Moving home can be one of life’s most stressful transitions. Between packing, logistics, and the emotional toll, the last thing you want to worry about is etiquette questions: like whether or not you should tip your movers, and if so, how much.
This guide answers the most common questions about tipping professional movers, helps you understand industry norms, and gives you practical tips (pun intended) for handling it the right way.
Do You Have to Tip Movers?
Short answer: No, tipping movers is not obligatory.
Moving companies charge you for the service itself, and your movers are technically already paid.
But just like waiting staff, tipping is a way to show appreciation for hard work, professionalism, and care.
It’s a widespread practice in the moving industry and is often expected if the service is good.
You may also like to read: Moving Company Deposits. Alongside wanting to know about tipping movers, questions about paying deposits to movers are one of our most frequently asked questions. This guide explains all you need to know about moving company deposits.
How Much do Movers Cost?
Save up to 40% on your upcoming move and get a quote from reputable moving experts.
Lift heavy and awkward items (sometimes through stairwells, narrow hallways, or in extreme weather).
Load and unload quickly to save you time.
Reduce the risk of injury by handling the tough stuff.
Tipping acknowledges this labor-intensive work, especially if they go above and beyond.
You may also like to read: How to Treat Movers. In this guide, we suggest a few ideas to handle the human side of moving home so that your moving crew feels valued and will therefore go out of their way to make your move successful.
Factors to Consider Before Tipping
Ask yourself:
Did they arrive on time?
Were they respectful and professional?
Did they handle your possessions with care?
Did they avoid damaging property?
Did they work efficiently without unnecessary breaks?
If the answer is “yes” to most of these, tipping is appropriate. If not, you are within your rights to withhold or reduce the tip.
Is It Rude Not to Tip Movers?
No. Movers generally know when they’ve done a great job, or when they haven’t. If the service was poor, you don’t owe them extra.
That said, if you hired a top-rated moving company, chances are the movers will meet or exceed expectations, and a tip is a great way to show gratitude.
You may also like to read: 10 Common Mistakes When Hiring Movers. Here we share 10 of the most common mistakes that people make when hiring movers so that you don’t make the same mistakes.
How Much Should You Tip Movers?
Here’s a universal tipping formula you can follow:
Local movers (per hour per mover):
Satisfactory job: $4–$5/hour (≈ $40/day per mover)
Outstanding job: $6–$8/hour (≈ $60–$65/day per mover)
Long-distance movers:
The same formula applies.
Round to $40–$65/day per mover, depending on performance.
For example:
A 3-person crew works 8 hours on a local move.
Satisfactory: $40 each ($120 total).
Outstanding: $60 each ($180 total).
Who Gets the Tip for Long Distance Moves?
Here’s where it gets tricky:
Sometimes one crew handles both loading and unloading.
Other times, two crews split the job, one packs/loads, the other unloads at your destination.
Call the moving company ahead of time to confirm.
If there are two crews, tip both separately.
You may also like to read: The Hidden Costs of Moving Home. The cost of tipping is just one example of moving expenses that people often overlook. In this guide, we share the most commonly forgotten extra costs when moving home.
When and How to Tip Movers
Never tip until you are satisfied the job has been completed
1. Timing
Tip at the end of the move, after confirming everything arrived safely.
If you want to boost morale, you can mention early on that you plan to tip for good service, but avoid handing out cash until the job is done.
2. Method
Cash is king. Bring small bills ($10s and $20s) so you can tip each mover individually.
Don’t give the whole sum to the foreman. Some supervisors don’t split fairly. Hand tips to each worker directly.
3. Alternatives to Cash
If your budget is tight or you want to go the extra mile, you can also:
Provide drinks and snacks (water, Gatorade, sandwiches, fruit).
Order lunch (pizza, subs, or ask what they’d prefer).
Offer access to a clean bathroom stocked with essentials.
Leave a positive review online and mention the movers by name; this often helps them earn bonuses or promotions.
Extra Tips for Tipping Movers
Budget in advance. Just like you plan for boxes and moving supplies, set aside cash for tipping.
Adjust for conditions. If movers handle flights of stairs, tight spaces, bad weather, or heavy specialty items (like pianos), lean toward the higher end.
Cultural note. In the U.S., tipping movers is standard. In other countries, practices vary, if you’re moving internationally, check local norms.
Tax deductions? Tipping is not tax-deductible for residential moves. However, if you’re relocating for work and your employer is covering moving costs, tips might be reimbursable. Ask your HR department.
