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Sometimes, moves take us hundreds of miles from our hometown to new states, countries or continents. Creating a detailed inventory of personal effects can significantly reduce the strain and cost of this type of unexpected relocation.

Perhaps you and your family haven’t moved long distance much before. Maybe, you are not familiar with the moving industry’s practices and what’s worse is that little knowledge could cost you hundreds of dollars in your long distance move. This is why it is imperative that you close the gap in that knowledge and fully comprehend your right and responsibilities under the law – the same law that governs the moving industry.

Intrastate Moves

The whole moving industry breaks down consumer moves in different categories: Intrastate Moves – moves within the same state. To summarize, the company which moves you doesn’t have to transport your belongings across state lines. For instance relocating from Tampa, FL to Hollywood, FL is thought of as an intrastate relocation.

Interstate Relocations

These moves do cross state boundaries regardless of how short of a distance it is. Even though a move from Hoboken, NJ to Queens, NY is only a matter of miles, this is still considered an interstate move.

International Relocations

Finally, these moves are the ones that cross country boundaries. For instance, relocating from a town in California to Tijuana in Mexico is classified as international moving.

In this article, we’ll focus on some shady moving practices done by long distance moving companies when they engage in an interstate move. Most people are told that the price to relocate their belongings from State 1 to State 2 is based by the pound on the weight of the moving truck. In other words, the heavier your move, the more costly it would be.

Moving Weight Standard:

When you relocate long distance, if the mover gives you a non-binding moving estimates, then the price depends on the real weight of your shipment. Legally, the mover can’t add transportation fees calculated by the cubic feet, hour charges, or something else except the weight only to add up your shipment fees. Your belongings are supposed to be weighed by the mover on a state certified scale and a copy of the weight master ticket is supposed to be given as part of final papers to settle the moving transaction.

Household movers, often called long distance movers, will arrive at your house with an empty weight, or take weight, and they will weigh again when they are finished loading and come up with difference in both; this is what you are charged.

The weight readings can also be taken by the moving companies at the destination of the shipment. The truck weight will be determined once your shipment is on the truck and then after it has been unloaded.

Shady movers intentionally don’t mention the fact that as a consumer, you have the right to be at the weight station to witness the process and as a result, consumers wind up paying far more than their fair share.

You’d like to have the assurance that these weights represent the actual weight of your move.

Ensure that:

1. wheels, implements, bedding, carts, dollies and the like all make up the first and last weigh-in. What you want to avoid is having items that were not part of the first weight to be weighed in as part of the final shipment, adding someone else’s weight to your shipment.

2. the diesel the truck has is same before and after the weight process. Full fuel tank on the initial reading must be done the same at the final reading. Avoid getting charged for an extra full gas tank weight if the first recording was taken on a tank that was empty. It is imperative that the reading be done so that you will know the actual weight of the things you are moving.

3. you’re present at these weight stations on both initial and final destination. Legally, a trustworthy mover ought to have no issues with consumers initiating this.

Dishonest moving companies might take advantages of this variation in weight and considering the fact that you are not around. These recorded statistics allow disreputable movers the chance to ‘squeeze in’ extra fees that aren’t equitable. If you know how scams work and you do things to stop fraudulent charges, even the best con mover will think twice before overcharging you because you are informed.

If you believe there’s a discrepancy in your original weight, you can ask the mover to weigh the load again before emptying the truck. While a mover may not charge you when you demand a second weighing, the final charges they bill you for will be based on the second reading even if it’s higher than its original reading – you take your chances.

You are entitled to watch the process on every instance that your cargo’s weight is recorded. If you request a re-weight, you must waive your right to observe the reweigh in writing.

Furthermore, not every move needs to be weighed. There is not need to weight the shipment under binding estimates, however, binding estimates do have the potential of being more costly than non-binding estimates.

Lastly, little shipments less than 3,000 pounds can be weighed on an authorized warehouse scale instead of being transported to a state certified weigh station scale.

Finding out how the moving industry works will help you avoid surplus charges and other problems.