Paperwork For Ordering Moving Services

Service Order

Every company associated with moving is required to have prepared a service order for all shipments that are being transported by an individual shipper. Every person requesting the services will be entitled to have their very own copy of their service order after the order has been prepared by the moving company.

This doesn’t mean that the service order is a contract, meaning that if your move has been cancelled or delayed or owners change their minds on moving, the cancelling of an order needs to be completed promptly.

If changes to the dates that were agreed on between the mover and homeowners for when shipment or delivery is going to occur, or if changes have been done to the non-binding estimation, movers will need to prepare written changes for the service order. Once this has been done the written information will need to be added to the regular service order with both the homeowner and mover signing the service order.

Bill of Landing

A contract between the homeowners and movers is the bill of landing. By law a bill of landing must be prepared by the mover for all shipments that they transport and the information that is displayed on the bill of landing will be the same details that have been shown on the service order. Before the loading of the homeowners items will occur the driver will give the homeowners their copy of the bill of landing before any process begins.

Homeowners will be responsible to read over the entire bill of landing and approve it and then the mover will then provide the homeowner all services that have been requested with the homeowner paying all charges for each service.

Do not loose your bill of landing. Homeowners should keep it available until all shipments have been received, payments made, and all claims (if any) have been settled.
Inventory

Most movers will usually generate an inventory when they first load the shipment listing all damages and unusual wear that is on items, but they are not required to do so. This inventory list keeps a list of the condition of items, but not all movers make this list so homeowners may want to develop one on their own.

When the inventory has been completed you and the movers may be required to sign each page. Review the list ensuring that it lists all items that are apart of the shipment and the condition of items are accurate. Disagreements are allowed. After your shipment has been delivered check for missing/damaged items, the inventory list allows you to recover those items that may be lost, or report damaged items that are worst then what has been noted. The movers will supply you with an inventory list after created, it is advised to attach your complete list with your copy of landing since this is your receipt of all your items being shipped. Make note of damages or lost items and put these in the attention of the movers so they are noted on the movers inventory list.

When the entire shipment has been unloaded the movers will then request the homeowners to sign the inventory list that the movers have agreeing that all items have been shipped to the home. If the homeowners have not received all items or damages are accurate to the condition they were in before delivery do not sign. Once the homeowners sign this list a receipt of the items for shipment finalizing the entire moving process.