I will be moving to my new home near Atlanta Georgia from Sacramento
California in the last2 weeks of March. Does anyone in the group have
any advice about good moving companies, bad moving companies, scams
that will be tried and so forth. I have previously moved myself in a
rented truck but this move is too far for me do at my age. We will be
moving 6,000 to 8,000 pounds. Please respond to the group or email me
at moving(at)emailias.com The really good thing is my new house has a
full basement that I will use as a shop! Wheee!

Ed Patterson

The last time I moved I did it myself. Rented a 26' U-Haul, loaded up
the work shop, library, book shelves. Then my wife says: "Where are
you going to put the furniture"? Back to U-Haul., etc. etc.

We had 2 U-Haul vans, a U-Haul trailer, my brother's van, and my wife's
car. A real Caravan for the 500 Km (300mi) trip. This was July1.
weekend 1993.

I swore that the next move, if ever, would be done this way: I'd have
a 20' or 40' Container put in the drive way which I'd load and brace.
Then have a shipping company do the transporting, delivering the
Container to the driveway of the new address.

I've used moving companies twice, each time employer paid, and the
service once left a bad taste in my mouth. So my experience is 50-50.
There are a lot of horror tales out there. If I were to go the moving
company route again I'd go with one recommended by a relative or good
friend. Otherwise I'd go the Container route, even though the damage
risk would be mine.

Anyone that used the container method care to comment?

Wolfgang

wrote in message
ups.com...
The last time I moved I did it myself. Rented a 26' U-Haul, loaded up
the work shop, library, book shelves. Then my wife says: "Where are
you going to put the furniture"? Back to U-Haul., etc. etc.

We had 2 U-Haul vans, a U-Haul trailer, my brother's van, and my wife's
car. A real Caravan for the 500 Km (300mi) trip. This was July1.
weekend 1993.

I swore that the next move, if ever, would be done this way: I'd have
a 20' or 40' Container put in the drive way which I'd load and brace.
Then have a shipping company do the transporting, delivering the
Container to the driveway of the new address.

I've used moving companies twice, each time employer paid, and the
service once left a bad taste in my mouth. So my experience is 50-50.
There are a lot of horror tales out there. If I were to go the moving
company route again I'd go with one recommended by a relative or good
friend. Otherwise I'd go the Container route, even though the damage
risk would be mine.

Anyone that used the container method care to comment?

Wolfgang


I moved 800 miles with the method, two 20', one 40'. Had to hire three
semi's to haul the load because the two 20's were overweight for one load.
When I arrived at my destination, the two 20' went on a common concrete
foundation, then I built a permanent roof over them. They now serve to
house my fork lift and tractor. The 40' was placed on properly leveled
ties (one at each end. Containers do not require, nor is it desirable, to
support the center)at the rear of the property and serves as storage. I
might help to note that I live on 5 wooded acres, so there are no neighbors
to complain, not that it's not legal here to use them for storage as I do.
You likely couldn't get away with using them in that fashion in the city.

My opinion? It's the best way to move, assuming it works for the
circumstances at hand, although it is a considerable amount of work, and
requires some coordination for loading and unloading the container at each
end. If I was to move again, I'd do it the same way.

One word of caution. Containers don't make for good long term storage due
to condensation, so if you can't unload them when they arrive, take
precautions. They should be ventilated and slightly heated if possible,
enough to keep the inside from getting cold and not warming up with the
weather. That's particularly important if you have machine tools. That's
when all the condensation takes place----and it's often enough to actually
drip inside.

Harold

"Usual Suspect" wrote in message
...
I will be moving to my new home near Atlanta Georgia from Sacramento
California in the last2 weeks of March. Does anyone in the group have
any advice about good moving companies, bad moving companies, scams
that will be tried and so forth. I have previously moved myself in a
rented truck but this move is too far for me do at my age. We will be
moving 6,000 to 8,000 pounds. Please respond to the group or email me
at moving(at)emailias.com The really good thing is my new house has a
full basement that I will use as a shop! Wheee!

Ed Patterson

Probably the least you could do is get on touch with the ga interstate
commerce dept, or if you are using a California outfit their interstate
commerce dept.......The better business bureaus I have found to be useless

Take a look at the ABF website. (http://www.upack.com/)

They have a service where they drop a 28' trailer at your
house and deliver it to your destination. You pack/load,
cry if it's not right

gary


I will be moving to my new home near Atlanta Georgia from Sacramento
California in the last2 weeks of March. Does anyone in the group have
any advice about good moving companies, bad moving companies, scams
that will be tried and so forth. I have previously moved myself in a
rented truck but this move is too far for me do at my age. We will be
moving 6,000 to 8,000 pounds. Please respond to the group or email me
at moving(at)emailias.com The really good thing is my new house has a
full basement that I will use as a shop! Wheee!

