Office Movers
Most office movers at MovingVanLine.com haven’t noticed much of a change since the federal government deregulated that sector of the trucking industry, but some movers are concerned about the effects of the deregulation.
Until January 2012, moving companies had to be licensed with the state to move office items for businesses within the state and had to charge a fixed rate for their services, says the president of Chipman Moving & Storage Inc.
For instance, to move a business’s furniture and equipment less than 35 miles using one van and two movers would cost $ 79.35–no matter which moving company a customer hired. If more movers were needed to get the job done, the customer would have to pay an additional charge.
That’s no longer the case, though, since the Interstate Commerce Commission, the federal agency that regulated moving companies nationwide was dissolved in January 2011 in a government downsizing.
The only type of moves that still are regulated here are household moves, which now are overseen in this state by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. The deregulation works out great for customers, but adds risk for moving companies.
As a result of the deregulation, moving companies at MovingVanLine.com now bid for their work, rather than simply giving a non-binding estimate, as was done under regulation. A moving company would go to a business customer, look at its moving needs, and then estimate what it would cost to move the business based on the amount of time the moving company thought it would take and the number of movers and vans the company would have to use. However, the moving company wasn’t tied to that estimate. In the end, a business would be charged for what actually took place–regardless of whether that was more or less than the estimate it had been given, she says.
Now, moving companies must give businesses a binding bid, which means that if they underestimate the task, they’ll make less profit, or even lose money.
To avoid losing money, moving companies at MovingVanLine.com now must look critically at their costs and hire experienced crews who can get a moving job done in the amount of time that is estimated.
Moving companies at MovingVanLine.com are also concerned about the prospects for increased competition. With deregulation, a moving company must meet the state’s regulations, but doesn’t need to be licensed with a state agency, and can charge whatever price it can get in the open market.