What I have always told people about tipping your mover is that it is “customary” not “mandatory”.  This means, yes most people do it, but you don’t have to tip your movers, if you don’t want to.  By all means, if your moving crew does a good job, and hustles, give them a tip, they’ll appreciate it.

However, the moving company (whether a local moving company, or long distance moving company) does not benefit monetarily from the tip, so here are some things that tipping your movers doesn’t do.

• It doesn’t mean that you are entitled to a discount, reduced hours and charges, free packing material or anything else that would cost the moving company money.  If you tip a moving crew, and feel that the moving company should compensate you for it, then, actually, you are inviting the moving company to tip their own guys.  That doesn’t make any sense.  By calling a moving company and requesting some compensation with the added comment “and I tipped your guys really well” you probably won’t help your cause any.
• When tipping a moving crew, most companies do not want gratuities on a credit card or check.  There are processing fees and the company has to report the gratuity as revenue and pay taxes on it.  It’s one more accounting type hassle.
• When it comes to filing a damage claim, remember that tipping and filing a claim are not related in the least.  Just because you tip the crew, it doesn’t mean the company will approve any and all damage claims, no questions asked.  If a crew caused a great deal of damage, why would you tip them well anyway?  Using a gratuity as leverage in a claim situation makes the claim appear fraudulent, even if it’s not.

In summary, tipping your movers is perfectly fine and as stated before, crews appreciate it.  Just remember what a tip is not and you’ll be able to maintain a good faith relationship with your moving company.

When it comes to moving pool tables, whether you are using a professional pool table mover, or doing the move yourself, there are certain tips that can insure your move goes smoothly.

The 4 Most Important Things to Remember When Moving a Pool Table Yourself

1.  Absolutely do not try to move the table in one large piece.  In some cases a pool table can weigh as much as a 1,000 pounds and the hardware used to construct the table is not intended to support the table when it is suspended and not resting.  Also, if the table falls it is most certainly going to be damaged as well as anyone or anything it falls on.
2. Do not try to slide your billiard table.  The hardware used to fasten the legs to the cabinet will buckle under the pressure from this, causing your table to crash.  In most cases, sufficiently damaging your table and potentially yourself.
3. Do not remove the legs first.  This is actually the very last step of  disassembly in moving a pool table. 
4. If you decide to move your pool table yourself read (Moving Your Pool Table:  Step By Step.)

 5 Things to Remember When Finding a Pool Table Mover

Make sure they are experienced.  Just because they say they are a professional does not mean that they are.

1. Even if they are a pool table mover, are they reputable? Ask around to friends, family, and co-workers.  It would not hurt to look them up through the BBB for outstanding complaints. 
2. Make sure they qualified to do so.  Ask questions to make sure they are a pool table mover, not a weekend warrior handling your expensive piece of furniture.
3. Do they have references?  If they do not have references from past customers, ask if they have references from other like businesses in the industry (i.e. other moving companies or stores that deal with pool tables).
4. Are they insured?  If so, they should be able to provide a certificate of liability.  If they are uninsured you are taking a big risk by having them do the service work because if they damage your table they are not liable to repair it.

 The professional moving industry is organized differently for different types of moves and it will help you to have a better move if you understand the differences.  First, there are important differences between local moves (called “intrastate” moves because your shipment does not cross state lines or enter into interstate commerce), long-distance moves (called “interstate” moves because your shipment crosses at least one state line and enters into interstate commerce that is regulated by agencies within the US Department of Transportation) and international moves (between the US and another country in foreign commerce regulated by the Federal Maritime Commission).

