Delivery in Burlington: the street and the building
Burlington's Public Works moving-day guide says a moving truck has to be legally parked, and it may not block a fire hydrant, an accessible space, a sidewalk, a loading zone or a driveway. If the truck needs to stand anywhere other than the marked public parking spaces, Public Works requires an Obstruction Permit (Burlington DPW moving guide). To hold street space for the unloading, pick up No Parking signs at the Public Works customer service desk, 645 Pine Street, or ask for meter bags on a metered block. You book them in your name. Ask us how many spaces our truck will take before you post the signs.
Apartment buildings and managed properties often set elevator hours and ask the mover for a Certificate of Insurance. Ask the property manager for the requirements in writing, including the coverage limits and the email address the certificate should go to, then forward them to us so our certificate matches.
Homes outside the city
If your new address is in a town outside Burlington, look up its road in Vermont's list of posted town highways and bridges. Each town reports the weight limits it sets and the time of year they apply (VTrans weight restrictions). Put the full address, anything the list shows for your road and a steep or unpaved driveway on your estimate request, so the estimate covers the road you actually live on.
The road north
On the route we measured, city hall to city hall, I-77 takes the truck out of Charlotte into Virginia. I-81 then covers about 465 miles through western Virginia, short pieces of West Virginia and Maryland, and Pennsylvania. I-84 and US 209 lead into New York, the Thruway and the Adirondack Northway (both I-87) carry it north, and the Lake Champlain Bridge brings it into Vermont for the last miles up US 7. A driver may pick another road for weather or traffic; the flat rate, set from your item list before loading, does not change.
Two driving days, then delivery
About 15 hours of the trip is driving. Because the federal limit is 11 hours of driving before a 10-hour break, the trip needs a night's rest on the road. Delivery is planned for 3 to 6 days after loading; the spare days cover weather in the Northeast and the hours your Vermont building or street allows for unloading. Questions on the way go to our Charlotte office.
- Loading day in Charlotte: pads go on the furniture, pieces too wide for a door come apart first, and the truck is loaded from your item list.
- Two days north on I-77, I-81 and I-87.
- Burlington: each box and piece of furniture goes to the room you name, beds and tables are put back together, and any damage goes on a Damage Report.
Winter in Burlington
In winter the city can call a parking ban for snow removal. While the flashing warning lights are on, every vehicle must be off the street by 10 pm, and towing runs from 10 pm to 7 am until the lights go off (Public Works FAQ). Plan the unloading for daylight, and clear a path from the curb to your door before the truck arrives. The spare days in the window leave room for a storm.
After you arrive: Vermont registration
Vermont gives new residents 60 days after the move to register a car there, or less if the North Carolina registration runs out first. Once it is registered, the car has 15 days to pass inspection at a Vermont inspection station (Vermont DMV).
