When moving from one home to another, it’s really important that you find reliable movers whom you can entrust with your prized possessions. Regardless of the move distance – moving just across town or moving thousands of miles across the country, you just need to know that the professionals you hire will do a good job protecting and transporting your household items from your current home to the new place.
As you’re getting ready to move out, the big question that could keep you tossing and turning at night is: are you choosing the right movers?
After all, moving house is thought to be one of the most stressful experiences a person can go through in their life. And, in the majority of relocation cases, picking the right movers for you will guarantee the success of your household move.
How to know you’ve hired the right movers? The following 10 signs will help you understand whether or not you’re hiring the right moving company for you and your family.
Sign 1: Your movers are properly licensed by the U.S. government
Choosing the right movers always mean that those companies have to be properly licensed by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Their legal status is of paramount importance – you definitely don’t want to be dealing with dishonest rogue movers that have no proof of their legal status.
All interstate moving companies must have valid USDOT numbers issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) – the irrefutable proof that they are government-approved and comply with strict federal regulations concerning safety, trustworthiness, and quality of the moving services they offer.
Visit the official website of FMCSA and check whether your movers have valid USDOT numbers. If they do, then you’re one step closer to right moving company for you.
Read also: How to check a USDOT number
Sign 2: Your movers are adequately insured
One good way to know that you’re choosing movers you can trust is when they can show you their own insurance policy if you ask them to. All licensed moving companies are required by law to assume liability for the item they move from one home to another.
Your interstate movers should offer two types of liability options: Released Value and Full Value Protection.
- The Released Value will come at no additional charge for you but its protection is laughable – your mover will only assume liability for no more than $0.60 per pound per item.
- Full Value Protection will hold your mover liable for the replacement value of any items they happen to lose or damage while transporting your household goods.
See also: Should you purchase moving insurance?
Sign 3: Your movers have a good reputation
You know you’re picking the right movers when they have an excellent reputation among their former customers. Now, it’s not a secret that the better job a moving company does, the better their reputation will be and therefore, more people will recommend their moving services to friends, neighbors, colleagues, and even strangers.
You must check online the reputation of the movers you’re reviewing – simply visit one of the best websites that offer consumer reviews about moving companies (MyMovingReviews and Yelp, for example) and read reviews, testimonials, and ratings left by people who have already used their moving services.
Choosing top-rated movers will give you the peace of mind that your valuable items will be in good hands.
Useful info: How to spot fake online reviews about moving companies
Sign 4: Your movers have ample experience in your type of move
Some moving companies are better than others, and your task is to find the best mover for you – that is, for your particular type of move.
When researching movers, remember to ask the pros whether they have substantial experience in dealing with your specific type of move. After all, moving into a country house is much different than moving into a high-rise building in a big city, so you need to know what the moving professionals are experienced enough to handle it all.
Also, if you’re taking your precious piano with you or your priceless grandfather clock, you have to know that your specialty movers have moved such high-value items many times before. Successfully, of course.
Read also: 10 Steps to select a good mover
Sign 5: Your movers offer binding estimates after in-home inspections
You’ll know you’re hiring the right movers when they ask to visit your home in person in order to calculate the moving price more accurately. In reality, in-home surveys are the only way you can get precise quotes that will reflect the moving price you’ll pay in the end.
When moving experts come in your home and take a closer look at the things you have for transport, they will issue you with estimates based on the estimated weight of your shipment. Request binding estimates from several top-rated moving companies in your town or city – a binding estimate should be a guaranteed price that includes all extra services and fees.
Stay away from moving companies that refuse to inspect your home and insist on giving you quotes over the phone or via e-mail.
Must-read: How to get an accurate moving estimate
Sign 6: Your movers offer the moving services you need
Hiring the right movers means that they should be able to offer you the types of moving services you’ll need to complete the move. Otherwise, such moving companies wouldn’t be much use to you, would they?
For example, if you need some of your large and heavy furniture items to be disassembled properly for quicker and safer transport, then your mover should offer you the service of furniture disassembly on the day of the move and then furniture re-assembly at the new home.
When it comes to extra services, packing and/or unpacking, furniture disassembly and reassembly, temporary storage, hoisting, and handling of special items, including crating should be there for you to choose from, especially when you’re looking for full-service movers.
Discuss the need for additional moving services with your movers.
Sign 7: Your movers are also ProMovers
Another indisputable sign that you’re hiring a reputable and reliable moving company is the ProMover distinction they should have. You’re about to trust those strangers with your cherished possessions, so you must be certain that you can actually trust them.
Keep this in mind: the best movers in the country are also members of the American Trucking Association (ATA). And as members of the most prestigious organization in the moving industry, those moving companies have become ProMovers – a sign that you’ll be dealing with a trustworthy mover that has passed a thorough background check and has agreed to uphold ATA’s Code of Ethics. All that means that the movers you’ll be hiring will not try to scam you in any way.
To check whether the moving companies you’re researching are ProMovers, all you need to is visit ATA’s official website and see their status.
Sign 8: Your movers are BBB-accredited
How to know what you’ve hired the right movers? In addition to an ATA membership, a good mover should also be BBB-accredited – another sign that you’re dealing with a professional moving company you can trust to do a good job.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) helps establish trust between all the people looking for trustworthy moving services and the providers of such services. The Bureau sets high standards that the moving companies must meet and maintain in order to be properly accredited by the organization.
So, when looking to hire the right movers, don’t skip the BBB-accreditation check – it’s yet another proof that you’re making the right choice.
Sign 9: Your movers won’t mind the hard questions
An important sign that your movers are professionals who act like professionals will be when you start asking them the hard questions. Ever since the initial contact with the pros and later at the in-home inspection itself, you should feel free to ask them any questions that are weighing on your mind at that time.
Is the mover properly licensed and adequately insured?
How long has the moving company been in business?
Do they have experienced movers and the necessary moving equipment to get the job done?
Don’t hesitate to ask your movers anything that you want to know. If you happen to be dissatisfied with their answers, then find another professional moving company that will show the type of professionalism you’re looking for.
See also: What questions to ask movers before you hire them
Sign 10. Your movers will be fairly affordable as well
The final sign that you’ve hired the right movers will be the price they quote you after the on-site survey. Now, before you even start looking for professional movers to help you with your local or cross-country move, you’ll have a preliminary budget that you’d love to stick to, if possible. And that is exactly why while comparing the moving cost estimates you’ve received, you’ll be looking for the quote that fits your moving budget.
Remember that high-quality moving services come at a price, meaning that you can’t expect the top-rated moving companies in the country to be really cheap at the same time. Be proactive and lower that moving price by going through your items really carefully and choosing to take only the things you plan to use in the future. Also, do consider packing on your own whatever you can (ask your friends to give you a hand) to avoid paying professional packers for that extra service.
Good advice: How to find affordable movers near you
