This page is a resource for people moving and will contain all kinds of tips, tricks, videos and checklists to help your move go smoother.  Please bear with us as we continue to add content to this page.

Fast Movers' crew(s) will show up on time, ready to work all day (if necessary) and to make you happy.  We typically work without breaks and aim to please. If your question isn't answered below, please call us.

1. What equipment do you carry on your trucks?

2. How do you determine the charges?

3. Payment methods.

4. What is required of the customers (preparedness)?

5. Does the customer need to be there?

6. What if the truck isn't packed all the way full?

7. How long does a move take/last time it only took 3 hours…?

8. Do you bring us boxes?

9. Do you help us pack our dishes, etc. into boxes?

10. Electronics, TV's VCR's, Stereos…preparation.

11. Truck size/what if it doesn't all fit?

12. What about my hardwood/carpet/tile floors?

13. Washers/Dryers.

14. Don't forget to tell Fast Movers about…

15a. 2 man crew vs. 3 man crew vs. 4 man crew.

15b. What if something won't fit in the room we want?

16. We need to confirm the move the day before.

17. What if I need to cancel my move?

18. What about clothes? Clothes in dresser drawers?

19. What if it is raining or snowing on moving day?

20. What if something gets broken? Are you insured?

21. What should I do with my TV, Lamps, Pictures/paintings, rugs, etc.?

22. Can you keep my beds/mattresses clean?

1. Fast Movers trucks contain everything we need for the average move.  We have plenty of thick moving pads to protect furniture, stretch wrap, a large (reefer) dolly, a small (box) dolly, a four wheel dolly, and plenty of straps/bungees to secure items in the truck. We don't carry assortments of boxes unless requested specifically. See #8 and #17 below.

2. Billing.  As explained during the booking session, we charge by the hour from the time we arrive until the time we are finished at the destination.  We charge travel time to and from our office.  This amount of time varies depending on how far we have to drive.  It is static; in other words, if we get stuck in traffic or get lost trying to find your home, travel time does not increase.  The exception to this is if a customer gives us the wrong address number or incorrect driving instructions. (Yes it has happened).

3. Payment. When the move is over the Bill of Lading will be completed and we expect payment of cash, Visa, MasterCard or American Express.  We are not set up to run Discover Card.  We are not set up to run any other types of cards.  We DO NOT take personal checks from anyone!  Please don't ask.  Business checks (on business/commercial moves) are ok. The Bill is not negotiable.  We do not play games with customers, do not hide fees or other charges, and expect payment when the move is over.  Did I mention that we don't take Discover Card?

4. Preparedness. We expect customers to be prepared for us when we arrive.  Boxes need to be taped shut.  Containers need lids.  Furniture cleared off.  No "loose" items or other goods that aren't somehow boxed or bundled up.  We realize that not everything can fit in a box.  However we expect customers to be packed and ready for things to be moved.  Why don't we move open boxes? First, things fall out of open boxes and break.  Second, we can't stack anything on top of an open box. Third, it is none of our business as to the contents of any box. We respect your privacy. 

5. Customer presence. We expect the customer to be with us during the duration of the move.  On almost every move there are questions that we will need to ask regarding the moving of specific items, determining where things go, and how multiple-piece items come apart/go back together, etc.  If you want your move to go smoothly, expect to be there with us.  If boxes end up in the wrong room because you weren't there to tell us where they go, you have no right to complain!  Schedule the time; be on site to help us help you.

6. Truck loading. We pack the trucks as high and tight as the customers goods will allow us to.  Every load is different.  Some items don't lend themselves to be stacked on or under other items.  Sometimes a load doesn't look like it was loaded very full.  If we are faced with opened boxes and delicate items that cannot be stacked, then don't be surprised if we cannot pack the truck high/tight.   We cannot and do not "pitch fork" your stuff into the trucks.  It takes time to do a proper load. 

