Starting as early as possible is usually best. Your first task should be to complete your research on the local moving companies you’re considering. Ideally, this would happen no later than two months before your desired move date.

If you have less time than that before you need to move, don’t worry. Suddath has been serving San Jose for 18 years and we can help you navigate any timeline you have to work with.

We have created a detailed moving checklist to help you decide what tasks you should be completing and when. When you begin working with your dedicated move coordinator, they will customize a timeline for your unique local moving needs.

Alongside the rigorous training of our crew in how to handle items, Suddath uses floor protection and door jamb protection in both locations of your move. We pad and un-pad your furniture in and outside of the home during the loading and delivery process.

If you live in an apartment, our local movers will work with you and your building manager to ensure that we are compliant with any rules or restrictions, and our crew would use additional floor protection and elevator protections where necessary.

Once your items are en route to your new home, our technology provides two ways to track your shipment. The first is on the physical truck, and the second is with the GPS on our drivers’ electronic logging device.

If your local move includes storage in our San Jose warehouse, our warehouse management system to allow us to scan every item as it arrives at the warehouse. With this technology, we are able to know its location in real-time. What’s more, is this technology includes a client portal for customers to access online and see the inventory’s location in real-time.

First, it’s important to understand that valuation coverage is not insurance. If you’d like to insure your goods, you will need to do so through a licensed insurance company. The reason you must use a separate company is that by law, your local mover cannot sell you insurance.

What you get through your mover is valuation coverage. This is an agreement between you and your local moving company over claims and their liability for those claims. It is required, according to federal law, that moving companies offer valuation coverage to you. If they fail to do so, it may be a sign that they are a disreputable or “rogue” mover.

Valuation coverage guarantees that, if your goods are lost or damaged and the local moving company is at fault, the mover agrees to pay the agreed-upon amount. For example, Suddath offers standard Released Value Protection (RVP) valuation coverage at $0.60 per pound of your shipment.

As part of the moving process, you will want to explore if valuation coverage will work for you, if you would like to increase the amount of valuation coverage automatically offered, or if you’d like to insure your goods through an insurance company. If you have more specific questions about insurance and valuation coverage, your local moving coordinator will be happy to help.
Learn more about your valuation coverage options in our blog post on the subject.

Our crews must complete our own program at Suddath University where local and long-distance drivers spend a week in intensive training at our location in Jacksonville, FL. At Suddath University, there are multiple training rooms with different labs for technology, process training, and soft skills training. There is even a pre-fab apartment built into the warehouse where drivers must utilize their training for packing and loading containerized shipments. The program helps our San Jose local movers excel at customer service while they’re executing your move.