How to Write The Perfect Moving Company Policies

Creating policies for your moving company can be a complicated process. You should be detailed enough to cover a wide variety of moves and situations, but not so detailed that they become difficult to understand. 

What differentiates a good policy from a perfect policy is simple – a perfect policy doesn’t leave anything open to interpretation. For key information to include in your moving company’s policies, read on. 

Hours and Rates

Does your crew work weekends? Do you charge higher rates for certain days? Clarify what days of the week your moving company will operate, how many hours each day, and how much you plan to charge. It’s also a good idea to include your minimum hours per move (this is the minimum number of hours a customer will be charged, not the shortest job your team will do). 

For example: one hour minimum on weekdays and three hour minimum on weekends, or three hour minimum for morning jobs and two hour minimum for afternoon jobs. 

Make sure to add a labor minimum as well – ex. two men jobs have a minimum of two hours, three men jobs have a minimum of three hours, etc. 

Adverse Weather 

Sometimes weather can be unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare for it. Make sure your policy establishes a procedure for what to do in case of poor weather. From refunding to rescheduling, there are a lot of options your moving company can take. 

Discounts

Discounts are a great way to win over customers. Does your company offer discounts for seniors, teachers, military, first-responders, nurses, or other populations? Make a space in your policy to explain which discounts you offer, and how much each discount is. Additionally, decide whether each discount is offered up front, or only available if a customer asks about a discount. 

Customer Behavior

It is not uncommon to deal with rude or disrespectful customers. Your policy should state at what point it’s acceptable for your sales reps or crew members to reject a customer’s business. 

Additional Services

Does your crew connect and/or disconnect washers and dryers? Do you have a partnership with a long term storage facility? Does your crew dismount TVs? Your policy should detail all the additional services your moving company offers, and what you charge for them.

Moving Supplies and Tools

It’s important to include what equipment is included in your truck. Some examples include dollies, furniture pads, moving blankets, shrink wrap, tape, etc. If you bring along items such as wardrobe boxes or additional packing materials, state whether they are included in the overall price or whether the customer must pay extra to use them. All appliances, like refrigerators, washers, ac units, etc., must be disconnected or unmounted before the mover’s arrival. 

Extra Fees

You should also outline any extra fees included in a quote. A common example is a travel fee (also called a truck charge or a service charge). Include the fee amount as well as any conditions. For a travel fee, this could mean establishing a difference between long-distance and local moves, as well as deciding whether fuel charges are included in the travel charge. Be as detailed as you want here. 

You may also decide to charge more to move specialty items. Specialty items can refer to anything extremely fragile, heavy, or valuable (like antiques, abnormally large TVs, items over 150 pounds, exercise equipment, pianos, gun safes, etc.). Be specific in this section by assigning concrete prices and policies to well-known items, ex. “exercise bike = $150 extra” or “upright piano = 3 men”. You should also include any items you don’t move, such as live animals or illegal substances. 

Long Distance Moves

Explain your company’s policy for long-distance moves. Does your company complete out-of-state moves, or do you only perform local moves? Is there a move radius you don’t want to surpass (ex: 500 miles from company’s base)? When a long-distance move is requested, should the sales rep set up an onsite (physical or virtual) or quote as normal? If your company does interstate moves, mention your U.S. Department of Transportation USDOT registration number.

Onsite Protocols

Outline which moves require an onsite. This could be moving more than three bedrooms, long-distance jobs, or moves that involve specialty items. 

Does your company offer virtual onsites, or strictly in-person estimations? What days and times are you available for onsites, and how long should each onsite take? 

Note: Would you like to offer virtual Onsites? With Oncue, you can. Contact us today to learn how our moving software can help you perform onsite estimates from anywhere.

Labor-Only Jobs

If your moving company offers labor-only moves (customer provides their own truck), define what rate you charge for these jobs. If your company has different policies for labor-only moves, such as different minimum hours, here’s the place to list them. 

Same-Day and Next-Day Moves

What’s your policy for same-day and next-day moves? Decide whether there’s a size limit for last-minute moves (ex: less than three bedrooms). Do you want your sales rep to contact you before booking, or let you know after? If you don’t do moves within a certain time frame (ex: within 24 hours), note this in your policy. 

Storage

If you offer overnight storage on the trucks, detail how much this costs per night, and whether there’s a maximum number of nights a customer can store their items. 

Deposit and Cancellations

What’s your company’s deposit policy? List how much you charge for a deposit, and whether that amount is dependent on certain factors. For example, you may charge a higher deposit for a larger move (more than three bedrooms). You should also state whether deposits are refundable when cancelling within a certain time frame (24 hours before the move, 7 days before the move, etc.) or nonrefundable. 

Make sure to include what forms of payment you accept. These can include cash, check, Venmo, PayPal, credit cards (Visa/Mastercard/American Express), etc. 

Insurance Policy

One very important aspect of a moving company’s policies is the insurance coverage provided for the transportation of household goods during local or interstate moves. Having a comprehensive insurance policy ensures that the customer’s belongings are protected in case of an unforeseen incident during the course of the movie. As per Federal government rules, your moving companies must legally provide complimentary released-value protection if you do not purchase insurance or full-value protection – provide this information as well. As a professional moving company, it is important that you clearly outline the insurance coverage and explain the process to the customers. If the customers have valuable or high-cost goods, you should advise them to consider purchasing extra insurance coverage by paying additional costs to ensure their full protection. Limited damage waiver is another cover you have to mention which covers accidental damage to any rented equipment.You can also mention that they can purchase moving insurance from a third-party insurance provider.

Most insurance policies cover the value of the damaged items during transit. You can offer your customer the choice to opt for basic coverage or additional coverage at an extra cost. When it comes to damaged items, the insurance coverage follows the guidelines set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FMCSA. You can also add that in the unfortunate event of any damaged goods, customers should report the damages with proof within a specified timeframe to ensure an easy claims process. 

Bill of Lading

The Bill of Lading is an important process during a move. The document is a contract between your moving company offering moving services and the customer, outlining the terms and conditions. It is important you explain to your customers the importance of reviewing the document before signing it. This document will act as legal protection for both the customer and your company, thus making sure that everyone is aware of their duties and responsibilities. This will also include details such as the moving date and delivery dates, the inventory of the items that are being moved, and the quotation and additional charges, if any, that have been agreed upon.  Encourage the customers to ask questions about any additional cost or any other query they have. and By asking the customers to familiarise themselves with the documents, you can assure them that the moving process will be smooth and they can enjoy their new home soon.

Make sure to add that the customer do their homework and read the “ Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” that has been compiled by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Questions

No matter how perfect your policy, something new will always come up. Make sure your sales rep(s) have a way to reach you if they have any questions about your policy. That can be a phone number, an email address, or both. It’s important that you’re accessible so each job can be booked quickly and seamlessly.