But how to be sure. There are so many moving companies claiming to be “fully licensed and insured”. Some of them even have some license numbers listed on their web pages. All of this doesn’t mean anything until you check that for yourself and do a moving companies license lookup.

What is a Movers License Number

All moving companies that operate in the USA should be licensed with the United States Department of Transportation. There are different requirements for a moving company to become licensed depending on the state of operation. All licensed moving companies are provided with an unique movers license number called US DOT number. Movers license numbers are being renewed on a yearly basis that is why checking the validity of the number is very important. If a moving company does not comply with the laws or if they do regular accidents, their licenses are being revoked. Read more about the DOT numbers here.

Movers License Verification

Verify DOT Number

All moving trucks sould have the company moving license written on the front doors of the truck or the tracktor.

Everyone can perform a moving company license look-up in the US Department of Transportation database for free and verify a DOT number fast and easy. Checking the moving company license information will also pull out some more information about the company record like: US Inspection results for the last 24 months, reported crashes safety ratings, etc.

Click here to verify a mover from the database.

Complete Moving Company License Information

To see the company DOT record about the company size, there is another place you can check your moving company at. There, you can search your preferred moving company by DOT number, by name or by MC number. There you can pull up information as: company type, fleet size, number of trucks and trailers. You can also extract the moving company insurance information if you need to contact their insurance company.

Detailed DOT information site.

The DOT Requirements

This element consists of eight combed blocks and it is used to record the United States Department of Transportation number (USDOT#). All motor carriers operating a Commercial Motor Vehicle in interstate or foreign commerce must be assigned & display a USDOT Number before interstate operations begin. This includes all interstate private, exempt, for hire and passenger motor carriers.
At least one of these numbers: ICC, PUC, or USDOT; is required in order to identify a commercial vehicle.

Licensed Movers Reviews

Even if your moving company is with a positive moving company license verification, you should still research your service provider further. Having a valid license is just one step of approving a company to entrust your precious belongings with. Reading licensed movers reviews is another thing you should consider. Being aware what other people have shared about their moving experience with the company is very important.

No matter if you are about to move locally or long distance, hiring licensed movers is essential for your successful move.

Do you know another way to research your movers before hiring. Let us know in the comments below.

Pet Movers and Pet Moving Companies

Pet Transportation is a major part of the family moving from one place to another. We know that your pet comfort and safety is your great concern. That is why we suggest some important steps that you should follow before moving your pet.

Plan your pet moving ahead.
Planning everything ahead will make your pet’s move less stressful for both you and the pet itself. Pack over everything couple days before you move your pet and try to maintain your pet’s routine.

Invest in a top quality pet carrier or moving company.
Read some moving reviews before you choose a moving company. Investing in a high-quality moving company will guarantee high comfort for your cat, dog or other pet. Get a carrier ahead and gradually accustom your pet to spending some time in it. The moving process would be less stressful for your pet.

Buy a new ID tag for your pet.
As soon you know your new address, purchase a new ID tag for your pet that includes your telephone number and your pet new address. Even your pet got lost, the chances of finding it are much greater. You have to finish the whole paperwork concerning your pet accurately.

Keep your pet on a safe distance from the movers.
On the moving day, place your pet in a safe and quiet location such as the bathroom. This way you will protect your pet from getting  stressed by seeing the professional movers. Putting a note on the door where your pet is located is a good idea. This is how the movers will know not to open that door.

Ask your moving company is the moving carrier well ventilated.
This is a crucial part of the moving process. Neither a cat nor a dog is comfortable traveling in a small carrier where the temperature raises quickly. Ask your moving company is the moving carrier well ventilated.

Get your pet to a veterinarian.
It might be a good a idea to ask your veterinarian about some medications that might reduce the stress of the travel. Consult your veterinarian prior move. He or she might give you a helpful advice.

Prepare your new home for your pet.
Remember that your pet will need food, water, medications, litter box, etc. from day one. So we encourage you to take care of everything your pet need ahead. This way you will reduce the additional stress on your pet.

Moving with a pet requires more time. You should take care for your pet, providing it the best services you can.

