Double Drive Time Explained: How California Movers Charge for Travel

If you have ever compared quotes from local movers in California, you have probably seen the term double drive time, or DDT. It sounds strange, and some customers think it means they pay twice for the same thing. It actually works the other way: for most local moves, double drive time keeps your bill lower and more predictable.

Here is how it works, why California movers use it, and what to ask before you book.

What is double drive time?

Most local moves in California are billed by the hour. The clock covers the time the crew spends working at your home and the time spent driving the truck with your belongings.

Under the hourly rate rules for household movers in California, a mover can bill travel in one of two ways:

• Portal-to-portal: you pay for the drive from the mover’s yard to your home, the drive between your two addresses, and the drive back to the yard.
• Double drive time: you pay only for the drive between your old home and your new home, and that time is counted twice. The trip to you and the trip back to the yard are not charged.

A mover cannot charge both. If a company bills double drive time, it should never also add separate travel time to your address or back to its yard.

A simple example

Say the drive from your current apartment to your new home takes 20 minutes. With double drive time, 40 minutes of drive time is added to your bill. That is it. It does not matter whether the crew started the day 10 minutes away or 40 minutes away.

With portal-to-portal billing, the same move could include the crew’s full drive to you, the 20-minute drive between homes, and the full drive back to the yard. For a company based across town, that can easily add more time than double drive time does.

Why double drive time is usually the better deal

• You only pay for your own route. Where the moving company is based does not change your bill.
• It is easy to estimate. Look up the drive time between your two addresses, double it, and you know the drive time part of your bill.
• It is fair for short moves. Most moves inside Sacramento, Elk Grove, Roseville or Folsom have a short drive between homes, so double drive time adds very little.

What else is on an hourly moving bill?

Drive time is only one part of the total. On a typical hourly move you will see:

• Labor time: the time the crew spends loading, unloading, wrapping furniture and taking apart and putting back together beds and tables.
• Drive time: double the drive between your two addresses, if the mover uses double drive time.
• Minimum hours: most local movers have a minimum, often 2 or 3 hours.
• Extras, if any: packing materials such as boxes and tape, or special items like a piano, are usually priced separately.

Ask every mover what is included in the hourly rate. Good questions are: Do you charge for stairs or long carries? Are furniture pads and shrink wrap included? Do you charge for the trip to my home?

How Top Sacramento Moving Company bills

We use double drive time on every local move. You pay for the crew and truck by the hour, with a 3-hour minimum, plus double the drive between your two addresses. We never charge for the trip to you or back to our yard.

• Monday–Tuesday special: $111/hr for 2 movers, $165/hr for 3 movers
• Wednesday–Thursday: $135/hr for 2 movers, $185/hr for 3 movers
• Friday–Sunday: $145/hr for 2 movers, $195/hr for 3 movers
• Each additional mover: +$50/hr

Furniture pads, shrink wrap, and taking apart and putting back together beds and tables are always part of the hourly rate. Stairs and long carries never cost extra. Packing is billed at the same hourly rate, and packing materials are charged separately.

How to keep your moving bill low

• Box up small items before move day. Loose items in closets, kitchens and garages take the most time for a crew to handle.
• Pick a flexible date. Early-week moves usually cost less than weekends.
• Know your route. With double drive time, a shorter drive between homes means a smaller drive-time charge.
• Be ready when the crew arrives. Clear paths, empty drawers of fragile items, and decide what goes and what stays.

Frequently asked questions

Is double drive time legal in California?
Yes. It is one of the standard ways California household movers bill travel on hourly moves, as an alternative to charging the full trip from and back to their yard.

Do I pay double drive time on a move in the same building?
No. If there is no drive between addresses, there is no drive time to double.

Does double drive time apply to long-distance moves?
Long-distance moves are usually priced differently, often by weight or a flat rate. Double drive time is used for local, hourly moves.

Planning a move in the Sacramento area? See a ballpark with our moving cost calculator, get your free estimate, or see our pages for local moves, apartment moves and Sacramento movers.