For a decade, high housing prices made it hard for people to stay in the state, even if they wanted to. But falling house prices and increased hiring are enticing former Californians to come home, moving company officials said.

“I think the people realize that when we move back to California, we’re never going to have interest rates or (house) prices this low,” said Linda Oakley, owner of Atlas Transfer and Storage Co. in Poway, affiliated with Allied Van Lines. “We want to live in California, where it’s warm and sunny and happy.”

Indeed, 2,926 more families moved into California than moved out of it, the third-highest figure of any state or Washington, D.C., according to the combined data of Atlas Van Lines Inc., United Van Lines LLC and Allied Van Lines Inc. For years, California had seen more households moving out than in. In 2007, Atlas’ data indicated that trend had reversed, but it didn’t turn around in Allied’s data until 2011.

U-Haul International Inc., which doesn’t provide the same type of data, said it helped move 5.6 percent more people into California than out of it, according to spokeswoman Ashleigh Wagner.

Wagner also had some local data from U-Haul: Between January and November 2011, it helped 1 percent more people move out of Escondido than in, it helped 1.9 percent more people move into Oceanside than out, and it helped 11.5 percent more people move into Temecula than out.

U-Haul, United and Atlas represent 40 percent of the moving market, and Allied is private so there is no market data available, according to Boston-based market analyst Pell Research.

By the raw numbers, California had the third-highest net gain of movers, behind Texas and Florida, but those are all states with large populations. When viewed as a rate, California ranks 13th, with 0.23 moves per 1,000 households. Washington, D.C., ranked first by this metric, with a net of 2.68 incoming moves per household, almost four times that of No. 2-ranked North Carolina (see this article online for the complete table).

Illinois had the highest rate of departing families among the 50 states plus the district, losing 0.91 families per 1,000 households. New Jersey and Connecticut had the next two highest rates.

California has long seen more people leaving the state as the cost of housing skyrocketed. By 2007, the median house price in North San Diego County peaked at $639,000, and it peaked in 2006 in Southwest Riverside County at $420,000, according to a North County Times analysis of transactions in the two counties. Those prices plummeted 38 percent and 50 percent respectively as a real estate bubble imploded and a recession pushed many people out of work. As of December’s data, the nation had added more than 100,000 jobs for six consecutive months, and that trend is reflected in California.

“We’re seeing corporations wanting to hire again,” said David Frank, vice president and general manager of the San Diego office of Alexander’s Mobility Services, an Atlas affiliate. “We’re seeing technology companies wanting to get ahead of the game. Even if they’re not selling product yet, they’re hiring designers and those kinds of jobs. We’re seeing Qualcomm, and Sony, and some of the other companies doing some of the hiring.”

Oakley and other local moving company officials said 2011 had been an up year. Oakley said her business was up 6 percent compared with 2010. Her company moves people all over Southern California, and she said she’s been bringing people in from out of state. Paula Nix, office manager for Eckert’s Moving and Storage in San Marcos, said business was up in 2011, including local moves, although not always for the cheeriest of reasons.

“A lot of them are losing their homes, or they’re just first-time buyers and they’re all excited about getting a new deal on their home,” Nix said.

Nathan Pletcher, an electrical engineer, has enjoyed the tech resurgence. On Friday, Linda Oakley’s movers came to take his belongings out of his Leucadia home to bring them up to Mountain View so he can start work for Google.

He originally came to California from the Midwest. Now he and his wife, Andrea, a teacher, have fallen for California.

“We both like California a lot, we like to do stuff outdoors, we like all the opportunities California offers, oceans and mountains and stuff like that,” Pletcher said the day before Oakley’s company came to take his stuff away.

All moving companies that you consider to assist you with your move must provide you with a booklet about ‘Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move,’ which is created by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Once you receive the booklet from your mover, read as much as of as you can. You’ll learn what types of insurance a mover can cover, what you can do to limit a mover’s liability of your belongings, the difference between a binding estimate and a non-binding estimate and much more.

What You Must Know
Under federal law, any mover you decide to select for the transport of your belongings to your new home must give you the ‘Rights and Responsibilities’ booklet.