Moving packed Furniture

Moving to a new place requires you to manage things in a proper way.

We know that it’s very important to you that your belongings arrive safely. But what moving companies do to protect your belongings? After a little research, we made a list with some crucial steps that all moving companies should do to protect your belongings from being damaged:

• All items in your home should be packed by experts using the most up to date packing methods and materials available.
• Define your fragile or high value items so movers can pack them with care.
• Movers must handle your fragile belongings extremely careful. Delicate items such as Glassware, dishes, artwork, fragile furniture and mirrors should only be packed by professionals.
• If you want to pack some of your belongings by yourself, ask your moving company to provide you with boxes and materials to make your job easier. Then label all moving cartons and moving boxes in order to avoid confusion later on. You will save time and troubles when unpacking.
• Let your moving company do the hard work, they know proper packing techniques and also they have the right equipment to avoid any scratches or dents on your items.
• All your special art and antique items should be inspected very carefully and packed with great care.
• Each of your belongings should be labeled, inventoried and loaded in a systematic process. All your upholstered furniture must be wrapped with shrink wrap that completely covers the furniture, this way it will be protected from dirt. Your moving company must use moving blankets or some other materials that will shield your items from damage during a move.

Haven’t decided yet what moving company to use? Read some useful mover reviews and moving. They are very helpful. After checking if the company is licensed and registered, it’s a smart idea to read some reviews.

Finding reliable movers

There is nothing more stressful than moving interstate state to state. Having your entire family relocated long distance takes a lot of effort and time, and this is just the beginning. Taking your household into a completely new society and getting used to the new surrounding is something you need to deal in the long term.

Having your state to state move performed as smooth as possible is your main objective. Here is a quick guide how to select a reputable state to state moving company.

Research your movers online

Always research the movers online and read reviews. Internet is a great place for searching  information. Nowadays, there are many online service websites for customer complaints and information resources. Starting with U.S  Department of Transportation website and finishing with the variety of   moving services blogs and forums. Find as many information as you can about your future mover. Do not forget to check also the Better Business Bureau.

Get your moving estimate

If you have found a moving company you think is a reputable one, request a moving estimate from this company. Choose at least three relocating companies to compare the prices. Be cautious because many cheap movers provide very low moving quotes just to book the move, and at the delivery day they have completely different balance in your invoice. Reputable movers don’t do that and they provide the real costs upfront. Keep that in mind when selecting your movers.

Read your moving contract before signing

Always read the contract (Bill of Ladding) before signing. It is very important to understand what are you signing on. Do not sign blank papers as you cannot control the contents of the document. Having the moving services performed just the way you want depend on the documents you have signed and agreed prior your move.

Our Recommendation – Ask your questions

Ask questions about every single detail about your move. If you feel you have doubts about any of the contract clauses,  ask the moving company consultant to explain you in details. You should know prior all the details about the whole moving process.

Trust only insured movers

The Licensed and Insured moving companies should offer moving insurance options to its customers. In order to be licensed to operate as a moving company, your goods are insured with a basic moving insurance which in the moving industry is called liability. Make sure your company has insurance and you will not have to worry that much how the movers handle your household items, because they are liable.

The Basic Moving Liability Insurance

All licensed moving carriers are providing the basic moving liability with every single move. No extra charge for this option. It offers $0.60 per pound per article and is included for your move. So if the movers broke an item that weighs about 30 pounds you will receive the amount of 18 dollars.

Full Liability Moving Insurance Options

The full insurance options offer coverage based on the item value and not on the weight. If you require a full liability insurance option, you should contact your moving company about that at least 10 days in advance because there is a certain amount of paperwork to be done. There are three full insurance options that differ only by the deductible amount.

• Full Liability Moving Insurance with $500 deductible

The minimum purchase of this option is $5000 liability value. The insurance cost is $35 per $1000 of liability. This means that if you have a couch that you have listed a value of 2000 dollars, you will pay insurance for the couch of $70 and if something happens to it, you will receive $1500 because of the $500 deductible.

• Full Liability Moving Insurance with $250 deductible

The minimum purchase of this option is $5000 liability value. The insurance cost is $45 per $1000 of liability.

