There are over 8,000 moving companies within the United States. With so many different options it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Although the majority of moving companies compete over price, the actual job of any mover is essentially the same regardless of how much is paid. As the person moving, you hire a moving company to provide the convenience of packing and delivering your household items from one place to another safely. According to the Employee Relocation Council; moving is ranked as the third most stressful event in life, following death of a loved one and divorce. With so much stress associated with this task, it’s great to have a professional to count on. So how do you ensure you select the best and most qualified movers?

1) Start with options. Establish communication with 5 – 10 moving companies by getting a free moving quote. Depending on whether you are moving in-town or cross states, its best to work with movers that are most familiar with the area you are moving to. There are various ways to begin contact with these movers however gaining an unbiased opinion is critical. A moving directory, like TenantsDirect.com, provides a wide array of moving companies and is the best first step since their compensation is not based on any particular moving company you select.
2) Schedule in-home appointments. After you receive and review each free moving quote and shortened the list of potential movers to 3 – 5, you should schedule an in-person walk-through. This will provide the movers with a better expectation of the size of the move and much more accurate cost assessment for you. Also, this is an opportunity for you to interview each mover. Do they sub-contract any of their work? Do they use 24 ft trucks or trailers to move your household items? How long have they been professional movers? Do they carry the proper DOT (Department of Transportation) license and insurance? Does the moving company provide you with a copy of “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move”? Ask for references and other contact information (i.e., website, email address, office address, etc.).
3) Review consumer complaints and licensing requirements. SaferSys.org is a great first start to review whether the movers’ license is current. Also, the BBB (Better Business Bureau) provides resources to quickly check any consumer complaints.
4) Never pay cash or large deposit before the move. This is for obvious reasons.
5) Find out what responsibility the movers will take in the event of damages. If for any reason your household items are damaged, please know and understand upfront how the moving company will compensate or repair your damaged items.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 12th, 2009 at 4:21 pm and is filed under Settling In!. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.