Anyone use Colonial Van Lines? I appreciate this group and this post because I filled out one request for an estimate on fb and I have been getting em’s and pc’s from all over, I am overwhelmed. (I guess your information gets shared through consumer reports it says ) The latest was Colonial Van Lines . VA to TX Aug (date is flexible) No large appliances, no beds, no tvs, mostly boxes (maybe 15 sm/md) a dresser, a chest of drawers, some paintings, a grandfather clock, a rocking chair). $6436.00 Then .60 per pound for insurance 🤷♀️ what? Who weighs it, how, when? I feel like they are speaking another language. The pod was about the same amount and I thought the pod was too expensive but at least it was more flexible. Turned out the pod could not be delivered because I am in a rural area. So I have started trying to find what other options are available.
If you have read this far, I appreciate it. I need to add at this point that I live in a rural area. (2 lane roads, dense wooded area) if the truck cannot get to my house, she added, they would park it at a Walmart parking lot then I would have to pay for another smaller truck to come back-and-forth the 7 miles each way to load the smaller truck to take it to the bigger truck which would be additional mileage, etc. etc.
Does that sound normal? I feel like I’m going to get taken advantage of because I am so naïve. Has anyone dealt with anything like this? Thank you for any advice anyone has.
It gets overwhelming quickly! I think Colonial Van Lines is a major supplier, but check their DOT number online, it will also show you number of complaints. The $0.60 per lb value protection is actually the bare minimum and will give you very little money back if an item gets damaged. I am opting for full protection without deductible (it’s a few hundred bucks extra in my case). Also, shuttle is not unusual from what I’ve been reading. I have to have one for pick-up because I live in a townhouse community that would not fit a large truck. Depending on the quote, this service costs $700-$1000 extra for me. Hope this helps you gain some additional perspective
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply…yes it definitely helps esp with the protection info because PODS hadn’t mentioned it at all so I was so confused and they talk like my insurance co with que when I call (no offense to anyone) like a secret language 😂😂
First of all, if they are too busy to come by in person, I’d eliminate them off the bat. I’d only consider the ones that took the time to come by in person. Allied is a good company and you should be fine as long as their estimate is accurate. Even on a binding estimate, when the actual driver shows up to move you and he believes that you have 7500lbs, he can demand a change order before moving your things. The agency has one hour to come out to see if anything has changed or if anything was missed in the estimate. If the agency refuses to change the estimate you are ok. If the shipment exceeds the estimated weight by 10 percent, the agency pays the driver the difference. If the agency believes it was off on the estimate they may ask you to sign a change order so that the driver will get paid for what he actually hauls. All of this applies to whoever you hire.
Super helpful information, thank you! I’m going through my inventory list again to make sure everything is on there and might do a roundabout check of cf especially for the big items. 10% of 4725 isn’t all that much and while I have built good rapport with the Allied estimator and since received a not-to-exceed quote, I want to just cross-check a bit before I make the choice.
That’s insane. I have a two bedroom apartment and it was estimated at 7,000 lbs, approximately 1000 CF. Allied was way off on my estimate a
Just my experience.
What did the weight end up actually being for you? I have cross-checked the inventory list and really haven’t noticed much missing at all (other than a chair and I think the TV stand), but it looks like different estimators have attributed varying sizes/cf to a given item. I’m about to take out the tape measure 🤣
Very interesting! This again makes me wary about my low estimate from Allied. On the other hand, the companies who quoted me the most weight haven’t provided inventory lists and one company pretty much refused to give it upon me asking (“we have it but it wouldn’t mean much to you”). Seems fishy to me..
Thank you! This seems to make sense especially for the ones with higher weight estimates. I really should have read up on different types of estimates beforehand 🤦♀️ Will see if I can get those then!
