The Affordable Advantage

Atlas Van Lines  and its agents care about your personal possessions. We are proud to deliver your belongings in the same condition as when placed in our care at origin.

Our professional packers, skilled van operators and modern equipment all contribute to the high standard of quality service our customers can rely on.

We, at L.H. Chapple Ltd., take pride in our ability to maintain one of the lowest claims ratios in the industry and we continue to lead the market in personalized services.

No matter how careful we try to be, accidental loss or damage may occur. The decision to protect your possessions is no different than purchasing insurance for the contents of your home; for your peace of mind, you wouldn't be without it.

We do however, want to point out that the Transit Protection coverage from movers is not "Insurance" in the normal sense of having a specific policy written under the auspices of an insurance underwriter. Instead, the funds for repair or replacement come from a "valuation pool" held by Atlas Van Lines (Canada) Ltd. and coverages are subject to the terms stated on the reverse of the Atlas Van Lines Bill of Lading.

To meet the particular needs of our customers, Atlas Van Lines offers two choices of transit protection against accidental loss or damage. Please read the following pages and select your option carefully.

OPTION A

Released Protection

In the unlikely event of a total loss (by fire, for example), your maximum protection would be 60 cents for each lb. of actual weight on your entire shipment of household goods.

Example:
8000 lbs. /HHG x 60 cents/lb. = $4800.00
maximum liability.

This protection, although not recommended, is adequate if you have alternate insurance on your household possessions that provides a complete all risk protection during loading, unloading, transportation and storage.

To avoid confusion, check with your own insurance agent. You will probably find that most homeowner's policies do not cover you in this situation. Occasionally, a special rider can be purchased but often, the premium is higher than purchasing coverage from the mover. If coverage is available from your insurer, you should also factor in the cost of your homeowner's deductible when comparing rates to Atlas' protection plan premium.

If this type of protection is selected, then item #3 Declaration of Value Bill of Lading must be completed, and signed as follows:

OPTION B

Replacement Protection

The Atlas Replacement Plan simply means that if the damaged item cannot be repaired to its original condition it will be replaced with one of like kind and quality at today's market price. This protection is limited only by the amount of valuation you select. It is important, therefore that you recognize and establish the realistic replacement value of all of your possessions.

Our only requirement is that your shipment be protected to a minimum of $5.00 per pound of the actual weight of your household goods.

Example:
If the total weight of your household items is 10,000 pounds, you must apply a replacement coverage of not less than $50,000.
(10,000 lbs. x $5.00/lb)

Items of extraordinary value should be listed separately and the replacement cost of each item identified separately on/with the Bill of Lading.

Just ask your Moving Consultant for the affordable cost of the Atlas Replacement Protection Plan.

Motorized Vehicle Protection
A limited protection coverage applies to motor vehicles, trailers, campers, snowmobiles, motorcycles, boats or motors. These items must be shown separately on the face of the Bill of Lading. Protection is limited to the current market value of the year, model and condition.

Your destination agent will proceed to give you instructions based on our policies, however, no repairs may be completed without prior authorization from the destination agent or directly from Atlas Van Lines (Canada) Ltd. Customer Service Department.

The total value of these items must be in addition to the required minimum coverage of $5.00 per pound of household goods weight.

For this type of transit coverage on your vehicle(s), you must include a dollar value and your initials in the Option B section under item #3 Declaration of Value.

Storage
Atlas Van Lines and its agents provide two types of Storage: Storage-in-Transit (S.I.T.) and Long Term Storage (L.T.S.)

Storage-in-Transit is for a period of not more than 60 days and must be in connection with a long distance move. The Terms and Conditions of Carriage on the Atlas Van Lines (Canada) Ltd. Bill of Lading apply.

Long Term Storage is storage for any length of time, not related to a long distance move or any length of time over 60 days in relation to a long distance move. L.T.S. services are offered by all Atlas agents and separate rules, regulations and rates apply depending on the Agency and services required.

Claim Procedures
In the unfortunate event of a loss or damage claim, Atlas Van Lines and its agents are committed to providing prompt and equitable restitution.

If you experience a claim, immediate contact with your local Atlas agent at destination is essential. Your local Atlas agent's name, address and telephone number at destination is indicated on your Bill of Lading.

You will be asked to complete a Statement of Claim form which will assist Atlas with the repair and settlement action. The claim form must be submitted and received by the agent at destination, no later than 60 days after you receive your possessions.

Explosives: ammunition including, bullets, shotgun shells, etc.; railroad or road flares; fireworks; detonators; blasting caps.

Gases: any gases under pressure or liquefied; propane; quick start; oxygen; acetylene; helium; household or industrial fuel; aerosol cans; hair spray; anti-perspirant; paint cleaner; butane lighters; propane tanks.

Oxidizers: bleach; disinfectants; organic peroxides; fertilizers; pool chemicals; hair bleach; chlorine in any form.

Flammable Solids: matches; fuel tablets; barbecue starter pellets; hay or straw; wood chips.

Liquids: wine; beer; preserves, etc.

Flammable Liquids: gas; cleaning fluid; lighter fluids; paint; paint thinners; barbecue starter; glues; resins; kerosene; naptha; acetone; alcohol; lamp oil.

Corrosive: oven cleaner; toilet cleaners; liquid plumber; drain cleaner; household cleaners; lye; acids (sulphuric, hydrochloric, nitric, muriatic); car, boat or motorcycle batteries.

Poisons: pesticides; herbicides; cygon; fumigants; wood preservatives; creosote; photographic chemicals.

Items subject to Spontaneous Combustion: oily rags; charcoal.

Non-Protected Items
The following goods are excluded from cargo protection:

• Jewellery
• Coins
• Stamps
• Documents
• Watches
• Currency
• Precious Stones/Metals
• Perishable Articles (frozen food, plants & pets, etc.)

Liability with respect to items such as photographs and similar objects is limited to the value of the film, albums, etc. No allowance will be made for items of sentimental value as they do not have a cash equivalent amount. You are strongly urged for your own protection to take such items with you.

Mechanical Damage
It is the shipper's responsibility to make preparation arrangements, before transit, of items of a mechanical nature. These items include, but are not limited to clocks, stereos, large appliances (washers, dryers, refrigerators, freezers etc.) and any item, which has mechanically moving parts. Remember to remove CDs, video tapes or DVD disks from your machines prior to shipment. Remove ink or carbon cartridges from printers and insert a cardboard or blank disk in your computer disk drive before packing and moving these items. If these items are not properly prepared, damage can occur through no fault of the carrier.

Owner Packed Cartons
Atlas Van Lines cannot assume responsibility for damage to the contents of cartons that are not packed and unpacked by the contracting carrier, his agent or employees. If there is clear evidence of mishandling the cartons, or the exterior of the carton is damaged, resulting in breakage of the contents, the carrier will accept responsibility for obvious damage. This rule also applies to items that are not necessarily of a fragile nature but should have been packed professionally to reduce the risk of damage. Such items include but are not limited to: mattresses, box springs and dresser mirrors.

Inherent Vice
The carrier cannot be held responsible for damages to the type of items which by their very nature are subject to damage due to changes in temperature. Cold weather is a particular problem with certain types of possessions such as vinyl or plastic items or coverings. Similarly, the lacquered finish on furniture items may shatter in extreme cold. There is virtually nothing that a carrier can do to protect the furnishings against this factor during transit in extreme cold weather. You should discuss this matter with your moving consultant to determine how best to handle the situation. Generally, it may be best to leave those items at origin to be stored in a climate controlled warehouse for later shipping in more clement weather.