| Fee | When it applies | Typical cost | How to avoid surprises |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long carry | Truck can't park within 75 ft of door | $75–$200 per 75 ft segment | Photograph the access at both ends; share with quoter |
| Stairs / flights | Each flight above the first | $50–$100 per flight per move | Disclose floor and elevator status upfront |
| Shuttle service | Tractor-trailer can't reach the address | $300–$900 | Confirm whether the carrier needs a shuttle for the lane |
| Packing materials | Boxes, paper, tape supplied by mover | $200–$700 for an average home | Buy your own boxes for non-fragile items |
| Full-pack labor | Mover packs all contents on move day | $400–$1,500 | Self-pack everything except fragile/specialty items |
| Full-value protection | Replacement-cost coverage for goods | 0.5–1.5% of declared value | Compare to released $0.60/lb default — usually worth upgrading |
| Storage-in-transit | Goods held by carrier between pickup/delivery | $150–$400/month | Lock both pickup and delivery dates before signing |
| Fuel surcharge | Percent of linehaul, varies with diesel price | 3–10% of base move | Should appear as a line item on the estimate |
| Bulky article | Pianos, safes, gun safes, hot tubs | $100–$500 per item | Itemize on inventory; flag during survey |
| Express / expedited delivery | Guaranteed pickup or delivery date | $500–$2,500 | Worth it only when the date is non-negotiable |
The four most common surprise charges
Shuttle fees are the largest single surprise on long-distance moves into urban or rural addresses. If the customer's destination address can't accommodate a 53-foot trailer, the carrier transfers the goods to a smaller vehicle. The customer pays for that transfer.
Long carry is the second-biggest. Anything beyond 75 ft of carry from truck to door (or door to truck) triggers it. NYC walk-ups, large-lot suburban driveways, and apartment complexes with restricted truck access are the typical triggers.
Stair charges add up faster than people expect. A third-floor walk-up in both pickup and delivery can mean $300–$500 in stair fees on the bill.
Packing materials get quietly added when the crew packs at the door. A roll of mover's tape that costs $4 at Home Depot can be billed at $9 by the carrier. The mark-up is legitimate but adds up across an entire move.
Questions to ask before signing
- Will any portion of either address require a shuttle?
- How is long carry measured and at what threshold does it trigger?
- How many flights of stairs are included before stair charges apply?
- Are packing materials included in the estimate or billed separately?
- What's the cost difference between released-rate and full-value protection?
- What's the storage-in-transit rate and minimum?
- Is the fuel surcharge a fixed amount or a percentage that floats?
- Are there bulky-article fees for any item on my inventory?
When 'low' quotes are actually high
A quote that's 25% below the others usually means accessorials are stripped out. The customer pays the difference at delivery. This is the most common pricing pattern in scammy broker-led sales — the headline number wins the booking; the real number arrives with the truck.