"mike hide" wrote in message
. ..
snip------

.......The better business bureaus I have found to be useless


Chuckle!

Yep! More of a mutual admiration society----covering member's collective
asses. In my opinion, the BBB is no better than the most crooked of its
members. They dropped the ball badly when I had a legitimate complaint.
I have nothing to say about that organization that is complimentary aside
from they create the illusion of caring. They don't.

Harold

Usual Suspect wrote in
:

I will be moving to my new home near Atlanta Georgia from
Sacramento California in the last2 weeks of March. Does anyone
in the group have any advice about good moving companies, bad
moving companies, scams that will be tried and so forth. I have
previously moved myself in a rented truck but this move is too
far for me do at my age. We will be moving 6,000 to 8,000
pounds. Please respond to the group or email me at
moving(at)emailias.com The really good thing is my new house has
a full basement that I will use as a shop! Wheee!

Ed Patterson

I agree with the other posters about packing a shipping container
yourself and having that shipped. Start calling around NOW!

Hire a few "day workers" to help you load the container. Don't be
shy about making them load it EXACTLY the way you want. Get A LOT
of moving-blankets/padding and ropes or straps.

NEVER let the company "store" the container before it is shipped.
make sure when it gets picked up it goes on the road (same day is
good, next day is so-so, later is a deal-breaker).

Find out EXACTLY when the container will be delivered. Get a
guarrantee for delivery date and penalty for late OR early
delivery. If you (or your agent) are not there when the container
is delivered anything can happen. If you have to call 20 companies
to get a written guarrantee, do it.

Check that the delivery location has adequate space and road for
delivery. Many roads are small and have weight limits.

Make sure you move somewhere you can avoid driving on 285! Try to
avoid living in Fulton county. If you ever plan on using public
transit make sure both your house and work are very close to a
MARTA station. MARTA is O.K. and nice for getting to the airport
but the buses are for extreme emergency use only (they're nice but
SLOW).

Nev,

You raise some excellent points, especially regarding delivery. Get
everything in writing, and sue the blighters in small claims court if
they don't live up to the letter of the contract.

Wolfgang

Usual Suspect wrote in
:

I will be moving to my new home near Atlanta Georgia from Sacramento
California in the last2 weeks of March. Does anyone in the group have
any advice about good moving companies, bad moving companies, scams
that will be tried and so forth. I have previously moved myself in a
rented truck but this move is too far for me do at my age. We will be
moving 6,000 to 8,000 pounds. Please respond to the group or email me
at moving(at)emailias.com The really good thing is my new house has a
full basement that I will use as a shop! Wheee!


I've moved several times in the last dozen or so years. My advice is to
stick with a bigger company. I've had decent luck with both Allied and
United. Moving companies have some of the highest customer complaint
records of any business. My experience is that an awful lot of what goes
wrong can be avoided. Here are some tips in no real order:

They charge by weight, so rid youself of heavy, low value, easily
replaced items. They also won't let you pack chemicals and liquids. If
you are moving a vehicle and it's not going on the truck you can often
pack a stash of liquids in it.

Now is the time to clean/sort/donate/sell/toss. Be ruthless. It's amazing
how much crap accumulates over the years. Get rid of all that you can.
You won't miss it. Books and magazines are heavy and aren't worth very
much. Clip the articles you want to save but pitch the magazine.

Get several estimates. Expect them to be lower/higher than the actual
cost. Determine who has the best deal by $/Lb. Not by their estimate of
your weight to be moved.

If you pack it, it's usually your problem if it breaks in transit. Let
them pack fragile stuff. Make sure everything is insured.

Do not pack jewellery, money, checks, insurance and other important
papers. I wouldn't pack a computer that contains personal information
either. If you must, simply remove the hard drive and keep it with you.

If you can, buy your boxes from the moving company. They are standard
sizes and they are up to the task. They also have things like wardrobe
boxes where you can just take your clothes out of the closet, and hang
them in the box. They also have special boxes for dishes and glasses.

Here is an important tip. Make them come back for the empty boxes. They
are a real PITA to deal with after you've unpacked. Often the local
garbage co. will want you to recycle them by cutting them up into small
squares. Ugh.

Do not go into storage with the moving company. Ever. If you have to
store your stuff, rent a self storage unit and meet the moving truck
there. Request that your stuff goes onto one truck and stays on that
truck until it arrives at your new place. You don't want your load
transferred. If your load is small you will be sharing space on the truck
with another persons stuff. Not a big deal, but if you can, get that
persons address and name so that if you are missing anything or if you
find some of their stuff mixed with yours, you can get in touch with
them. The moving company couldn't care less. They would rather give you a
couple of bucks and have you go away.

