Moving in NJ during COVID-19 Pandemic

As many of us work through the difficult decisions and circumstances surrounding the current COVID-19 Pandemic, we at Tiger Moving and Storage are trying to do our part to stop the spread of this virus.  While many businesses can provide services from home, many can not, including movers.  Although we have to  physically come to your home to perform the move, we can try to limit interactions as best we can.  As many of you know, NJ Governor Murphy has ordered all non-essential businesses to close as a result of the current pandemic.  NJ Moving companies have been excluded from this order, but must meet some basic criteria, whereby the request for services must be “essential”, including:

1. Help a consumer move to shelter out of storage
2. A contractual or legal obligation
3. Domestic violence situation
4. Case by case basis

If we determine that the move qualifies as an “essential” service, additional guidelines have been given, which include having as few consumers on-site during the move, no kids or elderly, no cash and absolutely no sick individuals.

From the moving company’s perspective, we must try to provide protective equipment to our employees, explain social distancing and avoid physical contact with the consumer. We obviously have strict instructions to stay home if they are ill or are experiencing any symptoms.

As a result of the above, Tiger Moving and Storage are following these guidelines for the protection of our employees and customers for all scheduled moves:

1. We request that only 1 family member be present for the move.  This person should have intimate knowledge of the move, what is to be move and not moved, and preferably not a senior if possible.
2. We also request that the homeowner leave the home after the initial walk-thru with the Forman and then come back for the final walk-thru on each side of the move.  All valuables should be removed from the home prior to the move, as with any move, including jewelry, gold, watches, etc.
3. We are doing our absolute best trying to secure the proper protective equipment, but at this point it is more important to get these materials to our medical professionals then for the moving industry.  With that said, we were able to get gloves and we are working on getting some basic masks for our employees.
4. Last, we have the capability to perform virtual estimates for upcoming moves, so all estimates will be performed in this manner.  There is no reason to wait to receive an estimate.  If you are expecting to move in the upcoming months, you may as well get an estimate done while you are stuck in the house.  Our estimates are valid for 30 days and once we perform the survey, it can be updated easily if circumstances change.

We are working through these issues as best we can, keeping the safety of everyone in the forefront of our minds.  We are trying our best to interpret and comply with the guidance provided.  I just pray we are able to preform our services while keeping everyone safe. I will update this post as additional guidance is given.  As of now, we are working where the services are deemed “essential”, but we do have limited staff to complete moves, so scheduling is important.

I want to thank all of our employees and referral sources for keeping us going.  I know we are all hurting, but I am confident we will get through this and move on to a bright future.

God bless and stay safe!

Stephen

Tiger Moving and Storage