OUR MOVING PROCESS

Please review our moving process and important details below to help prepare you for your move.

1. Providing an estimate – Using our interactive List of Goods tool, an in home visit, and/or virtual survey of your home, we will provide you with a detailed estimate with all services listed.  Our goal at Great Canadian Van Lines is to provide you with an accurate estimate for your move.
2. You book your move – Once you have accepted your estimate, your move is ready for reservation. A 10% deposit is required to reserve a load date. We email you all your moving related documents for your records. Please review these documents thoroughly.
3. We reconfirm your move details – We will contact you again by phone or email at least four days prior to your move to reconfirm the details; this ensures we are both prepared on moving day.
4. Loading Day – When the crew arrives, they will lay floor runners to protect the main traffic areas of your home. The Van Foreman will ask you to review and sign your contract authorizing the work to commence; and will complete a walk-through of your home with you to review the list of items to be shipped. 
5. Packing – A Packing Service is optional. If we pack your household goods, all items are professionally packaged in moving cartons and all items we pack are covered under our transit protection plan. 
6. If moving long distance or to storage – If your goods are moving long distance or to storage, an Inventory of the items you are shipping and their condition at origin will be created. It is important that you review this Inventory with the Van Foreman to ensure you acknowledge the conditions of your items being shipped.
7. Mandatory Packing – Mattresses and box springs must be bagged in plastic to prevent damage. You can bag them in advance or we can do it for you for a small charge. Flat screen TV’s must be boxed.  If you do not have the original packaging, we can take care of this for you. Pricing is based on the size of the TV.  All other furniture will be blanket-wrapped in professional moving blankets. 
8. Determination of final charges – Your shipment is scaled to determine the final charges. Before the truck arrives at your home, it is weighed at a certified scale. This process provides Tare Weight (light weight) of the truck before we load your shipment. After the truck is loaded, we return to the scale to get the Gross Weight (heavy weight). The Tare Weight is subtracted from the Gross Weight to give us the Net Weight (actual weight) of your shipment. Your final Bill of Lading based on the actual weight of your shipment will be sent to you within 2 business days of loading.
9. Notification of delivery – Your Van Foreman will contact you 24 – 48 hours prior to delivery to arrange a date and time. Please make sure there is adequate parking and that you have reserved an elevator if required.
10. Payment of balance due – You are required to pay the full balance before the crew will offload your goods. Our acceptable methods of payment are: Credit Card (Visa or MasterCard), Bank Draft, Pre-Approved Corporate Billing or E-Transfer (E-transfers are accepted Monday to Friday and must be done at least one week in advance of delivery as it takes time to process the E-Transfer from bank to bank).  
11. Delivery Day – Upon arrival, the crew will lay floor runners in the main traffic areas of your home to protect your floors. The crew will place your items in the correct rooms as instructed. You are required to check the items off of your Inventory and to verify that there are no damaged or missing items.
12. Final bill of lading and inventories – You will be given a final signed copy of the Bill of Lading and Inventories for your records.  Don’t forget to submit your moving expenses to your accountant, as most moving expenses are tax deductible.

 

IMPORTANT DETAILS YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR YOUR MOVE

In order to better prepare you for your move, we have outlined key points below for your review:

Prior to Your Move

Please make sure all of your possessions are packed and ready for loading on moving day. Everything that can fit into a box should be packed, and you should avoid shipping any loose items as they may get lost or damaged. For example, loose, unpacked items, such as office equipment, knick knacks, décor, fans, mirrors, glassware, or anything that can fit in a carton, must be packed.

When your reservation was made, we reserved space on our truck based on your list of goods. It is very important that your list of items is accurate, as the truck may not be able to accommodate any last-minute additions. Please view the List of Goods tab on the top of your file and let us know if there are any discrepancies.

