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The 10 Minute Moving Guide

Everything to check before you hire a mover

The 10 minute moving guide

How to Choose a Moving Company

Most moving disasters are avoidable, and they are avoidable in the same handful of ways every time. Work through the eight steps below before you sign anything, and you will know more about your move than the person selling it to you.

First, learn the three kinds of estimates

Binding Estimate

Price locked

The mover guarantees the total price for the exact inventory and services written on the estimate. The price will not change because the job ran long or fuel prices moved.

Watch out: It can still change if you add items or services on moving day, or if what gets loaded does not match the inventory the price was based on.

Non-Binding Estimate

Price can change

An educated guess. The final bill is based on the actual weight and the actual services performed, so it can come in higher or lower than the number you were quoted.

Watch out: This is the most common source of "my quote doubled" stories. Ask how far it can vary and get the range in writing.

Non-Binding to Exceed

Ceiling set

The final price is based on actual weight and services, but it cannot go above the stated maximum unless you add items or services.

Watch out: The safest middle ground, but only if the ceiling and the conditions that break it are written into the estimate.

The eight steps that protect your move

  • US DOT number: every interstate mover must have one and display it on its trucks, its website, and its paperwork. Ask for it on the first call.
  • MC number: the operating authority number. If the company is a broker, it must say so, because brokers arrange your move and hand it to a carrier rather than moving your goods themselves.
  • Look both numbers up free at the FMCSA's Protect Your Move site or by phone at 1-888-DOT-SAFT. Confirm the authority is active, not revoked and not pending.
  • Check the physical address on a map. A real mover has a real warehouse, office, or yard, not just a mailbox or a virtual office suite.
  • Ask for a certificate of insurance showing cargo coverage and general liability, then call the insurer to confirm it is current.
  • In-state moves are licensed by your state, not the FMCSA. Look up your state's department of transportation or public utilities commission.
  • Match the names. The name on the estimate, the truck, and the DOT record should be the same company. Similar-but-different names are a classic bait-and-switch.

10 red flags

If you see two or more of these, walk away. There are hundreds of licensed movers.

  1. 1No US DOT or MC number anywhere, not on the website, the truck, or the paperwork.
  2. 2A quote far below every other quote, given over the phone by someone who never saw your home.
  3. 3Pressure to sign today, or a discount that expires within the hour.
  4. 4A large cash deposit demanded up front, or a request to wire money.
  5. 5No physical address you can visit, or an address that turns out to be a mailbox store.
  6. 6The company name on the estimate does not match the name on the truck or the DOT record.
  7. 7An unmarked truck, or a crew that cannot tell you who they work for.
  8. 8Refusal to put the price, the services, or the delivery window in writing.
  9. 9No FMCSA rights booklet, no arbitration information, and no tariff on request.
  10. 10Your goods held, or threatened to be held, for more money than your contract allows.

12 questions to ask

Ask every company these on the phone before you book a survey. Vague answers are answers too.

  1. 1What is your US DOT number, and are you a carrier or a broker?
  2. 2Is this estimate binding, non-binding, or non-binding to exceed?
  3. 3Who performs the survey, and is the estimate based on a full inventory?
  4. 4What is not included in this price?
  5. 5What would make this price change after today?
  6. 6What valuation coverage is included, and what does full value protection cost?
  7. 7What is the deductible, and who handles a claim?
  8. 8What are my pickup and delivery dates, and what is the delivery window?
  9. 9Will my shipment ride on your truck, or be handed to another carrier?
  10. 10Do you use a shuttle truck, and is that an extra charge?
  11. 11How much notice do you need if my dates change?
  12. 12Do you have an arbitration program, and where do I file a complaint?

Federal license checks are free: the FMCSA's Protect Your Move site, or 1-888-DOT-SAFT. For an in-state move, your state's transportation or public utilities commission keeps the license record.

Interactive checklist

Your moving timeline

Everything that has to happen, in the order it has to happen. Your checkmarks are saved on this device.

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8 weeks before

Research and shortlist

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6 weeks before

Estimates and booking

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4 weeks before

Preparation

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2 weeks before

Confirm the details

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Moving day

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Delivery day

Unloading and verifying

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