You may also like to read: Hiring Movers for the First Time. If this is your first time hiring a professional moving crew, then you will find this guide invaluable: From what movers do to how to hire the best movers, how to prepare for movers, to how to avoid moving scams.
Quick Tipping Reference Chart
Service Level
Local Moves (per mover)
Long-Distance Moves (per mover)
Satisfactory
$4–$5/hr (≈ $40/day)
$4–$5/hr (≈ $40/day)
Outstanding
$6–$8/hr (≈ $60–$65/day)
$6–$8/hr (≈ $60–$65/day)
Frequently Asked Questions About Tipping Movers
Tips show your appreciation for all the hard work the crew has done
Do you tip movers before or after the move?
You should tip movers after the move is complete. This way, you can confirm that your belongings arrived safely and that the service met your expectations. Some people choose to mention early on that they plan to tip for good service as motivation, but cash should only be handed out once the job is finished.
Can you tip movers with a credit card?
Some moving companies allow you to add a tip when you pay by credit card. However, cash tips are preferred because movers can split them immediately and fairly among the crew. If you’re paying by card, ask the company whether tips get distributed to each mover or just to the company.
How much should you tip movers for 2 hours?
For a small move that only takes a couple of hours, you can still use the $4–$8 per hour per mover rule of thumb. For example, if two movers work for 2 hours each, a fair tip would be:
Satisfactory service: $8–$10 per mover.
Outstanding service: $15–$20 per mover.
What if you can’t afford to tip movers?
If tipping isn’t in your budget, don’t worry, you are not obligated. You can still show appreciation by:
Offering cold drinks and snacks.
Providing a clean bathroom stocked with supplies.
Leaving a detailed positive review online.
Referring the moving company to friends and family.
Should you tip movers in cash or electronically?
Cash is best because movers can divide it right away. If you don’t have cash, check if the company allows tips via credit card, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal. Just confirm that the tip goes directly to the workers, not just the company.
Do you tip movers on both ends of a long-distance move?
Yes, if two separate crews handle loading and unloading, you should tip both teams individually. If the same crew travels with your belongings and completes both ends of the job, you only need to tip once at the final destination.
Is 20% too much to tip movers?
Unlike restaurants, movers are not tipped by percentage. Instead, use the hourly or daily per mover guideline. That said, if your move was especially difficult and you want to tip 15–20% of the total bill, it’s generous but not inappropriate.
Do movers prefer tips or food?
Movers definitely appreciate cash tips, but small gestures go a long way, especially during long or hot moving days. A combination of cash plus food and drinks is often the most appreciated approach.
You may also like to read: Why and How to Write a Review. A positive review is a great way to show your appreciation for a job well done. In this guide, we explain how to write a useful review for good or bad service.
Tipping movers isn’t mandatory, but it is a thoughtful way to show appreciation for hard, physical, and often stressful work.
Tip should be awarded on performance, not obligation.
Cash tips plus a kind gesture (like food or a review) go a long way.
Plan ahead so you’re not scrambling for small bills on moving day.
At the end of the day, the goal is a win-win situation:
Your movers feel valued and motivated.
You enjoy peace of mind knowing your belongings were handled with care.
Good luck with your home move, and be sure to visit our home moving blog for guides on how to make every aspect of your home move easier, cheaper, and safer.
Tipping your movers is highly depending on the work process, work time and place where the work is implemented. Different moving companies charge different amount of money from their clients and tipping your movers is extra charges you are paying to movers which is certainly out of contract thing. But after seeing the good indication of work, you may give tip according to your standard.
How did wait staff come up? But since they did, one thing MOST people do not realize is wait staff have to do is pay taxes based off of their sales. So if their customers do not tip them appropriately they can actually end up paying for you to eat in their section. Which is why, until the way they are paid is changed, we as their customers ARE obligated to tip appropriately. Easiest way to do it is to take the sales tax and double it and work up or down from there depending on how much the sales tax is in your state.
Comparing waitstaff and movers is like comparing apples & oranges
I’d like to comment that movers do not make much money.Most movers typically make a little more than minimum wage at best.Also , the heaviest thing your waitress is gonna carry is probably is your plate of food while your mover has to carry your furniture up and down stairs while protecting your furniture and walls.It is by far the hardest job of all blue collar work.I know this as fact……..I was a mover for over a decade when I was younger till the physical toll started to take a toll on my body.
