Organizing a cross-country move by yourself is too risky, dangerous and inefficient to be a valid option for you. In those cases, you’d be better off hiring a top-rated interstate moving company that offers affordable yet high-quality services.
While considering your moving options, you may need more information about professional interstate movers so that you reach an informed decision that’ll work great for you. You may also happen to have too many questions and nobody to give you the good answers you’re looking for.
Be well-informed! Here are the top 10 facts about interstate moving companies so that your out-of-state move goes as problem-free as possible.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about interstate movers.
1. Interstate movers are not intrastate movers
Interstate moving companies will transport your household goods to another state – that is, the move will start in one state and end in another one. State-to-state movers are governed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and offer their clients a fixed price based on a number of factors such as distance, shipment weight, and extra services.
On the other hand, intrastate moving companies are local movers that will move your things to another location within the same state, without actually crossing any state lines. Local movers are not regulated by the U.S. Government and usually charge their customers by the hour.
Good to know: What are the benefits of hiring reputable interstate movers
2. Some interstate movers are more reputable than others
The best interstate moving companies in the country do care about their online reputation and strive to offer great services at affordable prices in order to keep their good reputation fueled by satisfied customers.
Visit trustworthy movers reviews websites such as MyMovingReviews and Yelp to check reviews and ratings of interstate moving companies and compare just how reliable those movers are.
As a rule of thumb, hiring one of the top-rated moving companies will give you a better chance of having a smooth residential move without any major problems along the way.
Read also: How to get recommendations for movers
3. Professional interstate movers are licensed by the U.S. Government
All state-to-state moving companies must be licensed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) in order to operate legally in the country. It’s important to know that, in most cases, licensed interstate moving companies can be trusted because they have passed rigorous checks and met strict requirements during the licensing process.
As proof of their legal status, licensed interstate movers receive valid USDOT numbers by the Government. When comparing various cross-country movers, make sure you check their USDOT numbers online to have the peace of mind that you’re dealing with legitimate moving companies.
See also: How to check a DOT number
4. Great interstate movers belong to professional associations
The most reliable interstate moving companies happen to be those that are also members of trustworthy professional associations – a tell-tale sign that you’re dealing with honest movers that won’t try to scam you in any way.
Professional movers that are proud members of the American Trucking Association (ATA) get certified as ProMovers – a distinction that increases the trust between them and the people who are in need of trustworthy state-to-state moving companies.
Also, cross-country movers that have been accredited by the Better Business Bureau – BBB-accredited interstate moving companies – can be trusted as the Bureau sets and maintains high standards for trust between consumers and businesses.
5. Top-rated interstate moving companies offer in-home surveys
The best long distance moving companies in the country will offer you to come over to your home to complete an on-site inspection of the things you want to move to the new state.
The idea behind in-home surveys is that interstate movers will be able to give you much more precise cost estimates once they’ve seen your household items and have inspected any potential difficulties and dangers on the day of the move.
During the inspections, you’ll have the chance to ask the pros any move-related questions that may be bothering you. And once the visits are completed, the state-to-state movers you’ve shortlisted should provide you with accurate moving cost estimates in writing.
Important info: How to get an accurate moving estimate
6. Professional interstate movers do not charge by the hour
Learning the interstate movers cost in advance is a must-do task for you – you shouldn’t agree to hire professionals without having cost estimates in writing that will, hopefully, reflect the final cost of your cross-country move.
Unlike intrastate movers that charge on an hourly basis, interstate moving companies calculate their prices on a number of cost-forming factors, preferably after visiting your home in person.
How much do interstate movers cost?
Use our interstate move cost estimator to find out. Generally speaking, the moving cost will be calculated based on 1) the distance to the new home, 2) the total weight of the shipment, 3) the extra services needed to complete the interstate move.
Read also: How much do cross country movers cost?
7. Affordable interstate moving companies do exist
When you’re moving on a tight budget, one of your priorities will be to look for and eventually find low-cost interstate movers. That’s not an easy thing to do because most interstate moving companies prices are more or less similar. However, you can still manage to get a good bargain by comparing carefully the moving quotes offered by the moving company representatives who visited your home not long ago.
To find cheap interstate movers that still offer good services, you shouldn’t only compare the bottom line prices but also look at the additional services offered and their respective charges.
Warning: Stay away from estimates that are too good to be true (too low) because they could turn out to be fraudulent.
More info: How to find cheap movers near me
8. Full-service interstate movers offer a variety of moving services
The good news is that once you succeed in finding good interstate movers, they should be able to offer you a wide range of services to satisfy your specific house moving needs.
In most cases, you’ll need interstate movers and packers to pack up your belongings for safe transport through the country. That’s especially true when you own specialty items that are either too big or too fragile to be protected by you.
In addition to packing, professional moving companies should also offer you
- unpacking, if necessary;
- disassembly of large furniture, as well as post-move re-assembly;
- temporary storage at their safe storage facility;
- crating of super-valuable and fragile items;
- hoisting large items through a window or a balcony.
Useful info: What additional services do professional movers offer?
9. Interstate movers will not move hazardous items
Even the best interstate movers in the country will not pack and move items that are dangerous to transport. One, the law does not allow it, and two, it’s too risky to move hazardous materials because they can harm the people involved in the move, hard the environment, and damage other household items, including the movers’ truck.
Hazardous items forbidden for transport include flammable, corrosive, and explosive substances. Professional interstate movers will also refuse to move plants, pets, perishables, and irreplaceable items that happen to be priceless.
Contact your cross-state moving company and request the list of non-allowed items so that you can avoid last-minute troubles when the moving crew arrives at your door on Moving day.
Useful info: What not to pack when moving: List of non-allowables
10. The best interstate movers are not that hard to find
If you happen to be moving to a new city or town just across the state line (moving only a short distance), then you can try to organize a DIY move by renting a moving truck and recruiting some friends to give you a hand with the heavy lifting.
The problem comes when you need to move hundreds or thousands of miles across the country, through lands unknown and dangers unexpected. In those cases, you are strongly recommended to hire interstate movers, for your own sake.
But how to find interstate movers? Use our quick cost estimator at the top of the page and you will be contacted by pre-screened state-to-state moving companies: licensed, reputable, and experienced. Then, compare the moving quotes they’ve given you after the on-site inspections to find the most affordable one too.
Must-read: How to find good movers
Thanks for helping me choose a cross-country moving service. My friend asked my help to find her one since she’ll be moving out of the state to finally study for her doctorate degree. Perhaps, I shall then look online for interstate movers that have Better Business Bureau accreditation to see if they maintain high standard services.