Pre-Move Survey & Cube Estimation Flashcards
7 cards from real CMC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Pre-Move Survey & Cube Estimation flashcards as text
How does a surveyor handle an item such as a ride-on lawn mower during cube estimation?
Answer: Record make, model, and dimensions; note fuel must be drained before move
Motorized equipment like lawn mowers must have their fuel drained before transport, and the surveyor should document dimensions and special handling requirements.
What is the typical cube allowance used for a standard 3-bedroom home move in the US?
Answer: 1,000–1,400 cubic feet
A standard 3-bedroom household typically yields approximately 1,000–1,400 cubic feet of goods, though this varies based on accumulation and lifestyle.
When estimating cube for a home office, which item is most commonly underestimated?
Answer: Filing cabinets (full of files)
Full filing cabinets are significantly heavier and bulkier than empty ones, and files are often not emptied before moving, making them a frequent underestimation source.
A customer mentions they have a wine cellar with 400 bottles. How should the surveyor account for this?
Answer: Estimate standard box cube for every 12 bottles and note special packing requirements
Wine bottles require special packing cells and should be estimated per case/carton unit with appropriate cube and handling notes recorded on the survey.
What does 'tare weight' mean in the context of a household goods move?
Answer: The weight of the truck empty, before goods are loaded
Tare weight is the weight of the empty moving vehicle, which is subtracted from the gross weight after loading to calculate the net weight of the shipment.
Which factor most directly converts cubic feet of a shipment to an estimated weight for billing purposes?
Answer: A density conversion factor (typically 7 lbs per cubic foot)
The moving industry commonly applies approximately 7 pounds per cubic foot as a density conversion to translate estimated cube into a weight estimate.
What should a surveyor do if the customer is unsure whether certain items in storage will be moved?
Answer: Include them conditionally and note them as 'TBD' on the inventory
Flagging undecided items as 'TBD' ensures they appear on the inventory for follow-up confirmation while keeping the estimate transparent.