What’s The Difference Between A Local And Long Distance Move
Moving is a pretty basic thing to do. You pack up, load up a truck with everything you own, and then unload the truck. You may not know, though, that local and long distance moves are very different things. Here’s everything you need to know:
Local moves
A local move is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s a move within a short distance. That could be across town, or up to about 100 miles away. If a move can be done within a day (not including packing), it’s a local move. Local moves are pretty straightforward. Every item is either packed in boxes or wrapped in shrink-wrap and blankets. Local moves are charged by the hour. Since the truck will be dedicated to your move, and your move only, the movers don’t take inventory.
Long distance moves
Long distance moves are similar to local moves in that every item is boxed or wrapped before being loaded onto the truck, but they’re also very different. Long distance moves are charged by a formula of volume, distance, and the amount of packing. There are occasionally other charges, like for stairs, or for long carries, if the truck needs to park far from the door. With some moves, the truck has no access to the pick up or delivery address. In which case, everything might need to be transferred to a smaller truck called a shuttle. Since shuttles require a truck rental and a lot of labor, they can get quite pricey, so it’s a good idea to find out if tractor trailers can fit at both addresses before you get your moving bids.
With long distance moves, customers can choose one of two ways of transporting their goods. You can choose their own private truck, which can be quite expensive, unless you have a big home, or you can choose to share the truck with a couple other households. Most people choose the latter, simply because it’s a lot less expensive. With long distance moving, every item is meticulously inventoried, simply because the truck is shared. Each item is inventoried as it is unloaded from the truck.
Obviously, long distance moves take longer than local moves. It can take days, and sometimes weeks, depending on how far you are moving, and how many stops have to be made along the way.