Mover Travel Time is often a critical detail in the planning of a move. No matter how your moving company charges for travel time, it is something you should be fully aware of before booking your move. When your mover provides you with an estimate, this should be included no matter how that mover charges for travel time.
Travel time is often thought to be the time it takes your mover to go from your first location where they load your items to your next location where the mover delivers your items to. That is not the case. Travel time is the time it takes the mover to travel from their warehouse to your first location, the time it takes to travel from your first location to your ending location, and the time it takes your mover to get back to their warehouse at the end of the move. Essentially, the movers need to get paid for all of the time they spend on your move, and the time traveling to and from your move is included in that. This is why it is so beneficial to book a local moving company who operates in close proximity to your locations.
There are 3 types of mover travel time that are common practice in the Moving Industry. You may find a mover who uses a different method, but it is most likely that your mover uses one of the below.
Movers Charge Hourly Rate
The first form of mover travel time is charged as an hourly rate. That means that your mover is going to charge you the same rate for travel as you’re going to pay for the moving aspect of the job. The rate is the same because most moving companies pay their employees on an hourly basis, and the travel portion costs the company just as much as the moving portion of the job. The hourly rate will begin when the mover departs from their warehouse and will end when they return to the warehouse at the end of your move. This is the method that we use here at Your Move Inc. We do so because it is the most straightforward for our customers. We are able to very simply explain what you will be charged for on moving day and aren’t using different methods of calculation that may not make perfect sense to the customer.
Movers Charge Flat Rate
The next method of charging for mover travel time is a Flat Rate. This fee will be in addition to the hourly rate you pay which begins when the movers arrive at your home, and ends when they depart from your final destination. The Flat Rate method typically includes a 1 hour minimum. Allowing atleast 30 minutes on each end of the job for the mover to travel to and from your locations. The flat rate fee also depends on the number of movers that your job requires. Some find this method favorable because if your mover gets stuck in traffic and the travel takes longer than expected, the cost doesn’t land on you. The flip side of that benefit is that your mover’s travel may end up being much quicker than their 1 hour minimum charge.
Movers Charge Flat Rate Plus Fuel Fee
The final common method for mover travel time is charging a Flat Rate plus a Fuel Fee. Some companies will use the above Flat Rate method, but then also charge a fuel surcharge. This may also be a flat rate based off of distance, or the actual amount of gas used for the travel. This is an extremely common method that movers use. This method can sometimes cause customer confusion because the calculation of how much fuel is used or the cost for the second Flat Rate may not be cut and dry in regards to how the mover came up with the number.
The most important aspect of mover travel time is that the company you choose to partner with for your move is upfront about how they charge for travel time. Again, make sure that travel time is included in your moving estimate so it is not a surprise on your bill on moving day. Many companies charge for this differently, but each method will typically end up in the same cost ballpark for travel time.
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