How much cash should a moving company keep?

A moving company earns most of its revenue in summer and at the end of each month. Residential customers pay on move day, often with a deposit. Corporate and commercial moves bill on terms. Trucks, insurance and storage cost the same in the slow season.

Payroll per run, all-in $ How often you run payroll Fixed bills per month (rent, loans, insurance, software) $ Days your customers take to pay, on average days Cash in the bank today $

Minimum to keep

Two payroll runs plus one month of fixed bills

Comfortable level

Covers costs while you wait for customers to pay, plus one month

Weeks your cash covers

If no customer paid you

The starting numbers are an example. Replace them with yours.

How cash moves in a moving company

Summer and month-end weekends carry the year.
Deposits arrive when the move is booked, before crews and trucks are paid.
Damage claims come out of cash weeks after the move.
Truck payments, insurance and storage rent run all year.

Why the usual rule falls short

Two moving companies each do $1.1 million a year. One does mostly residential moves paid on the day. The other does corporate relocations billed on 45-day terms. The second carries crew pay for weeks before it is paid.

How the calculator works

Result	Formula
Minimum to keep	2 × payroll per run + 1 month of fixed bills
Comfortable level	Monthly costs × (days to collect ÷ 30 + 1)
Weeks your cash covers	Cash ÷ weekly costs

Get this done for you every Monday

One Page CFO reads your QuickBooks, builds your 13-week cash forecast and your one-page report, and a CFO checks both. $500 a month.

Check if I fit →

Also for moving company owners, see the moving company monthly financial report.