We Moved the Blog

We decided to integrate the blog into our company website. You can now find everything published here plus new content at www.intelligentlabor.com/blog. We hope you'll join us and keep reading!

How an Interstate Move Works - Researching Your Options

image courtesy of ops.fhwa.dot.gov

One of the first and most important things anyone moving across state lines should do is research. As with any large, expensive purchase you want to be as informed as possible about what you'll be spending your money on.

It is a good idea to get quotes from multiple companies so you have a source for comparison. This could include van lines or local, independent companies, shipping containers or all three. Which way you want to go has a lot to do with how you want to go about your move and the price. Large van lines have affiliates all over the country and will most likely be able to combine loads and/or have a back load to decrease both their costs and yours. Most often they will give you a delivery window instead of a hard and fast drop off date. Independent movers will often own their own trucks and will be working on your move exclusively, meaning it will only be your goods on the truck. Shipping container companies, such as ABF, will fit your goods in the same container as other shipments and give you a window of delivery dates that it will arrive by at the facility. None of these are hard and fast rules, but generalizations of the options.

A very important thing to consider when getting interstate moving quotes is the moving company's interstate authority. As we've mentioned before, interstate moving is a federally regulated business. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which is a part of the Department of Transportation (DOT), is the regulatory body of interstate moving. Moving companies must apply for operating authority through the FMCSA. Once this is granted, the moving company is given a DOT number. By law, that DOT number should be featured in a moving company's advertising, which includes ads, their website and even craiglist posts.

The federal government provides an invaluable resource for interstate moves in the form of their website, https://www.protectyourmove.gov/. There is a lot of fantastic information on there about what you can expect as a customer, what to watch out for, valuation options, etc. You can also research a moving company by searching the FMCSA database for complaints and violations here.

As licensed interstate movers we are required to hand you two booklets called "Your Rights and Responsibilities When you Move" and "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move." Though we will hand you both when we do an on site estimate, you can also find the information on the government's website.

If you have any other questions about researching an interstate move let us know. We like to help customers be informed about their moves!

REPOST: Protecting Your Basement Goods When There's Wet Weather

Given the recent weather, this information is very relevant at the moment and we thought it deserved another post on the blog. We hope your homes and basements survived Sandy without any damage, but it also never hurts to be well prepared!

Below is a really helpful article on protecting the goods you keep in your basement by Intelligent Labor and Moving's owner, Ezekiel, that originally appeared in a real estate newsletter. 

photo courtesy of http://www.inspectapedia.com/interiors/Basement_Water.htm

Water in your basement can be a real disaster, particularly if like most people, your basement is disorganized and full of stuff. Here are some tips for organizing your basement to minimize the damage, and even with the absence of moisture, make your basement a friendlier and more useful place.

Elevate. Get everything off the floor. Wood, cardboard and chipboard all wick water upwards when they get wet, so even if just the bottom of something gets damp, it's likely to ruin the rest of it. Shipping pallets are a great and economical way to do this. They are commonly available for free or cheap. Try the want-advertiser, craigslist, or just look behind commercial buildings for a bunch leaned up by a dumpster. Stacking goods on these keeps them about 3 inches off the floor. Also, with a flash-light, you'll be able to check for water without having to move anything. Also, leave a 2 inch gap between items and exterior walls (they give off moisture).

Organize. Get some folding tables, use these to get important items far off the floor and as a place to do some organizing. With a good work surface you'll be able to go through all those boxes of stuff, organize it, and re-box anything you want to keep. Having a spot you can sanely go through things makes the task much easier, and therefore more likely to happen.

Sweep. The difference between having a basement with a layer of mud, and a basement with a little water in it is the dust that accumulates in your basement. Sweeping in a dusty basement of course causes a terrible dust cloud which settles on everything and ends up in your lungs, but there's a solution. Get some sweeping compound, it's readily available from a number of online sources. You spread it around where you'll be sweeping. It prevents dust from becoming airborne, and pulls dust out of porous surfaces (cement, tarmac, brick). It's also useful for soaking up oils and other spills so they can be swept.

Stretch-wrap. This an industrial saran-wrap that movers use to keep soft goods clean. You can use it to wrap furniture in your basement to provide a clear-plastic barrier against drips, and also to keep dust and mildew off your stuff. Available on-line or places that sell packing material. Get the 18"-20" variety for covering furniture.


