| A |
Definition |
| Accessorial
(Additional) Services |
Services such as packing, appliance
servicing, unpacking, or piano stair carries that you
request to be performed (or that are necessary because of
landlord requirements or other special circumstances).
Charges for these services may be in addition to the line
haul charges. |
| Advanced
Charges |
Charges for services performed by
someone other than the mover. A professional, craftsman, or
other third party may perform these services at your
request. The mover pays for these services and adds the
charges to your bill of lading charges. |
| Agent |
A local moving company
authorized to act on behalf of a larger, national company. |
| Appliance
Service by Third Party |
The preparation of major
electrical appliances to make them safe for shipment.
Charges for these services may be in addition to the line
haul charges. |
| B |
Definition |
| Bill of
Lading |
The receipt for your goods and
the contract for their transportation.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to understand the
bill of lading before you sign it. If you do not agree with
something on the bill of lading, do not sign it until you
are satisfied that it is correct. The bill of lading is
an important document. Do not lose or misplace your copy. |
| Broker |
A company that arranges for the
truck transportation of cargo belonging to others,
utilizing for-hire carriers to
provide the actual truck transportation. A broker does not
assume responsibility for the cargo and usually does not
take possession of the cargo. |
| C |
Definition |
| Carrier |
The mover transporting your household
goods. |
| Cash on Delivery
(COD) |
Payment is required at the time of
delivery at the destination residence (or warehouse). |
| Commercial
Shipper |
Any person who is named as the
consignor or consignee in a bill of lading
contract who is not the owner of the goods being
transported but who assumes the responsibility for payment
of the transportation and other tariff charges for the
account of the beneficial owner of the goods. The
beneficial owner of the goods is normally an employee of
the consignor and/or consignee. A freight forwarder
tendering a shipment to a carrier in furtherance of freight
forwarder operations is also a commercial shipper. The
Federal government is a government
bill of lading shipper, not a commercial shipper. |
| E |
Definition |
| Estimate,
Binding |
An agreement made in advance
with your mover, which guarantees the total cost of the
move based upon the quantities and services shown on the
estimate. |
| Estimate,
Non-Binding |
This is what your mover believes
the cost will be, based upon the estimated weight of the
shipment and the accessorial
services requested. A non-binding estimate is not
binding on the mover. The final charges will be based upon
the actual weight of your shipment, the services provided,
and the tariff provisions in effect.
You must be prepared to pay 10 percent more than the
estimated charges at delivery (110 Percent
Rule). |
| Expedited
Service |
An agreement with the mover to
perform transportation by a set date in exchange for
charges based upon a higher minimum weight. |
| F |
Definition |
| Flight
Charge |
A charge for carrying items up
or down flights of stairs. Charges for these services may
be in addition to the line haul
charges. |
| For-Hire
Carrier |
A trucking company that is paid to
transport cargo belonging to others. |
| Force Majeure |
A defense protecting the
parties in the event that a part of the contract cannot be
performed due to causes which are outside the control of
the parties and could not be avoided by exercise of due
care. |
| Freight Forwarder |
A company that arranges for truck
transportation of cargo belonging to others, utilizing for-hire
carriers to provide the actual truck transportation. A
freight forwarder assumes responsibility for the cargo from
origin to destination and usually takes possession of the
cargo at some point during the transportation. Freight
forwarders typically assemble and consolidate
less-than-truckload shipments into truckload shipments at
origin, and disassemble and deliver shipments at
destination. |
| Full Value |
Under this option, the mover is
liable for the replacement value of lost or damaged goods
(as long as it doesn't exceed the total declared value of
the shipment). If you elect to purchase full value
protection (FVP), and your mover loses, damages or destroys
your articles, your mover must repair, replace with like
items, or settle in cash at the current market replacement
value, regardless of the age of the lost or damaged item.
The minimum declared value of a shipment under this option
is $5,000 or $4.00 times the actual total weight (in
pounds) of the shipment, whichever is greater.
For example, the minimum declared value for a 4,000-pound
(1,814.4-kilogram) shipment would be $16,000. Your mover
may offer you FVP with a $250 or $500 deductible, or with
no deductible at all. The amount of the deductible will
affect the cost of your FVP coverage. The $4.00 per pound
minimum valuation rate may be
increased annually by your mover based on changes in the
household furnishings element of the Consumer
Price Index established by the U.S. Department of
Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Unless you specifically agree to other arrangements, the
mover must assume liability for the entire shipment based
upon this option. The approximate cost for FVP is $8.50 for
each $1,000 of declared value; however, it may vary by
mover. In the example above, the valuation
charge for a shipment valued at $16,000 would be $136.00.
As noted above, this fee may be adjusted annually by your
mover based on changes in the household furnishings element
of the Consumer
Price Index.
Alternatively, see Released Value. |
| G |
Definition |
| Government
Bill of Lading Shipper |
Any person whose property is
transported under the terms and conditions of a government bill
of lading issued by any department or agency of the
Federal government to the carrier responsible for the
transportation of the shipment. |
| Guaranteed
Pickup and Delivery Service |
An additional level of service
featuring guaranteed dates of service. Your mover will
provide reimbursement to you for delays. This premium
service is often subject to minimum weight requirements. |
| H |
Definition |
| High Value
Article |
Items included in a shipment
valued at more than $100 per pound ($220 per kilogram).
