Money
Hidden moving fees
As of September 2026, the extras that break a cheap quote are still stairs, long carry, shuttle, packing, storage, fuel, and waiting time. They are not hidden if you ask.
Haulest data team · 17 September 2026 · Research fallback. Not a first-party median.
Why this matters
Rage at delivery is an accessorial you meet in person for the first time.
Why Haulest
We name the fees, date the talk, and put a phone under the table. City pages add the local version: COI, ULEZ, Chinook ice.
Call for a free quote
A person on the phone is faster than a form if you already know the dates. If you cannot talk now, leave From, To, and a number.
Call for a free quoteWe do not invent a star total.
| Fee | What it is |
|---|---|
| Long carry | Truck cannot sit at the door |
| Shuttle | Small truck after a trailer that will not fit |
| Stairs / flight | Walk-up time |
| Waiting time | Keys, elevator, booth |
| Packing | Labor plus materials |
| SIT | Storage because the house is not ready |
| Fuel | Diesel line on long-distance |
Not a surprise if it is on the survey
If the estimator saw the hill, the shuttle should be on the paper. If they quoted from a bedroom count, you bought the surprise.
Country notes
US interstate: 110% rule on some non-binding estimates. UK: waiting time and ULEZ. Canada: elevator overtime and GST/HST.
Before you hire
1. Written estimate after a look
Interstate movers must give the booklet and a written estimate after a survey or a full description. A $499 ad is not an estimate.
FMCSA Protect Your Move2. Legal name matches SAFER
USDOT on the paper, the truck doors, and the census. A different name is the walk.
USDOT / Companies House lookup3. Walk from cash and blank paper
FTC: unregistered interstate, huge deposit, cash only, or a blank contract. Photograph and leave.
FTC: hiring a mover4. 110% on a COD non-binding job
Pay up to 110% plus agreed extras and they must hand over the load. Not a cap on extras you signed.
US interstate rules
Official sources
Links go to the publisher. Haulest does not add findings. We checked these URLs in September 2026. If the live page moved, believe the agency.
- FMCSA Protect Your Move
Opens a government site. Checked September 2026.
- TfL Ultra Low Emission Zone
Opens an official public-body page. Checked September 2026.
Ask out loud
- Is fuel a scam?
- A labeled fuel line on a long-distance job is common. An unlabeled cash add-on on the driveway is not.
- Shuttle vs long carry?
- Shuttle is a second truck. Long carry is walking. Both cost. Ask which one your street forces.
- Can I refuse a shuttle?
- You can refuse. The trailer still will not fit. Then you are stuck.
- Where are city examples?
- Austin heat, NYC permits, London waiting time, Toronto elevators. Open the city pages.