Navigating Belmont in a Truck

Here's another helpful truck driving post from our owner Ezekiel. 

image courtesy of leftbankofthecharles.com

There's a bridge in Belmont Center, it's an old railroad bridge and it's pretty low. The clearance posting on it is 10'9" I believe. This bridge causes a lot of problems for a lot of truck drivers. On one hand, you can get a 12'6" straight truck through the very center of it, but even if you fit, it's still illegal to pass through it in an inappropriately marked truck. The problem is that getting from Fresh Pond to the other side of that bridge in a truck legally is a pain. It may look like you can take Blanchard St. to Brighton St. and then cut back to Belmont Center, but that involves no truck routes (they're rather loosely enforced, however). The only official way is to take Rte. 16 (Fresh Pond Parkway) to Rte. 2 to Rte. 60 and then go into Belmont. Belmont is bisected by those train tracks and getting from one side of them to the other requires going around, especially in a truck due to that low-clearance bridge. Options for turning a rig around if you head down Concord to that bridge are slim at best as well.

So, if you're planning to move yourself in or out of Belmont be very careful not only of the no truck routes but also that low bridge in Belmont Center. If you're hiring movers keep this information in mind as well. We may quote you a travel time that seems inappropriate to you, but remember that the way you drive in your car is not the same way we would go about things in a truck, so it may take longer. 

The Busy Season Approaches

image is our own!

Moving in the Boston-area (and perhaps everywhere else) is a very seasonal business. Winters are slow and summers its hard to keep up with demand. Part of this has to do with the leasing/university schedule in Boston and part of it is just that its not that pleasant to move when its very cold and possibly snowy out.

Every year, sometime in April, is when we start to get busy. We have hit that point this year. The phones are ringing more, the inbox has a lot more e-mails and we're filling up the calendar.

If you are looking to use a moving company sometime this summer or to move yourself with a rental truck we have some recommendations:

1. When you know you are going to move start planning. Call truck rental places to book a truck if that is your plan. If you're using a moving company call around to get estimates as soon as you know you're moving.
2. Think about moving van permits. On very busy days during the summer moving van permits can become unavailable due to someone else requesting a permit for the same address.
3. Know what days are busiest and if you have any flexibility with your move date. Traditionally, the first and last days of the month are the busiest. The 15th is also usually fairly busy. Weekends are also very popular. If you have a specific day in mind and you know that the landlord's or your schedule doesn't allow for any wiggle room about that make sure you call to make reservations as soon as you are able.
3. The above applies particularly for September 1st. Everyone in the greater Boston-area knows that is the hardest day of the year to try and move, whether you're doing it yourself or using a moving company. That day books up FAST, so keep that in mind when planning.
4. Last minute moves are hard to pull off in the summer, at least for us and most likely for any truck rental places. While during the winter we can often schedule you within a day or two, during the summer we tend to book up at least a week or two in advance, sometimes more. It never hurts to try, though, so if you do have a last minute move or change of plans definitely give us a call or shoot us an e-mail.

Being prepared is the key to any low-stress, happy moving experience of any kind and even more so in the summer. If you have any questions about moving this summer please give us a call (617.864.0620) or e-mail us (help@intelligentlabor.com). You can also check out our excellent, revamped website for tips and information. We'd love to help you move!

Navigating Cambridge and Somerville in a Truck

Here's another helpful post from our owner, Ezekiel. If you're planning on renting your own truck for a move in Cambridge or Somerville this information will be a huge help!

image courtesy of dreamstime.com

Getting from North Cambridge to Somerville in a truck can be tricky. Almost all the roads that go from Massachusetts Ave. towards Somerville west of Porter Square are one-ways or no truck routes. This even applies once you get into Arlington all the way to the intersection of Massachusetts Ave. and Rt. 60. The best route to know is Davenport St. in Porter Square. It's a short street that runs from Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge behind the Porter Square shopping plaza back to Elm St. Somerville. Located on that street are the loading docks and commercial parking for the shopping plaza so it can also be a handy place to turn around if you've missed a turn.

An Organization We Love: NuPath

image courtesy of providers.org

Occasionally we do work for a company called NuPath Inc. Their offices are located in Woburn but they have 11 locations around the greater Boston area. They provide day and residential services "for people living with developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and acquired brain injury." NuPath is also an active advocate for people with disabilities. We're proud to work with them and so pleased they choose us to help move them when they need it.

If you're interested, check out their Facebook page. They have a lot of upcoming events, including a walk and a book presentation, among other events, for Autism Awareness Month in April.

Website Upgrade!

We've just completed a major overhaul to our company website. We're really proud of how it turned out. Here are just some of the changes:

- More information about moving van permits and how they work
- An expanded link section with links to businesses we work with and organizations we belong to
- Information about how and what we recycle
- A section about how we participate in our community
- An expanded section on our rates, including rush rates, extra charges, insurance, and disposal

Go take a look and tell us what you think! We'd love to hear from you about ease of use, comprehensiveness of information, etc. We think we've now got best site for a moving company in the Boston area!

Kiva Update and a Local Event

Time for another Kiva update!

Most of our current loans are doing really well, which we love to see! Amor y Paz, a group that runs an upholstery and furniture making shop, is 90% repaid. All of the rest of the loans are between 40% and 62% repaid, which is wonderful. Sadly, one of our loans is delinquent in his repayments, but hopefully he can make his business work despite whatever challenges he's facing.

Since most of our loans are doing so well we've got credit to relend. We chose to lend to Rasheeda, a woman in Pakistan, who is seeking a loan to a buy a young horse for loading and transportation services. A mover in Pakistan, we love it! We also lent to Tony, a school bus driver in Lebanon, so he can make improvements to his bus and Manuela, a furniture maker in Peru, so she can buy supplies.

In more local news, we're a booster for the Friends of Cambridge Athletics race that's coming up on April 1st. Its held at Fresh Pond and raise money for student athletes. There's still time to sign up for either the run or the walk if you're interested.

Moving Expenses and the IRS

image courtesy of forbes.com

Tax season is upon us again!

No one at Intelligent Labor and Moving is a tax professional, but, being movers, we do know that the IRS lets you deduct some moving expenses.

According to the IRS, if you moved this year "due to a change in your job or business location, or because you started a new job or business, you may be able to deduct your reasonable moving expenses but not any expenses for meals." There are two tests you must use to determine if qualify for the deduction:

1. Distance
Is your new job 50 miles or more farther away from your old home than your old job was from your old home? If you've never worked before, is your new job 50 miles or more away from your old home?

2. Time
If you're an employee you must work at least 39 weeks at full-time for the first year following your arrival in the general area of your relocation. If you're self-employed the same applies, as well as needing to work at least 78 during the first 24 months in the general area of your new location.

There are exceptions to each rule. If you're move is due to military service you do not need to meet either requirement. The time requirement can be waived due to death, disability, involuntary separation among other things. If your employer paid for or reimbursed you for your move you do not qualify for this tax deduction.




The IRS provides a more comprehensive guide to moving tax deductions here. Its definitely worth a read if you moved in 2011. And, for a tax guideline its not so bad to read! If you still have questions after reading over the guide it is best to contact a tax professional.

Happy filing!