Origin Responsibilities

Tractor-trailer units are 80 feet long on average and require at least 100 feet of space to park. It is your responsibility to advise us of any access issues such as parking restrictions, construction, inaccessible driveways, and any other circumstances that may prevent the tractor-trailer from getting within 100 feet of your residence. Sidewalks and driveways must be free of debris and snow. Please be aware that if the tractor-trailer does not have adequate access, a smaller unit may be required to shuttle your goods, at an additional cost to you. A shuttle involves loading your goods from residence onto a small local moving truck and then transferring the goods to the tractor-trailer unit at another location.

Both the tractor-trailer unit and shuttle unit must be able to park within 100 feet of your front door, otherwise a long-carry charge may apply.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you or your representative are available at your residence throughout the packing and loading process to authorize the move, answer questions, instruct the crew, and sign all relocation documents such as the Pick-Up Bill of Lading and Inventory Form(s).

It is your responsibility to ensure items such as freezers and electronics have been serviced (disconnected, defrosted, cords wrapped) and are ready to ship on moving day.

Any items that you pack are not covered for damage under your Transit Protection unless negligence occurs on our behalf. However, if we pack and damage occurs, you have coverage. Shipping loose, unpacked items may result in damage or loss and unpacked items will be shipped at your risk and are not covered under your plan.

Most customers declare a value of $8.00 per pound on their articles. This means that if you have a 40 lb carton and you declared $8.00 / lb, the maximum compensation you would receive in the event of loss is $8.00 / lb x 40 lbs = $320.00.

It is your responsibility to review the Inventory Form(s) and approve the list of items shipped and the conditions of the items at the time of pick up, and to question your driver about any item that does not appear to be correctly listed.

You will be required to complete an inspection of your home once we have completed loading to ensure we have packed and removed all items. Items left behind will be your responsibility.

 Destination Responsibilities

Please ensure we have contact phone numbers for you at destination – this is the only way we can reach you, so please advise us of all phone numbers and any e-mail addresses you may have.

Please ensure we have adequate access for your moving truck at delivery. Tractor-trailer units require up to 100 feet of space to park. If we do not have adequate access, a shuttle truck will be used at an additional charge. Either unit must be able to park within 100 feet of your front door, or a long-carry charge may apply.

Have your final payment completed before delivery. This is due prior to unloading and must be of the type listed. The types of payment that we accept are Visa, Mastercard, E-transfer and Bank Draft. Credit card payments should be made on-line in advance or at the time of delivery. E-transfers should be completed at least 1-2 business days before your delivery. Bank Drafts can be given directly to the driver at delivery.

It is recommended that at least two people be available to receive your shipment: one to check the items off the Inventory Form(s) as they come into your home, and a second to inspect the conditions of the items, and direct us to the location you would like your items placed.

Any damaged or missing items must be noted on the Inventory Form(s) prior to your driver’s departure to be considered a valid claim.

Please ensure you have a complete set of signed and dated documents – Bill of Lading and Inventory Form(s) prior to your driver’s departure.

 

TRANSIT PROTECTION

Great Canadian Van Lines is committed to providing you with the best possible transit protection for your goods.  Although we have one of the lowest claim ratios in the moving industry, loss or damage of your goods can still occur. We offer two types of protection for your goods while in transit:

 Type I: Released Value Protection

Released Value Protection is the most economical type of protection for your goods. This coverage is mandatory as per the Motor Carrier Act, and is offered to you at no additional cost. However, this coverage is minimal and will cover your goods to a maximum of 60 cents per pound, per article.

Although there is no cost for this coverage, you must think carefully before choosing it, because the average household goods are worth considerably more than 60 cents a pound. This coverage limits the total value of your goods by multiplying the weight of your entire shipment by 60 cents. Loss or damage claims are settled based on the weight of the article multiplied by 60 cents.

An example of how this coverage works is as follows: 

Your 48” TV is dropped and destroyed and you have chosen Released Value Protection. The weight of the TV is 60 pounds and the maximum amount of payment you would receive is 60lbs x 60 cents which equals $36.00 (60lbs x .60 / lb / article = $36.00). The TV cannot be replaced with $36.00 but this is all that you would receive.

Great Canadian Van Lines does not recommend Released Value Protection for your goods unless you have secondary coverage for your goods such as a home owner’s policy that covers your shipment while in transit with your mover. We recommend checking with your insurance broker before choosing your coverage.