• Full Liability Moving Insurance – No deductible

The minimum purchase of this option is $5000 liability value. The insurance cost is $55 per $1000 of liability. This is a full liability option and the movers will refund the total amount of the broken item.

In conclusion, it is always a good idea to have all your options reviewed before the move and if you have some items of high value, to have them insured with a reliable moving company in advance. You should  consider very carefully all the insurance options before signing a contract.

Choosing a Local Mover

Many of the big moving carriers work with agents all over the USA. The problem is that even if you have used one of the major players in the market, you may get a totally different service with the different moving agents working with the carrier.

The major moving brokers and agent moving companies cannot maintain the same service quality throughout their wide network of agents and this could cost you much. On the other hand, using a local mover or a major moving company with an office in your city is a good decision.

Choosing Local Moving Companies

The Local Phoenix Movers of  Frontier Apartment Movers are an example of a reliable moving company in Arizona. As they are serving only the state of Arizona, the movers are familiar with the area and the quality of service of the moving company is closely controlled. Having a local moving company taking care of your precious belongings is a smart choice. You could easily research the local movers in your state both online or asking the locals or friends.

Choosing a Nationwide carrier for your Long Distance Move

A nationwide moving company that does not operate with moving agents and thus, the quality of service is high no matter of the state of operation. For example Xpress Movers has its own training team and all employees of the company are going through exams, both physical and practical, before performing an actual move. This guarantees the quality of the moving and packing services both local and interstate no matter of the location.

No matter if choosing a local moving company or nationwide movers, always research your movers online before hiring using mover review sites  or checking the relocation company record at the Department of Transportation. This will save you a lot of troubles, time and money.

Find safe and reliable movers

Finding a reputable moving company is not an easy task. There are many movers websites that claim to be reliable companies with upfront pricing. Actually, hiring a moving company should be a very careful decision.

Important things to look for when hiring movers

There are several important factors to check before hiring a moving company. If you execute some simple steps, you may save a lot of troubles. Here is a list of a must do jobs when it comes to moving:

•  Ask if your moving provider has BBB accreditation. Look at the movers website for the BBB logo and search the company in the BBB database.

• Search for a US D.O.T. (US Department of Transportation) license and registration number. All registered and licensed companies under the U.S Department are obliged to respect the rules. Make sure that the US DOT number is under the same moving company name.

• Run some background check about your future company on internet . Read some moving reviews online to see what other customers are telling about this moving business you are about to hire. There are many places to do that online. Make sure you share your moving experience after the move.

• Ask for a binding estimate by an e-mail. Most moving companies offer free moving quotes and some of them are pretty close to the final amount. Make sure you check all aspects of the move and all moving fees that may apply. Also request the packing supplies price list before the move.

•  Avoid using moving brokers. Using a broker does not guarantee the quality of the moving service. Most moving brokers work with more than 50 different moving companies, and every moving company provides different moving service. Try using real moving companies with a reputation in the industry and request a moving estimate.

In conclusion, we may say that having a reputable moving company could cost you the same as a self service move, but you have to choose the right professional moving company for the job. Ask all your questions regarding your move and expect clear answers. If you are not sure about a particular clause in the contract, do not sign anything.

Moving Companies Hourly Moving Costs

Average Hourly Moving Costs

The different moving companies have very different moving costs. For example in the Boston and New England area you can find movers for $75-85 per hour for two people up to more than $100 per hour.

The average hourly moving rates for 2 men and a truck is about $170 per hour. In most cases the price corresponds to the quality of service. Be careful of phantom movers and always research you movers. A very important factor is the travel fee time. Some companies might charge you over 2 hours for travel time. This is the time needed for the movers to come to your moving location. The normal moving rates should include no more than 2 hours of travel time – this should cover the gas expenses too.

The local average hourly moving costs in the New England area are a little bit higher than the hourly movers prices in for example New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. In the big mega-cities like NYC and Chicago, the movers competition is furious. There are many companies offering cheaper and unqualified labor that beats the local professional’s hourly movers rates in these regions. Here is why the big professional movers are forced to lower the prices and some times, even the moving services quality.

