EVALUATING
YOUR COSTS FOR "SELF HAUL"
MOVERS
Any
one considering a self move,
especially an interstate move, should
ask a lot of questions and compute
the actual costs of self moving
before signing a rental agreement
with a truck rental company. This
worksheet helps you calculate self
move costs and gives a basis of
comparison when evaluating the price
and value of professional moving.
Explanation of
Charges
Rental Charge
For an interstate move,
one needs to provide the origin and
destination cities and the month, day and
year of the move to the truck rental
company. Depending on equipment
availability in a certain location,
prices may vary. Peak season runs from
the end of May until the end of
September, so truck rental rates may be
higher during that time of year. Most
people move at the beginning of a month
or the end of the month, so demand may
exceed supply during the first or last
week of any month. The rental charge you
are quoted includes a rental deposit that
may be refunded depending on the
condition of the vehicle upon its return,
and a certain number of free miles
(approximately 10% greater than the
estimated actual mileage). This does not
include state taxes. Any other charges
are additional. You will need a day to
pack and another to unpack, so be sure
you are quote includes two days, plus
driving days. Make sure you rent the
right size truck! Remember, efficiently
loading a truck is an art, not a science.
After a long, hard day of loading all of
your worldly possessions into the back of
moving van, the last thing you need to
discover is that you have run out of
space but not out of furniture.
Automobiles
· How many cars do you
have? Are you going to drive or tow the
vehicle(s)? A trailer package from a
rental company may cost an additional
$200, plus another $50 for
insurance depending on how many days you
are renting the truck for. If you are
driving your own vehicle, you will need
to factor in wear and tear on your
vehicle (.30 cents a mile was the
standard mileage rate in 1995 according
to the IRS).
Insurance
Charges
· It may cost an
additional $10 a day for insurance on the
rental truck. The daily charge includes
vehicle damage, cargo damage up to a
certain dollar value, and medical and
life insurance. (Reminder: Cargo damage
insurance provides protection for your
household goods from damages incurred
during a vehicular accident. Any other
types of damages are not covered!) Truck
theft is also a problem if you are
leaving the fully loaded vehicle
unattended while you spend the night at a
hotel.
Pads
· You need pads so you do
not scratch your furniture. Pads run $10
a dozen, with a 26 foot truck (four
bedroom house) you will need at least 2
dozen pads @$20.
Dollies
· An appliance dolly, a
utility dolly, or a furniture dolly may
be needed to help move heavy furniture.
Each dolly may cost an additional $5 to
$10 per rental.
Per Move
Value of Time
· Who
is going to do the packing and unpacking?
Who will pick-up, load, drive, and unload
the rental truck? Who will drive the
automobile? If you are doing this
yourself, it takes a lot of time. Figure
out your average hourly wage and multiply
it times the total number of hours you
estimate it will take to pack, pick-up
truck, load, drive, unload, etc. for you
and your spouse/family. This is your per
move value of time.
Packing and
Loading the Truck
· You
might be able to collect free boxes in
anticipation of the move, but to minimize
damages especially for an interstate
move, it is highly recommended that you
purchase specialized boxes like wardrobe,
dish pack, or mattress containers. You
will need tape to secure the boxes and
paper padding to secure the contents of
the containers when they are loaded on
the truck. The cost of packing materials
may vary by state and state taxes will
also apply. The average total cost of
packing containers is approximately $125
for a 2-bedroom home and $200 for a 3
bedroom home (Source AMC's 1994
Transportation Fact Book.)
Mileage
Charges
Are
usually included in the rental agreement
but may be limited; an additional mileage
charge may be accessed at an average cost
per mile, usually around .40 cents a mile
for each additional mile over the limit.
Gasoline
Charges
· When
you pick up your truck the vehicle is
full of gas. You must return the vehicle
full of gas or the rental company will
normally charge a higher than average
price per gallon to fill the vehicle. You
will need to calculate the cost of gas
used while driving the rental vehicle. A
26-foot, 5-speed diesel truck that is
fully loaded will average about 10 miles
per gallon. If you travel approximately
1200 miles/lO miles a gallon, you will
consume 120 gallons of gasoline. At an
average diesel price of $1.25 cents a
gallon (Source:
AMC's
April 1996 Fuel Survey) x 120 gallons of
gasoline equals $150.)
Appliance
Servicing
·
Refrigerators, grandfather clocks,
washing machines, gas stoves, etc. all
may require special care before they can
be properly moved. You may need to hire
several specialists to ensure proper
handling of your possessions. These
appliance service charges will increase
the cost of your self-move.
Destination
· Is
your destination residence available for
occupancy? If not, where will you store
your possessions? You may need to secure
a warehouse and unload all your household
goods into storage. The only storage
facilities available for the self-mover
are mini warehouse storage units. While
functional, these units often provide
less than adequate protection for your
belongings. Security is minimal, usually
a manager sleeping on the premise, no
insurance coverage, and no protection
from fire or smoke damage incurred at the
warehouse. When your new residence
becomes available you will need to rent
another truck, load all your possessions
from the warehouse, deliver the goods to
the final destination, and unload
everything one last time.
1996
American Movers Confrence
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