Moving Companies

Movers can provide you with two types of moving insurance, such as Full Value Protection or Release Value of 60 Cents per Pound for Article. These insurances are very different and can lead to dispute once the move is over if you confuse the two.

There are notorious reports of moving companies overcharging people once the movers arrive, there are reasons for that, some good, some bad. The moving company that’s selected must inform you of adequate forms of payment at the drop-off point, when the mover prepares an estimate for you. If you and your mover are operating under a non-binding contract, you could pay up to 10% more than your original estimate that was provided to. Before anything is done between you and your mover, make sure the contract and terms that were reached is a binding estimate. The binding estimate will limit any illegal activity that the mover might perpetuate.

When people are overcharged by a mover when its time to unload a person’s belongings will cause the person to be angry and seek legal action. However, they may think the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration can assist them in this venture, the sad news that’s incorrect.

FMCSA & FILING CLAIMS

The FMCSA does not have the capabilities to assist you and file a court injunction against the moving company you chose. However, if you read the booklet, you’d know that you have nine months to file a claim against the moving company you used for any damages or losses you experienced throughout the move. Once nine months has passed that means that the moving company is no longer required to acknowledge your claim.

Before you Move

Make sure you read the booklet created by the FMCSA, front to back. There are more items in the book that aren’t mentioned here such as requirements that the order of service must contain as well as the requirements for the Bill of Lading. There is also important information about the delivery receipt. Make sure the moving company you select gives you your ‘Rights and Responsibilities.’

Builders think empty nesters are moving to the big city. Guess again.

As the rock ‘n’ roll generation enters retirement age, developers and builders seem convinced that empty nesters will desert their suburban communities and move to high-end urban housing. Sorry, folks, but the conventional wisdom surrounding the 36 million baby boomers born between 1945 and 1955–the first cohort–is again wishful thinking.

An analysis of the new Census shows a 10.3% decline among core city dwellers, a loss of some 1.3 million people over the past decade. For this analysis we looked at population numbers from the Census for boomers aged 45 to 54 in 2000 and compared them with the numbers for those aged 55 to 64 in 2010.

In our ranking of the 51 largest metros in the U.S., the urban cores of San Jose, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago scored near the bottom, suffering double-digit percentage losses of boomers. New York’s urban core lost 12% of boomers in their mid-50s to mid-60s.

You could blame this loss on the economy, which has postponed retirements and brought home many of the boomers’ largely job-poor children back to the suburban house. Or you can credit it to boomers who appear to be working longer than ever. Yet the moving patterns of older baby boomers suggest a strong anti-big-city bias.

So where are these surviving boomers settling as they enter their golden years? The top ten on our list are all affordable, generally low-density Sunbelt metros (see table).

But by far the biggest trend among boomers is not to move at all. “The boomers are staying put more than anyone thought,” says Sandi Rosenbloom, an expert on retirement trends and a professor of planning and civil engineering at the University of Arizona. “People of that generation tend to own their own homes and stay there. The idea that they are relocating to the city really comes from the wishful-thinking school of planning.”

CHICAGO (October 19, 2011) — Allied Van Lines, Inc., one of the world’s largest moving companies and a subsidiary of SIRVA, Inc., announced that eleven Allied agents received its APEX quality award at its 2011 National Convention held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  The APEX quality award is awarded to those agents who have achieved the highest quality rating of “Excellent” for customer focus performance each quarter for over fifteen consecutive years, as measured by a third party vendor.

The agents awarded include San Diego Moving Company Atlas Transfer & Storage Co., Inc. of Poway, CA, Bayshore Transportation System, Inc. of Newark, DE,

Beverly Hills Transfer & Storage Co., Inc. of Gardena, CA, Blanchette Moving & Storage Co. of Lewiston, ME, Mathis Moving & Storage Co. of Newark, OH, McNaughton Brothers, Inc. of Indiana, PA, Mills Van Lines, Inc. of Strongsville, OH, Piepho Moving & Storage, Inc. of Onalaska, WI, Schick Moving & Storage Co. of Tustin, CA, Skaleski Moving & Storage, Inc. of Green Bay, WI, and Spaeth Transfer, Inc. of Bremerton, WA.

