Planning
30 May 2026 · 7 min read · Just In Time Removals
Dedicated load or shared load
A dedicated load is your goods and nobody else's, collected and delivered on your dates. A shared load rides with other households on a scheduled route — considerably cheaper, but with a delivery window of five to ten days rather than a date. Neither is wrong; be clear about which one you are being quoted.
Insist on a waybill and inventory
On a long-distance move you should sign an itemised inventory at collection and receive a copy. Every item gets a number and a condition note. At delivery you tick them off. Without it, a damage or loss claim becomes your word against theirs, weeks later and a province apart.
Understand the cover
Goods-in-transit cover is standard and protects against events in transit — an accident, a fire, a hijacking. It does not usually cover accidental handling damage or items you packed yourself. All-risk cover on a declared value does, at roughly 1.5% to 2% of that value. For a full household going 1 400 km, it is usually worth it.
Plan the gap between the dates
Your goods will be on the road for days. Pack a genuine survival bag: two weeks of clothing, all medication, chargers, important documents, the kettle if you are sentimental about tea. Assume nothing on the truck is reachable until it arrives.
What not to send
Plants do not survive a sealed truck for three days in a Karoo summer — give them to a neighbour. Perishable food, gas bottles, paint, thinners and fireworks are refused by law. Firearms travel with the licence holder, not the load.
Ask for the tracking
Any credible operator running interprovincial work has GPS on the vehicle. Ask for the tracking link and the driver's number before departure. It costs the company nothing and it will save you three sleepless nights.
Budget for the other side
People budget the truck and forget the landing: deposits, a fibre installation with its own lead time, municipal connection fees, and often a week of eating out before the kitchen is functional. Put aside ten to fifteen percent of the move cost for the first fortnight in the new place.
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