I really appreciate your advice to provide food like pizza or sandwiches to a team of movers if your move is probably going to take a while. My husband and I think that our move from our apartment to our new home will take at least 6 hours. It would be really great to hire a moving service because I think they would help make our move faster and less stressful. We’ll start looking into a residential moving service in our area.
Best ever blog out of many I have a read-through. It not only shows the talent of the writers, but their way of writing enables the readers to understand completely about the service.
I appreciate your tips on knowing when to tip movers or not. I like how you said it can be as simple as were you satisfied with their service or not. I will keep these tips in mind.
I guess in America everyone expects to be tipped for things that suppose to be done and paid for by the company. The article mentioned “wait staff”, “hotel staff”, etc. I stopped believing in tipping anyone who works a regular job. Restaurants is because they mainly work off tips due to the $2 a hour pay.
But the moving company I hired is charging $170 an hour for 3 people. So if each gets paid $25 per hour it is still above min wage and the company makes out big time. So why should I tip again for a mover?
If that is the case you should tip everyone that does any type of work, if you buy your TV at Walmart, are they entitled for a tip? I personally think that most have their hand out, if you don’t like your job, get another. I don’t mind tipping but if companies charge outrageous prices I would assume they pay their employees well, if not then that is not my problem and they should take it up with the company. I don’t have to make up for the difference.
Tips should be something for services where people go above and beyond their regular job, not for something they are hired to do and just show up for.
Movers all over the planet do not make 25 an hour. Most not even close to that. Moving is some of the hardest work a person will ever do in there life while also risking the future of there body. It’s very bold to suggest that everyone deserves or expect a tip. But the movers do deserve to be treated like a service based industry who if the job is complete with perfection are entitled to a tip of some kind. I am a mover. I can tell you first hand that it’s honest hard work that you clearly don’t understand. Be respectful about your assumptions. It goes both ways. Movers have the capability of getting it done or destroying your most prized possessions. Tip your movers.
I want to move to a different part of my state this year. I have been thinking about hiring a moving service to help me with the process. It is good to know that I should think about how much I will need to tip the service. That does seem like a good thing to keep in mind when coming up with a budget.
I am always stunned by both the math involved and the lack of generosity. I did a local move with 2 guys recently. They lifted all of my heavy things and valuable possessions onto a truck while breaking nothing but a lot of sweat, unloaded all of my heavy things while taking care to walk up 3 stairs from a sloped driveway and they worked a full 3 hours – no coffee breaks. They also put my bed together. They make minimum wage. I tipped them each $60. And I thought that wasn’t enough. I came to this blog to find out if I should have tipped them each more and I discover that people are quibbling about tipping nothing more than pennies. Its the year 2020. It costs a whole lot to live decently. Why wouldn’t I want my moving guys to have a decent day.
I like how you mentioned telling the movers ahead of time that you will be tipping them for the good work they do. My wife and I are moving at the end of the summer and we’re trying to find a good moving company to help us move our big furniture pieces. I’ll remember this article so we can tip them the right amount for the work they do.
Good article. Tipping is so awkward; but I think it’s good to do so when movers do a good job. I think we also have to tip according to what we can afford. I’m moving long-distance and plan to tip on both ends. I tipped the guys who collected my stuff $12 each for 2 hrs of work. If I had more cash I would have tipped more. I would normally offer water, but with COVID-19 around I think we have to be careful about infecting ourselves and the people providing a service. They took a short break, which is good. I live in a small 2-bedroom apt and they moved furniture and many boxes (no large appliances). They were very professional and efficient. If the people on the delivery end are as professional I plan to tip them too — maybe a bit more because they’ll have to carry my stuff upstairs. Once, with a different moving company, I didn’t tip because the movers were incredibly unprofessional. I do notice that the level of professionalism is better when the movers charge a medium to higher rate, maybe because the employees are better-trained and better-paid (??)
Do you have to tip movers? Tipping movers is up to you. While it’s common etiquette to tip some amount, if your movers aren’t doing an adequate job you can choose to withhold a tip. If they have done a good job, it’s best practice to tip $4–$5 per mover per hour or 5–10 percent of the total moving cost.
If your movers do an outstanding job and you’re very happy with the way they handled your move, then you may be willing to reward their efforts in the range of $6-$7/hour per mover, or even $8/hour per mover.
I have a large house. Will have a split move, 1/2 to NC, then the rest to storage, then eventually to FL. All with the same company. How do I tip and when?
I tipped way more then I should have but the amount you are suggesting is horrible and embarrassing. I don’t think you have actually done any moving frankly. Being able to hire movers is a privilege just like going out to eat. If you can’t tip well do it yourself.
