Moving estimate glossary
Understand the words used across moving estimates, tariffs, bills of lading, inventories, valuation forms, and revisions.
Reviewed October 16, 2026 · General information, not legal adviceThese definitions help you read a moving document; they are general information, not legal advice or a conclusion about a particular move. Match each term to the sentence, rate, quantity, and condition written on your own estimate.
Three checks for every term
- Find the exact label and page where it appears.
- Read the amount, unit, trigger, limit, and exception around it.
- Ask for a written correction when the salesperson's explanation and the document do not match.
For the full workflow, use the side-by-side estimate comparison guide.
Definitions A–Z
110% rule
For many interstate non-binding estimates, the mover generally may require no more than 110% of the estimate at delivery for the goods and services shown on the estimate. It is a delivery-payment limit, not necessarily a final-bill cap.
Accessorial service
A service beyond line-haul transportation, such as packing, unpacking, appliance servicing, stairs, a long carry, waiting time, or a shuttle when the mover's documents or tariff treat it as an added service.
Bill of lading
The transportation contract and receipt for an interstate household-goods shipment. Compare it with the written estimate and inventory before signing and keep a copy.
Binding estimate
A written interstate estimate that sets the price for the shipment and services described in the estimate, subject to the written scope and the federal rules for changes or additional services.
Binding-not-to-exceed estimate
A type of binding estimate sometimes described as price-not-to-exceed. Read the document's exact ceiling, covered shipment, included services, and change language rather than relying on the label alone.
Broker
A company or person that arranges household-goods transportation by an authorized motor carrier but does not transport the shipment itself in its broker role.
Carrier
The motor carrier that transports the household-goods shipment. A carrier and a broker have different roles, so verify which legal entity is expected to handle the move.
Certified scale
A scale whose tickets may be used to document vehicle weights for a weight-based interstate shipment. The ticket should identify the scale, date, vehicle, and recorded weight.
Claim
A written demand concerning loss, damage, delay, overcharge, or another disputed obligation. Deadlines and required information depend on the type of claim and governing rules or contract.
Delivery window
The agreed date or period for delivery shown in the moving documents. Check whether the service carries a specific written commitment and what delay notices or remedies the documents describe.
Estimate
A written statement of the charges a mover expects for the shipment and services described. Its legal effect depends on whether it is binding, non-binding, or another permitted form and whether the scope changes.
Full Value Protection
The default level of carrier liability for an interstate household-goods move unless the shipper waives it in writing and selects Released Value. It is a liability option, not the same thing as an insurance policy.
High-value article
An item whose value exceeds the threshold used in the mover's high-value inventory process. The federal consumer booklet and mover's forms explain what must be disclosed for the shipment.
Impracticable operations
Conditions at pickup or delivery that prevent the mover from using its normal equipment or completing service in the ordinary way, potentially requiring another service under the tariff. Read the rule and written notice before assuming a charge applies.
Interstate move
A household-goods move between a state and a place outside that state, including certain same-state shipments that pass through another state or country as part of continuous transportation.
Intrastate move
A move performed entirely within one state and generally governed by that state's rules. Licensing, estimate, payment, and complaint requirements can differ from federal interstate rules.
Inventory
The mover's itemized record of the goods taken into custody and their noted condition. Review it at loading and delivery and keep it with the estimate and bill of lading.
Line-haul charge
The transportation charge for moving the shipment between origin and destination, separate from packing, storage, access, or other added services when the tariff or estimate separates them.
Long carry
A charge label often used when goods must be carried beyond a stated distance between the truck and the residence. The applicable distance, rate, and exceptions should be found in the mover's written documents or tariff.
Non-binding estimate
A written projection rather than a fixed final price. For an interstate move, final charges generally follow the actual shipment, tariff, and services provided, with separate delivery-payment rules.
Packing service
Labor and materials used to pack or prepare goods for transportation. Check which items, quantities, labor, and material rates are included or conditional in the written estimate.
Pickup window
The agreed date or period for loading or pickup shown in the moving documents. A window is not automatically a specific-day service commitment.
Released Value
A lower interstate carrier-liability option selected by a signed written waiver of Full Value Protection. Federal materials commonly describe it as no more than 60 cents per pound per article.
Revised estimate
A new or changed written estimate used when the shipment or requested services change before loading under the applicable federal estimate rules. Compare it line by line with the original before signing.
Shuttle service
Use of a smaller vehicle when the main moving truck cannot reasonably access the pickup or delivery location. Check the trigger, measurement, rate, and written notice rather than assuming the charge is included.
Storage-in-transit
Temporary storage of an interstate shipment within the moving service, subject to the mover's tariff and time limit before conversion to permanent storage or another status.
Tariff
The mover's schedule of rates, charges, classifications, rules, and practices. For an interstate shipment, compare the tariff provisions cited by the mover with the services and conditions written on the estimate.
Valuation
The carrier-liability level selected for the shipment. It affects how loss or damage may be valued; it does not describe the transportation price and is not automatically the same as insurance.
Weight ticket
A certified-scale record used to document the empty and loaded vehicle weights for a weight-based shipment. Request and retain the tickets when weight affects the interstate charge.
Written change
A signed written revision or attachment that records an agreed change to goods, services, access conditions, dates, or charges. Verbal assurances should not be treated as a substitute for corrected documents.
Go deeper on the terms that change a decision
Compare binding and non-binding estimates, identify a broker versus a carrier, review valuation coverage, and learn how to read a moving tariff.