7. Time. Typically, loading a truck full can take from 1-4 hours depending on the crew size, length of walk, difficulty of furniture to move, weight, etc.  No two moves are alike.  I will say it again:  no two moves are alike!  Just because it took 3 hours last time doesn't mean it will take 3 hours this time. It could take 2.5 or it could take 8!  We aren't superhuman or magicians. Don't expect us to load a 5 bedroom home in 10 minutes.

8. Boxes. We do carry a wide assortment of boxes at our office, but don't carry them on the trucks. If you need boxes let us know in advance and will bring them to you.  Don't assume we automatically carry them.

9. Packing. We do offer full service packing. We can pack lamps, framed art, dishes, china, stemware, and just about everything else in your house. However we do not do this on move day. Let us know in advance if you need help packing your house.

10. Electronics. Please disconnect your TV, VCR, DVD, stereo equipment etc. Disconnect all cables from the back of these units. Cables that cannot be disconnected should be coiled up and taped to the unit. These items are best protected if packed into boxes (ideally, their original boxes). We won't move these items until the cables are removed and taped! We can move TV's as is; try to get other electronics into boxes.

11. Truck size.  All of Fast Movers trucks are 24 feet long or larger.  All of our trucks are as large as or larger than a typical rental truck.  We do not run tractor-trailer outfits, and if we did the hourly rate would be substantially higher.  However, no matter what size truck we bring on your move, there will always be someone who needs just a little more room than we have.  Do not get mad at us if we cannot fit all of your goods into one truckload!  It is common for larger homes to take two trips to “get it all".  Similarly, do not get mad if the last two things won't fit in the truck because it wasn't packed tightly enough.  Some things simply cannot be packed tight without increasing the risk of damaging them in the process.  Be thankful you hired a good company that cares about what they do and has your interests in mind.  Another trip to the old house is better than a broken______.

12. Floors. Every precaution will be taken to protect your sensitive flooring.  It is not safe or practical to take off our shoes every time we come into the house.  Carpet tape/protectant is available; we can apply this when we arrive if needed.   You can pick it up from our office before your move and apply it yourself if you like.  Unfortunately, hardwood floors do scratch easily.  We cannot guarantee that they won't be damaged (but usually are not). 

13. Washers/Dryers. Although we can and do disconnect washers/dryers to prepare them to move, we strongly recommend the customers do this for us.  First, it saves time.  Time=money.  Second, pipes are known to break while unscrewing washer hoses.  If this happens we are not liable. 

14. Tell us what you have. We are only as prepared for a move as the customer allows us to be.  If you have a grand piano, we need to know about it before we arrive so we can: 1) bring the appropriate tools, 2) sent the right sized crew, 3) send the specialized equipment necessary.  Many times customers will tell us they "only have a few things" and are not specific about what they have, thinking that it will cause us to send a smaller crew (lower hourly rate). The conclusion of this faulty logic is that money will be saved, or that somehow the customer will be "cheating" the system. Maybe they think a three or four man crew means two guys working and the other(s) talking.  Not the case with our company.  We do not have time to run specialized equipment out to a job where the customer failed to tell us that they have special needs (such as that grand piano).  Be sure to let us know what you have!  Don't be mad if we don't move the special item that you failed to tell us about.

15. Crew size and fitment. We will not force an item of furniture to get it into the desired room of the house. My crews are not allowed to cause damage to furniture or dwellings due to difficult fitment of items, despite the wishes of the customer to have things where they want.  If damage is immanent and the customer insists we "put that piano in the bedroom at the bottom of the stairs" then we will require a liability waiver to be signed.  We won't proceed without it.  Just because the big screen was brought down the stairs by two Tongan guys from RC Willey doesn't mean that two guys can get it back up.  Some items require a 3 or 4 man crew to move.  Just because two guys can move it doesn't mean that it is a safe way to move it.  Remember, we are moving your stuff.  Do you want us to take unnecessary risks?  I think not.  It is better to pay a few bucks more for a four man crew than a multi-hundred dollar TV repair bill because you refused to pay for four guys.  See what I mean?

