What Double Drive Time Means for Your Local Move
If you are planning a local move in the San Fernando Valley or elsewhere in California, you will almost certainly encounter the term “double drive time” on an hourly estimate or invoice. It is not an optional surcharge invented by individual moving companies. It is a long-standing requirement under California’s Maximum Rate Tariff 4, which governs how licensed household goods carriers calculate time charges on hourly-rated moves.
The core rule is straightforward: the billable time for an hourly move is the actual loading time, plus the actual unloading time, plus double the driving time from the point of origin (your current address) to the point of destination (your new address). You are not charged for the time it takes the crew and truck to travel from the company’s warehouse or base to your pickup location, nor for the return trip from your destination back to the base. That is the consumer-protection purpose of the rule.
Rules and interpretations can be updated, so always confirm current requirements with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) or the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS), and ask your mover to explain exactly how the calculation will appear on your written estimate and final invoice.
How the Calculation Works in Practice
Only the drive between your two addresses is doubled. Loading, unloading, packing, furniture protection, and any on-site waiting are counted at actual time. A simple example:
- Loading and protecting furniture at the origin: 2 hours (billed once)
- Driving from Canoga Park to Sherman Oaks: 25 minutes actual (billed as 50 minutes)
- Unloading and placing items at the destination: 1 hour 30 minutes (billed once)
- Total billable time: 4 hours 20 minutes
If the same move were only a few minutes away (for example, within the same neighborhood of Canoga Park), the doubled drive segment would be small. Longer cross-Valley trips, or moves that cross into the west side or the Los Angeles basin, increase the travel portion more noticeably. Traffic on the 101, the 405, Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Ventura Boulevard, or local surface streets can extend the actual drive time, and that extension is then doubled for billing.
Why the Rule Exists
Before standardized double-drive-time language was adopted, some carriers charged “portal-to-portal” time—from the moment the truck left the company lot until it returned. That made estimates harder for customers to verify, because the warehouse-to-origin and destination-to-warehouse segments are outside the customer’s control and not easily observed. Maximum Rate Tariff 4 Item 320 (and related provisions) limits the travel component to a transparent, measurable segment: the actual time from origin to destination, counted twice. This compensates the carrier for the round-trip nature of the job while keeping the calculation visible to the customer.
Exceptions exist for certain multi-trip situations, split pickups or deliveries, and cases where more than one shipment is carried on the same vehicle. In those situations the tariff provides specific formulas (for example, double drive time only on the first trip and actual drive time on subsequent trips). A reputable mover should be able to explain which rule applies to your job.
Valley-Specific Considerations
The San Fernando Valley’s geography and traffic patterns affect actual drive times more than the tariff language itself. Common factors include:
- Freeway congestion. Moves between Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, Reseda, or Northridge and destinations in Sherman Oaks, Encino, Burbank, or Glendale often involve the 101. Peak morning and afternoon hours can add 15–30 minutes or more to a drive that looks short on a map.
- Surface-street delays. Narrow residential streets, school zones, construction, and parking enforcement can slow the final approach to either address.
- Access time is not drive time. Long carries from the truck to the unit, elevator waits, or building security procedures increase labor time, but they are billed as actual working time rather than as part of the doubled drive segment.
- Parking and permits. If the truck must circle or stage while a temporary no-parking permit is confirmed or a loading zone is cleared, that waiting time is labor time, not drive time. Planning permits in advance (where required by the city or building) reduces this risk.
Because the doubled segment is based on real-world conditions on the day of the move, estimates should include a realistic range for travel. A written estimate that simply lists a flat “travel fee” without explaining the origin-to-destination calculation is worth clarifying before you book.
How to Plan and Compare Quotes
Ask every mover the same questions so you can compare apples to apples:
- Will the move be billed hourly under Maximum Rate Tariff 4?
- How is double drive time calculated and shown on the estimate and the final bill of lading?
- What hourly rate and crew size are proposed, and what is the minimum charge?
- Does the estimate include a realistic allowance for Valley traffic between the specific addresses?
- Are packing materials, specialty items (pianos, safes, etc.), or long-carry fees listed separately?
- Can you receive a written estimate that itemizes the expected loading, travel, and unloading components?
You can roughly check expected drive time yourself using a mapping service set to the planned move day and time of day. Remember that the actual time on moving day is what will be doubled. Off-peak starts (early morning or mid-day on weekdays) often reduce both labor and the travel segment compared with late-afternoon or weekend peak periods.
Practical Ways to Keep the Total Reasonable
Double drive time is fixed by regulation, but you still influence the other variables:
- Declutter before the move so loading and unloading take less time.
- Pack and label efficiently so the crew can work without constant sorting.
- Confirm elevator reservations, Certificates of Insurance, and building rules well in advance so the crew is not waiting.
- Choose a move date and start time that avoids the heaviest Valley traffic when the distance is significant.
- If the two addresses are very close, the doubled drive portion will be minor; focus on labor efficiency instead.
Giant Movers 365 is a licensed California carrier (MTR-0192654) based in Canoga Park. We provide clear written estimates that explain how time charges, including any applicable double drive time, are calculated for local moves throughout the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles.
Get a Clear, Free Quote
Ready to plan your Valley or Los Angeles move with transparent pricing? Call Giant Movers 365 at 310-988-5051 or request a free quote on our website at giantmovers365.com. Tell us your origin and destination addresses, approximate inventory, and preferred dates, and we will walk you through the estimate, including how double drive time applies to your specific route.
Always verify the latest details of Maximum Rate Tariff 4 and related consumer protections directly with the CPUC or BHGS, as regulations can be revised. A knowledgeable local mover will help you understand exactly what you are paying for before moving day.
