Tipping the moving van guys - with Cliff Notes

[Rumpltzer]

I'm about to move. I've never had a professional moving company move my stuff before. My company has hired a moving company to pack my stuff, drive it an hour down the highway, and unload it in my new place. It seems a waste, but it saves me the work and expense of renting a truck to do it myself.

I'm coming out of grad school. I currently live in a furnished university apartment, so I don't own furniture other than a nice desk chair. My stuff is made up of LOTS of books and files and clothes, a computer tower and two 19" CRTs, auto repair tools, a mountain bike, LOTS of kitchen stuff, and miscellaneous junk.

I don't even own a bed. It use to be that my stuff would fit in the back of a full-sized pickup, but it'd probably take two trips now. I imagine most of the effort will be in dumping drawers into boxes and carrying the boxes to the truck (~50 feet). Both my apartments are on the second floor.

I hear it's customary to tip moving guys. Pack my junk, drive an hour, unload the boxes (I'd prefer to unpack myself). Anyone want to advise me on how much of a tip am I suppose to give?


Cliff Notes:
1) I'm moving an hour down the road
2) I don't own much stuff and no furniture
3) How much do I tip the moving guys?

 

[UnatcoAgent]

Tip them a beer

 

[BigJ]

$10 bucks each? I really don't know. Seems like they're not doing too much work for ya.

 

[zixxer]

Originally posted by: Sabot
Tip them a beer

 

[waggy]

actually i would like to know myself.

we are moving in a month and we are having a mover do it. Might be a good idea to know if i should tip and how much.

 

[Ryan]

They're already getting paid well for what they're doing. Offer them a drink, maybe lunch if you feel generous.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

God! Why does it seem like everyone tips EVERYONE for what they do? Jesus christ. Everyone doing a job is getting a paycheck. That's good enough, in my book.

Oh, and if they're going to bitch about how much they make, they need to get a new job or STFU!

 

[Supermercado]

I don't know if my mom ever tipped any of the movers when we've moved but she always brought them lunch. Even if it's just McDonald's or something.

 

[JonTom]

I recently moved and bought a new sofa. I had it delivered, and wouldn't have tipped for that, but the guy helped me move the old sofa upstairs to the guest room. I gave him $5 for that.

I also had the cable guy come to the house; while he was here, I got him to snake cat5 through all the walls to the attic. That was also not something he had to do. He got a case of beer.

I don't tip if someone does what they're paid to do. But if someone goes out of their way, I reach for my wallet.

 

[Yossarian]

I would give them 10 each for that, assuming 2 guys. I moved an apartment full of stuff w/a couch that barely fit inside (had to take the door off) and I gave 2 guys $20 each.

 

[psiu]

Go with the McDonald's/Beer combination I think....bunch of hamburgers or 1/4 pounders and case of beer and pop at the new place.

 

[spidey07]

they're handling your stuff.

I used to move furniture way back. Trust me - we were extra careful when somebody gave us a 20 spot at the start of the move.

20 bucks can be the norm for such a small move. bigger moves we got 100.

oh and having cokes/water in a cooler goes a long way as well. My last move I split some beers with the guys.

 

[Jittles]

I worked for a moving company briefly. The only tip that we expected was some drinks or maybe some food or lunch from the people we were moving. Tipping them money is retarded.

 

[Ausm]

6 pack and a couple of joints.


Sysadmin

 

[Rumpltzer]

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt
God! Why does it seem like everyone tips EVERYONE for what they do? Jesus christ. Everyone doing a job is getting a paycheck. That's good enough, in my book.

Oh, and if they're going to bitch about how much they make, they need to get a new job or STFU!

Yeah, I see your point. I really do. I usually don't tip cashiers at Starbucks who just sold me a $5 Frappuccino, and I think it's absurd that there's now a tip jar at the bakery, pizza place, convenience store, video store, and just about everywhere else that there's a cash register.

It just seems (from my company's relocation policy literature and from a friend who moved across the country WITH furniture) that tipping moving guys is customary. I don't mind tipping these guys because I expect they'll be working hard and saving me a lot of effort. Besides that, my company is "compensating" me with a flat rate (taxable) payout on top of paying for the movers.

I just thought I'd ask what others have in mind as to the amount.

Cold water and soda is a given. I'll certainly have that on hand. It's a morning move. I assume that's a little early for beer and joints... but that's not really something I know a lot about either.

I doubt I'd tip at the beginning of the move. Something about that bothers me. I'll tip at the end after the work is done.

 

[nick1985]

my GF works for a packing company(not the same as the movers) but she says a $20 tip is very generous. id say $10 should be good.

 

[farmercal]

They're already getting paid well for what they're doing. Offer them a drink, maybe lunch if you feel generous

I am in the military and have moved many, many times. I always make sure there are plenty of sodas on ice for the movers. We have even bought them lunch if they stayed that long. This is what my wife and I do, when I moved people for a living (back in the mid 70s) people would offer us drinks and we bought out own lunch. But we NEVER got any cash from the people we were moving not did we expect a cash tip as the company was paying us. I have never heard of anyone giving movers a cash tip. It may be done but I have never heard of it happening.