Scott Olson says:

> Don't use a common carrier, with the possible exception of a
> moving-van line.  Sometimes the van lines will have room in a
> truck going near your destination, but a real pro like Gene
> is a lot better bet.

Some years ago, I was a civil servant employed by the Manitoba Motor
Transport Board, a regulatory agency involved with the international
household goods movers, including the major van lines.  A few concerns
that should be considered ...

Household goods movers are typically independent contractors flying
under the colours of a major carrier for economies of scale in
dispatching and administration.  Most are not employees of the major
carriers who, in the event of a dispute, will claim no responsibility.

The "space available" syndrome is often incorrect.  Yes, there may
be space available, but most likely for only a portion of the trip.
Movement of any piano most likely involves a number of enroute
handlings, progressively moving the shipment ever closer to final
destination.  With each and every one of those segmented moves, a huge
risk of parts loss is incurred.

Consider for a moment that a semi with space available is passing
through.  The local agent will arrange to make a pick-up in a small
truck, move it to the warehouse where it is off-loaded, and the various
bits and pieces are put in a corner somewhere awaiting the main truck's
imminent arrival.

As the main semi arrives, the shipment is handled again into the van
trailer, and the trip starts.  Highly likely that the shipment will not
go entire distance in a single move.  It is highly likely that it will
be offloaded and reloaded at various warehouses along the route, not
necessarily most direct.

An upright player piano, with a bench and several boxes of rolls
presents a modest risk of pieces going astray.  However, a grand piano
with a separate lid, 3 separate legs, a lyre, a music rack, maybe even
a lid prop, a bench, several boxes of rolls, etc., presents a huge
risk.

Over the past 35 years, virtually every shipment I made by household
goods movers (even the major ones) suffered the fate of missing parts
and extraordinary delays in trans-shipment.  Even an upright player
from Ohio to Winnipeg lost its bottom face, which ended up in Edmonton
a year later.  Player grands have lost their lid props, legs, etc.,
incurring huge aggravation.  Delivery was never quick, and finding out
where it was enroute was next to impossible.

In all those years, I never had a problem with a common carrier moving
a crated shipment.  The service was extraordinarily quick, nothing was
ever lost, and cost comparable.  The critical awkward ingredient was
getting it crated at the source and uncrating it on a loading dock here
in Winnipeg, followed by a local delivery in a small truck in which I
was a passenger, shepherding the final leg of the journey.

My recommendation would be to arrange crating at source and shipment
by common freight carrier.  If by household goods movers at all, then
attempt to specify a single truck, single non-stop entire distance
move.  The wait for such a vehicle may be extensive; a bit of a crap
shoot.

If by household goods mover, another significant risk is the initial
pick up.  In my years with the Board, we had numerous complaints about
missing shipments that absolutely could not be found anywhere.

Seems that local people shopping around on price alone would find someone
who would set it all up for a price too good to be true.  On moving
day, a truck would appear as expected, but few people ever noticed that
the name on the truck was different from the name on the contract.  The
goods would be picked up, and only many weeks later would concerned
people at destination start making inquiries about delivery time.
Their phone calls into an answering machine went unanswered.  Surprise!
Surprise!  Can't be found anywhere!

Seems that the person writing up the initial contract would take a big
deposit, then sub out the actual pick up, for delivery into a U-Rent
storage locker pending "final arrangements".  The storage locker was in
a name different from the original order taker, the contents typically
never had a single clue of actual ownership, and a year later, the
contents of the locker would be sold at public auction for non-payment
of locker rental beyond the initial first modest deposit.

In three years, out of dozens of complaints, I found only one such
locker contents upon investigation, and was able to link the contents
and true owners back together again.  Classic needle in a haystack.

In the world of household goods movers, do not assume anything.
Investigate thoroughly, ask critical questions about the detailed
physical move across the nation, including precise steps taken along
the way to ensure nothing goes astray.  And check out the reputation
of the recommended mover.

Sorry for this long note, but the issue is just too important to
ignore.  Doing your homework is absolutely critical.

Regards,

Terry Smythe                     smythe@mts.net
55 Rowand Avenue                 smythe@freenet.mb.ca
Winnipeg, MB, Canada  R3J 2N6    (204) 832-3982
http://www.winnipeg.freenet.mb.ca/~smythe