Renting Heavy Construction Equipment for Added Profits

Most warehouse and plant relocations are complicated and challenging -- there's a lot of expensive, specialized equipment that must be moved with minimal downtime. Simply giving your industrial movers a checklist of equipment won't be enough. Having professional moving technicians create and carry out a pre-move survey is a necessity for minimizing hazards, damage and downtime.

What is a Pre-Move Survey?

If you've never been part of a team responsible for moving an entire plant or warehouse before, you may not know exactly what a pre-move survey covers.

For a large commercial business, a pre-move survey covers everything from the size and shape of the machinery that will be moved to the schedule for ordering moving supplies to ensuring that the move is completely covered by insurance (either that of the plant or the moving company). It's a detailed plan that shows what must be done in the weeks and days before the move, the day of the move, and the time after the move to make sure all fixtures, equipment and furnishings are transported properly and arrive as expected.

The survey can also identify who will be responsible for what areas of the move and how employees will be utilized on both ends to make the move as smooth as possible. 

Why is the Survey Needed?

With complex machinery, movers cannot just show up on moving day and load everything in the building into a truck. The plan must include powering down the equipment, carefully disassembling everything from machinery to computers, packing delicate parts to avoid damage and loading it into the right type of transportation, which may even require hoists.

Determining exactly what equipment will be moved also ensures that there are installers available at the new location who can get the machines set up, powered on and running just like they were at your original site. If specialized technicians need to be contracted for specific equipment, this can be arranged with plenty of time to have them on site when the machines are unloaded and positioned.

The survey can also identify paperwork that must be completed before moving the warehouse, such as building permits. These may be required by the county or state where you are moving in order to install machinery or interior structures like mezzanine levels.

Who Completes the Survey?

Industrial moving companies often have a specialist who can manage the move, much like a project manager is responsible for every detail of launching a new product or service. This person coordinates with your team to create the plan and schedule that will be used for the move and makes arrangements for the size and expertise of the moving crew needed for your specific move's requirements.

A pre-move survey, completed with professional industrial movers, can be an excellent way to plan and organize a plant relocation. A well-designed plan can save your company significant time and money. Talk to your professional heavy equipment moving team well ahead of your scheduled move to complete an effective pre-move survey.