-load items — such as hot tubs, pianos, large safes, riding mowers, o...
C
Cargo Insurance
Coverage protecting the value of the goods a carrier transports. Federal rules require interstate household-goods carrie...
Carrier
The company that actually transports your household goods and is legally responsible for them in transit. Confirm whethe...
Certificate of Insurance
A document from an insurer verifying a mover's coverage, often required by apartment buildings before move-in. A COI con...
Chameleon Carrier
A rogue moving company that reincarnates under a new name, USDOT number, or MC number to escape a poor safety record, un...
Claim
A formal request for compensation for goods lost or damaged during a move. You generally have nine months from delivery...
Crating
Building a custom wooden container to protect fragile, oversized, or high-value items such as glass tabletops, marble, a...
Cube Sheet
A worksheet movers use to estimate the cubic feet — and therefore the weight — of your shipment, room by room. The cube...
D
Deadhead
Miles a truck travels empty, such as driving to your origin or returning after delivery. Some carriers factor deadhead i...
Delivery Window
The range of dates, agreed in writing, within which your mover will deliver an interstate shipment, also called spread d...
Destination Agent
The local van-line agent responsible for delivery, unloading, and any post-move services at your new location. Knowing t...
E
F
FMCSA
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates...
Flight Charge
An additional fee for carrying items up or down stairs (flights) when there is no elevator, also called a stair carry. D...
Full Value Protection
The comprehensive liability option in which your mover is responsible for the replacement value of any lost or damaged a...
G
Gross Weight
The combined weight of the loaded truck (your goods plus the vehicle). Subtracting the tare weight (the empty truck) giv...
Guaranteed Delivery
A service, available for an added fee, in which the mover commits to specific pickup and/or delivery dates and owes you...
H
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous materials that movers are prohibited from transporting, such as gasoline, propane, paints, aerosols, ammunitio...
High-Value Inventory
A separate listing of articles worth more than a specified amount per pound (often $100/lb), such as jewelry, art, or el...
Hostage Load
An illegal tactic in which a mover refuses to deliver your belongings until you pay charges far above the agreed price....
Household Goods (HHG)
Personal property and furnishings that a mover transports from a residence — the category of shipment regulated under fe...
I
Interstate Move
A move that crosses state lines, regulated by the FMCSA. Interstate movers must have operating authority (an MC number),...
Intrastate Move
A move that begins and ends within the same state, regulated by that state's authorities rather than the FMCSA. Rules, l...
Inventory
The detailed list the mover creates at pickup describing each item and its condition. At delivery you check items off an...
L
Line-Haul Charges
The core transportation charges for moving your shipment between origin and destination, based on the shipment weight an...
Local Move
A short-distance move, usually within the same metro area and under about 50 miles, typically billed by the hour rather...
Long Carry
An accessorial charge applied when movers must carry your belongings an excessive distance between your home and the tru...
M
N
Net Weight
The actual weight of your household goods, calculated by subtracting the truck's tare weight from its gross weight. On n...
Non-Binding Estimate
An estimate of probable cost based on the mover's survey, which is not a guaranteed price. Your final charges are based...
Notice of Loss or Damage
Notations you make on the inventory or delivery documents at the time of delivery recording any missing or damaged items...
O
Operating Authority
The permission, evidenced by an MC number, that the FMCSA grants a carrier or broker to operate for hire in interstate c...
Order for Service
The document authorizing the mover to transport your household goods. It lists the agreed services, dates, and estimated...
Origin Agent
The local van-line agent that books your move and handles pickup at your current home, including the pre-move survey and...
P
Packed by Owner (PBO)
Cartons you pack yourself, marked PBO on the inventory. Movers' liability for damage to the contents of PBO boxes is lim...
Peak Season
The busiest and most expensive moving period, typically mid-May through early September and around month-ends. Booking o...
R
Released Value Protection
The most economical liability option, offered at no additional charge. Coverage is limited to 60 cents per pound per art...
Reweigh
Your right to request a second weighing of the shipment if you believe the weight is inaccurate. On non-binding moves yo...
Rogue Mover
An unscrupulous or unlicensed mover that uses tactics like lowball quotes, large up-front deposits, and holding goods ho...
S
Shuttle Service
The use of a smaller vehicle to transfer your goods when the moving van cannot reach your residence due to narrow street...
Storage-in-Transit
Temporary warehouse storage of your goods when you cannot accept delivery on the agreed date. SIT has time limits and ad...
Surface Transportation Board
The federal board that handles certain economic regulation of carriers, including the released-rates and liability frame...
T
Tare Weight
The weight of the empty moving truck, including pads, dollies, and equipment, before your goods are loaded. Tare weight...
Tariff
A mover's published schedule of rates, rules, and charges. For interstate moves, carriers must maintain a tariff and mak...