“Regardless of size or distance, customers every year entrust their belongings to one of our more than 400 Allied agents nationwide,” said Bill Lyon, Vice President and General Manager of Allied Van Lines.  “These eleven agents are being recognized for consistently being the best and we are proud to have them as part of the Allied family.”

About Allied Van Lines

Established in 1928, Allied Van Lines, with more than 400 agent locations in North America, is an experienced leader in household goods moving and specialized transportation services. Allied is one of the world’s largest moving companies and one of the established global brands of SIRVA, Inc., a leader in providing relocation services to corporations, consumers and governments around the world. For more information about Allied Van Lines, visit www.allied.com. Allied Van Lines, Inc., U.S. DOT No. 076235.

About SIRVA, Inc.

SIRVA, Inc. is a leading provider of relocation solutions to a well-established and diverse customer base around the world. The company handles all aspects of relocation, including home purchase and home sale services, household goods moving, mortgage services, and home closing and settlement services. SIRVA conducts more than 300,000 relocations per year, transferring corporate and government employees in addition to individual consumers. SIRVA’s well-recognized brands include Allied, Allied International, Allied Pickfords, Allied Special Products, DJK Residential, Global, northAmerican, northAmerican International, SIRVA Mortgage, SIRVA Move Management, SIRVA Relocation and SIRVA Settlement. More information about SIRVA can be found on the company’s Web site at http://www.sirva.com.

Family-owned companies form the bedrock of the U.S. business community — especially the moving industry. Yet, leading a family-owned business, and managing the leadership transition from one generation to the next, can be challenging.

If you don’t think family businesses play a huge role in the U.S. economy, think again. According to Gaebler Ventures, a Chicago- based venture capital fund, despite the rising influence of big corporations, family operations continue to be a powerful economic force in the U.S. In fact, many big corporations themselves are family-owned.

Indeed, family businesses account for a staggering 50 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), Gaebler said. And while it’s tempting to believe that the majority of family business GDP is attributable to thousands of small operations, it’s important to recognize that 35 percent of Fortune 500 companies are family-owned.

That means family-based operations are represented across the spectrum of American companies, from small businesses to large corporations, the firm noted.

That’s goes double — if not triple — for the moving and storage industry, notes Linda Oakley, VP-sales for San Diego moving company Atlas Transfer & Storage Co., an agent for Allied Van Lines.

“Growing up in a familyowned business, we learned what it takes to be a leader and an entrepreneur in the moving industry,” she said. “Every night at the dinner table, we discussed the day’s business challenges, with topics ranging from the current price of fuel, health care costs and where interest rates were at. We watched our parents and their friends with family-owned businesses discuss customer and employee issues and listen to their solutions. Learning about the challenges at work came directly from watching and observing our parents and their owner friends.”

Oakley said that in a family-owned business environment there tends to be more resilience and ambition to continuously keep improving.

“A family business tends to want to keep their customers for life and we generate new business from networking around the family’s community,” she said. “We tend to have open innovation sessions to brainstorm new business ideas, solutions to ongoing challenges, while continuously adjusting to the current market conditions. In a family business, we trust and respect each other and work to understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

And those traits provide a huge economic payoff for the country as a whole, according to Gaebler’s research. He said family companies are responsible for 60 percent of the nation’s employment and 78 percent of new jobs created.

The gap between employment and job creation figures may indicate that family businesses are one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy because their new job requirements outpace their current employment rates when compared to other businesses.

TACKLING TRANSITION

Often the biggest challenge for family-owned companies, both inside and outside the moving industry, deals with the tricky issue of transition — the movement of control and ownership from one generation to the next.

Gaebler’s research notes that only a third of all family businesses successfully make the transition from first- to second-generation largely because succeeding generations either aren’t interested in running the business or make drastic changes when they take the helm.

The significant failure rate of family transitions highlights a number of concerns about family businesses in general, including the ability of these organizations to maintain a consistent value system and business philosophy. This issue will come into even sharper focus in the coming years as baby boomers prepare to hand off their companies to their children, the firm says.

Linda Bauer Darr, president and CEO of the American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA), addressed this very issue at the group’s annual meeting earlier this year in Jacksonville, Fla.

