Hermes International Movers/Moving Glossary

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Moving Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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.

Additional Services
Services such as packing, appliance servicing, unpacking, or stair carries that are needed due to either your request or building regulations may result in additional charges.

Advanced Charges
Charges for services performed by a third party at your request. The charges for these services are paid for by the mover and added to the charges on your Bill of Lading.

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.

Appliance
The cost of a complete disconnect of an appliance at the originating residence and a reconnect of the appliance at the new residence. Covered appliances include washers, dryers, dishwashers, and refrigerators. Certain movers charge a surcharge for this service while others simply charge the amount of time the actual service takes. If a particular mover does not perform this service or contracts with a third party, the field is marked "NA".

Appliance Dolly
Supplied by self-service movers to help you load and unload large items like appliances and oversized furniture.

Assessed Value Coverage
This specifies how much money per $1,000 of assessed value you will need to pay to cover your household items to their fully assessed value. Purchasing this protection requires that a cash value be assigned to the items you will be moving. If a deductible is applied, that value is stated next to the cost-per-$1,000 figure. For example, 7.50/100 means that the consumer must pay $7.50 per $1,000 of assessed value to cover the load against loss, and the first $100 of damage is not covered. Some valuation policies are calculated on a sliding scale, where the price per $1,000 of coverage will vary depending upon the total amount of coverage. In such cases, carriers are requested to quote valuation prices based on $25,000 of coverage. Please note that most valuation policies require that the entire load be covered, not just specific items. Ask your carrier for terms.

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/Non-Binding Estimate

Binding: The mover quotes a flat price based upon a given inventory. No matter how long the job takes, the flat price is always paid. It is given only when an onsite estimate is performed.

Non-Binding: These estimates are based upon the movers' previous experience of jobs similar to yours. As the name suggests, these estimates are subject to change.

Hourly Rates: Customers are charged by the hour per man, per truck.

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.

Carrier
This is the mover with whom you're working.

Chargeable Weight
The weight used by an airline to determine the air freight charge.

C.O.D. (Cash on delivery)
Shipments where customer pays moving charges at the time of delivery. For COD shipments, payment is required in cash, banker’s draft or credit card (provided prior arrangements have been made).

Comments
Any additional information about a listed company.

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 removal charges.

Cost per cubic metre/cubic feet
A rate given on the estimated space your belongings will fill on a truck /container.

Cost per 100 lb.
A rate given on the estimated weight of your belongings.

Cost of Move
This addresses how much the specific move will cost, not including the various extra charges and insurance. All cost estimates are calculated based on information obtained from the listed moving companies during a signup interview. Although every effort is made to gather the most accurate information, customers should be aware of the fact that many factors affect the cost of a move. Make sure to ask about all of the movers involved costs, including things like flights of stairs, distance between your residence and the moving van (some charge extra if your belongings are a significant distance from the moving van).

Crate
A timber case for an overseas shipment (often referred to as a liftvan).

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 cover and it is important that it reflects the value of your belongings.

Depreciated Value
Coverage See Assessed Value Coverage.

Destination Agent
The moving company appointed to act on your behalf at destination.

Divider
Many self-service movers will place commercial goods behind your household possessions on the trailer. A divider is installed between these separate shipments to keep them secure.

Divider Installation
Divider Installation This specifies how much extra it will cost a consumer to have a divider (see definition) installed.

Expedited Service
This is an agreement to transport goods by a set date in exchange for a higher rate.

Export Wrapping
Method of packing household and personal effects for transportation overseas. Usually involves heavier and more specialist materials.

Flight of Stairs
This tells you the additional cost, if any, of a flight of stairs either at the point of origin or the destination. Please note that a third-floor walkup counts as two flights since you are starting on the first floor. Serviceable elevators (an elevator large enough to transport the household goods) eliminate the need to pay this fee.

Freight-Service
A low-cost alternative to a full-service move, freight-service movers will move all of your household goods from your old address to your new address but will deliver the items only to the doorstep of your new home. Your items must all be boxed in advance, and your individual pieces of furniture will not be wrapped in blankets, as distinguished from full-service movers. See also Self-Service Mover and Full-Service Mover.

Full Container Load (FCL)
A container carrying your belongings exclusively, with specified move dates as agreed with your mover.

Full Replacement Value Coverage
Detailed insurance cover, 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 jewellery. 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.

Guaranteed Pickup
and Delivery Service A premium service whereby dates of service are guaranteed, with the mover providing reimbursement for delays. This type of service is often subject to minimum weight requirements.

Insurance Certificate
The official insurance document given to you by the insurance company. You will need this in the event of a claim.

Inventory
A list of your belongings to be moved or a list of your belongings in transit or storage.

Less than Container Load (LCL)
Where your shipment does not fill a complete shipping container.

