Tipping movers is not required but is common — particularly when the crew handles your belongings carefully on a physically demanding, often multi-day job. Here's what's reasonable.
For the crew that comes to your home to pack and/or load, the general industry norm is $40–$60 per person, per day. On a 2-day pack-and-load with a crew of 4, that's $320–$480 total. Tip at the end of each work day — not at the end of the move — since crew composition may change between days.
The delivery crew at your destination is an entirely different team from your origin crew, and they receive nothing from tips given to the origin packers. In many countries, tipping customs differ from the US — in Germany, for example, tips are appreciated but not expected the way they are in American service culture. Asking your destination agent about local norms is a reasonable thing to do.
Tips should be given in cash, directly to each crew member at the end of their shift. Don't hand a lump sum to the foreman and assume it gets distributed — give each person their tip individually. In the US, some crews also appreciate cold drinks and snacks on hot pack days, which is a low-cost gesture that tends to be genuinely appreciated.
On an international move you may interact with a US packing crew, a separate loading crew at the warehouse or port, a destination customs broker's team, and a final delivery crew — each operating independently. Budget for tipping at both ends if your move warrants it.
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