Mayflower's Glossary Of Moving Terms

Accessorial services include services other than the transportation of your goods. These services, including packing, unpacking and extra pickups, are performed by the carrier at your request. Charges for these services are in addition to the transportation costs.

The agent is an affiliated moving company authorized to act on behalf of the van line. The agent may handle the booking, origin, hauling and/or destination services.

Auxiliary service (shuttle) is used if the assigned over-the-road van is unable to make a normal pickup or delivery because of physical constraints (extremely narrow road, inadequate parking area for the truck, weak bridge, etc.) An auxiliary service is the use of a secondary, smaller vehicle to complete the pickup and delivery. Charges for this service are based on the vehicle used and additional labor involved.

The Bill of Lading is your receipt for your goods and a contract for their transportation. Your signature acknowledges that your household goods can be loaded on the van and "released to the carrier."

The booking agent accepts the order for your move and registers it with the van line. The booking agent may or may not be your origin or destination agent.

Bulky articles include such items as boats, snowmobiles, golf carts and campers. These "bulky" items usually carry an extra charge to compensate the hauler for the difficulty of loading and unloading, as well as for their unusual bulk or low-weight density.

A claim is a statement of loss or damage to any of your household goods while in the charge of the carrier or its affiliated agent.

C.O.D. (cash on delivery) shipments are those where the customer pays the moving charges at the time of delivery. For C.O.D. shipments, payment is required in cash or by traveler's check, money order, cashier's check or credit card. If you use a credit card, you must arrange this with your origin agent because authorization is required before loading commences.

Declared valuation is the shipper's indication of the value declared for the possessions being shipped, thereby establishing the carrier's maximum liability for loss or damage to the shipment. If no value is declared, the liability is then controlled by the tariff under which the shipment is being handled.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) is the federal agency which, through the Surface Transportation Board within the DOT, governs the interstate transportation industry including movers of household goods.

The destination agent is the agent designated in the destination area to be available to assist or provide information to you or the van operator regarding your shipment.

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