License
Movers are required by law to obtain certifications necessary to transport household goods within state boundaries (i.e. local/intrastate) or across state lines (i.e. interstate). The license numbers shown are used to identify the status of the mover's operating authority and insurance coverage. Individual states may require additional license information based on the type of move performed.

Liftvans
A crate used in the packing of your belongings.

Linehaul Charges
The charge to move your shipment by road from point of collection (which could be at the dockside) to its final point of destination.

Marine Insurance
Insurance specifically to cover your belongings whilst in transit over long distances and/or across water by vehicle, ship or aircraft. The policy will cover specific marine risks.

Moving Company
A Moving Company is the business offering your move program and that is in charge of transporting your belongings.

Order for Service
The authorizing document allowing movers to move your goods.

Order Number
Also known as the Bill of Lading. It's the number used to identify and track your shipment.

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.

Price
This tells you how much the specific move will cost, not including the various extra charges and insurance. All cost estimates are calculated based on information obtained from the listed moving companies during a signup interview. Although every effort is made to gather the most accurate information, customers should be aware of the fact that many factors affect the cost of a move.

Packing Service
Many full-service movers provide customers the option of having all of their possessions packed before the move and later unpacked at the destination.

Peak Season Rates
A premium rate that is charged at certain times of the year. This rate is generally applied in the summer months.

Piano
This specifies the additional cost to move a single 42-inch piano as part of the total household. This is not the cost to move the piano if that is the only item being moved.

Pickup and Delivery Charges
This is an additional charge that is applied when you have to transport your shipment between the Storage in Transit warehouse and your residence.

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).

Self-Service
Mover Companies in this category will provide a trailer for you at your old home. You load the trailer yourself and the company returns to move the trailer to your new destination. You then unload the trailer yourself and call the mover to remove the empty trailer. This type of move is becoming increasingly popular with consumers because it saves money in two ways. First, you do not pay for any of the loading/unloading labor. Second, the self-service mover will often load commercial goods on the trailer behind your household goods, to help defer the cost of the total shipment. See also Full-Service Mover and Freight-Service.

Shipper
The person (customer) whose goods are being moved.

Shuttle Service
Occurs when a smaller vehicle is used to haul goods to a location that is not accessible to large moving trailers.

Stair-Carry Charge
An extra charge for carrying items up or down flights of stairs.

Standard Coverage
Movers, by law, are required to provide a minimum amount of free coverage. This number, typically 60 cents, refers to the amount of money you will receive per pound of damaged goods. This coverage is a bare minimum and should not be relied upon to cover you for any significant damage. For example, if you have a priceless vase which weighs two pounds, you would only be entitled to $1.20 of compensation if the vase is damaged in transit.

Storage-In-Transit (SIT)
Temporary warehousing of your goods pending further transportation or transportation to your new home if it isn't ready for occupancy. You may not exceed a total of 180 days of storage, and you are responsible for the added SIT charges as well as the warehouse handling and final delivery charges.

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 / co-ordinate additional professional services e.g. Plumbers, House Cleaners, Waterbed dismantling/assembling, carpenters, maid service.

Transit Time
The time indicated between collection and delivery of your belongings.

Transport Type
Moving companies may transport your household goods using a variety of transport methods. Each transport type possess unique benefits.

Truck: The moving company will deliver a unibody truck to your home. The truck will remain at your residence until you have completed loading it and request pick-up from the moving company.

Trailer: The moving company will deliver just the trailer section of the truck to your home. The trailer will remain at your residence until you have completed loading it and request pick-up from the moving company.

Truck& Trailer: The moving company will deliver an entire truck (both cab and trailer) to your home. The truck and trailer will remain at your residence until you have completed loading it and request pick-up from the moving company.

Mobile Container: The moving company will deliver large storage containers or units to your home. The storage containers will remain at your residence until you have completed loading them and request pick-up from the moving company.

Valuation
Valuation is not insurance. Valuation offered by your moving company is a tariff level of carrier liability based on the weight of your goods. Valuation covers your property by assessing value in three different ways explained above (Assessed Value Coverage, Full Replacement Value Coverage & Standard Coverage). In a nutshell, Valuation is an amount that reflects "what your goods are worth."
Valuation only covers your goods for damage or loss if you can prove negligence on the part of the carrier. IT DOES NOT cover any loss or damage due to Acts of God, (high winds, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes) riots, strikes, civil commotion, etc. and all claims are settled by employees of the carrier that damaged your goods. The valuation charge compensates the mover for assuming a greater degree of liability than that provided for in the base transportation charges.

Warehouse Handling
An additional charge applicable each time SIT service is provided. This charge compensates the mover for the physical placement and removal of items within the warehouse.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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