FAQ

If you’re wanting to have an exact day we recommend that you book 7-14 days in advance. This is especially true if you would like to move on a “hot week” which is typically at the end of month. We can fit you in the schedule if your flexible within a few days with the exception of the hot weeks.

We accept initial deposits with a debit card over the phone, and final payment can be made at the completion of the move with either a debit card or personal check.

The trucks at 2 Brothers Moving are equipped to handle most weather scenarios. There are some important things to understand however on what our capabilities are during poor weather:

Snow:

Snow is easier to get around in than ice, the heaviness of our trucks gives them excellent traction in snow. If the snow is deep enough (more than 2 inches or so) we’ll have chains on the trucks. Expect arrival delays to be pretty hefty when the snow is deep enough to require chains. If there isn’t much snow on the ground just give a little more time from additional traffic delays.

Ice:

Ice is bad news. Nobody wants a 8000lb truck slipping down an icy hill, especially if it’s loaded with your stuff. If there is a full coverage of ice on the road it is likely that we will have to delay your move until it thaws. In Oregon this usually happens fairly quickly eg. the roads freeze overnight and the next morning by 11am they are pretty well thawed out. Keep in mind that not all areas of the city thaw at the same time, if you live in the hills take special consideration to thawing times. This can also have a impact on afternoon moves so be prepared to wait a little longer if you’re an afternoon gig and there has been ice on the roads that morning.

PLEASE — help us by understanding that we cannot risk our movers, equipment and your belongings on dangerous roads! In some cases where the weather has not permitted us to operate, rescheduling your appointment for another day may be required. Any mover with safety in mind should abide by the same policy!

Some things to keep in mind:

• Different parts of town have different weather problems. The West Hills will likely have more ice or snow than the Eastside of Portland for example. It’s a good idea to physically go outside and check your street for snow or ice and notify the movers if there will be a potential accessibility issue.
• Try to shovel or clear your walkways of ice or snow. You can use de-icer or sand (available at hardware/department stores) on problem areas. This avoids slipping and falling problems – which definitely isn’t good if we’re carrying your furniture.
• Feel free to check in with us the day before or morning of your move if you’re worried about weather issues. We’re here to make sure you stay informed.
• Don’t trust the weather man. From our experience the weather is only accurate 1 day prior. It never hurts to be prepared for a change in plans but don’t do it a week a ahead of time because of a weather “forecast”. It might be just as likely that the day you change it to has a weather issue instead!

Other than pointing us in the right direction your help won’t ever be required on moving day (after all that’s why you hired movers!). But many of our customers chose to make their move more efficient and cost effective by bringing helping hands on the day of move – this is A-OK with us! For safety reasons customers cannot enter the back of the truck, step on the ramp, or carry things with the movers (like the other end of a couch for example). But moving boxes out to the side of the truck or bringing a group of friends to pitch in can definitely help you save some time and money.

No way! We charge the same hourly rate for all of our Portland movers regardless of the day you choose or the access to your home.

Yes, our minimum is 2 hours for weekdays or 4 hours for weekends.

Our full service moves include our friendly movers, a professional moving truck and loads of helpful tools like dollies, plastic wrap, tape, and furniture pads. Packing is the same rate per hour and boxes are available for purchase or we’d be happy to use yours.

Great question, our small boxes don’t have handles but our kitchen packs and wardrobe boxes do. Our small boxes are small enough that it’s actually easier (and more ergonomic) to carry them from the bottom.

Our movers work the day shift (8-6pm) and need to be home in order to have dinner with their families. We do not currently offer evening moves.

How much will fit the in the truckload depends on quite a few factors. The main ones are: how many items you have and how many non-stackable items there are (such as exercise machines, fragile furniture, fragile boxes, yard furniture/tools etc).

Some tips to make the move in one trip:

• Pack everything that fits into a box into a box including your pictures, mirrors, tvs, lamps and lampshades. The more things are square and protected the easier they are to stack.
• Use professional moving boxes, using open topped boxes or odd shaped boxes will make it harder to pack and unable to stack.
• Try to group fragile items into the same box to reduce the number of fragile labeled boxes in your move. A move with lots of fragile boxes make it difficult for the mover to create the base needed to stack your fragiles on top of.
• Take items apart that can be taken apart or ask the movers to do so for you.

We use a variety of moving trucks for our services, which truck you are assigned will depend on the size and distance of your move. Depending on the above factors here is a general guide for what we see fit into a truckload:

• 16′ Truck: 800 – 1000 sqft
• 26′ Truck: 1400 – 1600 sqft

We would be happy to loan you some muscle for your loading service, unloading service, or labor only within the same home. They’re all available at our labor only rates posted here.

Depending on the amount of help you’re needing there are several ways to make things more efficient on moving day:

• Box everything in professional movers boxes, avoid open top boxes or unstackable boxes. If you fall behind on packing give our office a call and we’ll be happy to allot more time for packing along with bringing the right materials.
• Keep boxes light (~35lbs), the movers will have an easier (eg. more efficient) time working with lighter boxes. Plus, you have to lift them later to unpack!
• Break things down and take things apart. However, if you don’t have the time, tools, or know-how our movers will be happy to help on moving day.
• Keep access ways like hallways clear of obstacles and stack boxes out of the way near the entrance of the home or in the garage.
• Remember to find a safe place for small children and pets. If animals are safe in a bedroom or bathroom, and children are attended to, we’ll have a safer and more efficient working environment.
• If possible dedicate the day to the move. If you plan to have the cable/phone technician, painter, cleaner, contractor, and movers come all in on the same day our job will be more difficult and time consuming working around these obstacles.
• If you live downtown reserve things ahead of time. Reserve a parking space that involves the shortest walk possible and don’t forget to reserve the elevator.

We’d be happy to reschedule your move if you need to. If you give us 24 hours notice we can reschedule your move at no cost. If our movers arrive at your home (on moving day) we will have to cover our time and cost by billing you our minimum charge. Need more moving time? If you decide you need our movers for longer than what was originally scheduled, we are often available to adjust the scope of the move depending on the availability of our crew.