Groupage and removals: How to save money on that?

There are those who call it a combined move and those who simply call it groupage. We’re actually talking about the same thing: a moving method that allows people to save hundreds or thousands of dollars by sharing the same van for loading furniture. But how does this sharing actually take place? And why does it save money? Groupage, in French “grouping”, allows you to optimize the transport costs of furniture and boxes due, as we have said, to the unification of several removals in the same vehicle. It can be a normal truck, but it is more likely to be aircraft or ships as the combined move reduces costs especially over long distances, from one state to another or even from one continent to another. In practical terms, the higher the total cost, the greater the reduction in price compared to a normal move!

AN EXAMPLE OF SAVING FOR A GROUPAGE MOVE

To understand what kind of savings we are talking about, we can consider a probable relocation scenario, from one province to another in Canada. Let’s take for example the case of a move from the south to the north: the price in this case will depend on the actual mileage, in turn linked to the costs of the motorway and diesel, but also on the number of boxes and objects to be transported. Since there are no customs and entry taxes, as for non-EU removals, we will not have to add other items, except our removals insurance. Let’s assume that the move is requested from Avellino to Milan: the final estimate based on all the factors listed will be 2,500$, a figure that can be halvedwhen a private individual or a professional requires a move either for the exact same route or, more likely, for a similar route.

Warning: “halved” does not mean 50% for one and 50% for the other, unless both applicants need the same space. It is therefore clear that the percentage will be calculated on the basis of the actual size of the furniture and furnishings by the individual applicants. If a family occupies three quarters of the truck and a professional with his office occupies the remaining quarter of the space, the first family, if we keep the above 2,500 CAD valid, will pay approximately 2,000 CAD, while the professional will pay 1,000. The discrepancy with respect to the total 2,500 is due to the fact that for us carriers, part of the work doubles: the loading and unloading of the furniture must in fact be carried out in two different places, twice, with needs that can vary greatly (ground floor or top floor, access from inside or outside with a crane truck, etc.). However, the advantage of 500 CAD less for the family and another 500 CAD less for the professional remains.

PROS AND CONS OF GROUPAGE MOVING (COMBINED)

In some scenarios, moving in groupage seems like the ideal solution, and indeed it is. However, the disadvantages must also be considered, first of all the longer waiting times compared to a normal move. Specifically, we can summarize the pros and cons in this list:

PRO