NOTE: These items should be disclosed to the mover
to ensure that they are protected accordingly. |
| Household Goods
(when used in connection with transportation) |
The personal effects or property
used, or to be used, in a dwelling, when part of the
equipment or supplies of the dwelling. Transportation of
the household goods must be arranged and paid for by the
individual shipper or by another individual on behalf of
the shipper. Household goods includes property moving from
a factory or store if purchased with the intent to use in a
dwelling and transported at the request of the householder,
who also pays the transportation charges. |
| I |
Definition |
| Individual
Shipper |
Any person who is the consignor
or consignee of a household goods
shipment identified as such in the bill of
lading contract. The individual shipper owns the goods
being transported and pays the transportation charges. |
| Interstate Move |
The transportation of goods in the
United States from a place in one State to a place in a
different State (including a place outside the United
States); OR between two places in one State through another
State or place outside of the United States.
|
| Intrastate Move |
The transportation of goods
within one State that never crosses State lines or
includes a segment outside of that same State.
NOTE: Intrastate moves are NOT regulated by the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Please consult
State
and Local Resources for assistance with intrastate
moves. |
| Inventory |
The detailed descriptive list of
your household goods showing the number
and condition of each item. |
| L |
Definition |
| Line
Haul Charges |
The charges for the vehicle
transportation portion of your move. These charges, if
separately stated, apply in addition to the accessorial
service charges. |
| Long Carry |
Charge for carrying articles
excessive distances between the mover's vehicle and your
residence. Charges for these services may be in addition to
the line haul charges. |
| M |
Definition |
| Motor Carrier |
A company that provides truck
transportation. There are two types of motor carriers: private
and for-hire carriers. |
| O |
Definition |
| 110 Percent Rule |
Movers are required by law to
deliver your goods for no more than 10 percent above the
price of a non-binding estimate. |
| Order for Service |
A document authorizing a mover to
transport an individual shipper's household
goods. |
| P |
Definition |
| Peak Season
Rates |
Higher line
haul charges applicable during the summer months. |
| Pickup and
Delivery Charges |
Separate transportation charges
applicable for transporting your shipment between the storage-in-transit
warehouse and your residence. |
| Private
Carrier |
A company that provides truck
transportation of its own cargo, usually as part of a
business that produces, uses, sells and/or buys the cargo
being hauled. |
| R |
Definition |
| Reasonable
Dispatch |
The performance of
transportation on the dates, or during the period, agreed
upon by the mover and the individual
shipper and shown on the Order For
Service/Bill of Lading. For example,
if a mover deliberately withholds any shipment from
delivery after an individual shipper
offers to pay the binding estimate or 110 percent of a
non-binding estimate, the mover has not transported the
goods with reasonable dispatch. The term "reasonable
dispatch" excludes transportation provided under a
mover's tariff provisions requiring guaranteed service
dates. The mover will have the defenses of force
majeure, i.e., superior or irresistible force, as
construed by the courts. |
| Released Value (Basic
Value) |
This is the most economical
protection option available. This no-additional-cost option
provides minimal protection. Under this option, the mover
assumes liability for no more than 60 cents per pound
($1.32 cents per kilogram), per article. Loss or damage
claims are settled based upon the pound (kilogram) weight
of the article multiplied by 60 cents per pound ($1.32
cents per kilogram).
For example, if your mover lost or destroyed a 10-pound
(4.54-kilogram) stereo component valued at $1,000, your
mover would be liable for no more than $6.00. Obviously,
you should think carefully before agreeing to such an
arrangement. There is no extra charge for this minimal
protection, but you must sign a specific statement on the bill
of lading agreeing to it.
Alternatively, see Full Value protection. |
| S |
Definition |
| Shuttle
Service |
Use of a smaller vehicle to
provide service to residences that are not accessible to
the mover's normal line haul equipment (large moving vans). |
| Storage-in-Transit
(SIT) |
The temporary warehouse storage of
your shipment pending further transportation, with or
without notification to you. If you (or someone
representing you) cannot accept delivery on the agreed-upon
date or within the agreed-upon time period (for example,
because your home is not quite ready to occupy), your mover
may place your shipment into SIT without notifying you. In
those circumstances, you will be responsible for the added
charges for SIT service, as well as the warehouse
handling and final delivery charges.
However, your mover also may place your shipment
into SIT if your mover was able to make delivery before the
agreed-upon date (or before the first day of the
agreed-upon delivery period), but you did not concur with
early delivery. In those circumstances, your mover must
notify you immediately of the SIT, and your mover is fully
responsible for redelivery charges, handling charges, and
storage charges. |
| Surface
Transportation Board (www.stb.dot.gov) |
This agency within the
Department of Transportation regulates household
goods carrier tariffs among other
responsibilities. |
| T |
Definition |
| Tariff |
An issuance (in whole or in
part) containing rates, rules, regulations, classifications
or other provisions related to a motor carrier's
transportation services. The Surface
Transportation Board requires that a tariff contain
three specific items. First, an accurate description of the
services the mover offers to the public. Second, the
specific applicable rates (or the basis for calculating the
specific applicable rates) and service terms for services
offered to the public. Third, the mover's tariff must be
arranged in a way that allows you to determine the exact
rate(s) and service terms applicable to your shipment. |
| V |
Definition |
| Valuation |
The degree of "worth"
of the shipment. The valuation charge compensates the mover
for assuming a greater degree of liability than is provided
for in its base transportation charges.
All movers are required to assume liability for the value
of goods that they transport. Most movers offer two levels
of liability—basic and full
value. "Basic value" is also referred to as
"released value." |
| W |
Definition |
| Warehouse
Handling |
A charge may be applicable each
time SIT service is provided. Charges
for these services may be in addition to the line
haul charges. This charge compensates the mover for the
physical placement and removal of items within the
warehouse. |