I agree with what you said that customers should only tip the moving team they hire after they have completed the job. My sister plans to hire a moving service soon because she is moving apartments with my niece. I’ll share this advice with her tomorrow when we have lunch out. Thanks!
I recently moved my small business from one location to another, about 10 miles apart. I hired a reputable moving company that did a great job and were very professional in the process. I tipped 20% of the total bill and the two movers shared the tip. I live in northern NJ where cost-of-living is high. The suggested $4-$5 per hour is laughable and would be insulting in this geographical area. Naturally, there are a lot of factors to consider when one decides to tip and I believe location is definitely something to consider.
Most movers today are independent contractors. The driver receives a percentage of what you pay the moving company (50-75% of the linehaul; 90% of the packing/unpacking cost). The standard where I used to work was 56% for linehaul, 90%+ for packing). The driver then hires labor to help, pays all of his costs (insurance, gas, maintenance, licensing, tolls, etc.). These costs are the responsibility of the driver, not the moving company. Do some math, figure about what he might be getting paid after his expenses and you’ll find it’s pretty minimal for what he will do.
Thanks for explaining that it would be smart to find a mover who is good at avoiding property damage. It does seem like a very good thing to do if you are renting. After all, I wouldn’t want to lose my security deposit.
I’m looking at an out-of-state move, downsizing from 3000 sf to 1200 sf. I have already paid about $3k to get rid of larger furniture pieces for which I don’t have room. Basically, the large pieces of furniture that remain include: a living room set (sofa, swivel rockers, occasional tables): a queen-sized mattress and box springs, a dresser; a piano; and many boxes. The moving company quoted me a “guaranteed” price of $8k, and I am paying to have many items packed for storage. The packers will have done the bulk of the work, but I expect they won’t be part of the long-distance work. My practice is to tip the foreman, in the presence of at least one of his crew. Thoughts?
It’s great that you mentioned that Your movers wouldn’t really mind getting bigger tips than they usually receive, but after all, it’s your hard-earned money. My sister will move to her new home soon since she will start a family with her husband. I’ll share this with her since movers can make her move much easier. Thanks!
First I ever heard of tipping movers was a couple weeks ago when they delivered 40 boxes to my ex. At her end they actually told her it was customary to tip 20%. Are you kidding me. A $400 tip? That’s $10 per box. I spent 20 years in the military with several moves and never heard a suggestion of tipping. Your article compares tipping a waiter to tipping a mover. In most cases, wait staff aren’t paid a living hourly wage and tips make up most of their salary. I suspect movers make more than 2 or 3 dollars an hour plus tips. Now that I have heard of it, I agree it is a nice gesture to add 20 to 40 per crew for half a day load or unload. For my move, they were significantly late for pick up and delayed by three hours at delivery. My ex tipped them what she had, $20 each. I would not have based on the fact they expected it and tried to take advantage.
I am amazed at what different people say about tipping movers, and especially packers! The packers do all the heavy lifting and toting of your precious possessions. They are an integral part of your move. I feel they deserve at least $7 hr. each. I’m moving 3000 miles away and they’re doing an amazing job! I’m in the throes of it as I write this!!
The foreman is my driver and he couldn’t be nicer and more caring about my move. I intend to tip him on both ends of the move, regardless of what he earns. That’s really none of our business. So, to each his own but you’re not a very nice person if you’re cheap! I’m not wealthy by any stretch but I planned for this, and on top of it, I’m disabled!!
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Tipping your movers is highly depending on the work process, work time and place where the work is implemented. Different moving companies charge different amount of money from their clients and tipping your movers is extra charges you are paying to movers which is certainly out of contract thing. But after seeing the good indication of work, you may give tip according to your standard.
I’d like to comment that the reason you tip your waiters and waitresses for their service is often because they are making less than $3/hour to work.
How did wait staff come up? But since they did, one thing MOST people do not realize is wait staff have to do is pay taxes based off of their sales. So if their customers do not tip them appropriately they can actually end up paying for you to eat in their section. Which is why, until the way they are paid is changed, we as their customers ARE obligated to tip appropriately. Easiest way to do it is to take the sales tax and double it and work up or down from there depending on how much the sales tax is in your state.