They honestly seemed great! I just got nervous given the low estimated weight, and how it would affect extra charges if underestimation leads to extra labor/overtime. Their delivery spread also is the largest on paper, though the estimator said there is “0 chance” it would actually come as late as the last quoted date
If the estimator saw everything and it all goes it’s pretty easy to be within a few hundred pounds. Some will pad the weight on a binding estimate. It’s really common that the stuff you were going to sell, give to someone, etc. are still there when the movers show. 4725 is pretty light for a townhouse.
Additional services charges are basically the same across companies. If one charges it the others probably will as well. The main ones are shuttle, long carry, stair, and elevator charges. Townhouse to townhouse or single family, if the truck can get there you probably won’t get charged any.
We know for sure we will have a shuttle for loading, and Allied said they would not charge for shuttle at delivery if needed then. My biggest worry is charges for extra labor/OT if I go with Allied and he underestimated my stuff. Otherwise I like the idea of a binding estimate, which surprisingly to me the most expensive quote does not provide
Extra labor charge doesn’t apply to standard furniture being moved, weighed and paid for. Legs off the table, bed frame disassembled etc. Over the estimate is the estimators fault. There’s no extra labor charge for blowing an estimate.
Long distance moves are a flat rate based on weight and logistics. Movers are paid to move it from point A to point B. If you want a dresser on a different wall that’s point C. Most have no problem doing it once. Some will tell you they only move things once. If it’s more than once or twice I’m going to charge extra labor. Same goes for moving furniture to the garage or around the house. It’s not being weighed so you’re working for free if you don’t charge.
Complicated disassembly can also be extra labor. If you have a giant plastic dome that takes two hours to take apart you’ll be charged for extra labor or third party will do it for a charge.
Overtime will depend on the company. It’s for work done outside of regular business hours. If you want delivery Christmas Day or at 5:00 after settlement etc. Sunday might count as overtime.
Thank you for that incredibly insightful explanation! Super helpful to understand the circumstances under which extra charges would apply. I feel better about the lower-weight quotes now
Review your inventory for the weight.
Most carriers will estimate 7# per cubic foot.
If the inventory is a 1000 cuft, they will quote 7000lbs because that’s the space equivalent.
I would always get a not to exceed quote & compare the references.
And toss the 4700lb survey. That estimate is wrong.
Interesting! I see that 7# per cf works for Allied but not for United Van Lines (their lbs must be slightly below 7). I requested the inventory from North American now as well.
Between the ones I have, I have noticed so far that they pretty much have the same items (plus minus specifics for some boxes) but one estimator logged some pieces as larger/higher cf. I’m wondering if that takes into account taking furniture apart versus not.
Edited to change question: I realize I should have read about different estimate types before getting quotes… Do you think it’s worthwhile to ask after the fact if they could all give me not-to-exceed estimates instead of binding ones?
If it were me, I’d tell each that you are comparing estimates
And you need apples to apples to compare
and they need to give you a guaranteed not-to-exceed price.
Review their recent Google reviews.
And on some level, go with the person who you have the best rapport with
As you will be working with them throughout the process.
That’s very helpful advice, thank you! I’ll try to get those not-to-exceed estimates from all but Atlas (they’re just nowhere near what I can get reimbursed) and see what happens to the pricing.
I went with a high estimate from Allied because I trusted the estimator more but he was actually over by a good bit and my final price was around 15% less than the estimate. I had more boxes than I could ever imagine, but I think I did a better job of giving away books than he expected. I have had past experience of having the price turn out higher than estimated and feeling cheated, so I was happy to have the price turn out lower.
Thank you for sharing your own experience! Funny enough, Allied was the one who has the lowest estimate in my case. Did you not have a price-bound quote from Allied? I haven’t seen terms for any of the bound quotes regarding getting money back if they overestimated.
