What is a moving company's Delivery Spread

Author
Chris Noblit
When will the mover deliver my shipment?

Professional moving companies utilize a standardized  "transit time guide" to establish their required delivery times for interstate shipments (shipments which must travel from one state to another state within the USA).

A typical mover's tractor-trailer will hold approximately 24,000 pounds of household goods. This means that there will be many shipments on the truck that moves your shipment.

For example, lets assume that your moving truck is going to carry eight (8) different shipments (including your shipment). This means that there will be 8 pickup dates and 8 delivery dates to schedule, and in order to coordinate all of these 16 (pickup and delivery) dates professional movers employ "delivery spreads" which is a term used to describe a"window of days" within which your shipment will be delivered.

For example: "2 to 10 days" is a nine (9) day "delivery spread" whereas "4 to 8 days" is a five (5) day "delivery spread". It is important to understand that the mover gets to choose which day (within the specified spread of days) that your shipment will actually be delivered on.

Your delivery spread is not arbitrary; it will be determined by the following criteria...

  1. The estimated weight of your shipment
  2. The number of miles from your shipment's origin to your shipment's destination
  3. The date you need your shipment loaded at origin
  4. The first day you will be able to accept delivery at destination

Once again, it is important to understand that the mover gets to choose which day (within the specified delivery spread) that your shipment will actually be delivered on.

Furthermore, it is also important to understand that the mover will not arrive unannounced to deliver your shipment to your new home. Rather, your mover will call you well in advance to schedule your delivery date and time.

We hope this article provides you with a thorough explanation of how professional moving companies plan your delivery and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us.

Happy moving!

 

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