Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think we will pretty much fill the trailer on the way north, so I don't think that's the issue. The thing I don't understand is why one United Van Lines agent is OK with the move, and the other is not.
That's really the issue I'm trying to understand, not looking for various DIY alternatives.
Dave
I think it is darn strange. We've never had a mover decline to move us. The idea that the truck would come back empty is strange. Presumably, the other United is in the same position. Odd.
You may want to call United, 877-740-3040, and ask for clarification.
When you say "agent", are you dealing directly with a representative of the local division of the national carrier? Not a "third party" but a "salesman/agent who works for the local carrier?
I would not get all concerned about on line reviews. Many times people have a beef, or very little understanding of what is involved, including cost, in a long distance, full service move. Not to be nasty, but you can see from the comments in this thread that everyone is suggesting a "do it on the cheap" solution. Bad idea IMHO, especially if you have quality furniture. Many times reviews reflect that same sort of, well, "thinking".
So, first off, 15,000 pounds is about 3/4 of a big trailer. Any long distance mover would take that job.
Second, get on line and look for a half dozen major carriers in your area, and give them each a call. Have their local agent send a representative out and estimate your job.
When you have two or three estimates with which you are happy, start doing your homework on the carrier. Who are they? Who loads/unloads? Go visit their operation and look at their trucks, their people, their warehouse, their grounds. Are they clean and neat, or are they sloppy and unkempt? That tells you a LOT about what sort of operation they run.
Once you have settled on one or two, start asking around for people who have used them. Happy? Within estimate? All furniture arrived with NO dents/scratches/dings or problems? Do they take their shoes off in your house? Do they put blankets on the floor? Is each piece of furniture wrapped in blankets, them wrapped in cardboard, then wrapped in plastic (shrink wrapped)? Were they smoking, etc.
From this work you will find the right mover for you.
BTW, my last long distance move (1,000 miles) I used a local mover with a first quality reputation. He was more than happy to do the move, used his own crew on both ends (they traveled with the truck/furniture), and had no interest in securing a return load from a local "agent". If he didn't personally pack it, he had no interest in getting involved in someone else's "work". His price? Same as the other national carrier quotes. Every piece of furniture arrived in first class condition, and like you, it was a lot of valuable stuff.
Do some shopping. Something is not right when a mover refuses a full load, long distance move. It might be one thing if we were talking Alaska or Hawaii, but continental US? Makes no sense.
So much misinformation here. Your first mistake was to contact three separate agency’s from the same Van Lines. They are computerized and will not compete with each other. Get estimates from three major Van Lines such as United, North American, Mayflower or Allied. All will be very close in the weight and cost estimate.
I have never encountered any national agent that would not move someone for your listed reason. As a professional mover and owner/operator I have refused moves for only one profession that being church ministers that the agent had contracted.
The driver owns the truck and is responsible for the move and the people he has to hire. This is standard for all the Van Lines unless it is a local move. Ask for a master or a top 20 mover. All movers are rated by the company.
I second Txfriend's advice. You have not called enough people, only different franchisees of the same company. Use the major van lines' main number and let them send you the appropriate franchisee. Add Atlas Van Lines to the list above from Txfriend.
Also, are you specifying that your load MUST be in X place by X date? This could be why you are getting refusals. If you tell the agent that you are flexible as to your delivery date (but not your pickup date), they will collect your load, put it in storage at their warehouse and combine it with another move, at whichever end works for them. You may not get your furniture when you want it, but you will get it. Don't let this extra move dismay you. Furniture loads often get transferred from the local pickup vehicle into an interstate vehicle for the convenience of the van company. If you have contacted someone who drives his own rig, then this will not happen, of course, but he will be pickier about his loads.
When you say "agent", are you dealing directly with a representative of the local division of the national carrier? Not a "third party" but a "salesman/agent who works for the local carrier?
Well, I'm not 100% sure how to answer that question. I search for "long distance movers in SoCal" (or something like that), and I get back results like "Merit Moving Systems" or "Suddath Relocation Systems" who here I have described as "United Van Lines agents." I may not be using that term correctly though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Bear
I would not get all concerned about on line reviews. Many times people have a beef, or very little understanding of what is involved, including cost, in a long distance, full service move. Not to be nasty, but you can see from the comments in this thread that everyone is suggesting a "do it on the cheap" solution. Bad idea IMHO, especially if you have quality furniture. Many times reviews reflect that same sort of, well, "thinking".
I recognize the pitfalls on on line reviews, but don't know of any other way to get some idea of a company has performed in the past. I was only using this as an initial screen to decide which to contact for quotes.
And yes, I totally understand the bias that exists here towards the DIY alternatives. Definitely not an option for us, and neither is selling 60% of our belongings.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Bear
So, first off, 15,000 pounds is about 3/4 of a big trailer. Any long distance mover would take that job.
That was my thought. And in going back and looking at the quotes they are actually closer to 20k pounds, so I think we are probably a full truck (more or less). Both the quotes I have are talking about a 2 day load (we will have to have a shuttle at both ends).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Bear
Second, get on line and look for a half dozen major carriers in your area, and give them each a call. Have their local agent send a representative out and estimate your job.