“Perhaps the most important challenge we face is that of the potential leadership void we face as an industry,” she said. “President John F. Kennedy put words to this challenge expressing what I am sure many of you feel after years of hard work building your companies and coming to a time in your life when you want to pass the torch but suffer over leadership void. He said, ‘It is time for a new generation of leadership, to cope with new problems and new opportunities … for there is a new world to be won.’”

Darr said that for many family-owned moving and storage businesses, the time is drawing near for someone else to take the helm.

“Yet you can’t do that without being confident of their success,” she said. “Outside of the family succession model, we have done little to prepare our young workers for the leadership roles they will soon be asked to take. And, as an industry we have done little to recruit new workers. In the years ahead, we should look at this and start to craft a plan of how we can focus attention on our industry as a positive and promising field of work.”

It’s a challenge Atlas’ Oakley recognizes, too. “It is imperative that any family business implement a succession strategy. Without an effective succession strategy in place, an environment of confusion and complacency may result, thereby making it difficult for the business to develop, grow and be profitable,” she said.

“It is vital for the family members to talk amongst one another to set monthly and annual benchmarks to help foster both business, as well as personal goals,” Oakley said. “An effective succession strategy requires a clearly communicated and agreed upon vision for the business. Vision is essential as it provides the direction and guidance necessary to properly identify where the company is headed. A well-communicated vision addresses the company’s strengths and weaknesses, and it is a central component in any and all family businesses, not just our business.”

John W. Crane, of First Financial Group, a planning firm based in Reston, Va. And affiliated with Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, said the importance of a succession strategy for a family-owned business cannot be overstated. The value of the business, he said, can often represent the majority of that family’s wealth.

“For these families, it is even more vital for the family-owned business to have a succession plan in place, as compared to others,” he said. “If the value of the business goes down or even disappears, the majority of the family wealth will follow right along with it. Depending on the event, this adverse hit to the value of the business can happen quickly, without leaving much time to react or maneuver to protect the value.”

Crane also notes that Guardian, its subsidiaries, representatives or employees do not provide legal or tax advice, so consult with your attorney, accountant or advisor for advice concerning your particular circumstance.

TRANSITION TIPS

Oakley said one critical component in crafting a succession strategy is trust amongst the entire team.

“Most employees lack trust in their employer’s business, yet if a team trusts not only their employer, but their product and each other, they have a competitive advantage over their peers in the marketplace,” she said. “But a lack of trust may destroy a successful succession strategy. Family members work together for the business to succeed for the entire family, not just for the individual family members who are working there.”

A succession plan will fail, according to Oakley, if the leaders and family members do not make a concerted effort to discuss changes and obstacles arising from everyday life.

“As demonstrated by the last three years in the moving and storage business, the economy is a force that we have no control over,” she said. “But we can proactively make internal changes to our business plan that will have a positive outcome.”

Crane offers two important points family-owned moving and storage companies should consider:

First, make sure you establish what he calls a “fully funded” buy/sell agreement. “A buy/sell agreement is a legal contract drafted by an attorney that obligates surviving owners, or the company itself, to buy-out the interest of an owner who dies or becomes disabled,” he said.

“The buy-/sell agreement typically dictates an obligation for the estate of the deceased owner or departing owner to sell and sometimes, more importantly, to whom they must sell their ownership interest,” Crane said.

The agreement may also spell out other triggers, such as the retirement of an owner, the criminal conviction of an owner, and more, he said. “This agreement ensures that there will be a ready market for your business interest should you die, become disabled or otherwise leave the business,” Crane said. “The agreement also spells out methods to determine a fair price for your ownership interest.”

Second, make sure the business invests in insurance or massive cash reserves to fund the buy/sell agreement.

“Life insurance provides one way for a business owner to protect the current value of their business for its heirs and for the surviving owners/employees,” Crane said. “A family-owned business that is worth $10 million and has the value of that business fully insured through life insurance will be in the best position to meet the needs of the business and the needs of the family heirs in the event of the death of the owner.”

While no one likes to discuss their own mortality, such life insurance policies mean if the owner dies, the business receives a near immediate infusion of cash that can keep it running and deliver on obligations to the heirs.

“Without that near immediate infusion of cash, the business can struggle and the value of the business could drop to zero,” Crane said.

