Say What? Are they speaking a different language? How many times have you thought this while overhearing someone? Moving crews are no different, our move experts work to have clear and concise communication with our clientele, however they certainly have a language of their own when talking with each other.

When first coming into the moving industry, I thought, I could have used a “mover – pedia” to get me in the loop. Here is the short and dirty of “mover lingo” I have learned over time:
Van Line – a national, corporate moving company
Long Haul – a move going across state lines
Local Move – a move originating and ending within 100 miles
Back Haul – when a truck is coming back from making a delivery, the load back is a “back haul”
Piggy Back – putting two or more move loads on the same truck
Shipper – the customer moving goods
Lumper – sub contracted mover, not full time / payroll employee
Chowder – filler, the light and small items that can be used to fill open spaces in the truck
Can – a storage container that can be loaded on the back of a flat bed trailer to be moved, delivered, or loaded on site
Hump Strap – a large, extremely thick strap used by a mover to disperse an items weight through shoulders and body
Lift Gate – a truck that has a motored gate on the back that allows for lifting of extremely heavy items
High and Tight – packing a truck to the very top and tight for maximum capacity
Floating – loading the truck’s floor only with goods when plenty of space, quicker than packing high and tight.
Dolly (appliance) – a two wheeled dolly that is weight able for large / heavy appliances with a strap and kick back wheels that make for easier balancing.
Road Dog – the “co-pilot” on a long haul trip
Stretch Wrap – thick plastic wrap that is used to protect wood items before moving
Base – the large items that are loaded first in the truck and have things loaded on-top of them
Tractor – the cab / truck part of a semi truck
Bob Tail – the semi truck (or tractor) without a trailer attached
Valuation – “insurance” for the move
Tail Gate – a extra space that pulls out on the back of the trailer for added loading space on the exterior
4 Wheeler – a cart that has four-wheels (believe it or not) for pulling or pushing items rather than carrying
Commercial Bin – a large, square wood container on wheels
Crew Lead – typically the most experienced crew member that is the liaison for the customer to the crew, handles all waivers and payment upon delivery
Stick – small wood items (chairs, stools, etc.)
Tiers – how a professional mover loads a truck, one “tier” or “pile” at a time to keep the load square and tightly piled to eliminate damage
Estimate or Survey – an over the phone or on-site approximation of the time and costs associated with a given move
CP – Carrier (moving company) Packed
PBO – Pack By Owner (shipper)

Do you have insight into additional “Mover Lingo” for our “Mover – Pedia” Version 1.0? Submit here! What other industries have their own language? Funny Stories to share?