# Can you charge more when it's busy?

Published: 2026-06-11 · Reading time: 7 min · Bas Software
Web version: https://www.bas.software/en/blog/mag-je-meer-vragen-als-het-druk-is

Dynamic pricing divides the moving industry. Some swear by it, others consider it not done. The numbers reveal something surprising.

![Couple compares two moving quotes at the kitchen table.](https://www.bas.software/images/blog/dynamisch-prijzen-verhuisbranche-hero.jpg)

Your neighbour moved last month for EUR 2,000. You pay EUR 3,000. Same furniture, same distance. The only difference? You are moving on the 28th.

Sounds unfair? Maybe. But it happens. And the question of whether a moving company is allowed to charge more in busy periods splits the industry into two camps.

We dove into the data. Thousands of moves, real numbers. This is what came out.

## When is it actually busy?

Every moving company owner knows it: the end of the month is madness. But how big is that difference exactly?

### Distribution of moves per week of the month

| Period             | Share of moves | Avg. job value |
| ------------------ | -------------- | -------------- |
| Week 1 (day 1-7)   | 22.7%          | EUR 2,055      |
| Week 2 (day 8-14)  | 22.4%          | EUR 2,072      |
| Week 3 (day 15-21) | 23.3%          | EUR 2,024      |
| Week 4 (day 22-31) | 31.6%          | EUR 2,087      |

Source: analysis of thousands of moves in the Dutch moving industry

The last week of the month is almost one and a half times busier than the rest. Logical: rental contracts and property transfers almost always fall at the end of the month. But look at the average job value. Practically identical across all weeks. Almost nobody charges more in busy periods.

> The last week is 1.5x busier, but the average job value differs only EUR 63 between the cheapest and most expensive week. Moving companies barely charge more in peak periods.

Friday is the most popular moving day (20.3%), Monday the least popular (18%). Hardly anyone moves on weekends (3.6%). And looking at the whole year, January is the most expensive month (EUR 2,319 on average) and March the cheapest (EUR 1,874). That is a 24% difference - considerably more than the difference between week 1 and week 4.

## Team "yes, charge more"

Dynamic pricing is everywhere. And the clearest example is the airplane seat. Same seat, same flight, same service. But the passenger who books three months in advance pays EUR 89, while the one booking a week before departure puts down EUR 340. Nobody complains about it. It is just how it works.

With a move, the principle is identical. Same truck, same crew, same distance. But on the 28th of the month you get three times as many enquiries as on the 10th. Hotels do it, Uber does it, parking garages do it. The question is not whether it is allowed. The question is whether your customers will accept it.

The proponents have a point:

**Supply and demand is the basis of every market.** If all your trucks are full in the last week of the month and enquiries keep coming in, why would you charge the same price as in a quiet first week? Your capacity is limited. If you take on a job on the 28th, it may mean you have to turn another job down.

**Frame it as a benefit, not a penalty.** Instead of "a surcharge in the busy period", you can present it as "a discount in the quiet period". Psychologically that makes a world of difference. "Book your move in the first two weeks of the month and save 10%" sounds a lot more attractive than "at the end of the month we charge 10% extra".

**Better spreading is better for everyone.** If price incentives make more customers choose quiet periods, you get a more even utilization. That means less stress for your team and less overtime. For your [planning](https://www.bas.software/en/oplossing/planning) across the whole month, it makes a big difference.

## Team "no, fixed price"

But the opponents have a point too.

**Trust is your greatest asset.** In the moving industry, everything revolves around trust. You enter people's homes, you pack up their belongings, you transport everything they own. If a customer later hears that the neighbour paid half for the same move, that trust is gone in an instant. Transparency in your [quoting process](https://www.bas.software/en/oplossing/verkoop) is the foundation of that trust.

**The customer does not always choose the date.** With a plane ticket you consciously choose a busy or quiet period. But with a move, the notary determines when the transfer takes place. The customer often has little influence over it. A surcharge then does not feel like supply and demand, but like bad luck.

**Customers compare afterwards.** In an industry where word of mouth is still the most important marketing tool, a negative Google review can haunt you for months. "My neighbour paid half for the same distance" - those kinds of reviews are deadly, even when the context is different.

**And the numbers confirm it.** The industry does not charge peak prices. Consciously or not.

## What both camps miss

Both camps miss the point: no two moves are the same.

The same 40m3 household can be a piece of cake - everything on the ground floor, wide doors, truck right in front of the door. Or it can be a nightmare - third floor without an elevator, narrow staircase, antique cabinet that does not fit through the window, and the nearest parking spot 200 meters away.

The real question is not "can you charge more when it is busy?" but "can you explain why you charge what you charge?" If your [quote](https://www.bas.software/en/blog/de-perfecte-verhuisofferte-checklist-voor-hogere-slagingskans) makes crystal clear which factors determine the price - floor level, walking distance, packing work, special items - the customer accepts virtually any price. Transparency makes the whole dynamic pricing discussion redundant.

> The real question is not "can you charge more" but "can you explain why you charge what you charge?" Transparency in your quote makes any price acceptable.

## So how do you approach it?

We see three models that work in practice.

**Option A: Peak rates, but be open about them.** You apply a surcharge in busy periods, but you communicate it upfront. On your website, in your quote, in the first phone call. "Our rates are 10% higher in the last week of the month because of high demand. Want to save? Then we are happy to schedule your move earlier in the month." Honest, clear, no surprises. And you give the customer a choice.

**Option B: Fixed prices, but steer with a benefit.** Your price is your price, no matter when. But you offer an active discount for quiet periods. "Moving on a Tuesday in the first week? Then you get a 5% early-bird discount." You keep your base price honest and reward customers who help you spread the work - and in your [planning](https://www.bas.software/en/oplossing/inzicht) you see at a glance which weeks have room.

**Option C: Let your win rate be your thermometer.** This is perhaps the most pragmatic approach. You track your [win rate](https://www.bas.software/en/oplossing/verkoop) per period. If you win 90% of your quotes in the last week of the month, you are probably priced too low. If you only score 30% in the first week, you may be too high. Let the market tell you what the right price is. That is not dynamic pricing - that is smart business.

## So, can you charge more?

Is it allowed? Yes. You are an entrepreneur, you set your rates.

But the numbers show that the industry largely does not do it. EUR 63 difference between the busiest and quietest week. The market has chosen - consciously or not.

If you ask us: the solution is not dynamic pricing or fixed pricing. It is transparency. A customer who understands where his money goes accepts a higher price. A customer who does not, complains about any price - whether it is the 10th or the 28th.

**How do you do it? Do you charge more when it is busy, or is your price your price? We are curious.**

Online or on location - you choose."
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**Sources:** Analysis of thousands of moves in the Dutch moving industry (2025-2026), CBS Moving Statistics.