Some Jobs Aren't Worth It. How Smart Movers Protect Their Profits

Most movers don’t lose money because they’re bad at moving.

They lose it before the truck even rolls—at the estimate.

Maybe the quote was rushed. Maybe someone dropped the price to beat a competitor. Maybe no one thought about the stairs, the extra materials, or the hour lost in traffic. The job gets booked, the crew rolls out, and after a full day’s work... there’s nothing left to show for it.

It’s not unusual. It’s the norm. And it’s exactly why your estimates need to do more than plug hours and mileage into a formula.

Discounting = winning jobs to lose money

Sales reps cut prices to win jobs. It feels like a small hit to keep the calendar full. But when you’re working with thin margins, a 10% discount can kill the job's profit entirely.

Now layer in labor, tolls, materials, and all the little things that eat at margin. That “good” job? It’s now break-even. Or worse. Do that once a week and you're bleeding profit out of your calendar.

Most movers don’t know until it’s too late

Ask a mover their margin on the last ten jobs, and you’ll probably get a shrug. Why? Because unless you have a system that tracks profitability by job, you’re flying blind.

If your estimates are based on gut feel or old templates, you’re not quoting. You’re guessing. And those guesses can wreck your bottom line.

❓What should your profit per job be? 40% or more. Not hitting that? Check your COGS.

Profitable movers quote differently

The best operators don’t just quote faster. They quote with clarity. They know before the job’s booked if it’ll make money—and they walk from the ones that won’t.

That kind of confidence comes from knowing:

• Your average crew costs
• What extras and materials really add up to
• How each estimate stacks up against your profit goals

How SmartMoving helps you quote for profit

SmartMoving’s Estimated Profitability tools make quoting smarter, not harder. No extra setup. No spreadsheets. Just margin clarity built right into your workflow.

Here’s what you get:

• Profit visibility on every quote so you know before the job is booked
• Custom cost inputs for labor, materials, tolls, discounts... whatever affects the bottom line
• Auto-recalculate margins when estimate details change
• Role-based visibility, so sales can see if a job’s profitable without seeing your books
• Estimated margin shown right in your leads table, helping your team prioritize high-profit jobs
• Pricing guardrails that keep reps and branches consistent—and profitable

You can’t build a business on bad estimates

If you’re trying to hit higher profit margins but quoting like every job is a bonus, you’re not going to get there. SmartMoving gives you the tools. But the decision to stop guessing—that starts with you.

Every job you take should be worth it.

Quote like it.