Before Moving Day
Finalizing Your Plans
Once you’ve selected a carrier, notify your agency representative immediately. This will assure immediate scheduling of your agreed pick-up and delivery dates. This is especially important during the peak season months (i.e., May 15 through September 30) when carriers experience about 48 percent of their business.
Your representative, also known as the booking agent, is now responsible for making the necessary arrangements for your move-from scheduling packing dates, to hiring an outside contractor to performing specialized services for items that require special handling (such as disassembly of a grandfather’s clock or pool table).
If you intend to do your own packing, it is recommended that you purchase moving cartons and packing material from your local carrier well before moving day. Properly used, professional containers aid in protecting your goods while in transit. Otherwise, check with liquor stores about acquiring good, sturdy boxes. Packing brochures, with helpful tips, are usually available from your carrier.
The driver can request that any packed-by-owner (PBO) cartons be repacked if, in the driver’s judgment, there is risk of damage occurring during transit due to improper packing.
Labeling your boxes appropriately will assist both you and the driver in room placement at your new residence.
If your move requires full or partial packing, your origin agent (who may also be the booking agent) will notify you of the date and time that the packing crew is scheduled to arrive to begin preparing your household effects for transit. Depending on the size of your home and the amount of packing required, it may take one or more days to complete. Usually, the actual loading of the van takes place the following day.
Don’t forget to set aside those items that will be traveling with you, such as medication, baby necessities, your pet’s leash, etc. It’s also a good practice to keep in your possession important documents such as wills, car titles, mortgage papers, etc.
What Goes On Behind The Scenes?
With Bagby Transfer, the information contained on the Estimate/Order for Service is communicated to Bagby Headquarters and your shipment is assigned an identification number (registration number) which will appear on all documentation and correspondence.
In the event you have questions about your move, please refer to the registration number. It will assist us in identifying your shipment and in answering your questions in a more timely manner.
The booking agent may elect to transport your shipment using their own driver and tractor-trailer. Or, they may turn the order over to the van line’s Operations Department for driver selection and shipment scheduling.
So, it’s conceivable to have up to three different agents sharing the responsibility for your move-the booking agent, the origin agent and now the hauling agent. (Note: the booking agent can be the origin agent, the hauling agent or both.)
Unlike freight, moving household goods is not just a matter of picking up the goods from Point A and delivering them to Point B within a reasonable transit time. Consider this: there likely will be several shipments being loaded onto one trailer, originating from and delivering to different cities across the U.S., all of which must be moved within a specific timeframe. Now, that takes some planning and organization!
That’s where our Operations Department comes in. They are the “heart” of the system. With expertise, each individual Planner coordinates the routing of shipments within and from his/her respective geographic zone.
Our Dispatchers communicate that schedule to our drivers and participating agents and make sure that instructions are carried out accordingly. Because drivers normally “check in” daily, at any stage of your move, a telephone call on our toll-free line can provide you with the current status of your shipment.
It’s a matter of teamwork! Everyone works together toward a common goal-to provide you the smoothest move possible!