It is from this Line Haul amount that most surcharges are based.

But what are all the other possible surcharges one might expect to incur on a typical move of 10,000 lbs from Toronto to Vancouver?

Below are a few common examples:

• Origin City Surcharge: 10-18% of the Line haul
• Administration Surcharge: 5% of the Line haul
• Fuel Surcharge: 7% of the line haul
• Scale Charge: $40.00
• Valuation Premium: Based on 8 X the weight of the shipment and a rate of $6.00 / $1000.00 declared. Example: 10,000 lbs X 8.00 =$80,000.00 x $6.00/$1000.00 = $480.00
• Pick up and Delivery Fees:  $95.00 each
• Elevator Fees: $75.00 per elevator
• Packing Fees: Can be based on a rate per pound, per carton, or hourly charges for labour plus carton costs. Consult your Moving Consultant to determine the best option for your needs.
• Ferry Fees: If a ferry is required  a fee will be charged based on your shipment size
• Over-sized Article: This surcharge is for items such as canoes, boats and hot tubs. A rate of $50.00 per 25 cubic feet is charged for over-sized articles.
• Shuttle Service: Most long distance moves are conducted on tractor-trailers. These units are on average 70 feet in total length and require lots of room to maneuver. If your home is not accessible by one of these long rigs you me be charged a shuttle service. This fee is for the transfer from the tractor trailer to a smaller truck . This entails additional labour and truck costs and therefore is an additional cost to the client.
• Long Carry: This surcharge is for any move that requires a long carry because the truck cannot get any closer to the home tha 100 feet. A long carry cost your carrier additional time for labour and thus a long carry surcharge will be applicable. Your driver can review this with you upon arrival and even measure the distance out with you if necessary to arrive at an acceptable labour charge.

Of all the surcharges, most are known and quoted in advance. The three most common unknown surcharges added after the fact are elevators at destination, shuttle fees when access is unknown and long carries also for the new address.

We like to ensure that you are aware of all possible surcharges so there are no surprises. This helps our customers to stay on budget for their move; and do remember your moving costs are usually tax deductible.

Vancouver hosted the Motorcycle Ride For Dad Charity Ride on August 28th, 2010; this year the ride celebrated its 10th Anniversary.

This event is Canada’s biggest annual motorcycle event, dedicated to fighting prostate cancer through research and awareness.

Mark Valliant, President of Great Canadian Van Lines rode in the event this year and raised $1200.00 for the cause. Mark lost both his grandfather and uncle to the disease and has a close friend with a  grandfather that is currently battling the disease.  Mark stated “ it’s a great charity to support and an excellent event to be involved with, and I am pleased to be a part of it.”

“Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and the second most common cause of death from cancer in men.” One in six men will get Prostate Cancer and 4000 Canadian men will die from the disease this year alone.

You can read more information on the event and cause at

www.motorcycleridefordad.org

Every year 1000′s of consumers fall victim to fraudulent and unscrupulous movers as mentioned in the CBC news story.

Great Canadian Van Lines guide on “How to Choose a Mover” covers some of the same key points featured in this story and compliments the article.

The Moving Industry is not regulated in Canada but should be and so your possessions are at extreme risk should you not take the recommendations in the CBC article and follow the tips listed in our How to Choose a Mover Guide.

Please view  the complete CBC story at:

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2010/08/13/f-choose-moving-company.html

Here are a few tips to help reduce some of the stress on your pet:

On moving day lock your pet in a kennel and keep them in a secure room, this will prevent your pet from escaping during your move, and any chance of it getting lost prior to your departure.

Talk to your vet and advise them of your upcoming plans to see if they have any recommendations or advice for you.

Your pet will suffer less stress if they travel with you rather than with a stranger. If your pet must travel alone or by air make sure to research regulations with the airline and with the new city or country you are moving to. Carry with you vaccination records, license numbers and your pets photo for identification purposes.

Pack a “pet sack” in advance of your trip, with items such as your pets favourite toys, treats and blanket – this will make them feel more comfortable during the transition.

If your pet is traveling in your vehicle with you, try a few short distance trial runs to get them use to the idea of vehicle travel, before you make the main trip.

Make sure your pet travels in a secure kennel within your vehicle and not in in the open vehicle – this will keep them safe.

Make sure your pet is wearing an identification collar in the event they do get out of your vehicle while on the road. If you know your new address and  have a contact phone number, make sure it is listed on the identification collar so you can be contacted in the event your pet does get lost.

Understanding that the moving process can be just a stressful on your pets as you, and following the recommendations above will go a long way in keeping your pets happy, comfortable and will ultimately reduce their level of stress.

This estimate is based on a list of goods, and it is important for you to review the list of goods to ensure everything is listed.

Once you agree to this list of goods, it is important that you keep the list of goods consistent, which will ultimately keep your estimate or price consistent with the original estimate.

Often, we find that clients increase their list of goods to be shipped by bringing in new furniture items purchased before their move date, adding items given by family members, friends or business associates; or simply forgetting to mention items they had off- site at a storage facility.