Waitstaff came up because they used that as an example in the article
Comparing waitstaff and movers is like comparing apples & oranges
I’d like to comment that movers do not make much money.Most movers typically make a little more than minimum wage at best.Also , the heaviest thing your waitress is gonna carry is probably is your plate of food while your mover has to carry your furniture up and down stairs while protecting your furniture and walls.It is by far the hardest job of all blue collar work.I know this as fact……..I was a mover for over a decade when I was younger till the physical toll started to take a toll on my body.
I really appreciate your advice to provide food like pizza or sandwiches to a team of movers if your move is probably going to take a while. My husband and I think that our move from our apartment to our new home will take at least 6 hours. It would be really great to hire a moving service because I think they would help make our move faster and less stressful. We’ll start looking into a residential moving service in our area.
This blog enables me to spread information about your services to many people. Keep on helping people with your best services.
Best ever blog out of many I have a read-through. It not only shows the talent of the writers, but their way of writing enables the readers to understand completely about the service.
Thanks for this awesome article on how much to tip movers! I’m always unsure on how much to tip them, but this article gave great advice.
I appreciate your tips on knowing when to tip movers or not. I like how you said it can be as simple as were you satisfied with their service or not. I will keep these tips in mind.
I guess in America everyone expects to be tipped for things that suppose to be done and paid for by the company. The article mentioned “wait staff”, “hotel staff”, etc. I stopped believing in tipping anyone who works a regular job. Restaurants is because they mainly work off tips due to the $2 a hour pay.
But the moving company I hired is charging $170 an hour for 3 people. So if each gets paid $25 per hour it is still above min wage and the company makes out big time. So why should I tip again for a mover?
If that is the case you should tip everyone that does any type of work, if you buy your TV at Walmart, are they entitled for a tip? I personally think that most have their hand out, if you don’t like your job, get another. I don’t mind tipping but if companies charge outrageous prices I would assume they pay their employees well, if not then that is not my problem and they should take it up with the company. I don’t have to make up for the difference.
Tips should be something for services where people go above and beyond their regular job, not for something they are hired to do and just show up for.
Movers all over the planet do not make 25 an hour. Most not even close to that. Moving is some of the hardest work a person will ever do in there life while also risking the future of there body. It’s very bold to suggest that everyone deserves or expect a tip. But the movers do deserve to be treated like a service based industry who if the job is complete with perfection are entitled to a tip of some kind. I am a mover. I can tell you first hand that it’s honest hard work that you clearly don’t understand. Be respectful about your assumptions. It goes both ways. Movers have the capability of getting it done or destroying your most prized possessions. Tip your movers.
I want to move to a different part of my state this year. I have been thinking about hiring a moving service to help me with the process. It is good to know that I should think about how much I will need to tip the service. That does seem like a good thing to keep in mind when coming up with a budget.
I am always stunned by both the math involved and the lack of generosity. I did a local move with 2 guys recently. They lifted all of my heavy things and valuable possessions onto a truck while breaking nothing but a lot of sweat, unloaded all of my heavy things while taking care to walk up 3 stairs from a sloped driveway and they worked a full 3 hours – no coffee breaks. They also put my bed together. They make minimum wage. I tipped them each $60. And I thought that wasn’t enough. I came to this blog to find out if I should have tipped them each more and I discover that people are quibbling about tipping nothing more than pennies. Its the year 2020. It costs a whole lot to live decently. Why wouldn’t I want my moving guys to have a decent day.
So I’m moving 11 hours away and the cost is $15,000. I should tip the movers 20% or $3,000. That seems a bit much!
This is getting ridiculous. Waters, cab drivers now getting 35% . Whats next? tipping drivers $1000.? Get real,!
It totally depend upon mover that this person is royal with us.
I like how you mentioned telling the movers ahead of time that you will be tipping them for the good work they do. My wife and I are moving at the end of the summer and we’re trying to find a good moving company to help us move our big furniture pieces. I’ll remember this article so we can tip them the right amount for the work they do.
Good article. Tipping is so awkward; but I think it’s good to do so when movers do a good job. I think we also have to tip according to what we can afford. I’m moving long-distance and plan to tip on both ends. I tipped the guys who collected my stuff $12 each for 2 hrs of work. If I had more cash I would have tipped more. I would normally offer water, but with COVID-19 around I think we have to be careful about infecting ourselves and the people providing a service. They took a short break, which is good. I live in a small 2-bedroom apt and they moved furniture and many boxes (no large appliances). They were very professional and efficient. If the people on the delivery end are as professional I plan to tip them too — maybe a bit more because they’ll have to carry my stuff upstairs. Once, with a different moving company, I didn’t tip because the movers were incredibly unprofessional. I do notice that the level of professionalism is better when the movers charge a medium to higher rate, maybe because the employees are better-trained and better-paid (??)