LOOKING FOR OUTSIDE ADVICE

Many family-owned firms are used to keeping things “in the family,” yet Oakley contends that it’s often advisable to seek outside advisors for tax and legal counsel, depending on the situation.

“They are another critical component to protecting both the family and the business,” she said. “Tax laws for estate-planning purposes are continuously being modified and it is impossible to know all of the changes without outside counsel. We recognize when there is something we don’t know, and we have to go out in the marketplace and seek professional help.”

If the intention is to eventually sell the business, then long-term planning gives the family an exit strategy, Oakley said. Furthermore, outside counsel may also be utilized to reinforce a family’s communication with one another.

At the end of the day, “Communication is the most important ingredient in a healthy, family-owned business,” she said.

“Making the time and make it happen is a significant component to the growth and profit of the family business.”

DAUGHTER TRANSITIONS

A recent trend worth noting is the increasing number of family-owned businesses that are being passed down to daughters.

According to research by Chicago-based Gaebler Ventures, over the past five years, woman-owned family businesses have increased by 37 percent.

There is also evidence to indicate that women-owned family businesses are better prepared for transition scenarios and have higher success rates than businesses controlled by their male counterparts.

SUCCESSION SUGGESTIONS

John W. Crane (www.cranefinancial.com), of First Financial Group, suggests several tactical steps family-owned moving and storage companies should adopt to help create a successful succession strategy:

Protect the value of the business. Imagine a family-owned business, built over 25 years, with Jim Smith, the family patriarch, at the helm. He has done all the right things. Well-known in the community, he knows all the local realtors and multi-tenant building owners by first name and is a very successful local area business. They seem to get business without even trying. Cash flow and profit for the business has never been higher, and as such, the business receives its highest valuation ever from a professional appraiser. Suddenly, the family patriarch and primary owner dies. The relationships built over 25 years … were these relationships with the logo on their business card, or were these relationships with Jim Smith? What is likely to happen over time if the business was really all Jim Smith?

Establish the true value of the business. For families whose total wealth is near the current $5 million Estate Tax Exemption threshold, it is important to establish the value of the business for Estate Tax Planning and to meet with a qualified Estate Tax Attorney. The business should be valued by an accredited and certified business valuation expert. The valuation document provided by an expert will provide documentation and rationale that defends the stated value of the enterprise. This valuation document could become a key component of an Estate Tax calculation, and if challenged by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), could become a key component of the family’s case as to why they owe — or why they don’t owe — a stated amount of Estate Tax upon the death of the owner.

Keep cash resources available. Unplanned transitions are typically stressful because something unplanned has happened that is now forcing the transition, such as death, disability or lawsuit. If the family wants to keep the business running, large cash reserves may be needed to keep it afloat while they transition to life without the long-term owner at the helm.

Cash resources may be needed to deal with a sudden drop in sales, hiring a replacement for the owner or cash payments for heirs.

Equitable treatment of heirs. Let’s say the primary family owners have four children, with two involved in the business and two not involved.

How will the two not involved in the business be treated fairly? Ongoing cash payments? A lump sum payment up front? Will the business be able to make those payments?

It’s reasonable to expect the surviving heirs to have trouble getting along if they feel they were cheated out of their share of the inheritance.

It is far better to have those issues planned and stress tested by a team of experts before the event occurs.

Calls to the CMSA consumer information line regarding ‘Bandit Movers’ are at an all time high. Eighty percent of the consumer calls are from victims of bandit movers – movers who appear to be legitimate in advertisements or on-line but, in fact, charge below market value prices, engage in unlawful practices, bully consumers into paying outrageous prices once the move is underway, and threaten to sell the personal goods if their demands are not fulfilled.

Most of the abuses result from moves booked on-line. Consumers are subject to potential fraud if they book a move over the phone or on-line without doing their homework. The CMSA suggests the following strategies to validate the legitimacy of a mover:

• Verify the license number with the CMSA or the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the state agency that regulates the moving and storage industry. Touching base with the CMSA is best because the association’s professional team knows its members – about 500 moving companies statewide. Furthermore, if the consumer has a problem with a move performed by a CMSA member, the trade association will intervene on the consumer’s behalf.
• Visit the physical location to ascertain the company’s level of professionalism.

