How Long Should It Take Your Movers?

1. Factors Determining Your Delivery Time
2. Maintain Communication

As the old song says, waiting is the hardest part. This is just as true during your move. After all the hard work of planning everything, going through all the checklists, packing and then loading up the truck, you are tempted to think the hardest part is finished. Now, you will need to wait for the movers to arrive. The timetable really depends on a number of factors, not the least of which is the distance. Here are some guidelines as to what to expect from your movers.

Factors Determining Your Delivery Time

There are a number of different things that will play a part in determining how long it will take your movers to arrive. These can include:

• Other shipments on the same truck: More than likely, your items will not be the only ones on the truck. Basically, they take the large truck and put together several shipments, then make all the deliveries. This is simply due to economies of scale; this is how the moving company makes the most money. So, how many shipments are ahead of yours, where exactly they are going, and how large those shipments are will all determine when the truck arrives at your new location.
• The distance of your move: Naturally, the further you are going, the longer it will take for the truck to get there. Longer-distance moves will, of course, require more patience.
• The size of your shipment: The size of your shipment will also make a difference in terms of its arrival. So will the size of those shipments and deliveries ahead of yours.
• Time of the year: Certain times of the year are busier than others when it comes to the moving business. Late spring and early summer is most likely considered the peak season, so it will take a bit longer than normal for your shipment to arrive during these times. The early fall is also another busy time.
• Service dates listed: On every move, your bill of lading should have a range of dates that you can expect the moving truck to arrive. In the case of a long distance move, this will usually be between 10 and 14 days.
• Great moving resource to help evaluate times and tons of checklists.

Maintain Communication

There can always be things that come up while the moving company has your shipment. This might be bad weather, changed traffic patterns, or something entirely unexpected. The key to dealing with anything is to remain in constant contact with your moving company. This way you can best track the progress of your items and know what is happening.

Call the moving company every few days to get updates. Ask for any changes in the itinerary and the progress of the shipment. Be sure to call two days before the expected delivery date to confirm and discuss any other issue that might have arisen.

While no one enjoys waiting, staying in communication is your best option. The moving company can address your concerns better than anyone else, especially if things end up being delayed. This is also how you avoid horror stories like waiting 25 days past the expected delivery, without knowing anything that is going on.