The short answer
Long-distance moves are won six weeks out: choose your valuation coverage, nail down the delivery window in writing, and decide what's genuinely worth shipping versus replacing — transport cost per pound makes that math different from a local move.
Six weeks out
- Get the written quote with the delivery window — a real spread, not 'we'll call you'
- Choose valuation coverage deliberately; released value (60¢/lb) is the default, not the recommendation
- Verify the mover's interstate authority (USDOT and MC numbers) — ours are CAL T-192729 / USDOT 3801918
- Start the cull: shipping a $60 bookshelf 1,200 miles rarely beats replacing it
- Book movers for the origin date; summer and month-end fill first
Three weeks out
- Confirm what can't go on the truck: propane, aerosols, opened liquids, plants across state lines
- Plan the car — driving it, or shipping it with the move
- Transfer prescriptions and request medical/school/vet records
- Set up mail forwarding and change addresses on accounts that mail physical cards
- Photograph high-value items and note serial numbers for the inventory
Move week
- Pack a road kit for the gap days: clothes, meds, documents, chargers, valuables — it rides with you, never on the truck
- Walk the inventory sheet with the crew lead and keep your copy
- Confirm the destination contact numbers and delivery window one more time
- Empty, defrost, and dry the fridge 24 hours before load day
At delivery
Check items off the same inventory as they come off the truck, note anything worth noting before the crew leaves, and test the beds and major appliances that night. Claims are simplest when they're documented on delivery day — and rarest when the packing was done right at origin, which is why our long-distance quotes always price a professional pack option.
Quick answers
How long will delivery take?
Depends on distance and load type — a dedicated truck delivers on a date, a consolidated load delivers in a window. We put whichever it is in writing before you book, and the honest answer beats the optimistic one.
What's the difference between valuation and insurance?
Valuation is the mover's liability level (federal default is 60 cents per pound unless you elect more); insurance is a third-party policy. Our insurance-and-valuation guide walks through when each makes sense.
Can you move me to another state on short notice?
Often — intrastate California is the most flexible, and Southwest routes (Arizona, Nevada) run frequently. Call and dispatch will give you real dates.