Type II: Actual Value Protection

This type of coverage is the most commonly chosen, as well as the one we recommend to all our clients. If an item is lost, damaged, or destroyed, we will either repair, replace with the same or similar item, or offer a cash settlement for your item. The value of the item is determined at actual market value.

In this option the declared value is based on 8 x the weight of your shipment. This means if your shipment weighs 5000 pounds, you can declare $40,000.00 (5000 lbs x $8.00 / lb = $40,000.00).

An example of how this coverage works is as follows:

Your shipment weighs 5000 pounds and you decide to take the $8.00 option for a $40,000.00 Declared Value. The valuation premium would cost you 5000 x .08 = $400.00.

If your 48” TV is damaged and you have purchased a TV pack service, your TV would either be replaced with the same or comparable TV at the time of the loss or damage or you would be given the fair actual market value of the TV in a cash settlement.

Exceptions from Transit Protection

Although you may have chosen the Actual Value Protection, Great Canadian Van Lines cannot cover certain items while in transit. The following is a sample list of non-protected items.

Owner packed cartons: Items not packed by us, which have internal content damage, are not covered under transit protection; unless there is exterior physical damage to the carton noted on the Inventory Form(s) at the time of delivery and it is proven that we did the damage.

Items of extraordinary value: Any article that is considered extraordinarily “high value,” such as: art, antiques, extremely high-end furniture, and family heirlooms must be accompanied by an appraisal certificate from a reputable appraiser and provided to us in advance of your move, or these items will not be covered and the maximum compensation will be based on $8.00/lb x the weight of the item.

High Value and fragile articles such as marble, onyx, granite, glass, chandeliers, artwork, paintings, and taxidermy pieces must be crated; if they are shipped uncrated, they are shipped at your own risk.

Crating is to be done on site by a third-party service prior to your move day and should be covered under their insurance policy. You need to make sure that you have coverage for their work.

We cannot move cash, jewelry, gold, silver, valuable documents, coins, and stamps. These items are not covered and settlement will not be made for items such as these if reported lost or missing.

Items such as photo albums and urns with ashes should not be moved, because maximum compensation in the event of loss or damage will be based solely on the weight of the item. These items are irreplaceable and we suggest you take them with you.

Please remember to carry your passport, driver’s license, and any other important travel documents with you as well, as these items are not covered under Transit Protection and cannot be accessed once loaded.

 Mechanical condition:  Great Canadian Van Lines cannot cover mechanical or electrical damage unless there is physical exterior damage to the item caused by us as well. Examples of these items include but are not limited to: Televisions, DVD players, stereo equipment, computers, electronics, machinery, appliances, and fitness equipment.

It is recommended that in extreme hot or cold weather conditions that you let all electronics warm up to room temperature (manufacturers recommend 24-hours) before you plug electronics in. Plugging electronics in and turning the power on before this 24-hour period could result in damage and will be your responsibility.

Particle board: Particle board furniture is designed to be assembled only once. Shipping assembled particle board items will result in damage and we cannot take responsibility for it. Particle board furniture must be dismantled by you before it is shipped in order to be protected and covered under your Transit Protection Plan. If it is shipped assembled, it will travel at owner’s risk. Particle board furniture claim denial is an industry wide standard. Unfortunately, crews do not have time at origin and destination to dis-mantle or re-assemble particle board furniture; nor do they have the original instruction manual.

Prohibited items: Dangerous goods, such as flammables, fire extinguishers, explosives, paints, aerosols, propane tanks, fuel, and equipment containing fuel, ammunition, and flares must not be shipped. Batteries, such as car, e-bike, scooter, or hoverboard cannot be shipped.

Plants: We do not recommend shipping plants and they are not covered under Transit Protection. We recommend that you give them away prior to your moving date.

Liquids: We do not recommend shipping bottled liquids or alcohol, as they can leak or break and cause damage to your goods and others’. Damage caused by leakage of liquids that you ship are not covered under your Transit Protection.