Friday, 17 March 2023 14:26

Summertime Moving Tips – Lead Time for Planning Your Summer Move

The most popular time to move is early May to mid-September. And do you know why? You wouldn’t ask that question if you moved in early March 2021, when the temperature was 2 degrees. But seriously, most people do move then because of the weather, but also it is when the kids are out of school.

But what happens when 65% of the moves happen in a 4-month period? Moving companies get booked, early. So, how can you avoid all the stress of finding a mover when everyone else is doing that? When you start talking with your real estate agent about putting your home on the market, you should be speaking with the mover. It will be challenging to get the timing right, but once you know your closing date, you’ll know when you must have someone there to pack and load you.

The other issue is that moving companies have really been struggling to hire and keep good, qualified movers and drivers. So, availability is limited as well. During the summer, the local and national dispatchers will start looking at where the drivers will be, at what time, and where they will be going. They also need to be aware of each shipment and how much it will fill up each truck. To accurately plan that they need to know what is booked, as soon as possible.

The local agents are struggling with the driver shortage as well. Their books will fill up fast in the summer with jobs for packing, local pick-ups, storage, and crews for local moves as well as help for the drivers. It is important for them to have as much notice as possible.

Often, throughout the summer, the Van Line will start putting out warnings that they will be cutting off certain dates that are historically busy, as well as starting to fill up. This is different for every region in the country, and it is a moving target. For example, the local agents might receive notification on May 16th, that any shipment moving during June 6-24th will need to be booked and in the system by that following Friday, May 20th. If it is not booked by then, it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get a driver assigned to it. The local agent may have the ability to pick them up and hold them on the dock for an open driver. But that will cost you additional money to pay the local crew for that service.

What can you do to prevent these issues?

  1. Meet with the representative of the moving company as soon as you know you will be moving.
  2. Once you know your closing and possession dates, call the moving company, and set up the move. A month’s notice should be enough, but if you have more time then let them know.
  3. If the closing date changes for falls through, then alert the moving company as soon as possible. They may be able to adjust to a date that moves easier than adding a job onto the books.

The key is to keep the moving company in the loop of dates and plans. They want to take care of you and your family as much as your real estate agent does.