“What in the heck is Double Drive Time?”
Thank you, first of all, for asking! Double Drive Time can sound like a very daunting and scary phrase to hear when talking about billable costs — but it doesn’t have to be! Let me give you a little background on the matter first.
In California, all moving companies (big or small,) are required to hold a permit with the state of California called a Household Goods Mover Permit. California Household Goods Movers are regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission. This is the same governmental branch that regulates a number of industries. In order to obtain said permit, companies must provide multiple sources of documentation that confirm financial and legal responsibility. Additionally, companies must pass a rigorous test administered by the Commission. This test requires that companies display a higher-than average knowledge of industry rate caps in and consumer law.
One such law is Double Drive Time. Not only are all companies supposed to charge this fee, but moving companies are actually REQUIRED to charge this fee for all hourly moves. In fact, if the Commission finds that a moving company is not charging this fee, companies can be fined…or worse!
“...the time used shall be the total of loading, unloading and double the driving time from point of origin to point of destination.” -CPUC
In Layman’s Terms, say it takes us 15 minutes to drive from your current address in Silverlake, California to your new home in Glendale, California. Therefore, in this case, your Double Drive Time will be 30 minutes. This is to account for the time it would take for your movers to drive back to your point of origin. It protects you as a Consumer as this cost should be figured in your moving “Not to exceed” price that you sign off on on your contract before your move. Ultimately, this provides fair compensation for the your moving company and for total transparency between your moving company and yourself, which is always key in any relationship.
“How much do I tip my movers?”