Our Frequently Asked Questions

The earlier, the better. Although the actual truck assignment may not be made until a few days before your move, it’s wise to give your moving company from four to six week’s notice, if possible. The more lead time you can give, the more likely we will be able to meet your preferred delivery schedule.

We’ll do our best, of course, to comply with the dates you prefer or the nearest possible alternatives. You should discuss your specific pickup and delivery requirements with your Simple Moves agent, who can advise you regarding the types and costs of services available.

A Simple Moves agent will make a pre-move survey of your household goods to be transported by asking for a detailed list of the items that you are looking to move and all the pickup and drop off locations. A pre-move survey is needed to determine the approximate cost of a move and the amount of truck space your goods will occupy. Your Simple Moves agent will compute the approximate cost and give you a written estimate for service. There is no charge for the estimate.

Keep in mind that estimates (household goods surveys) are only guidelines. On interstate shipments, you must pay the total charges as determined by the distance it travels, and the services that you authorize or which become necessary to handle your shipment.

Charges for local shipments are generally calculated on an hourly basis. There is only a 1 hour minimum required.

A binding estimate or binding cost of service specifies in advance the precise cost of the move based on the services requested or deemed necessary at the time of the estimate. If additional services are requested or required at either origin or destination (such as a “shuttle” to or from a location to which a full-size truck cannot operate directly), the total cost will increase. Binding estimates are valid for the time period specified, up to 60 days.

If you add items to be moved or require additional services, such as packing, between the time of the estimate and the time of your move, there will be additional charges. An addendum specifying these additional charges will be prepared for your signature.

If you are interested in obtaining a binding estimate, please discuss it with your Simple Moves agent.

If there is a choice, most moving companies suggest you select a time other than summer, the end of the month or the end-of-year holidays. The heaviest demands are placed on trucks, equipment and personnel during these periods.

However, Simple Moves believes you should move when it is most convenient for you. Factors involved in the decision may include:

• Whether the move must be made immediately
• Moving children during the school term
• Separation of the family while the move is under way

If the move can be scheduled for a time when trucks and trained personnel are more readily available, we’ll be better able to meet your preferred delivery schedule.

This depends on many factors, such as the time of year, weather conditions, size of your shipment, time required to load and unload, and the direction and distance your shipment is traveling.

Because the furnishings of the average household may exceed the capacity of our standard 14′ or 26′ truck, it is often necessary for two or more shipments to be loaded on the same truck. Each shipment is carefully sectioned off from the others.

It would be more accurate to say that a moving company is “registered.” Simple Moves has been issued a certificate of authority by the federal government to move household goods in St. Louis. As a motor carrier, Simple Moves has maintained a certificate of authority with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) since September 27, 2000.

Unless you have been given a binding estimate, the exact cost of your move cannot be determined until after your shipment has been loaded and unloaded from the truck. If additional services are requested or become necessary after loading, additional charges will be incurred. The total cost will include these transportation costs, plus charges for any “additional” services (such as packing and unpacking) performed by the Simple Moves agent at your request. These charges are based on “tariff” rate schedules.

Tariff provisions require that all charges be paid directly after your shipment is unloaded at destination (unless prior arrangements have been made for later billing).

Payment for your Simple Moves shipment can be made by one of the following methods: cash, traveler’s check, money order or cashier’s check. In addition, the American Express® Card, Discover® Card, Visa® or MasterCard® can be used to pay for interstate moves only, with advance approval required prior to loading (unless other billing arrangements have been made).

All payment forms apply to both binding and non-binding estimates.

If you have received a non-binding estimate and your actual moving costs exceed the estimate, you will be required to pay no more than 110% of the estimated cost at delivery. Should your actual costs exceed the estimate by more than 10%, you will be given 30 days after delivery to pay the amount over 110%.

Payment of estimated charges plus 10% does not apply if goods are delivered into storage. If storage at destination (storage-in-transit) is necessary, all transportation charges must be paid at time of delivery of the shipment to the warehouse. You will then be assessed storage charges based on the applicable rates set forth in our tariff.

With our insurance plan, if any article is lost, destroyed or damaged while under Simple Moves interstate authority, it will either 1) repair the article to the extent necessary to restore it to the same condition as when it was received by Simple Moves, or pay you for the cost of such repairs; or 2) replace the article with an article of like kind and quality, or pay you for the cost of such a replacement. An additional charge applies for this option. Simple Moves will determine the appropriate settlement method to be used.

