Moving & Storage Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the moving and storage terms that show up on estimates, contracts and Bills of Lading — for movers training a new rep, and for customers who want to read a quote with confidence.
- Accessorial charges
- Extra services beyond basic loading, transport and unloading — long carry, stairs, packing, bulky items — billed on top of the base rate.
- Bill of Lading (BOL)
- The legal contract between the customer and the mover, listing the goods, the terms and the price. It doubles as the receipt for the shipment. Learn more →
- Binding estimate
- A quote that guarantees the total price for the listed services and items, regardless of the actual weight on move day.
- Binding not-to-exceed estimate
- The customer pays the estimate — or less if the shipment weighs less — but never more. The most customer-friendly estimate type.
- Bulky article charge
- An extra fee for large, hard-to-handle items such as pianos, hot tubs, large safes or riding mowers.
- Claim
- A formal request for compensation for goods lost or damaged during a move, backed by the inventory and photos. Learn more →
- Cube sheet
- A worksheet that lists each item with its cubic-foot value to estimate the total volume of a move. Learn more →
- Cubic feet (cu ft)
- The unit used to measure how much space a shipment occupies. Total cubic feet drives truck size, crew size and price. Learn more →
- Deadhead
- Miles a truck drives empty — for example, returning to base after a delivery.
- Delivery window (spread dates)
- The range of dates within which a long-distance shipment is scheduled to arrive.
- DOT number
- A unique USDOT identifier issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to commercial carriers operating across state lines.
- Flight charge
- A fee for carrying items up or down flights of stairs beyond an included amount.
- Full value protection
- A valuation level where the mover is liable for the repair or replacement value of items that are lost or damaged.
- Full-service move
- A move where the company handles packing, loading, transport, unloading and, optionally, unpacking.
- Gross, tare and net weight
- Gross is the loaded truck weight; tare is the empty truck weight; net is the shipment weight (gross minus tare), used to price weight-based moves.
- High-value inventory
- A separate list of items above a set value (often $100 per pound) declared so they are properly protected.
- Interstate move
- A move that crosses state lines, regulated federally by the FMCSA.
- Intrastate move
- A move that stays within a single state, regulated by that state.
- Inventory sheet
- A detailed list of every item shipped, with its condition, signed at pickup and again at delivery. Learn more →
- Line haul
- The charge for the transportation portion of a long-distance move, based on weight and distance.
- Local move
- A short-distance move — often under 50 to 100 miles — typically billed by the hour.
- Long carry
- An extra charge when items must be carried a long distance between the truck and the door.
- Long-distance move
- A move over a long distance or across state lines, usually priced by weight and mileage.
- Non-binding estimate
- An approximate quote; the final charge is based on the actual weight or volume and the services performed.
- Order for service
- The document that authorizes the mover to transport the goods, issued before the move.
- PBO / CP
- "Packed by Owner" versus "Carrier Packed" — notations on the inventory that record who packed a given box.
- Peak season
- The busy moving period — roughly May through September — when rates are typically higher.
- Released value protection
- The minimum, no-extra-cost liability level — commonly 60 cents per pound per item. Economical but limited.
- Reweigh
- A customer's right to request that a weight-based shipment be re-weighed if they question the billed weight.
- Shuttle service
- Use of a smaller vehicle to move goods between the residence and the main truck when access is limited.
- SIT (Storage-in-Transit)
- Temporary warehouse storage of a shipment while it is in the mover's custody, before final delivery. Learn more →
- Valuation
- The mover's level of liability for your goods — not the same as insurance. You choose released value or full value protection.
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