Hourly rates based on the distance between locations

Depending on your move type and distance a different type of calculation is used for your moving costs. If you are moving locally (within the sate) most companies will charge by the hour. If you are moving long distance and state to state, most professional moving companies will charge based on the moving weight.

Here is a small list with the average moving weights based on the apartment/house size:

• A studio weights about 1800 lbs.
• 1 Bedroom apartment weights around 2000 lbs to 3200 lbs.
• 2 Bedrooms weight about 4800 lbs to 6000 lbs.
• 3 Bedroom houses will go up to 9000 lbs.
• 4 Bedroom or larger houses or apartments may have household items worth of 10000 lbs or more.

Calculating interstate and long distance moves depends on your move specifics. You can get an approximate moving cost estimation from our free moving calculator tool fast and easy.

Have we missed something? Let us know in the comments below.

Xpress Movers are accredited BBB movers

BBB Accredited Moving Company

Xpress Movers are one of the BBB movers with accreditation. We have asked Stoil Andreev – an operations manager for Eastern US about the process of accreditation of the BBB movers:

“Getting a BBB accreditation is not an easy task. To become a BBB accredited moving company you have to comply with certain rules. Better Business Bureau does not register every moving company. I personally always check a given business if it has a BBB accreditation before using its services. All our suppliers and partners are BBB accredited businesses.”

Mr. Andreev also pointed out the ability of the customers to interact with the movers through the BBB communication system and the positive effect on the moving services as a result.

Better Business Bureau offers some tips about hiring movers and moving companies. You can read the  BBB article that can help you with useful information. Having a BBB moving company moving your furniture is not a 100% guarantee that there will be absolutely no problems in the moving day, but it is a plus when choosing a relocation company. And here is one more thing to remember: always research your movers before hiring!

Questions to ask your mover:

Are you an Agent? Do you work with Moving Agents?

Does the company work with agents? Some of the so called moving companies are nothing but salesmen who transfer your details to other movers. The actual movers you will be dealing with are a totally separate company. You better o research both companies separately to make sure they will do their part professionally.

Do you prepare a Household Goods Descriptive Inventory with every Moving Job?

All professional moving companies should prepare Household Goods Descriptive Inventories with every interstate move. Make sure your mover prepares such lists. This is a clear indicator whether the company you have chosen is professional enough to handle your belongings.

BBB movers accreditation?

Make sure the mover is a BBB accredited business. This is a clear factor that the moving company cares about its public image and is willing to provide a better customer oriented business. You can check the Better Business Bureau website and find the nearest office.

Reading moving reviews on the moving reviews websites

Moving reviews websites such are place where you can check every moving company before hiring. You can read many real customers horror or positive moving stories online. Make sure you also share your moving after your move is completed so others may know what company are they dealing with and what to expect.

Finding a reliable moving company is a challenge so take your time researching. Be alert about the things you do not understand and ask the salesman as soon as you have the picture clear. This will prevent the unpleasant surprises you may experience once you have your goods unloaded.

Luxury High-End moving services

Luxury Movers

Nowadays, the moving business is one of the most competitive industries. Yearly about 40 million people only in USA relocate due to  job and other reasons. And every household has its own life standards. That’s why there are companies which now can offer luxury moving services for anyone who can afford to have the whole moving job done.

High End moving services

High-End Moving Services – also known as the Luxury moving service, is a service for people who can manage to spend more money on their relocation. They can pay a company to handle every detail of the whole moving job. Starting with planing and finishing with arranging all the furniture items to your new home. High end moving services include organizing, scheduling, packing, loading your belongings from the old place, transporting, unloading and reassembling everything to your new place. High-end moving services can guarantee you that every step of the relocation will be executed with great professionalism.

Why the Luxury moving services?

Luxury moving services are for those who have expensive and precious belongings such as electronics, antiques or other valuable furniture. Using high-end services means more experienced movers and more safety measures taken – custom-built crates, storage with climate controls. Since your household items are pricey, you shouldn’t take risk to damage any of your belongings.

Now there is someone to do it all, it only depends on the money you are willing to spend. You can move all your valuable furniture items safe.