Moving is never an easy task to undertake, and it adds plenty of stress to an already taxing situation. Hiring quality movers is a must, so check out these hiring tips before picking your moving company!
Research Company Licensing
The FMCSA or Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regularly conducts safety, economic and legal compliance audits to protect consumers from moving fraud, and this data is available through public record. The agency’s Safety and Fitness Electronic Records System allows you to check whether a mover is licensed and insured, as well as their inspection results. The FMCSA’s mover search tool is also very handy as it provides up-to-date access to registered interstate movers and their compliance history.
Reputation and Customer Reviews
Never underestimate the value of customer reviews, especially with moving companies. Reviews from other people who have experienced the difficulties of moving can be valuable and trustworthy. You will specifically want to look for comments about movers’ attitudes throughout the entire moving process. Before dismissing a moving company off one bad review, note how the company tackled the problem and keep in mind the customer might have been difficult to deal with. A large number of poor reviews, however, will definitely guide you to steer clear. Also check to see if the moving company has a strong social media presence as this can indicate that they keep their lines of communication open.
Other Red Flags
Additional red flags that will help you narrow down your list of moving company include no local address or information about their registration or insurance on their website, they request a large deposit in advance, their estimates are unrealistically low or outrageously high, they fail to provide you with the FMCSA booklet “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move,” or they ask you to sign blank or incomplete documents.
The more you research your movers, the better equipped you’ll be to make the best choice!
