Winter Moving Tips Published Dec. 17, 2007 By Russell E. DePietro Joint Personal Property Shipping Office-Northeast Customer Service chief HANSCOM AFB, Mass. -- Editor's note: With the beginning of the upcoming winter moving season, Joint Personnel Property Shipping office personnel wish to pass on the following key moving tips to the Hanscom community. All personnel moving during the winter months through the JPPSO-Northeast office should be aware that major snow and sleet storms may delay the pickup and delivery of household goods. To minimize inconveniences if a storm occurs, personnel are encouraged to plan an extra day or two between their scheduled pickup and departure date. They are also encouraged to leave their phone and other utilities connected until all property has been picked up. It is the responsibility of the person being moved to clear walkways of snow and ice. This includes walkways leading to outdoor storage sheds. Failure to do so will delay the move. Other things personnel should do when the moving day arrives are: - Get up early and be ready for the movers. - Ensure pets are under control before movers arrive. - Make sure cash, jewelry, important documents (passports, birth certificates, airline tickets) and other valuable items are secure. - Verify the mover's inventory is detailed, complete and accurate. Don't accept any "miscellaneous" labels or entries, especially for valuable items. - If the inventory is inaccurate, tell the carrier's representative and write down the reason for the disagreement at the bottom of the inventory in the space marked for exceptions. - Disconnect electrical appliances including washer, dryer, television and stereo components. - Ensure any outdoor items, including play equipment or lawn furniture has been disassembled and is free of snow and ice. - Ensure all overseas shipments have seals applied to the container and are recorded on the descriptive inventory prior to removal from the residence. - Do a final walk through prior to the carrier departing to ensure all inventoried items have been removed from the residence and loaded on the truck. - Keep the JPPSO's phone number on hand. In case of problems on the day of packing or pickup call (800) 235-7776 between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. - For emergencies after 6 p.m., call (978) 987-6546. The standby person will answer the phone, or callers will be asked to leave a voice mail message. For voice mail entries, callers will be asked to leave a complete phone number including the area code. Calls will be returned as soon as possible. Additional moving information can be accessed through the Air Force Move Web site located at http://afmove.hq.af.mil.