Additionally, CMSA members are licensed, maintain professional liability insurance and workman’s compensation insurance (a must because if a member of the moving crew is injured while on your property you could be held liable if the mover does not have appropriate insurance coverage), provide training for their staff to ensure a professional move, maintain clean moving vans and equipment, and adhere to a strict professional code of conduct to uphold the industry’s standards for service, pricing and professionalism.

May we also suggest that you plan and coordinate large moves at least a month in advance to give yourself time to properly investigate movers and obtain written estimates. Also, take a few moments to visit the other menu topics in this section of the CMSA website. The information provided will help you avoid serious issues with you. relocation.

Tips to Avoid Moving Company Fraud

1. Don’t book your move on-line or over the phone without verifying that the mover has a location in your area. Drive by the location. Go in and meet the company’s personnel. Use your instincts to discern if the company’s personnel appear to be professional and trustworthy. Let your common sense guide you … but don’t stop there!
2. Verify the company’s license. All movers are required by law to demonstrate their legitimacy on all their documentation.
3. Verify the license number with the California Moving & Storage Association (CMSA) or the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
4. Obtain written estimates for moves of three or more rooms. Legitimate movers are price competitive. Make sure the estimates are based on the same factors (i.e. move and pack; move only, etc.) If a company provides an unusually low bid … beware! The company could be illegal, or they may have made an error while estimating your move. If the latter is the case, the price will likely escalate on moving day.
5. Illegal movers may charge by the cubic foot. Legal movers charge by the hour (local moves), and by weight/mileage (distance moves).
6. Bandits “rip off” innocent consumers by charging exorbitant fees for extensive and unnecessary packing on items that should be pad wrapped. Furnishings should be wrapped with shrink wrap or protected with special moving blankets.
7. Bandits will intimidate consumers to tip the crew. Tipping is not customary but it is accepted when the customer has received exceptional service.

How to Avoid Headaches on Moving Day
The Do’s and Don’ts of Moving

DON’T

• Don’t confront the driver about the bill. Get your questions answered in advance with a customer service representative or a manager of the moving company. If you start the move with an adversarial tone, no one will have a good day!
• Don’t micro-manage the move. It’s a good idea to stay nearby and to monitor what is going on. However, professional movers know what they are doing. They are specially trained to handle your personal goods with care and speed.
• Don’t ship perishables (anything requiring refrigeration) or hazardous materials (propane, gasoline, aerosol cans, etc.) on any kind of move.
• Don’t be unprepared on furniture placement at destination. The mover will re-arrange furniture, but remember that you are being charged by the hour.
• Don’t forget to tell the mover about all of the possessions they will move. Remember to specify the conditions at destination (i.e. elevators, stairs, delivery conditions for van placement) which could result in extra charges.
• Don’t expect the mover to perform plumbing or handyman services. You are responsible for unhooking your household appliances including ice makers. Television sets can actually sustain internal damage if they are unplugged fewer than 24 hours before a move.

DO

• If more than three rooms must be moved, ask for a representative from the moving company come to your home, apartment or office. To provide an accurate estimate, the mover must see your possessions and the layout of the location. This will give them insight as to the type of personnel and equipment that will ensure a smooth and successful move.
• Book a move weeks in advance. This lead time will give the mover the opportunity to schedule the proper equipment and labor to ensure a successful move.
• Use the free services of the California Moving & Storage Association to find legal movers in your area. The association includes an on-line profile and directory of nearly 500 movers throughout California.
• Take the time to read and understand the documentation. For local moves (up to 100 miles), the hourly charges begin when the moving van arrives at origin and concludes when the services have been completed at destination. The drive time between origin and destination is doubled to compensate for the time to deliver the equipment and labor to origin; and from the moving destination back to the terminal. Distance moves (over 100 miles) are billed by weight (per 100 lbs) and mileage.
• Keep a copy of all your documentation in the event it is necessary to file a damage claim.
• Buy professional packing supplies from the mover or another supplier. Your possessions can be damaged in transit if they are stored in inappropriate boxes and carriers.
• Use Styrofoam packing chips, bubble wrap, and un-printed paper to protect breakables.
• When doing your own packing, help your mover to be successful by packing heavy items, such as books, in smaller boxes. Light items should be packed in larger boxes. Visit your mover to see specific-use boxes for books, dishes, lamps, paintings, clothing, etc.
• Be courteous and professional to the crew. They are moving your possessions. While it is not necessary to offer them water or sodas during the move, these acts of kindness are important for establishing a positive relationship with your moving team.