Do you have to tip movers? Tipping movers is up to you. While it’s common etiquette to tip some amount, if your movers aren’t doing an adequate job you can choose to withhold a tip. If they have done a good job, it’s best practice to tip $4–$5 per mover per hour or 5–10 percent of the total moving cost.
If your movers do an outstanding job and you’re very happy with the way they handled your move, then you may be willing to reward their efforts in the range of $6-$7/hour per mover, or even $8/hour per mover.
I have a large house. Will have a split move, 1/2 to NC, then the rest to storage, then eventually to FL. All with the same company. How do I tip and when?
I tipped way more then I should have but the amount you are suggesting is horrible and embarrassing. I don’t think you have actually done any moving frankly. Being able to hire movers is a privilege just like going out to eat. If you can’t tip well do it yourself.
I agree with what you said that customers should only tip the moving team they hire after they have completed the job. My sister plans to hire a moving service soon because she is moving apartments with my niece. I’ll share this advice with her tomorrow when we have lunch out. Thanks!
I recently moved my small business from one location to another, about 10 miles apart. I hired a reputable moving company that did a great job and were very professional in the process. I tipped 20% of the total bill and the two movers shared the tip. I live in northern NJ where cost-of-living is high. The suggested $4-$5 per hour is laughable and would be insulting in this geographical area. Naturally, there are a lot of factors to consider when one decides to tip and I believe location is definitely something to consider.
Most movers today are independent contractors. The driver receives a percentage of what you pay the moving company (50-75% of the linehaul; 90% of the packing/unpacking cost). The standard where I used to work was 56% for linehaul, 90%+ for packing). The driver then hires labor to help, pays all of his costs (insurance, gas, maintenance, licensing, tolls, etc.). These costs are the responsibility of the driver, not the moving company. Do some math, figure about what he might be getting paid after his expenses and you’ll find it’s pretty minimal for what he will do.
Thanks for explaining that it would be smart to find a mover who is good at avoiding property damage. It does seem like a very good thing to do if you are renting. After all, I wouldn’t want to lose my security deposit.
I’m looking at an out-of-state move, downsizing from 3000 sf to 1200 sf. I have already paid about $3k to get rid of larger furniture pieces for which I don’t have room. Basically, the large pieces of furniture that remain include: a living room set (sofa, swivel rockers, occasional tables): a queen-sized mattress and box springs, a dresser; a piano; and many boxes. The moving company quoted me a “guaranteed” price of $8k, and I am paying to have many items packed for storage. The packers will have done the bulk of the work, but I expect they won’t be part of the long-distance work. My practice is to tip the foreman, in the presence of at least one of his crew. Thoughts?
It’s great that you mentioned that Your movers wouldn’t really mind getting bigger tips than they usually receive, but after all, it’s your hard-earned money. My sister will move to her new home soon since she will start a family with her husband. I’ll share this with her since movers can make her move much easier. Thanks!
I cannot imagine if there is no moving company. It will be rough moving to other place, especially if you have huge furniture. Thanks to them.
First I ever heard of tipping movers was a couple weeks ago when they delivered 40 boxes to my ex. At her end they actually told her it was customary to tip 20%. Are you kidding me. A $400 tip? That’s $10 per box. I spent 20 years in the military with several moves and never heard a suggestion of tipping. Your article compares tipping a waiter to tipping a mover. In most cases, wait staff aren’t paid a living hourly wage and tips make up most of their salary. I suspect movers make more than 2 or 3 dollars an hour plus tips. Now that I have heard of it, I agree it is a nice gesture to add 20 to 40 per crew for half a day load or unload. For my move, they were significantly late for pick up and delayed by three hours at delivery. My ex tipped them what she had, $20 each. I would not have based on the fact they expected it and tried to take advantage.
I am amazed at what different people say about tipping movers, and especially packers! The packers do all the heavy lifting and toting of your precious possessions. They are an integral part of your move. I feel they deserve at least $7 hr. each. I’m moving 3000 miles away and they’re doing an amazing job! I’m in the throes of it as I write this!!
The foreman is my driver and he couldn’t be nicer and more caring about my move. I intend to tip him on both ends of the move, regardless of what he earns. That’s really none of our business. So, to each his own but you’re not a very nice person if you’re cheap! I’m not wealthy by any stretch but I planned for this, and on top of it, I’m disabled!!