I think we will expand our search to the next 2 or 3 on my list, which would bring in the local Atlas and Bekins "agents."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Bear
When you have two or three estimates with which you are happy, start doing your homework on the carrier. Who are they? Who loads/unloads? Go visit their operation and look at their trucks, their people, their warehouse, their grounds. Are they clean and neat, or are they sloppy and unkempt? That tells you a LOT about what sort of operation they run.
Once you have settled on one or two, start asking around for people who have used them. Happy? Within estimate? All furniture arrived with NO dents/scratches/dings or problems? Do they take their shoes off in your house? Do they put blankets on the floor? Is each piece of furniture wrapped in blankets, them wrapped in cardboard, then wrapped in plastic (shrink wrapped)? Were they smoking, etc.
From this work you will find the right mover for you.
Some good thoughts here, thanks. I wish I could find past customers to talk to, but haven't had any lcuk with that, which is why I turned to the on line reviews.
Quote:
Originally Posted by txfriend
So much misinformation here. Your first mistake was to contact three separate agency’s from the same Van Lines. They are computerized and will not compete with each other. Get estimates from three major Van Lines such as United, North American, Mayflower or Allied. All will be very close in the weight and cost estimate.
I have never encountered any national agent that would not move someone for your listed reason. As a professional mover and owner/operator I have refused moves for only one profession that being church ministers that the agent had contracted.
The driver owns the truck and is responsible for the move and the people he has to hire. This is standard for all the Van Lines unless it is a local move. Ask for a master or a top 20 mover. All movers are rated by the company.
I was wondering if the issue was that they would not compete with each other, but would have thought they would be a little more open about that. The person who came to our house to do the inventory for the company that refused the move is a friend of a friend, which is one reason why we thought she would be straight with us if that was the issue.
I'd be interested in understanding better what the relationship is between the driver, the crew, and the company I talk to here locally. I was told quite explicitly that the load crew would be all full time employees of the local company here in SoCal, and that they all have background checks done etc. before they are hired. I didn't ask about the driver, but assumed they might actually be employees of United Van Lines (in this instance). It would be useful for me to understand all those relationships a little better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ndcairngorm
I second Txfriend's advice. You have not called enough people, only different franchisees of the same company. Use the major van lines' main number and let them send you the appropriate franchisee. Add Atlas Van Lines to the list above from Txfriend.
Also, are you specifying that your load MUST be in X place by X date? This could be why you are getting refusals. If you tell the agent that you are flexible as to your delivery date (but not your pickup date), they will collect your load, put it in storage at their warehouse and combine it with another move, at whichever end works for them. You may not get your furniture when you want it, but you will get it. Don't let this extra move dismay you. Furniture loads often get transferred from the local pickup vehicle into an interstate vehicle for the convenience of the van company. If you have contacted someone who drives his own rig, then this will not happen, of course, but he will be pickier about his loads.
No, we haven't chosen a specific load date, and have some flexibility on the schedule. For example, if one of them told us we can't do it in the 3rd week of May, but could do the first week of June, we'd be fine with that. Obviously, once our stuff is loaded on the truck we'd like it at the other end more or less when we get there. We expect to start driving up there the day after the loading is complete, and it will probably take us 2-3 days to make the drive. I understand that we probably won't see our stuff that quickly, but we can deal with the estimated timing they are giving us.
Thanks, these have been helpful thoughts and suggestions. I appreciate you all not telling me to consider PODS or to sell most of our belongings!
That's basically what they indicated. What I don't understand is why they think they can't/won't find a move from the Seattle or Portland area, which aren't too far away from our destination. With the big national movers I would have thought they could easily find other moves to put the truck/drivers on. It's especially curious because the agent that declined to move is part of a nation-wide United Van Lines agent. They have about 25 locations around the country, including one in Seattle.
Dave
Since they are in the business of making money, I suspect they track information like that carefully. So what they say is their reason is much more likely to be true than you or I would think, doing no research whatsoever. Perhaps people are only moving TO Portland and Seattle, not away from there.
When we moved from central WV to Montana we had no problems with a large national carrier. We also had a full house of items- a family of 4. In fact the move was seamless. It was spendy, but it was seamless.
We're about 3 hours from North Idaho- so we're even farther in the boonies than you are, lol.
That's really the issue I'm trying to understand, not looking for various DIY alternatives.
Dave
Quote:
Originally Posted by Disgustedman
At 15K I think you might consider selling as much as possible. 1,400 mile move is not cheap (Duh!) but the less you spend moving in money in your pocket. I thought I couldn't do with certain things, but then realized I didn't use them hardly at all...
I'd bet you could reduce by 60% of your household items and get a truck and have 3-5 strong young guys load you up and then get to this side of the states and get 3-4 to unload....
Aaarrrgggghhhhh.....
And a dozen other similar posts, disregarding what the OP said he was looking for. I should have stopped reading after the first few posts. I never learn. People don't pay any attention to the original post and just start talking about stuff that doesn't apply.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