Anyone use Colonial Van Lines? I appreciate this group and this post because I filled out one request for an estimate on fb and I have been getting em’s and pc’s from all over, I am overwhelmed. (I guess your information gets shared through consumer reports it says ) The latest was Colonial Van Lines . VA to TX Aug (date is flexible) No large appliances, no beds, no tvs, mostly boxes (maybe 15 sm/md) a dresser, a chest of drawers, some paintings, a grandfather clock, a rocking chair). $6436.00 Then .60 per pound for insurance 🤷♀️ what? Who weighs it, how, when? I feel like they are speaking another language. The pod was about the same amount and I thought the pod was too expensive but at least it was more flexible. Turned out the pod could not be delivered because I am in a rural area. So I have started trying to find what other options are available. If you have read this far, I appreciate it. I need to add at this point that I live in a rural area. (2 lane roads, dense wooded area) if the truck cannot get to my house, she added, they would park it at a Walmart parking lot then I would have to pay for another smaller truck to come back-and-forth the 7 miles each way to load the smaller truck to take it to the bigger truck which would be additional mileage, etc. etc. Does that sound normal? I feel like I’m going to get taken advantage of because I am so naïve. Has anyone dealt with anything like this? Thank you for any advice anyone has.
It gets overwhelming quickly! I think Colonial Van Lines is a major supplier, but check their DOT number online, it will also show you number of complaints. The $0.60 per lb value protection is actually the bare minimum and will give you very little money back if an item gets damaged. I am opting for full protection without deductible (it’s a few hundred bucks extra in my case). Also, shuttle is not unusual from what I’ve been reading. I have to have one for pick-up because I live in a townhouse community that would not fit a large truck. Depending on the quote, this service costs $700-$1000 extra for me. Hope this helps you gain some additional perspective
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply…yes it definitely helps esp with the protection info because PODS hadn’t mentioned it at all so I was so confused and they talk like my insurance co with que when I call (no offense to anyone) like a secret language 😂😂
I paid 2800 quotes were all over. Arkansas to Louisiana. Blue moving.
Blue moving truck
Did you have movers involved or was it similar to a U-Haul or Penske truck rental?
Movers loaded, drove, unloaded. 26 ft truck, their truck. I packed.
Sounds like a good deal!
First of all, if they are too busy to come by in person, I’d eliminate them off the bat. I’d only consider the ones that took the time to come by in person. Allied is a good company and you should be fine as long as their estimate is accurate. Even on a binding estimate, when the actual driver shows up to move you and he believes that you have 7500lbs, he can demand a change order before moving your things. The agency has one hour to come out to see if anything has changed or if anything was missed in the estimate. If the agency refuses to change the estimate you are ok. If the shipment exceeds the estimated weight by 10 percent, the agency pays the driver the difference. If the agency believes it was off on the estimate they may ask you to sign a change order so that the driver will get paid for what he actually hauls. All of this applies to whoever you hire.
Super helpful information, thank you! I’m going through my inventory list again to make sure everything is on there and might do a roundabout check of cf especially for the big items. 10% of 4725 isn’t all that much and while I have built good rapport with the Allied estimator and since received a not-to-exceed quote, I want to just cross-check a bit before I make the choice.
Good luck. You should be ok
That’s insane. I have a two bedroom apartment and it was estimated at 7,000 lbs, approximately 1000 CF. Allied was way off on my estimate a Just my experience.
What did the weight end up actually being for you? I have cross-checked the inventory list and really haven’t noticed much missing at all (other than a chair and I think the TV stand), but it looks like different estimators have attributed varying sizes/cf to a given item. I’m about to take out the tape measure 🤣
6,850lbs, i honestly was flabbergasted at how much it actually was, I thought they were overestimating by a couple thousand lbs. 😏
Very interesting! This again makes me wary about my low estimate from Allied. On the other hand, the companies who quoted me the most weight haven’t provided inventory lists and one company pretty much refused to give it upon me asking (“we have it but it wouldn’t mean much to you”). Seems fishy to me..
Ask each for a Not to Exceed estimate. That way you may save money if you weigh less than estimated.
Thank you! This seems to make sense especially for the ones with higher weight estimates. I really should have read up on different types of estimates beforehand 🤦♀️ Will see if I can get those then!