 Local or intrastate moves are regulated (or not) by the state in which the move occurs.  About thirty states have various degrees of regulation (some more than others) and the rest are unregulated.  Check the State Map on our website to see if you live in a regulated state and which office in your state oversees movers.  You can also find a list of state moving associations and state regulatory agencies on the www.protectyourmove.gov Web site that is maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

 Local (intrastate) moves are generally based on a per-hour cost for the personnel and the number of vehicles that the mover provides (up to a certain distance, with longer distances based on the weight of your shipment and the mileage it is transported).  The level of liability that the mover will cover in the event of loss or damage is generally less than would apply for an interstate move.  Charges for interstate moves are based on the weight of your shipment and the distance that you are moving and are usually subject to higher level of liability by your mover in the event of a claim.  Charges for international moves are based on a combination of the land charges between your residence and the ports, the ocean transportation between the ports, and any additional customs, portage, or handling charges that may apply in the various countries transited.  For more information on international shipments, you may wish to contact the Federal Maritime Commission at (202) 523-5807 or at the complaints@fmc.gov Web site.

When you’re looking to hire a qualified moving company to safely pack up and transport all of your belongings to your new home, you want a professional, honest and reliable firm.  But opening the Yellow Pages or searching the Internet will turn up many options, leaving you not sure which one to choose.  And unfortunately, the Internet has given con artists an easy way to present themselves as legitimate.

To help you avoid problems during one of the more stressful times in your life, the non-profit American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA) created the ProMover program in 2009, a certification program to give you the assurance you’re starting with an honest, reliable company.  It has one guiding principle: give consumers a way to separate reputable, professional movers from con artists out to make a quick buck.  Qualifying AMSA members are authorized to call themselves ProMovers and display the program’s logo.

Under the program, standards for membership in AMSA, the industry’s trade association, have been expanded to include a check for any felony convictions of the company’s owners or officers regarding matters over which the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the Surface Transportation Board (STB) or any state consumer protection agency has jurisdiction; verification of company ownership with the appropriate state corporation commission; a check of its Better Business Bureau rating; and a review of each applicant’s Web site for improper advertising.  Each new applicant must also complete a signatory agreement attesting it will comply with FMCSA and STB regulations and uphold the AMSA Code of Ethics.

To help consumers easily find a ProMover, movers approved for the program are authorized to display an easily-recognizable logo — a distinctive, stylized capital blue “M” that, at a glance, gives customers the confidence and comfort of knowing they and their cherished possessions aren’t being “taken for a ride.” Look for this “seal of approval” on a professional moving company’s Web site, in its advertising and marketing materials and in its Yellow Pages ads.  You can also verify a company’s participation at http://www.moving.org.

Hiring a ProMover is the smartest move you’ll ever make!

A mover is hired by a moving company and paid his wages by the moving company.  Most movers earn a decent living, especially if they have been in the industry for a long time, or are a driver, or crew leader.  There is no standardized percentage for tipping when it comes to the Moving & Storage, Industry.  It is different than bartending, waitressing, salon services, limo services (where 15-20 % is expected).

The movers work hard and it is not an easy job.  So by all means if you are satisfied with the job they have done for you, tip your mover.  Tipping isn’t mandatory, but it is customary, if a mover goes out of his/her way to provide you with excellent service, consider them a “special mover”, and give them a tip.  Courteous and Professional is also what should be looking for, you do not want some hard body mover, demanding a tip from you, nor should they be pressuring you to do so.  So if you consider them the “best west mover” or just excellent service you have received, the tip is a gift, they appreciate it. One thing you should know you should not have anyone demanding money from you, since you do have to pay for the work that is being done to the company.

The owner from a moving company in Illinois states, “10% of the total bill is a fair amount to split amongst the movers for a good job, 5% for an average job ”, we always tells our customers if you are completely satisfied, tip the guys.  If you are having more than one crew on a move, like one crew doing packing, one crew doing moving, you can tip them at the end of each day. If it is a 1 day job, tip them at the end of the move.  Other options would be to buy drinks, or lunch which is what some people choose to do.  Do remember it is your moving day, not a tea party.  Keep it simple, and thank your movers for a good job they have done at the end of the move.

They do appreciate it.