2 Man + Truck vs 3 Man + Truck

2 Man + Truck or 3 Man + Truck is the question?

How Many Removal Men?

This question is raised when there seems to be a significant move or one particular item is very heavy. I will keep it simple and explain when it is best to use 2 Removal Men + Truck & when to use 3 Removal Men + Truck.

When and why to use 2 Man + Truck

1. Small to Medium size household furniture removal - ie 1, 2 or 3 bedroom house. Having more than 2 removal men will be overkill as an efficient 2 man crew can comfortably handle the volume of furniture and / or boxes within the day. Basically international moving standards for 2 removal men suggests that for every bedroom removalists should allow 10m3 (10 cubic metres) of space and also allow for 1 hr to load and 1 hr to unload the contents (plus traveling time) - based on ground floor and good access. Therefore, a 1 bedroom place (no garage) should take 2 removal men approximately 2 hrs total plus traveling time in between to perform your move. You can extend the same principal for a 2 bedroom or 3 bedroom place.
2. Small office relocation - 1 - 5 staff moving. Two qualified office removalists with the correct trollies and tools to disassemble and reassemble the desks will be able to move up to 5 office staff moving within the day. Always remember that it is your responsibility to book the lifts for the removalists which will intern save you on costs as locking the lift will be much more efficient. Computer relocations, particular servers and large standalone photocopiers are best handled by the copier and computer IT professionals. Removal teams can comfortably handle desktop PCs and monitors but you will need to warn them of the full office inventory before hand.
3. Good Access at all locations - Removalists don't have to walk a long way or up and down too many steps. Ensure that you place cars or bins to suit the loading and the unloading of the furniture trucks. The further the removalist walk the more the removal will cost you. It is in your interest to pre-plan where the truck will park and you may even need to let your neighbors know too. Consider looking into parking permits with your local council or perhaps ask the removalists to use Google maps whilst they are on the phone with you so they can help find the correct solution for your move.
4. You are prepared to assist with moving smaller items to / from the removal truck. If you are planning on assisting the removalists on the day without getting in their way and also listening to the team leaders instructions on what to bring to and from the truck then this will help you save costs and justify not needing a third removal man. It is important to note that for occupational health and safety reasons you will not be able to enter the back of the furniture truck (or ride in the cabin) but can place the items close to the truck or on the tailboard.
5. On a budget and only need a part move. If you decide to move the smaller items such as lamps, boxes, pot plants, tools etc then 2 removal men should be able to easily tackle moving your large and bulky furniture items quickly and efficiently.
6. If you believe that you will have a late settlement (eg 12pm - 2pm on the same day of the move) on the house that you are selling. Two removalists will take longer to load the truck which may help you clean the house behind them (as they are loading the truck) and give you time to settle with the banks and pick up keys from the real estate agent.

When and why to use 3 Man + Truck

1. Large to Very Large Move - 4, 5 or 6 Bedroom House with Garage or Shed. Three removal men will always be more efficient on large moves than 2 removal men as typically the loader will remain inside the truck whilst the other two removalist bring goods out to the truck. You gain significantly on efficiency when working this way and typically this method will save you on your overall costs then if you had 2 removal men. On larger house moves, it is also possible that 2 removalists may go into the night time to unload and may be getting tied hence increasing the possibility of damages to your furniture.
2. Upright Piano - Pianos are heavy items and because there is a need for a specialized piano trolley a third man is highly recommended. Upright pianos have two handles on the back and when tipped on one end requires the third removalists to safely place the piano trolley correct underneath it. Guiding the upright piano through doors and corridors is also an art and requires some tipping, twisting and turning. If there is even one step in the move then the 3rd removal man becomes even more helpful.
3. Billiard Tables or Spa Baths. Similar to the Upright pianos these are tricky to move and 3 qualified removalist is strongly recommended. Billiard tables usually have 6 or 8 legs and removal of these legs is essential to get the billiard table through the doorways. Once most of the legs are undone then the third removalists safely places the special trolley in line with the long part of the billiard table, tipping it onto the trolley then securing it from falling over. Guiding the awkward billiard table through the house and onto the truck (typically via a ramp) is best done with 3 removal men too.
4. Small / Medium Size Office Moves - 6-10 Office Staff. Provided that the volume of the office move can easily fit within a medium size rigid truck (6-8 Tonne or 30 to 40m3) and there is good access then 3 qualified office removalists with dolly, furniture trollies and tools should be able to handle the size of office move. If you can save time by noting what furniture is to stay and what is to move then it will save the team leader asking you each time they go to pick something up. It is also wise to mark a plan (color coded or alphabetical) for the delivery end and have these plans all over the office as this will eliminate the removal team asking you what goes where.
5. Access Difficulties - When booking a job with a removalist always tell them as it is because it is worse if they don't turn up with a 3rd man because of your communication when booking.  Walking distance to / from the truck of greater than 30 meters and / or stairs involved should have a 3rd removalists involved unless you only have a few items or as stated above (refer when to use  2 Man + Truck).
6. Settlement Times - If you have to settle or drop keys off early in the morning 11am - 12pm then using a 3 removal team starting at 8am or 9am (depending on the size of your move) will help you meet your exit time. Using 3 removal men doesn't mean that you pay more at the end of the day, infact in most instances it costs you less to move as efficiency is greatly improved. It should take a 3 man removal team atleast 33% less time to relocate you than a 2 man removal team.
7. Transit Vehicle - Many high rise apartments require the need to use a Ute or a transit van to ferry the furniture to and from the truck. In this case a minimum of 3 removal men is recommended as the first removalist will drive the transit vehicle and the other two will help load and unload the van and the removal truck. There are many case when four removalists are needed for these circumstances.
8. Goods going into storage or having damage insurance - If you require the need for the removalists to perform a detailed inventory or condition report for storage or insurance reasons then an extra staff member is required to complete and check off this paperwork. This paperwork takes times and if you have more than 3 bedrooms to move then a 3rd man will be required on the day.
9. Over Balcony Lifts - Provided Health and safety procedures are followed in most cases a 3rd removal man is required to help lift or position the item over the balcony or stairway. It is critical that you explain the conditions of the lift(s) prior to the removalists coming out to perform your move. It is recommended that a site visit is performed on an early day so that you are not left disappointed on the removal day.

I hope and trust that this has been informative for you when considering if 2 or 3 removal men is required when moving home or office.

Thank you
John Christoforidis
Transcorp Removals & Storage
2014, 15,16 & 17 Removal & Storage Company of the Year.
1300 466 838 / 03 9314 1700