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If you are getting ready or planning to move in the near future, whether it’s to a new neighborhood in your state, or across the country, there are several types of moving companies and moving services available for you. Understanding the type of moving services you need will not only help you know how to approach your move but help you select the right mover to handle your relocation. Here we give you a small tutorial on the different kinds of moves and moving companies there are.
Local Moves
A move is considered local if it meets the following two criteria:
— The move should originate and end in the same state.
— The total distance of the must be under a certain distance as determined by individual movers. A common industry standard that most moving companies go by is generally 50-100 miles.
Local moving companies generally charge by the man-hour. Moving companies will generally give you a per-hour price for 1 person. Depending on how many people you need to carry out your move, the cost will vary.
Long Distance Moves/Interstate Moves
When you are moving to a different state, or moving across country, your move will be classified as a long distance move. These moves are also referred to as Interstate Moves as you are moving across state lines. Unlike a local move, interstate moves are not priced by the hour. Instead the price of such a move is determined by the total weight of the shipment.
There are two types of long-distance moving options for you to consider:
Full Service Moves
A full service move is one where mover does all the work for you. Packing, loading, driving the truck, unloading items at the destination and even unpacking.
Self Service Moves
In a self service move, you’ll do the packing yourself and the mover takes care of the loading, driving and unloading part. However, nowadays a new type of self service moving companies are coming up. They are knows as PODS or ABF-U Pack. These companies usually drop a container outside your home which you can load at your own convenience. Once done, the company will send a truck to pick up the container and move to the destination, where you will have to unload and unpack it yourself.
International Moves
As you can make out from the name, an international move is any move that goes from one country to another. Moves to Canada, Alaska, Puerto Rico are also considered international moves. This type of move is the most complicated because you have to deal with the customs process as well as the policies and regulations of your destination country. Make sure you chose an experienced international mover. International movers usually determine the cost of your move based on the volume of your shipment. Here the shipments are generally measured in cubic feet or cubic meters.
Auto Transport
There are times when you need to ship a car if you are moving across country or really long-distance, or you bought a car from some far away location. This is when you will need specialized auto transport companies. Auto transport companies give you two options when shipping your vehicle: open-air trailer and closed trailers. You’ve probably seen the open-air trailers, packed with cars, driving on the highway. Closed trailers offer better protection for you car as it is kept out of the elements like air, rain, snow etc. However, it is more expensive than the open-air trailer.
We hope that this guide will help you classify your move into the right category and help you choose the right moving company to assist you. Movers on our network offer best moving quotes and great auto transport quotes.
