Estimates, bills of lading and delivery receipts, signed

The paperwork of a move

• EstimateBinding, non-binding or not-to-exceed, built from the in-home or video survey. Send it by link and set it to expire when your price does.
• Order for serviceThe dates, addresses, services and the estimate it's based on, signed before moving day.
• Bill of ladingThe contract and the receipt for the goods. The customer signs it before the truck is loaded, and the valuation choice lives here too.
• InventoryItem numbers, condition codes and exceptions, signed by the customer and the driver at pickup and checked again at delivery.
• Extra servicesPacking, crating, a piano or safe, a long carry or shuttle truck. Get the added charges signed when they come up, not on the invoice.
• Delivery receipt and claimsDamage noted at delivery, and a claim form afterward. A clear record on both sides settles claims faster.

Interstate moves have federal rules

If you move household goods across state lines, FMCSA's rules in 49 CFR Part 375 set your paperwork. You must give customers FMCSA's Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move booklet. On a non-binding estimate, the customer can't be made to pay more than 110 percent of the estimate at delivery to get their goods; the rest is billed later. Customers choose between full value protection and released value, and released value needs their signed waiver.

Local moves inside one state follow that state's rules instead. Build the forms your compliance adviser approves into your templates, and every estimate and bill of lading goes out with the same wording. SignMaster gets them signed; it doesn't decide what they must say.

Moving day, signature by signature

1. 1

   At the origin

   Before loading, the crew lead opens the bill of lading envelope on their phone, chooses Sign in person and hands it to the customer, who initials the valuation choice and signs.

2. 2

   Scan the paper inventory

   If your drivers still use carbon inventory sheets, scan them with the iPhone and iPad app. Edges are found, pages are flattened, and the text becomes searchable, so a claim can find item 47 later.

3. 3

   Approve the surprises

   The dresser won't fit the stairs, or the building needs a long carry. Send an extra service form from your template and get it signed on the spot, with a calculated field for the added charge.

4. 4

   At the destination

   The customer checks items off and notes damage on the delivery receipt, then signs on the crew lead's phone. Everyone gets the sealed PDF by email once the last signature is in.

Estimates that close themselves

After a video survey, send the estimate by link with a sign-by date tied to the move date, and let automatic reminders follow up. Set the link to expire when the price runs out, so nobody signs a quote from last season. Both spouses can sign from their own phones, and neither needs an account. Start from the moving services agreement if you need one.

Pricing for movers

Crew leads and estimators who send documents each need a seat. Crew is $49 a month for 5 people, and Company is $99 a month for 15, which fits a mover with several trucks out on a Saturday. Each extra person is $8 a month. A small local mover can start on Solo at $15 a month. New workspaces get 14 days of Crew free. Compare plans.

What SignMaster doesn't do

• It doesn't price moves, build tariffs or calculate weights.
• It doesn't collect deposits or payment at delivery.
• It doesn't supply FMCSA's booklets or decide your compliance. Bring the forms your adviser approves.
• It sends signing links by email. A crew lead can copy the link and text it.