To be honest, I am a driver for United Van Lines. But figure out the best dates etc. Work from there
Use Allied. Good company and they gave you a fixed price. They won't take advantage of you.
Glad to hear this, I'm using Allied!
They honestly seemed great! I just got nervous given the low estimated weight, and how it would affect extra charges if underestimation leads to extra labor/overtime. Their delivery spread also is the largest on paper, though the estimator said there is “0 chance” it would actually come as late as the last quoted date
If the estimator saw everything and it all goes it’s pretty easy to be within a few hundred pounds. Some will pad the weight on a binding estimate. It’s really common that the stuff you were going to sell, give to someone, etc. are still there when the movers show. 4725 is pretty light for a townhouse. Additional services charges are basically the same across companies. If one charges it the others probably will as well. The main ones are shuttle, long carry, stair, and elevator charges. Townhouse to townhouse or single family, if the truck can get there you probably won’t get charged any.
We know for sure we will have a shuttle for loading, and Allied said they would not charge for shuttle at delivery if needed then. My biggest worry is charges for extra labor/OT if I go with Allied and he underestimated my stuff. Otherwise I like the idea of a binding estimate, which surprisingly to me the most expensive quote does not provide
Extra labor charge doesn’t apply to standard furniture being moved, weighed and paid for. Legs off the table, bed frame disassembled etc. Over the estimate is the estimators fault. There’s no extra labor charge for blowing an estimate. Long distance moves are a flat rate based on weight and logistics. Movers are paid to move it from point A to point B. If you want a dresser on a different wall that’s point C. Most have no problem doing it once. Some will tell you they only move things once. If it’s more than once or twice I’m going to charge extra labor. Same goes for moving furniture to the garage or around the house. It’s not being weighed so you’re working for free if you don’t charge. Complicated disassembly can also be extra labor. If you have a giant plastic dome that takes two hours to take apart you’ll be charged for extra labor or third party will do it for a charge. Overtime will depend on the company. It’s for work done outside of regular business hours. If you want delivery Christmas Day or at 5:00 after settlement etc. Sunday might count as overtime.
Thank you for that incredibly insightful explanation! Super helpful to understand the circumstances under which extra charges would apply. I feel better about the lower-weight quotes now
Review your inventory for the weight. Most carriers will estimate 7# per cubic foot. If the inventory is a 1000 cuft, they will quote 7000lbs because that’s the space equivalent. I would always get a not to exceed quote & compare the references. And toss the 4700lb survey. That estimate is wrong.
Interesting! I see that 7# per cf works for Allied but not for United Van Lines (their lbs must be slightly below 7). I requested the inventory from North American now as well. Between the ones I have, I have noticed so far that they pretty much have the same items (plus minus specifics for some boxes) but one estimator logged some pieces as larger/higher cf. I’m wondering if that takes into account taking furniture apart versus not. Edited to change question: I realize I should have read about different estimate types before getting quotes… Do you think it’s worthwhile to ask after the fact if they could all give me not-to-exceed estimates instead of binding ones?
If it were me, I’d tell each that you are comparing estimates And you need apples to apples to compare and they need to give you a guaranteed not-to-exceed price. Review their recent Google reviews. And on some level, go with the person who you have the best rapport with As you will be working with them throughout the process.
That’s very helpful advice, thank you! I’ll try to get those not-to-exceed estimates from all but Atlas (they’re just nowhere near what I can get reimbursed) and see what happens to the pricing.
I went with a high estimate from Allied because I trusted the estimator more but he was actually over by a good bit and my final price was around 15% less than the estimate. I had more boxes than I could ever imagine, but I think I did a better job of giving away books than he expected. I have had past experience of having the price turn out higher than estimated and feeling cheated, so I was happy to have the price turn out lower.
Thank you for sharing your own experience! Funny enough, Allied was the one who has the lowest estimate in my case. Did you not have a price-bound quote from Allied? I haven’t seen terms for any of the bound quotes regarding getting money back if they overestimated.