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Storage-in-Transit and Long-Distance Timing

Long-distance timelines rarely line up perfectly. Your Tacoma lease ends on one date, your new home closes on another, and there's a gap in the middle. Storage-in-transit (often abbreviated SIT) is the industry's answer: your shipment loads on schedule, sits in a secure warehouse, and delivers when your destination is ready.

How SIT is arranged and billed

Storage-in-transit is written into your moving contract rather than arranged separately — the same provider stays responsible for your goods from loading through final delivery. Billing typically involves warehouse handling at entry and exit plus a recurring storage charge for the time your shipment is held. Ask for all three components in writing before you book.

SIT is designed for gaps measured in weeks or a few months. If your gap stretches longer, the shipment usually converts to permanent storage, which can change both the billing and — importantly — the liability terms. Ask where that conversion point is in your contract.

Car shipping and other add-ons

Households leaving Tacoma with two cars and one driver often ship a vehicle alongside the household move. Some moving providers arrange auto transport as an add-on; others will point you to a dedicated auto carrier. Either way, vehicle transport runs on its own schedule with its own delivery window — don't assume the car and the furniture arrive together. Mention a vehicle in your quote request so providers can price it from the start.

Storage-in-Transit questions

Is my shipment covered while it sits in storage?

Under storage-in-transit, the valuation coverage from your moving contract generally continues while the goods are warehoused, because the move is still legally in progress. Confirm the coverage terms in writing, and ask what changes if SIT converts to permanent storage.