Happy moving day!

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Published quarterly, Industry Trends provides an overview of current trends and business activity within the sector, and offers data on shipment volume, both aggregate and regional; demand factors; timing; inbound/ outbound data; and market-specific trends and outlooks. Most data is based on information submitted confidentially to AMSA by its members.

Industry Trends provides subscribers with the most comprehensive look at this $16.5 billion industry available each quarter. Industry Trends is published quarterly by the American Moving & Storage Association. The publication is available on a subscription basis for $275 for members and $550 for nonmembers. Information provided in this publication cannot be reproduced without the express permission of AMSA. For more information, contact Scott Michael, Vice President of Military and Government Relations and Advisor to the President, at smichael@moving.org.

When Selecting a Moving Company

Thoroughly review the moving company’s terms for insurance coverage.

• Determine the extent of liability coverage for property loss or damage your mover will provide.
• Closely examine the contract and find a section for you to establish the estimated value of your possessions.
• Determine the maximum liability dollar value of the insurance provided by the mover and the process involved in case you need to place a claim. However, this does not guarantee that in case of a claim you are entitled to the maximum liability damage coverage. Factors such as government regulations, taxes, and laws limit the actual the amount you may be entitled to in case of a claim.
• Realize that the insurance provided by most moving companies only covers a portion of the total value of your possessions and you will have to get additional insurance to be fully covered.

Insurance Available Through Your Mover

Insurance available through your mover is based on valuation. Basically, valuation is the method of determining liability – by you and your mover. There are three types of valuation:

• Declared value: The value of the things you move is based on the total weight of the shipment multiplied by a specific amount per pound (example; $1.25 per pound). For instance, if your possessions weigh 10,000 pounds, the mover would be liable for up to $12,500. Claim settlement is then based on the depreciated value of the item(s) damaged.
• Lump sum value: If you need insurance that is based more on value than on weight you can get insurance for a specific amount (the amount is variable dependant on the insurance provider) per $1,000 of value. You must know the value of what you are shipping and make a declaration in writing on the bill of lading.
• Full value protection: This type of coverage includes lost, damaged, and destroyed property. The coverage will pay for the repair or replacement of the item(s). Usually there is a minimum coverage amount and applicable deductibles.

Calculate the amount of insurance you require

Calculating the amount of insurance you require begins with taking into consideration the total weight of what you are moving, the number of rooms you are moving, and the contents of your move.

Create an inventory of all the items you are moving

• What you are moving (sofa, dining room set, refrigerator, etc.).
• The weight of each item you are moving (estimate the weight).
• The replacement value of each article you are moving.

Make sure to have totals that summarize your inventory

• Total number of items you are moving.
• Total weight of the items.
• Establish the total replacement value of all your property.

(Take pictures of what you are moving. This is important in establishing the condition of your possessions and it helps in confirming the inventory list.)

Homeowners Insurance as a Supplement

Most homeowner insurance policies cover about 10 percent of the value of your personal property; including coverage for breakage and theft in transit, minus the usual deductible. This can be a good supplement to the insurance provided by the mover.

Transit Insurance as a Supplement

Transit insurance is another good supplement to the insurance provided by your mover. Read the policy and make sure it covers the gaps in insurance left by other policies. This coverage can save you thousands of dollars and is usually available through the mover, a move-it-your-self company, or through your homeowner’s insurance company.

Some Additional Helpful Tips

• If you are moving fine art, valuable musical instruments or antiques, you should consider special measures to ensure their safety and protect against their loss or damage. If these items are not covered while in transit by your home policy, you would be advised to purchase additional coverage. Speak to your mover or homeowner insurance representative.
• In the event that something should happen to your belongings and you have to file a moving claim, you must do so within (9) months of the event. You should also note the problem on the moving van driver’s copy of the bill of lading before signing it. Your mover will then have 30 days to acknowledge receipt of your claim. Within 120 days of receiving your claim, the mover must either deny the claim or make an offer to pay.