In the moving industry, items having a value of more than $100 per pound are known as “articles of extraordinary value.” All “articles of extraordinary value” in your shipment must be listed on the High-Value Inventory form which will be given to you by the salesperson to complete. Although you might have other articles of extraordinary value, the following list should help you identify items that might fall under this classification: jewelry, furs, art and coin collections, crystal, figurines, antiques, Oriental rugs, precious stones or gems, china and silverware. In the event of a claim, any settlement involving an article of extraordinary value listed on the High-Value Inventory form is limited to the value of the article, not to exceed the declared value of the shipment, based upon the Simple Moves valuation program applicable to your shipment. If an article of extraordinary value is not listed on the form, Simple Moves’s maximum liability is limited to $100 per pound per article. If you are not shipping any items of high value, sign the form and print the word “None” in the inventory list.

You must select the valuation program, and you must write your choice in the “Valuation” box on the Bill of Lading in your own handwriting.

For a full description of the Full-Value Coverage and Released Rate Liability programs, please ask your Simple Moves agent.

If you are unable to take immediate possession of your new residence, your belongings can be stored in a local Simple Moves agent’s warehouse depending on unit availability. Simple Moves agents provide safe storage facilities for holding your goods until you’re ready for them. However, you are responsible for the storage charges, warehouse valuation coverage and final delivery charges from the warehouse.

If your goods are placed in storage, there will be an additional charge for the valuation or insurance coverage provided for your shipment, as mentioned previously. The type of coverage and cost will depend upon whether the shipment is held in storage-in-transit (temporary) or in permanent (long-term) storage. Please ask your Simple Moves agent for information regarding storage arrangements.

Simple Moves protects your upholstered furniture with ClearGuardSM, a clear plastic material, before they are wrapped with furniture pads.

Most refrigerators, washers, dryers, and other electrical or mechanical appliances require special servicing to ensure safe transportation. Any moving parts such as motors on major appliances, washer drums, and ice makers should be securely fastened for shipment. Front loading washers should have pins placed in to protect the drum. Gas appliances need to be serviced and disconnected prior to your move.

It is the owner’s responsibility to see that appliances are serviced for shipment before they are loaded on the truck.

Most people prefer to have their household possessions, especially fragile items, professionally packed by a moving company. However, if you decide to pack these items yourself, remember that the basic principles of good packing include wrapping the items individually, providing plenty of cushioning and making sure of a firm pack.

Be sure to select a sturdy container with a lid. Place a two- or three-inch layer of crushed paper on the bottom of the carton as a cushion. Wrap each item individually with a soft material to provide a safe, protective, “padded nest.” Pack the heaviest items on the bottom and the lighter ones next, filling in empty spaces with crushed paper. Place plates on edge and glassware on rims for maximum protection. Mark the carton “Fragile,” and list the contents on the outside. Be sure to seal the carton with tape.

Lightweight clothing – sweaters, shirts, blouses, and lingerie – may be left in the drawers. Do not fill drawers with heavy items such as books, table linens or sheets, which can damage the piece of furniture during transit. Be careful NOT to leave fragile items, money, jewelry, watches or other valuables in the drawers, as well as anything that might spill or leak.

Frozen foods can be moved, but only under specific, limited conditions. Be sure to discuss this with your Simple Moves agent. In most instances, we suggest that shipping arrangements be made through local frozen food locker plants, especially for a long-distance move. It is even easier just to use up the foods prior to the move or donate them to someone.

Items of extraordinary value such as jewelry, money, photographs, antiques and stamp collections can be included in your shipment, provided you notify your Simple Moves agent of these items before packing or moving day. However, we strongly recommend that you carry irreplaceable and expensive articles with you, or make other arrangements for their transport.

In the moving industry, items worth more than $100 per pound are considered to be articles of “extraordinary” value. To be assured that a claim involving these articles is not limited to minimal liability, complete and sign the High-Value Inventory form and sign the “Extraordinary (Unusual) Value Article Declaration” box on the Bill of Lading. If no articles of extraordinary value are included in your shipment, simply write “none” on the High-Value Inventory form and sign it.

Simple Moves cannot accept responsibility for safely moving your plants, because they may suffer from a lack of water and light as well as probable temperature changes while in the truck. You may prefer to transport your house plants in the family car or ship them by plane.

Some states prohibit the entry of all plants, while other states will admit plants under certain conditions; still others have no plant regulations. Be sure to check the regulations of the state to which you’re moving.

Pets cannot be carried on the moving truck. Dogs, cats, canaries and parakeets can usually be transported in the family car. If this isn’t convenient, your Simple Moves agent will be glad to suggest alternate ways to ship your pets safely.