Removals & Storage Glossary

AccessThe area surrounding your property that the movers will have to use when transporting your goods; this also refers to the entrance and exit points.

Accessorial (additional) servicesThese include the extra services other than the actual transportation of the household goods,including packing, unpacking, handling bulky items, and other services. These are known as additional services that may be added to your transportation costs.

Actual chargesThe total cost of the relocation from beginning to end.

Advanced chargesFor any extra services that you have requested during the allotted time that have not been completed by the removal company but by a third party. These extra services will be paid for by the removals company and will be added later on to the customer’s Bill of Lading.

Agent / Destination AgentA moving company that serves on behalf of a much bigger, national removals company. An agent will handle interactions between the customer and the small company, and this process will be included within the quote.

Appliance dollyA wheeled surface used to transport all kinds of goods, ideal for bulky items.

Appliance serviceWhite goods such as washing machines that need to be disconnected at the place of origin and reconnected at the new destination by the removal team, may come with an extra charge.

Bill Of LadingA formal, binding contract that ties the customer to the removals company. The Bill of Lading includes all important details of the move, price and conditions to ensure both the customer and company are happy and have proof of this written agreement.

Blanket WrapCloth that is used to protect large pieces of furniture to avoid scuffs and scrapes during the removal process.

Binding estimate (Binding quote)Once the removal company and the customer have agreed on the total cost of the services based on the home survey and the additional services they require, a binding quote will be supplied.

Bulky itemA large, awkward-to-carry item that requires extra attention during removal.

Cancellation charge (Cancellation fee)Once the services have been fully signed and confirmed, should the customer want to cancel the services, a cancellation fee will be charged due to the inconvenience and loss of business to the removals company.

CartonsBoxes used to package and move items during relocation.

ClaimA written document requesting monetary compensation for items that have been lost or damaged during the move, within the lines of the removal’s insurance policy.

Congestion chargeThis may be required for high traffic areas like London. This charge varies depending on the location and whether or not it’s a weekday. This charge will be covered by either you or the removal company, depending on their terms and regulations.

ConsigneeThe party taking in the shipment that’ll process the goods through customs and clearance procedures.

ContainerA sizeable steel box used for transporting goods, ideal for transportation on trucks, boats and rail as they can be lifted by a crane with ease and placed onto the chosen mode of transport.

Container VehicleA truck built to carry a heavy steel container.

Corporate AccountA company either paying or organising a move with a removals firm on behalf of a client.

Cost per hourA payment plan used for local moves where the cost is fixed by the hour.

Cubic Foot / Cubic MeterThe volume a customer’s goods will be measured in, in order to work out the total space needed to cater to the move.

Customs ClearanceThe clearing process the contained goods will undergo to get through custom barriers. Customs pick shipments at random to spot check documentation to ensure that it is in line with the contents before importing them to a new country.

Customs DutyThe tax involved with shipping goods - generally based on the contents inside - is used to raise state revenue and shield domestic industries from the competition abroad.

Declared ValueA shipment’s value based on the weight of the items inside. The declared value is there to hold the removal company liable, should there be any loss or damage of these items. If this is not declared then the goods will be transported under a basic liability structure.

Dedicated Load / TruckA specific vehicle that’s been scheduled to ship required goods from A to B on the agreed time and date.

DeliveryThe transportation process from A to B to reach the destination address.

Delivery WindowThe estimated date or time of delivery; this can vary depending on your specific requirements and chosen removals firm.

DepositA fee that the shipper may pay to the removals company to reserve a particular date. The deposit ranges from 10-15% of the overall price of the move, and this is used to cover the loss of business should this service end up being cancelled.

DismantlingTaking apart items to make transportation easier.

Domestic / Domestic MoveA local move that doesn’t require leaving the borders of the country.

Door-curbsideA service that removes belongings from inside the property, transports it and unloads the goods only to the outside of the destination and not inside the property itself.

Door-to-DoorA service that’ll move belongings from inside the home, transport it to the destination and unload into the new property.

DutyKnown as customs duty, where tax is implemented by the country's authority. This is estimated by the value of the goods being transported across.

Essentials boxAlso referred to as ‘Survival Kit’, this essential box is packed with everyday necessities. This box is to be moved with the customer that’s moving home and is to be placed into the removals van last and unloaded first.

EstimateThe proposed cost of the removals services based on the weight of the shipment, the distance that’ll be covered and any additional services required.

Estimated WeightFrom the in-home inspection, an estimated weight will be taken to determine the approximate weight of the belongings inside the home.

ETAEstimated Time Of Arrival

ETDEstimated Time Of Departure

Expedited serviceA more expensive service that guarantees your goods to be transported quickly, in a shorter period of time than the average service.

Export Wrapping / PackingA service that involves higher levels of wrapping protection for items that are being transported overseas.

Extra pick up (Extra delivery)Additional stops that are requested by the customer during the journey.

Full Container LoadAlso referred to as “Exclusive Container” this means that only your goods will be loaded into this container during the agreed dates. For International Shipping, ask your removals firm.

Fire InsuranceExtra insurance for goods being held inside a removal company’s warehouse to cover the costs if a fire were to break out.

