FAQ

No. The Government of Ontario states on its own guidance page that moving companies are not licensed by the province. There is no register and no trade certificate for movers anywhere in Canada. What you can verify instead is the Commercial Vehicle Operator's Registration behind the truck, the company's WSIB coverage, the liability option recorded on your bill of lading, and whether the company belongs to the Canadian Association of Movers and has signed its Code of Ethics.

Only by up to ten per cent, and only if you have not asked for extra work. That is Ontario's rule for a written estimate. It is the reason a written estimate is worth more than a lower number given over the phone, and the reason the estimate should itemise the hourly rate, the crew size, the truck charge, the travel time and the minimum hours.

Under basic released rate liability, $0.60 per pound, which is $1.32 per kilogram, per article. A 45 kg dresser settles at roughly $60 regardless of what it cost. You can declare a higher value and pay for higher liability, and the option you chose must be recorded on the bill of lading. Ask for a Carrier Liability Certificate, and check whether your home insurance already covers goods in transit.

Small. The Canadian Association of Movers suggests ten per cent is adequate in many cases. Its guidance also flags a demand for cash, or an offer to do the work without charging tax, as a sign of unprofessional work.

Yes. In Ontario a truck with a registered gross weight or actual weight over 4,500 kg needs a Commercial Vehicle Operator's Registration certificate, and the operator's safety record sits behind it. Three-tonne and five-tonne moving trucks are well above that threshold, so a legitimate mover has one.

Mid-month, midweek, between October and April, with February and March the quietest weeks of all. The most expensive dates are the last week of April, the last week of August and the first days of September, when rental and student turnover book out the entire trade six weeks ahead.

Downtown, often yes. Centretown, the Golden Triangle and the streets around Bank have paid on-street parking, rush-hour restrictions and narrow one-way streets, and a truck may need a temporary arrangement with the City to stand legally. Ask whether you or the mover arranges it.

Propane and other pressurised tanks, gasoline and fuel, solvents and paint thinner, aerosols, pool chemicals and ammunition. Plants travel badly in a truck in this climate. Keep passports, medication, jewellery, keys and laptops with you.