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Things to Remember before Signing a Bill of Lading

As you may have learned in one of our earlier posts, a Bill of Lading is a contract between you and your moving company. It’s going to outline all of the details regarding your move, from what items of furniture are to be moved, to the dates and time of the move, to the number of movers you can expect. When everything is finished, you’ve made it to the new location, and your belonging are safely in your new home, it will be time to sign.

Before you do, however, remember that once you sign that little slip of paper you’re stating, legally, that everything is fine, and if you discover a serious issue later – you could be in trouble and have no recourse!

You can avoid this incredibly unpleasant experience by taking your time and checking every item, one by one, on the bill before signing off on it. Sometimes movers will seem impatient for the bill to be signed, and might try to rush you, so don’t be afraid to spend time making sure everything is in order first.

There should be no surprises on the bill of lading. What appears on it should be familiar to you from your discussions with the moving company and from your order of service, if you have one. If items you don’t understand appears on the bill then make sure it is explained to your satisfaction before you sign it. Before you move, ask your mover about any and all fees that might be incurred during the course of the move, and keep a record of them. Learning about a fee only as you are signing a bill agreeing to pay it is infuriating.

Double check that all the contact information for your moving company appears on the bill, including full legal name, address, and phone number. If a secondary company was involved at some point – for example if your goods were transferred from one company to another during a long distance move – that company’s information should be included also.

Payment method should also be listed clearly and match up with what you discussed with your moving company reps beforehand. I know that if you’re well prepared, you have extra cash on hand for emergencies during your move, but it would still be better to pay by cheque or credit card than to have to fork over the cash because of a clerical error.

Last but not least make sure that the bill of lading includes proof that you have signed up for independent insurance, and all of the details about your policy and the contact information of the company are written down. In case there is damage to your belongings and you need to file a claim, this additional piece of evidence will be invaluable.

At the end of the day, it’s really just common sense – never sign anything you haven’t read thoroughly, and don’t put your name down next to something you don’t fully understand and agree with!