What do I do to prepare for my move in the winter?

WINTER GUIDELINES

Thank you for choosing Moving Forward Transit for your moving needs. We look forward to working with you. Before your move gets started, there are a few things our customers need to be aware of during the Winter months. Before your moving crew arrives, please ensure all shoveling of any sidewalks, stairs, or driveways that are covered with snow and ice are cleared as this can become a safety hazard for our crews. Salt or sand slippery pathways, Walkways, and doorsteps, as well as driveways so truck/trucks can safely pull or back in, and park safely for loading and unloading. Also please check your steps, brick walkways, and driveways to ensure the structures are secure. Any loose bricks, steps, etc could become a walking hazard in slippery wet weather. If you’re moving to a big city, be prepared to shovel out a street parking space for the moving trucks as well, as it can be very difficult for the truck to park, especially if a space has not already been reserved for your move.

Do You Offer Insurance? While moving companies cannot offer insurance for your move, all moving companies have to offer Valuation coverage as detailed below.

VALUATION/PROTECTION

Breathe easier with Moving Forward Transit’s protection plans. When you work with Moving Forward Transit, you’ll be working with a team that is dedicated to ensuring the safe arrival of your belongings to their destination. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good idea to consider extra protection. Unfortunately, accidents may happen, but by making a careful decision about the protection plan you need you can help mitigate these risks. And as you consider your costs, you may also want to review Moving Forward Transit’s tariff.

INVENTORY UPON CREWS ARRIVAL

We must document all items that will be being moved. Our team will conduct an inventory Bill of Lading form to indicate the condition of items, and document any pre-existing damage with photographs before items are placed in the Truck. This ensures proper documentation in the unlikely event that something is damaged during transportation.  Taking inventory upon arrival is not only a good idea, it’s required to ensure your items are covered properly. Taking inventory at the time of the start of your move  ensures documentation of your items shape, value, condition, weight and overall appearance of your items before they are transported to ensure they are in the same condition when Moving Forward Transit crew arrives at your unload destination, if Moving Forward Transit  is liable, we will provide the compensation you deserve.

LIMITED LIABILITY PROTECTION

The standard coverage for your belongings is set at 60 cents per pound. In the event of damage, the claims settlement is simply based on the weight of the item. Please note, that boxes you pack yourself won’t carry the liability coverage that boxes packed by your carrier will. Moving Forward Transit can provide all the details to ensure you fully understand your coverage options and guide you to the best decision.

The most economical protection available is Released Value since it is offered at no additional charge. However, the protection is minimal. Under this option, the Moving Forward Transit assumes liability for no more than 60 cents per pound per article. There is no additional charge for Released Value. However, you must sign a specific statement on the bill of lading or contract agreeing to it. But remember, it compensates you according to the weight of the item, not its actual value. 

FULL REPLACEMENT VALUE PROTECTION (FRVP)

For a higher level of compensation, you might consider choosing full protection. It’s a great way to protect your belongings and your move, in the event that there’s any damage to your items. Keep in mind that this isn’t insurance—instead, we place a dollar amount on your belongings, which is determined by the value you declare for them, if you decide to buy FRVP on your shipment and you value your items at $10,000. If you want to increase that value, you can. For this coverage Moving Forward Transit sets a 10% deductible amount for the value of your items you choose.  For example a shipment valued at $10,000.00 would cost you $1,000.00. But keep in mind that you must decide your valuation coverage and the level of your deductible before any of your belongings make it onto the moving vehicle. Moving Forward Transit can provide you with a quote for the cost of your chosen valuation level, and that cost is added to the total cost of your shipment. Prior to Packing, and Inventory, you will need to provide payment for your shipment.

Full Value Protection and Released Value are not insurance policies governed by state insurance laws; instead, they are Federal contractual tariff levels of liability authorized under Released Rates Orders of the Surface Transportation Board of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

THIRD-PARTY INSURANCE

If you select this option, you can also obtain separate liability insurance, most homeowners insurance companies will offer this coverage for you. The cost of this coverage is determined by your selected insurance company and not included in the basic move and must be purchased separately by you. This is not valuation coverage governed by Federal law—it is optional insurance regulated by state law that you may obtain, and Moving Forward Transit will document all items for you, and your chosen insurance Provider.

If you purchase this coverage,  Moving Forward Transit remains liable for the amount up to 60 cents per pound per article; but the rest of the loss is recoverable from the insurance company up to the amount of insurance you purchased.. Before purchasing additional insurance, check your homeowner's insurance policy to see if you're already covered within your current policy. Many times if a customer chooses this option your insurance company requires you to document your items before and after your move. This can be done by you the customer or you can hire Moving Forward Transit to document all items for you, this is usually done at a reduced hourly rate.

ITEMS OF EXTRAORDINARY VALUE

If you’re moving items that are valued at more than $100 per pound—such as sterling silver, China, or special collectibles—it’s important to complete an item of extraordinary value form. This form indicates the condition of your valuables prior to your move, and both you and the driver will sign off on it. That way, should the unexpected happen and something becomes damaged, your belongings of extraordinary value are still protected. Items of extraordinary value hold a value in excess of $100 per pound, and also items that have great financial value. You can opt to have a deductible assigned to items of extraordinary value in the event that they require replacement or repair once determined by our assessment. Your agent can also help answer any questions you have regarding the value you’ll want to assign to a specific item. If your belongings have a value of more than $100 per pound, they are considered items of extraordinary value. Some examples include:

Currency

Fur or fur garments

Coins

Antiques

Jewelry

Oriental rugs or tapestries

Precious metals

Rare collectible items

Precious or semiprecious stones or gems

Objects of art

China sets

Computer software programs

Crystal

Manuscripts and other rare documents

Figurines

If you have belongings that meet the criteria for items of extraordinary value, they must be identified on the Items of Extraordinary Value Inventory Form.

INVENTORY UPON DELIVERY

You must document any missing items or damage to your belongings at the time of delivery. This is accomplished by taking inventory as soon as your items are unloaded from the truck and should be completed with the Moving Forward Transit crew member present. Taking inventory upon delivery is not only a good idea, it’s required to ensure your items are covered properly. Taking inventory at the time of delivery ensures that, if Moving Forward Transit is liable, we will provide the compensation you deserve. We know that understanding your valuation and protection options can seem complicated, and we’re always happy to answer questions. If you’d like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

Keep in mind…

Some of your actions may limit Moving Forward Transits’ liability. These include:

Packing perishable, dangerous, or hazardous materials in your household goods without Moving Forward Transits knowledge hazardous materials cannot be transported by Moving Forward Transit.

Packing your own boxes. You may consider packing your own household goods and articles to reduce your costs, but if the articles you pack are damaged due to improper packing, you are not eligible for claims against Moving Forward Transit for the boxes you pack incorrectly.

Choosing Released Value coverage when your household goods are valued at more than 60 cents per pound per article.

Failing to notify Moving Forward Transits in writing about articles of extraordinary value prior to your move.

Failing to report loss and damage promptly.

Are you Hiring? From time to time we do have openings on our moving crew, to find out more about job opportunities please reach out to us here.