Moving and Storage Glossary

A moving estimate, an order for service and a bill of lading all use words most people see once or twice in a lifetime. Knowing them before the paperwork arrives makes a written estimate far easier to read. Start with the group that matches the question in front of you, or read down the page in order. If a term here is not clear after you read it, call the office at 775-359-6683 and an estimator will walk through it with your own paperwork.

Estimates and what they commit to

An estimate is the mover's written statement of what your move should involve, and the type of estimate decides how firm the number is. A binding estimate fixes the price for the listed goods and services, a non binding estimate is an expected figure that can move with the final weight, and a not to exceed estimate sets a ceiling. O'Brien's itemizes its estimates in writing.

How the estimate is prepared matters too. An in home survey means an estimator walks your rooms, while a virtual survey does the same job by video. The cube sheet is the room-by-room tally of furniture and boxes behind the figure. Long-distance moves are priced by weight, which brings in the weight ticket, the tare weight, the reweigh and, for oversized items, constructive weight.

• Tariff: the published rules and rates a carrier works from
• Valuation deductible: the part of a loss you carry under a protection plan
• Peak season: the busy summer stretch when crews and trucks book up first

Paperwork, protection and licenses

The documents you sign are the contract, so each one has a page of its own. The order for service lists what the mover will do, and the bill of lading is the receipt and contract for the shipment itself. Protection for your belongings comes in two forms, released value protection and full value protection, and the difference is worth reading before you choose. A high value inventory records items that need extra attention, and a certificate of insurance is the proof a building manager may ask for.

Licensing terms explain who is allowed to move your goods. O'Brien's operates under U.S. DOT No. 30611 and MC-109375 for interstate household goods, and Nevada Transportation Authority CPCN 1070 for moves within Nevada. The pages on household goods carriers and moving brokers show how those roles differ.

Van lines, agents and long-distance terms

Long-distance moves use a team vocabulary, because several companies can touch one shipment. A van line is the national network, and a local company can be its agent. O'Brien's has been a Bekins Van Lines agent since 1955. The booking agent, origin agent, hauling agent and destination agent each hold a different job in the chain.

The road portion has its own words as well. Linehaul is the long haul between cities, and the pickup spread and delivery spread are the date ranges for loading and arrival. Your delivery window comes from your written estimate. Expedited service and storage in transit cover shipments that do not follow a straight schedule.

Extra charges and access terms

Some line items depend on your building and not on the miles driven. These are grouped as accessorial charges, and the usual causes are listed here so none of them is a surprise on estimate day.

Ask your estimator which of these apply to your address:

• Long carry: a long walk between the truck and your door
• Shuttle service: a smaller truck used where the big one cannot reach
• Flight charge: carrying items up or down stairs
• Elevator carry: moving items by elevator in a multi-floor building
• Bulky article: oversized items such as pianos and pool tables that need special handling
• Third party services: work done by a specialist the mover arranges
• Appliance service and debris removal: disconnecting appliances and hauling away packing waste

Packing, crating and storage

Packing terms describe how your belongings are protected. A dish pack is a heavy-duty box built for china and glassware, and crating is a custom wooden shell for art, mirrors and other fragile pieces. O'Brien's offers 10 free heavy-duty boxes with every in-home estimate, yours to keep.

Storage has its own set of definitions. Vault storage means your goods sit in a wooden vault, 7 ft x 7 ft x 5 ft, inside the Sparks warehouse, from $40 per month. Related terms include permanent storage, warehouse handling and, for commercial work, FF&E, punch list and white glove service.

Military moving terms

Military household goods moves carry a few terms of their own. A personally procured move is one you carry out yourself, and non temporary storage holds goods when you cannot take them to the next duty station. Booking runs through your installation transportation office, and O'Brien's is DOD approved to move and store military household goods.