Flat PackItems that can be dismantled to fit into a flat pack for easy transportation.

Floor ProtectorsSheets of plastic or other protective material used to cover the floor in both locations to avoid damage to the floor when heavy lifting.

FreightA term used to describe the transportation of goods whether that’s via land, sea or air.

Full Service MoveA service that includes: packing, loading, transportation, unloading and unpacking.

Full (Replacement) Value Protection The maximum insurance plan for goods whilst in transit. If anything is broken or damaged during its time with the removals company it will be either repaired, replaced or paid for.

Furniture PadsPlaced under cumbersome furniture and kitchen appliances to make the process of moving them easier.

General AverageA law put into place on the rare occurrence that a vessel moving goods across the sea sinks or requires recovery of lost items, a reimbursement must be paid to the shipping line.

Gross WeightThe final weight of the moving van once everything has been loaded.

Groupage / Shared ContainerA service where all customers who are having their goods transported overseas to the same destination will share a container.

HaulageTransportation of belongings from A to B via vehicle.

Hoisting equipmentSpecial tools and platforms used to handle bulky, heavy items back and forth.

Hourly RateCost by hour for the labour of removal services.

Indemnity CoverThe insurance a removals company has for items that have already depreciated and therefore may be considered to have undergone more wear and tear whilst in transportation due to misjudgement.

Insurance inventoryA list of the goods that will be covered by the insurance policy during transportation.

International relocation (International move)All moves that cross an international boundary must have the required documentation to ensure all fees and customs are taken care of.

Inventory / Packing ListA list of all items being transported

Loading rampRemoval companies will have loading ramps inside the transportation vehicles for a quick and easy loading process.

Long carry feeIf the vehicle has to be parked far away from the home due to obstructed access then an extra fee would have to be paid.

Lowball estimateUnusually low rates are too good to be true. A lowball estimate is a scam performed by dishonest company with no professional experience.

Lump SumOne payment that covers the entirety of the cost of moving, without individual breakdowns.

MileageThe distance covered from the start of the removal to the destination.

Move ManagerA professional from the removals team that takes charge and organises the move.

Moving costThis cost depends on the services a customer chooses throughout the process and the insurance they’ve selected whilst their items are being shipped.

Moving processThe process of relocation including planning, packing, loading and unpacking from the place of origin to the destination.

Moving tips (Moving advice)Ways to make the moving process stress-free.

Moving vanThe vehicle used to transport household items during the move.

Non-Binding EstimateThis is normally based on a company’s past experience with similar home removals and this is usually estimated without an in-home survey.

Order for serviceA written document confirming the removal firm’s services, to prove that their transportation and help has been authorised by the customer.

Order numberA customer’s individual identification number documented in the Bill of Lading used to keep track of the shipment.

OverflowLack of storage space.

Owner Packed / PBO (Packed by Owner)Items that have not been packed by the removals company.

PackingThe process of wrapping up items and placing them into boxes to make for simple transportation.

Packing MaterialsMaterials used to protect goods whilst in transportation.

Packing suppliesA range of packing materials including boxes, bubble wrap and packing tape.

PantechnicanA vehicle designed for furniture removals specifically.

PaperworkDocumentation to do with the removal service including forms and receipts, whichshould be kept safe for reference.

Part LoadWhere a vehicle is shared between two or three moves, saving on storage space and cost of transportation for each customer.

Peak season ratesSummer, holidays and weekends are peak seasons where the demands are high and where there’s a rise in service costs.

Private MoveA contract between just the removals company and customer without the help of an agent.

ReassemblyPutting furniture back together once the new residence has been reached.

Removal companyA licensed business offering services to pack, shift, load, transport and unpack customer’s goods from one location to another.

Removal crewExperts hired to move household goods.

Shipper of household itemsThe customer whose possessions are being transported.

Shipping ContainerA vessel used to hold all household belongings to keep them safe throughout the move.

ShuttleA small vehicle used to ship goods when the larger moving van can’t fit all required items during the removal.

S.I.TStorage In Transit.

StorageA facility used to hold goods.

Storage ContainerPurpose built containers made out of either wooden or steel used to hold goods for a short period of time.

Storage ExtensionAdditional Insurance that has been paid to cover the transportation and associated risks should the items end up in storage for a short time frame.

Survey / Estimate / In Home VisitA word used to describe a member from the removals company visiting your home for a free in-house survey.

Tail liftA device that’s joined to the back of a vehicle that picks up and moves large heavy boxes.

THCTerminal handling charge is a fee that must be paid for items to travel by air or sea to cover the processing of the shipment.

Third Party Services / Third Party ContractorA chain of management that organises a removals company to the customer’s requirements.

Total LossItems that can’t be repaired due to complete destruction.

Transit InsuranceA premium that the customer pays to cover any damage or loss of belongings during the move.

Transit VanA small vehicle used for transporting goods.

Van LinesA large removal firm with numerous trucks and depots providing a range of services including packing and transportation, that work with both local and long distance removals.

VolumeThe amount of space that is taken up by your goods.

Warehouse HandlingThe cost involved with the loading.

Weight ticketThis is issued to the customer once the moving van has been packed and weighed.