Mark your boxes by the room they will be going into at the new place, not
the room they came out of at the old. Do not write the contents of the
box on the box, except for your kitchen stuff.

The moving company will mark every box and item with a number. Do not
sign off until every box and item is accounted for. There will be
pressure for you to do so, as the crew will have had a long day and will
want to get going, but don't do it. Also if they take it apart, make sure
that they put it together. If something is damaged, scratched or broken
make sure that they take note of it. They usually won't replace damaged
furniture but will pay to have it professionaly repaired. My kitchen
table was repaired and you'd never know it was damaged.

When the moving truck shows up, take the weight off of the axle. Then
take the weight again after everything has been loaded. Have the driver
verify it if you'd like. This way there is no dispute over weight/cost.

The way it usually works is that the company hires a local crew to load
the truck and another to unload it. There's a good chance there may be a
person or two you don't like. Send them off. You're paying, if they don't
like it then tough luck for them. That being said, I always tip the crew
and provide them with lunch/dinner/refreshments, etc.. If you treat
people nice they will go the extra mile for you. But if they send a guy
who is still drunk from the night before and starts out by puking in your
yard, then throw him out. Usually the driver will take care of that, but
don't count on it.

Most of all stay calm. Moving is stressful. There are bound to be snags.
Roll with the punches and don't get emotional. Read everything carefully
and ask them to explain anything you don't understand. Any claims filed
will take time to resolve, make sure you understand the process for
filing a claim and if there is a time limit. If something expensive turns
up missing, file a police report right away.


--

Dan

D Murphy wrote:

Usual Suspect wrote in
:

I will be moving to my new home near Atlanta Georgia from Sacramento
California in the last2 weeks of March. Does anyone in the group have
any advice about good moving companies, bad moving companies, scams
that will be tried and so forth. I have previously moved myself in a
rented truck but this move is too far for me do at my age. We will be
moving 6,000 to 8,000 pounds. Please respond to the group or email me
at moving(at)emailias.com The really good thing is my new house has a
full basement that I will use as a shop! Wheee!


I've moved several times in the last dozen or so years. My advice is to
stick with a bigger company. I've had decent luck with both Allied and
United. Moving companies have some of the highest customer complaint
records of any business. My experience is that an awful lot of what goes
wrong can be avoided. Here are some tips in no real order:

They charge by weight, so rid youself of heavy, low value, easily
replaced items. They also won't let you pack chemicals and liquids. If
you are moving a vehicle and it's not going on the truck you can often
pack a stash of liquids in it.

Now is the time to clean/sort/donate/sell/toss. Be ruthless. It's amazing
how much crap accumulates over the years. Get rid of all that you can.
You won't miss it. Books and magazines are heavy and aren't worth very
much. Clip the articles you want to save but pitch the magazine.

Get several estimates. Expect them to be lower/higher than the actual
cost. Determine who has the best deal by $/Lb. Not by their estimate of
your weight to be moved.

If you pack it, it's usually your problem if it breaks in transit. Let
them pack fragile stuff. Make sure everything is insured.

Do not pack jewellery, money, checks, insurance and other important
papers. I wouldn't pack a computer that contains personal information
either. If you must, simply remove the hard drive and keep it with you.

If you can, buy your boxes from the moving company. They are standard
sizes and they are up to the task. They also have things like wardrobe
boxes where you can just take your clothes out of the closet, and hang
them in the box. They also have special boxes for dishes and glasses.

Here is an important tip. Make them come back for the empty boxes. They
are a real PITA to deal with after you've unpacked. Often the local
garbage co. will want you to recycle them by cutting them up into small
squares. Ugh.

Do not go into storage with the moving company. Ever. If you have to
store your stuff, rent a self storage unit and meet the moving truck
there. Request that your stuff goes onto one truck and stays on that
truck until it arrives at your new place. You don't want your load
transferred. If your load is small you will be sharing space on the truck
with another persons stuff. Not a big deal, but if you can, get that
persons address and name so that if you are missing anything or if you
find some of their stuff mixed with yours, you can get in touch with
them. The moving company couldn't care less. They would rather give you a
couple of bucks and have you go away.

Mark your boxes by the room they will be going into at the new place, not
the room they came out of at the old. Do not write the contents of the
box on the box, except for your kitchen stuff.

The moving company will mark every box and item with a number. Do not
sign off until every box and item is accounted for. There will be
pressure for you to do so, as the crew will have had a long day and will
want to get going, but don't do it. Also if they take it apart, make sure
that they put it together. If something is damaged, scratched or broken
make sure that they take note of it. They usually won't replace damaged
furniture but will pay to have it professionaly repaired. My kitchen
table was repaired and you'd never know it was damaged.