Even with dry weather, though, following these steps will make your basement a much easier place to store and find your goods with a minimum amount of hassle.

New Real Estate Developments in the Area

There's a few new housing developments we've noticed close to us recently that bear mentioning.

image courtesy of http://www.altabrighamsquare.com/brigham-square

First, there's Alta Brigham Square by Wood Residential. Its on the former site of Brigham's Ice Cream headquarters in Arlington. The construction seems to be moving along, though the website still says there's a website coming soon and there's no date available for leasing/move in. They have a Facebook page you can check out here.

image courtesy of http://www.windsorcommunities.com/apartments/boston/vox/

Another one is Vox Two by Windsor Communities. This is the one going up right by Lanes and Games/Alewife Station, on the site where Faces used to be. Their website says units will be available starting May 2013.

image courtesy of http://ccfne.com/?portfolio=70-fawcett-street

The third property, 70 Fawcett St. Cambridge, is still in the early stages of construction. According to a website, the 428 apartment building will be called Atmark and the first of two buildings will be ready the summer of 2013. The developers also state that are "breaking ground in developing Cambridge's next neighborhood district." While we are excited to see the new complex, we hope it stays a least a little industrial as our warehouse is within walking distance and we like it there!

Besides being under construction properties, these three developments have one other thing in common. They're close to us! If you hope or plan to move into any one of these three residences give us a call! Its short to almost non-existent travel time back to our warehouse from both Atmark and Vox Two and only approximately 15 minutes travel back from Alta Brigham Square. Less travel time means a more affordable move. Not, only that, but we have a certificate of insurance should any of the buildings require it and we are familiar with working with new construction.

We'll keep checking in on these buildings as they progress. Based on their websites, they look like they'll be fantastic!

Heavy Truck Equipment vs a Fast Food Hambuger

image courtesy of http://www.overdriveonline.com

How could these two being going head to head? It seems like a strange comparison to make, but its very illustrative. According to a study conducted by the University of California Riverside, which focused on commercial charbroilers found in burger restaurants, "an 18-wheeler diesel engine truck would have to drive 143 miles on the freeway to put out the same mass of particulates as a single charbroiled hamburger patty."

While what that says about fast food hamburgers and their health effects is best left to other blogs, it also says a lot about diesel emissions from heavy duty equipment.

In 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency moved forward with its scheduled plan to make buses and heavy duty trucks cleaner starting in 2007. Since 2007, new bus and truck models have had to follow strict emissions standards. The UCR study, perhaps unintentionally, highlights the strides heavy duty truck equipment and buses have made since the 2007 standards were put in place. It hasn't always been an easy process, but it is undoubtedly a very important one and it is good to see the gains of all that hard work.

Why You Should Always Heed No Truck Route Signs

image courtesy of lifeasatrucker.com

It can be oh so tempting to ignore those no truck route signs you see on certain roads around Boston. Its definitely not a good idea to test your luck, though. Those signs are there for a reason. Maybe its a low bridge. Maybe its a densely populated area. Maybe the road is too narrow to accommodate trucks. Whatever the reason, stay off that road if you're in a truck! Rental companies will not take to kindly to a call from you when you've gotten stuck under a bridge. Nor, for that matter, will the state police or the drivers in the traffic jam caused by a mistake like this. Also, truck rental insurance coverage, should you have signed up for it, does not cover the box, only the cab.

Check out this slideshow from Boston.com showcasing some really good reminders as to why you should pay attention to no truck route signs. Its ok to giggle a little bit at these, just make sure you never make it on to one of these slideshows!

photo courtesy of boston.com

Cambridge Lights

Image courtesy of Cambridge Lights

During the holiday season we do deliveries for Cambridge Lights, a Christmas tree delivery company servicing Cambridge, Boston, Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, Brookline and the greater-Boston area.

Not only does Cambridge Lights deliver Christmas trees, they hang lights, wreaths, garlands and other holiday decorations. At the end of the Christmas season they'll even pick up your tree and recycle it for you. They have a lot to offer during the very busy holiday season. The best part is, if you want, they'll string lights on the tree for you, giving you more time to wrap presents and drink some delicious egg nog!

If you'd like to speak to them about a Christmas tree delivery or having some lights hung around your house give them a call at 617.600.3204. You can also e-mail them at info@cambridgelights.com. They'd love to hear from you and we'd love spread some holiday cheer by dropping off a tree at your house!