The inventory is technically called the Household Goods Descriptive Inventory. It has several uses on an interstate move. First and foremost, it is the official manifest listing the quantity and type of items included in the shipment. Second, it documents the condition of the items when they were tendered to the carrier, that is, what if any per-existing damages were present and where those damages were located. Thirdly, it acts as the mechanism to verify the quantity and condition of items if custody of the shipment is transferred from one moving company to another. Lastly, it acts as a final receipt for the quantity and condition of the items delivered at destination or, if items are missing, it documents their shortage.
The inventory is created by the loading crew at origin before the items are removed from the residence. The inventory may be hand written, but Arpin of RI uses the industry leading electronic Mobile Mover inventory software created by MoveHQ. Each shipment item, furniture and carton, is tagged by the crew with an adhesive inventory tag that is numbered 1-500. On the inventory, each tag number is its own line item. The item is described and its quantity defined. For example, item #107…oak double dresser, or item #108…bed slats on 4.
In addition to the quantity, the condition, or pre-existing damage (if any) of the item is documented. The crew will use shorthand codes for the type of damage and its location on the item. Typical damages and their shorthand abbreviations include Broken (BR), Scratched (SC), Bent (BE), Soiled (SO) etc. The locations use numerical codes between 1 and 16 that include Arm (1), Bottom (2), Corner (3), Front (4), etc. The legend for the abbreviations and codes is listed on the top of every inventory page for ease of translation.
The type of carton and its contents are also listed on the inventory. Other pertinent information may also be added to the inventory. This additional information may include if the items is an item of exceptional value, who packed the item, who disassembled the item, etc. Arpin of RI personnel can also add serial numbers, images, and several other critical bits of information to the electronic inventory using their iPad and the Mobile Mover app. In addition, a PDF of the inventory will be emailed to you instantaneously as soon as it is signed.