When the moving truck shows up, take the weight off of the axle. Then
take the weight again after everything has been loaded. Have the driver
verify it if you'd like. This way there is no dispute over weight/cost.

The way it usually works is that the company hires a local crew to load
the truck and another to unload it. There's a good chance there may be a
person or two you don't like. Send them off. You're paying, if they don't
like it then tough luck for them. That being said, I always tip the crew
and provide them with lunch/dinner/refreshments, etc.. If you treat
people nice they will go the extra mile for you. But if they send a guy
who is still drunk from the night before and starts out by puking in your
yard, then throw him out. Usually the driver will take care of that, but
don't count on it.

Most of all stay calm. Moving is stressful. There are bound to be snags.
Roll with the punches and don't get emotional. Read everything carefully
and ask them to explain anything you don't understand. Any claims filed
will take time to resolve, make sure you understand the process for
filing a claim and if there is a time limit. If something expensive turns
up missing, file a police report right away.

--

Dan

It sure looks like you have moved more than a couple times. G
Very good information.. I would add that some digital pictures of your
furnature and appliances before they move them would also help if they
show up damaged.

John

John wrote in news:440253DC.16133589
@intergrafix.net:

It sure looks like you have moved more than a couple times. G

These days you can either bitch about the economy or go where the
opportunities are offered. People think we're in a witness protection
program.

Very good information.. I would add that some digital pictures of your
furnature and appliances before they move them would also help if they
show up damaged.

Good point. We did that on the last move, but never needed them, even
though we had a piece damaged.

I've moved three times using professional movers and four on my own before
that. The pro's are way better than you can imagine. They will note the
condition of every piece of furniture and document every nick, scratch, and
dent. They know how to properly protect your stuff and can pack a truck
like I've never seen.

Allied was very good about the damaged item. One of their guys tripped and
fell while carrying it in. Stuff happens. It's how the company handles the
problem that makes the difference. They had a furniture guy out right away,
he took the piece to his shop and repaired it quickly. You can't tell that
is was ever damaged. And it didn't cost me a cent. I'll be using them if I
ever move again. I'm hoping not, at least for a while, but you never
know...

I should also mention that my wife has made all the difference. She is
unbelievably organized and detail oriented, and she works like a mule. Plus
she is a relentless and skilled negotiator. By the time she was done I half
expected the moving company to be paying us. If you don't have a good home
team it's going to be tough going no matter what.

--

Dan

"D Murphy" wrote in message
...
snip-----
I should also mention that my wife has made all the difference. She is
unbelievably organized and detail oriented, and she works like a mule.

Dan

Yep! Really makes a difference when you find them at the front, pulling
with you, instead of at the rear, pulling against you. Sounds like yours
is a definite keeper, as is mine.

Harold

In article ,
says...
I will be moving to my new home near Atlanta Georgia from Sacramento
California in the last2 weeks of March. Does anyone in the group have
any advice about good moving companies, bad moving companies, scams
that will be tried and so forth. I have previously moved myself in a
rented truck but this move is too far for me do at my age. We will be
moving 6,000 to 8,000 pounds. Please respond to the group or email me
at moving(at)emailias.com The really good thing is my new house has a
full basement that I will use as a shop! Wheee!

Ed Patterson


Check clarkhoward.com for excellent consumer advice. He's local, but
nationally syndicated.

As an aside, I've had three people from CA looking for jobs with my
company in ATL very recently.

What's with the sudden migration from CA to ATL?

On Sat, 4 Mar 2006 13:27:47 -0500, Mark
wrote:

In article ,
says...
I will be moving to my new home near Atlanta Georgia from Sacramento
California in the last2 weeks of March. Does anyone in the group have
any advice about good moving companies, bad moving companies, scams
that will be tried and so forth. I have previously moved myself in a
rented truck but this move is too far for me do at my age. We will be
moving 6,000 to 8,000 pounds. Please respond to the group or email me
at moving(at)emailias.com The really good thing is my new house has a
full basement that I will use as a shop! Wheee!

Ed Patterson


Check clarkhoward.com for excellent consumer advice. He's local, but
nationally syndicated.

As an aside, I've had three people from CA looking for jobs with my
company in ATL very recently.

What's with the sudden migration from CA to ATL?

Can't speak for the job seekers but my motivation is to OWN an
affordable home. My landlord wanted to increase my rent from $900 to
$1200 a month. Fixer uppers (very bad condition) in northern
california are over $200,000.00. I really don't want to join all the
poor *******s who live in the bushes along California's freeways.

Ed Patterson