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Interstate Moving
Gentle Giant is proud to be an agent for Atlas Van lines. The Atlas network
covers all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, and over 120 countries worldwide. This
affiliation allows us to move our customers to anyplace in the United States as
well as worldwide.
A Van Line Agent, is normally an independent company that has a substantial
local moving business. We may have the name of the National company on our
trucks and stationary, but if the move is done within the state, it has nothing
to do with Atlas Van Lines.
Our relationship with the Van Line activates when a move is done from one state
to another. The move then comes under the authority of Atlas Van Lines. However,
the local company still remains very much involved. We will do the estimate, do
any packing that may be needed and arrange all communication for you in terms of
scheduling, pickup and delivery dates, etc. We may also do the move as “self-haul”
that is Gentle Giant will actually do the inter-state move under Atlas Van Lines’
authority.
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Atlas Internet Communication
The Van Line is "invisible" to the customer, but is very much involved behind the
scenes. As soon as you book an out of state move with Gentle Giant your
information is immediately sent (via the Internet) to the Atlas headquarters in
Evansville, Indiana. They have a central dispatch area where all decisions
regarding your move will be made.
The main purpose of the Van Line is to ensure that loads are combined on the truck.
This ensures increased efficiency and a lower price for the customer. You can compare
it to taking a plane where you are sharing the cost with the other passengers. When
you compare the cost of renting a truck and moving yourself, it can come as a surprise
that the Van Line is often cheaper.
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Cost of Moving
An out of state move is calculated on the basis of weight and the distance traveled.
The more the weight and the longer the distance the more the cost will be. For a
rough approximation of your moving costs you can use our “Get A Quote” feature by
filling in your distance & approximate weight. It’s important not to take this as
an actual estimate. We always offer a free onsite estimate by one of our representatives
who will come to your location and give you a more definite idea about the cost. Keep
in mind also that our "calculator" refers only to actual transportation costs, any
packing & materials is additional and so is valuation coverage.
It’ll give you a good basis to do some preliminary comparisons if you are thinking of
renting a truck and doing it yourself. You may wonder how we achieve an accurate weight
in the end. The truck is driven on a big scale before your pickup and again after your
goods are loaded. The difference between the two weights is the weight of your shipment.
You are more than welcome to actually witness the weighing. That is you can actually go
with the driver and witness him weighing the truck with and without your items.
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Reducing the Cost of Moving
The most obvious way to save money is by reducing the overall weight by not
moving items that you may no longer need. Especially heavy items like books, old
records, etc. Carefully consider whether you need to move these items. You can
plug in different weights on our "calculator" and see the difference it would
make having a lower weight.
Another way you can save money is by doing your own packing. Ask
about our used boxes. We recycle boxes from local moves so we always
have plenty of boxes on hand. There are specialty moving boxes including
wardrobes, mirror packs, lamp boxes, etc. We can also deliver boxes for a $35.00
fee, or you can pick them up at our Hawthorne warehouse. An important point
about packing is that it does not have to be an 'all or nothing' proposition. A
lot of people pack the 'easy' stuff like linens, clothes, and non-fragile
kitchen items themselves and have us pack the artwork, crystal, and the really
fragile items. If we pack it you can also get valuation coverage through us. |
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Pick Up & Delivery Schedules
Since Atlas is a major Van Line, it can promise you a pretty 'narrow'
pickup range, very often a specific day, the delivery window will vary
according to the weight & distance. In general, the heavier the weight
the sooner the shipment will arrive. Small shipments take longer because
of the number of shipments it takes to fill a truck. Quicker or delayed
deliveries can be accommodated depending on circumstances. The key to a
good move is communication. Our advanced computer system ensures an open
line of communication between the customer, the agent, and the van line.
The Atlas driver will always call you 24 hours in advance to set up the
actual delivery.
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