· by Michael Blair, Nashville's Mover
Summer is our busiest stretch of the year and the hardest conditions to move in. At Nashville International Airport the normal August high is 90.4°F and the normal low is 69.0°F, according to NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals for the station. That heat reaches the crew, the schedule, the price and some of what goes on the truck.
When do summer moving dates book up?
In our experience the calendar fills from late spring through the end of summer, and the dates that go first are month-end and weekends. Good crews, ours included, book out weeks ahead then, and our busy dates cost more than our quiet ones. Busy months are also when it pays to check who you are hiring: a for-hire carrier moving goods inside the state operates under intrastate authority from the Tennessee Department of Revenue, and a carrier hauling household goods must have a cargo insurance certificate filed to get it. Our post on what licensed and insured means in Tennessee shows how to ask for both.
If your dates can move, a mid-month weekday in autumn is about as quiet as our calendar gets, and the easiest day to book. We quote local moves by the hour with the rate agreed before the day, so the time a job takes is what you pay for.
How hot does a moving truck get in summer?
A closed vehicle in the sun gets far hotter than the air around it. The National Weather Service office in Little Rock says that on an 80-degree day the inside of a car can climb 30 to 35 degrees in half an hour, and that cracking the windows gives little relief. A box truck that sat in a sunny driveway through the loading starts the drive hot and can stay that way for much of the trip.
Some of what you own does not take that well. Apple’s page on Mac laptop operating temperature gives a range of 50° to 95°F and says not to leave the laptop in a car, because a parked car can go past it. The FDA’s guidance on expired medicines notes that some medicines cannot be exposed to high temperatures and tells you to check the label for storage instructions. We also keep candles and vinyl records off a summer load.
Anything heat sensitive rides in your own vehicle with the air conditioning running, and it comes inside with you whenever that car is parked.
- Book well ahead; month-end and weekends fill first
- Start early, before the hottest part of the day
- Keep extra cold water by the door
- Heat-sensitive items travel with you, never left in a parked car
- Confirm utilities are on at both ends before the day
Look after the crew
Carrying a sofa down a flight of stairs is the kind of work OSHA worries about in summer. Its page on heat hazards says heavy and very heavy work carry the highest risk of heat-related illness, and that outdoor workers have died of heat stroke on days when the heat index topped out at only 86°F. The heat index assumes shade and a light wind, and the National Weather Service’s heat index page says full sunshine can add up to 15°F to it, which is about where a crew stands between an open truck and a front door.
Under OSHA’s Water. Rest. Shade. guidance, cool water is the employer’s to provide, so it is ours, and workers should drink often instead of waiting until they feel thirsty. Extra cold water at the door is still welcome. So is a cool room for a break: OSHA says breaks should run longer when there is no cool place to rest, and on an hourly move that time is on your bill.
What our crews ask for most is a clear path and the doors propped open, which helps them more than a homeowner joining the carrying. Our post on the week before the movers arrive covers the rest of getting the house ready.
Utilities and timing
Confirm power and water are on at the destination before the day, and that the air conditioning actually cools. Moving into a house with no cooling in August is miserable, and with the heat-illness risk OSHA describes for heavy work, it can turn unsafe for whoever is doing the lifting.
Starting at first light gets the heaviest work done before the worst of the heat. With the normal August low still at 69.0°F, the early hours here are cooler rather than cool, so we plan the loading for them. When you have a date, ask us for a written estimate and tell us you want an early start.
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, monthly, Nashville International Airport (USW00013897) — Normal August high 90.4°F and low 69.0°F at Nashville
- National Weather Service Little Rock, Hot Cars — A car can rise 30 to 35 degrees in half an hour on an 80-degree day; cracked windows give little relief
- National Weather Service, Heat Index — Full sunshine can raise the heat index by up to 15°F
- OSHA, Heat Exposure: Heat Hazards — Heavy work carries the highest heat-illness risk; heat stroke deaths at a heat index of 86°F
- OSHA, Heat Exposure: Water. Rest. Shade. — Employers provide cool water; drink before thirst; longer breaks without a cool place to rest
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Don’t Be Tempted to Use Expired Medicines — Some medicines cannot be exposed to high temperatures; read the label for storage instructions
- Apple Support, Keep your Mac laptop within acceptable operating temperatures — Mac laptop ambient range 50° to 95°F; parked cars can exceed it
- Tennessee Department of Revenue, Intrastate Authority — Intrastate authority for for-hire carriers; Form H cargo insurance required for household goods carriers
FAQ
Moving in a Middle Tennessee Summer — questions
When is the cheapest time to move in Nashville?
In our experience, a mid-month weekday in autumn or winter. Our calendar is fullest from late spring through summer, and month-end and weekends book first, so those are the dates that cost the most. If your dates are flexible, moving a Saturday job to a weekday in the middle of the month is the simplest change to make.
What should not go in the truck in summer?
Anything heat sensitive: laptops and other electronics, medicines whose labels give storage instructions, candles and vinyl records. A closed vehicle in the sun gets far hotter than the air outside, and a truck that sat in the driveway while it was loaded can stay hot for much of the trip. Carry those things in your own car with the air conditioning on, and do not leave them in it while it is parked.
Should I tip movers?
That is up to you, and a crew that worked a hard August move will appreciate it. What helps the day itself is extra cold water at the door, a cool room for breaks and a clear path with the doors propped open, since a local move is billed by the hour.
Do moving companies work in the summer?
Yes, and summer is our busiest stretch of the year. From late spring through the end of summer the calendar fills, with month-end and weekend dates going first, so good crews book out weeks ahead. We start at first light to get the heaviest work done before the worst of the heat.