Adding additional items to the original list of goods will increase the weight of your shipment and price of your move.

So keep the cost of your move consistent with the estimate by shipping only those items that were on your  original list of goods, when the original estimate was conducted.

That’s correct,  if you’re moving to attend a new place of work, or post secondary educational institution as a full-time student and you are moving more than 40 kilometers  from your current residence, your expenses can be deducted from your income.

Expenses You Can Deduct

• travelling expensses, including vehicle espenses, meals and accomodation
• transportation and storage costs
• costs for up to 15 days for meals and temporary accommodation near either residence for you and the members of your family

 
Be sure to keep your receipts and documents  supporting your claim; and please view the Important Documents page on our website for more details on this fabulous little tax deduction.

Reputable movers, those that are BBB Members or Members of the Canadian Association of Movers (CAM) may already be fully booked.

We recommend that you:

• determine when you want to move (what date)
• search for a  mover that has a good record with the BBB or CAM
• reserve a date and truck as soon as possible

Most reputable movers will require a deposit to secure your date and truck. They will then issue you a receipt for your deposit accompanied by a copy of the moving contract. This is your reservation and confirmation receipt so you can rest assured knowing that your preferred date is reserved for you.

Last minute shoppers usually end up with  poor quality non BBB or CAM member moving companies and may be shocked with the price and service they recieve.

Amongst many speakers, our keynote speaker Roy Osing,  Author of Be Different or be Dead, delivered a powerful presentation on business survival and growth strategies.

John Levi, President of the Canadian Association of Movers  reviewed the many new CAM professional certificate programs. John presented  graduate certificates for the Canadian Professional Movers Course to three  Great Canadian Van Line employees.

Our recent graduates are:
Rick Valliant
Phillip Sachinidis
Steve Ellis

Great Canadian  presented Awards to it’s members for the year 2009.

Awards Recipients for 2009 were:

BEST NEW AGENT – Perfect Packers Moving & Storage
TOP SALES – Provincial Moving & Storage
LONG TERM SERVICE AWARD – Bronte Movers & Cartage
DISTINGUISHED AGENT AWARD – Pioneer Moving & Storage
MOST VALUABLE AGENT – A To B Moving
VAN FOREMAN OF THE YEAR – Chris Brydges
AGENT OF THE YEAR – Provincial Moving & Storage

From staff and management at Great Canadian Van Lines Ltd -
” Congratulations to all of our award recipients”

A qualified Moving Consultant will make recommendations with your assistance on which items can be removed from your shipment, thus reducing your costs and keeping you on budget.

To reduce your moving costs we recommend that you determine what items are of most importance to you and obtain an estimate for shipping only these items.

Other items that may not be of importance should be removed and disposed of via gifts to friends and family; donations to charity, sold in a garage sale, or sold though free sites such as Craig’s List and The Buy and Sell.

We encounter clients that wish to ship everything they have, but have only limited funds and in some cases not enough to cover their entire moving costs. When it comes time to pay for everything shipped they don’t have the funds.

Determine your budget, ask your Moving Consultant for recommendations on reducing your shipment size and cost;  and reduce your shipment size through the selling of unnecessary items, donations to charity, or gifts to friends and family.

Staying on budget with your moving costs will reduce the stress of having to come up with funds you don’t have once your goods are loaded.

But finding your way in Toronto doesn’t have to be difficult. With a little help and local knowledge from Toronto moving companies like Great Canadian Van Lines your home relocation can be simple.

Whether you are looking into a move to Toronto, or you have already relocated to Canada’s cultural and financial centre, these resources can help you find your bearings and learn more about the city:

• 1 – Immigration and Settlement – Information on immigration to Canada as well as working, living and doing business in Toronto.
• 2 – Statistics Canada – Choose from Ontario-wide statistics or data from each region or community. Gives facts on population, demographics and employment.
• 3 – Toronto Climate Information – Temperatures get as low as -33°C so this tool can help you plan the best time of year for your move to Toronto.
• 4 – Tourism Toronto – All the events, trips and sights Toronto has to offer.
• 5 – The Toronto Sun – The latest news from the Greater Toronto Area.

Great Canadian Van Lines has a network of Toronto movers based throughout the GTA, in Toronto, Markham, Oakville, Mississauga and Burlington. We also have movers in Brantford, Arthur, Barrie, North Bay, Kingston and Port Colborne. To contact any of these agents contact at our head offices from the Contact Us page, or get in touch with an agent near you using the Agent Locator.

We have movers who can service all areas of Ontario including: Ajax, Barrie, Brampton, Brantford, Burlington, Etobicoke, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Markham, Mississauga, Niagara Falls, North Bay, North York, Oakville, Oshawa, Ottawa, Peterborough, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Sarnia, Scarborough, Thornhill, Thunder Bay, Timmins, Toronto/GTA, Vaughan, Waterloo, Whitby, Windsor, Woodbridge