16. If we cannot confirm with the customer the day before the scheduled move date, don't plan on us showing up.  Confirmation is very important.  We do several moves in one day with our crew(s).  We cannot afford to waste time making a trip out only to have a customer not be there or cancel.  (You'd be surprised how often this happens).

17. Cancellations:  if for some reason you cannot move on the day you are scheduled for, don't panic!  Sometimes things are beyond your control.  However, calling us and letting us know is not.  We expect a courtesy call at least 12 hours in advance of your move.  That means we need to know before 5pm the day before if you need to cancel in the morning.  This is just courtesy and common sense.

 18. Clothes: You can leave clothes in dresser drawers, but don't tape or seal the drawers closed.  The drawers may need to be removed to carry the dresser out. The best way to move clothes hanging on hangers is to use wardrobe boxes . We can provide wardrobe boxes for your move; just ask. We don't automatically bring them.

19. Rain won't stop us.  Snow......well.....it depends.  We have rescheduled moves during periods of heavy snow.  It is simply too dangerous to move/drive in those conditions.  Be sure to have all walks shoveled of snow and other obstructions.  We reserve the right to refuse a move if conditions are dangerous!

20. Yes we are insured.  First of all, be sure to carefully read the Customer Agreement at the start of your move.  These are the terms that we abide by.  Secondly, occasionally we do have minor damage to items.  Our damage rate is about 1.5% (which is pretty darn good!).  90% of these are minor scratches/dings, etc.  I will always try to repair things first.  I will usually call out one of several professional furniture repair technicians for this type of work.  We also carry a more comprehensive, optional insurance; please refer to your Customer Agreement for information on this.

21. Usually we can take care of the TV without it being packed into a box.  Obviously the best way to pack a TV is in its original container.  Using lamp boxes is the best way to pack lamps.  We stock these boxes; click here to jump to our supplies page.  Picture boxes are the best way to pack pictures and paintings.  If you don't have dozens and dozens of lamps/pictures, we can usually blanket wrap these items and pack them in the truck without using the lamp or picture boxes.  Rugs should be rolled and taped.

22. Bedding. Yes, we will keep your mattress and box spring clean. We can provide mattress bags to put these items in if you like. There is a minimal cost for these bags; just let us know ahead of time and we can bring them.

  Frankly it troubles me that I even have to write a page like this.  Most of this should be common sense, but every single one of these things is real life situations that we have run across in the past 5 years.  Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Maybe we can consider this the “Fast Movers' Funnies” section!

We will not move the following items: 

Garbage.  Take out the trash yourself.  We won't crawl into crawl spaces or get into attics. Get these items out for us before the move day.

Anything over about 500 pounds.  We don't have stair climbing dollies and cannot move some heavy gun safes or other very heavy items (varies).  I do not recall ever dealing with a piano that we couldn't move, however.

Washing machines full of clothes and water.  Dryers full of clothes. (Yes this really happened).  I don't like strangers handling my personal items; we expect you to feel the same. 

We won't pick up your mess.  We are movers; not a maid service. Pick up your own clothes from the floor.  Take your dishes out of the sink.  Pathways through the home must be clear.  Loose items must be packed in a box.

I don't know how to say this without being blunt.  Fast Movers reserve the right to refuse a move based on unsafe or unsanitary conditions.  We won't move your things if there are animal feces, stains, urine, or other gross/smelly/disgusting things present.  (Yes this really happens).

We won't move any electronics unless the cables are disconnected from the back. The ones that do not come out need to be coiled up and taped to the unit. We are not electronics technicians; we probably won't know how to hook all your stereo stuff back up. Put VCR's/DVD's/stereo equipment into a box if possible.

We do not move open boxes. All boxes must be taped shut.

We do not lower anything off the roof or 2nd floor or higher windows with ropes.  (Yes this really happened).  We do not have cranes on our trucks nor carry quantities of rope.  If your overstuffed sofa that was "built in" to the upstairs bedroom won't fit down the stairs, hallway, etc., don't expect us to use superhuman or otherwise unsafe or ridiculous methods of moving those items.