Long-Distance Moving in Allentown, PA

Compare quotes against one complete inventory

Give each bidder the same room-by-room inventory, photographs of large furniture, and pickup and destination addresses. Identify items you intend to sell or leave behind before requesting the quote. Ask the mover to inspect the shipment and both access arrangements, then provide a written scope you can compare with other offers.

Request separate descriptions of packing, furniture disassembly, loading, transport, unloading, and reassembly. Ask how the mover would charge for stairs, a long carry from the curb, a smaller transfer truck, waiting, or storage. Have the mover explain the circumstances that could change your quoted total and how you would approve those changes.

Before paying a deposit, ask who will transport your belongings and who will answer questions during transit. Request documentation of the carrier's authority and coverage appropriate to your route, and verify it with the issuing agency. Ask for written cancellation terms, payment timing, and the procedure for reporting loss or damage. Keep copies of the agreement and your inventory.

Resolve curb access before booking pickup

Submit the Parking Authority's temporary no-parking sign request form three days in advance for metered areas or five days for non-metered areas. For enforceability, the authority requires posting 12 hours in advance in metered areas and at least 72 hours in advance in non-metered areas. Account for both the request deadline and the posting interval when arranging pickup. [1]

The Parking Authority sends an approval email with a payment link to finalize the request. It states that payments are final, with no refunds, and that moving the signs makes them unenforceable. Confirm the mover's date, loading position, and space needs before paying. Leave the signs in their posted locations. [1]

Walk the proposed loading route with the mover or send clear photographs. Show steps, entrance width, overhead clearance, and the path from the truck to your door. Ask who will handle the sign request and what the crew will do if another vehicle occupies the loading space. For an apartment or shared building, ask the manager about elevator reservations and delivery access.

Separate active loading from truck parking

Allentown's truck-parking code defines an oversized vehicle as one with a Class 5 or equivalent license or above, or a gross vehicle weight over 11,000 pounds. Its street-parking prohibition covers listed vehicle types, including oversized vehicles, tractor trailers, and trailers, in zoning districts other than I-2 and I-3 and on streets abutting restricted zones. [2]

Under the code's definition of prohibited parking, momentary halting for the purpose of and while engaged in loading or unloading property or passengers does not count as parking. The code also provides a separate exception for service companies, contractors, delivery trucks, and others engaged in working operations nearby during the actual work period between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. The momentary-loading exclusion does not authorize extended waiting or overnight parking, and the working-operations exception depends on actual work within its stated hours. [2]

Ask the Parking Authority and mover to confirm how these provisions apply to the proposed vehicle, address, loading duration, and schedule. Request a lawful waiting location if the carrier plans to arrive before the crew or stay overnight. Include the driver's staging plan in your booking discussion.

Ask whether the carrier can load at your entrance with its planned truck. If it proposes a smaller transfer vehicle, request a written description of the transfer location, handling arrangements, and charge. Resolve that plan before the crew arrives. Include the destination's access requirements in the same conversation.

Prepare for weather and a delivery window

Penn State's Allentown climate table uses 1981–2010 normals and identifies its update as February 2012. Its normal monthly precipitation totals are 3.88 inches in October, 3.50 inches in November, and 3.58 inches in December. Use these historical figures as context when discussing wet-weather preparation; they do not predict conditions on your moving day. [3]

Ask who will supply furniture covers and floor protection, and agree on a response to unsafe loading conditions. Keep medication, identification, chargers, keys, and essential clothing with you. Ask the carrier for a written delivery window, notice before arrival, and a contact for delays. Plan where you will stay if your belongings arrive after you do.

At pickup, photograph furniture condition and review the inventory with the crew. At delivery, compare the received items with that inventory and record concerns before signing the delivery paperwork. Ask the mover to explain any document you do not understand, and retain your own copy.

Historical October–December precipitation in Allentown

Choose the loading plan before accepting a quote

Your hiring checklist

1. Prepare one inventory and send the same photographs and access details to each bidder.
2. Request written pricing for packing, transfer vehicles, waiting, and storage.
3. Confirm the transporting carrier, route-appropriate authority, coverage, and claims process.
4. Identify the curb-space type and ask the Parking Authority to confirm request and posting deadlines.
5. Agree on truck size, loading duration, working hours, and a lawful waiting or overnight location.
6. Reserve building access and confirm destination loading arrangements.
7. Keep essential belongings with you and save pickup photographs, inventories, and agreements.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far ahead should I request no-parking signs?

The Parking Authority asks for three days of notice in metered areas and five days in non-metered areas. It also requires advance posting of 12 hours and at least 72 hours, respectively, for enforceability. Confirm both deadlines for your pickup. [1]

Can the moving truck park outside overnight?

Confirm the vehicle and address with the Parking Authority. The code excludes momentary active loading or unloading from prohibited parking and provides a separate actual-working-operations exception between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. These provisions do not authorize overnight parking for a restricted vehicle. Ask the carrier to identify a lawful overnight location. [2]

What should I ask about a smaller transfer truck?

Ask why the carrier proposes it, where the transfer will occur, who handles your belongings, and what you will pay. Request those details in writing and ask how the carrier will document item condition during the transfer.

How should I compare moving prices?

Give each mover the same inventory, addresses, access details, and packing requirements. Compare the written total alongside exclusions, possible extra charges, delivery arrangements, cancellation terms, and responsibility for loss or damage. Request clarification before accepting an offer.