How to read a move brief properly

Every job on eHaul arrives with a full brief before you commit to it. Most crews scan the postcode and the price and tap accept. The ones who read the whole thing finish on time far more often.

Start at the access notes, not the addresses

Two moves between the same two postcodes can differ by three hours depending on what is written in the access field. A third-floor walk-up with a suspended parking bay is a completely different job to a ground-floor flat with a driveway.

• Floor number at both ends, and whether there is a working lift
• Parking: driveway, permit zone, red route or bay suspension
• Distance from the parking spot to the front door
• Stair width and any awkward turns mentioned by the customer
• Whether a key collection is involved and what time it is expected

Then check the inventory against your van

The inventory tells you the item count and the bulky pieces. What it cannot tell you is whether it fits in your van in one load. If it is borderline, two trips turns a five-hour job into an eight-hour one, and the price was set on the assumption of one.

Pay particular attention to wardrobes, American fridge freezers, corner sofas and pianos. These are the four items that most often need dismantling, extra hands or equipment you may not carry as standard.

Sense-check the arrival window

Completion-day moves are the most common source of a late finish, because the keys are not released until the money moves. If the brief mentions a completion, assume a flexible start and do not book anything else that afternoon.

Finally, look at the money

Your 75% share is on the brief. Divide it by the hours you honestly think the job will take, including travel at both ends, and compare that to your own floor. If it clears, accept. If it does not, decline promptly so it can be reallocated — that costs you nothing and keeps your completion rate clean.

“No bidding and no undercutting. The price is on the brief before I accept it.”