Long-Distance Moving

A long-distance move runs on entirely different rules from a local one. Local moves are charged by the hour; interstate moves are priced by weight and distance, governed by federal regulation rather than California rules, and delivered inside an agreed window rather than on a single day.

We move households from Sacramento to all 50 states, with binding written estimates so the price does not move after the truck is loaded.

Intrastate or interstate — the distinction that matters

It is not about mileage. It is about whether you cross a state line.

• Sacramento to San Diego is 500 miles and still an intrastate move, regulated by the California Bureau of Household Goods and Services.
• Sacramento to Reno is 130 miles and an interstate move, regulated federally by FMCSA.

The category determines which estimate rules apply, what liability protection you get, and where any complaint goes. We will tell you which one yours is at the survey.

Binding estimates

We provide binding written estimates on interstate moves. A binding estimate means the price is the price: you cannot be charged more at delivery than the figure you agreed.

That is a meaningfully different arrangement from a non-binding estimate, where the quote is only an approximation and the final charge depends on actual weight. Under federal rules a mover working to a non-binding estimate may collect up to 110% of it at delivery, with the balance billed later. Plenty of moves are quoted that way legitimately — but it is why a strikingly low quote is often not the bargain it appears.

If you add items or services after a binding estimate is agreed, that requires a new binding estimate, agreed before loading.

What your belongings are covered for

Federal rules give you two options, and the difference is the single most expensive thing most people never read.

Full Value Protection is the default. The mover is liable for the replacement value of anything lost or damaged, and must repair it, replace it, or settle in cash.

Released Value Protection costs nothing — and caps liability at 60 cents per pound, per article. A 40-pound dresser is worth $24 under that standard. A 25-pound television is worth $15. It applies only if you sign a specific statement electing it.

Separately, movers may limit liability on anything worth more than $100 per pound — jewellery, art, collections — unless you list those items on the shipping documents before the move.

We will walk you through which applies to your shipment and what we recommend. It takes five minutes and it is the conversation people most often wish they had had.

Delivery windows

Your shipment travels on a truck that may be carrying more than one household, so interstate delivery happens inside an agreed spread of dates rather than on a single named day.

What the rules entitle you to, and what we do:

• At least 24 hours' notice before scheduled delivery, excluding weekends and federal holidays
• Written notice and new proposed dates if the agreed spread cannot be met
• Charges based on what is actually delivered

Never accept "as soon as possible" as a delivery term from any mover, including us. Get dates in writing.

The paperwork you should receive

Before an interstate move we provide:

• A written estimate, signed by both parties, based on a physical survey
• The bill of lading, issued no later than three days before pickup, so you have time to read it
• FMCSA's rights-and-responsibilities booklet and the Ready to Move brochure
• Information about the arbitration programme and how to access our tariff

Read the bill of lading before loading day. It is the contract governing the whole shipment, and no document should ever be signed with blank fields in it.

Verifying any interstate mover

Including us. Interstate carriers must hold active USDOT registration, and you can check any company in FMCSA's registered mover database before you book.

Our licences: CAL T 170373 · USDOT 528679 · MC 308011.

Claims

Loss or damage claims must be filed in writing within nine months of delivery. We have 30 days to acknowledge a claim and 120 days to issue a disposition.

Photograph everything of value before loading, keep your copy of the inventory, and check items against it as they come off the truck. Note anything damaged on the paperwork before the crew leaves.

Planning timeline

Call (916) 489-3322 for a survey and a binding written estimate.