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How to Find a Reliable Mover Near You

Written by Posted On Tuesday, 02 July 2019 08:51
How to Find a Reliable Mover Near You

Moving your home can be a stressful experience. When you’re transporting so many prized possessions, you constantly worry and hope that nothing gets broken or damaged. It’s no wonder that it takes time to find reliable movers who are experienced at safely transporting all household items because it doesn’t make sense to hire different movers for different items. But finding the right one stop shop solution for your needs can be expensive, and it gets more difficult when finding a reliable and experienced company.

You should already realize that using any mover is not the right approach to take. If you’re going to entrust someone with your most valuable possessions and items that make your house a home, then you need to put in the work to find the right moving company. It can be a confusing task especially since every single company claims to be the cheapest, the most experienced or the most reliable, but it’s difficult to believe someone just on face value.

You need to find a company that is reliable, experienced, offers a wide range of services, and has the right accreditation and licensing to operate its business. Today we’re going to go through a few tips to help you with this task. When asking how you can find the right movers near me, you have to take a lot of things into account!

Even though the internet allows you to look up directories with ease, it never hurts to ask around in your social circle. In fact, the first (and easiest) way to go about your task should be to ask the people you know. Ask friends and family if they’ve used, and can personally recommend, any moving companies. In today’s fast-paced world, people are moving from town to town, job to job, and there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find someone. Ask them all the questions you can and let them know what kind of stuff you’ll be moving. Hopefully, they’ll be able to recommend a mover that meets your requirements and doesn’t stress your finances too much.

You don’t even have to go after people and ask them face-to-face. Thanks to social media, you can just post on your Facebook or Instagram account and ask your list of friends if they can personally recommend someone. Having skipped the hassle of going through directories and screening the companies you find, you save a lot of time by just asking a friend!

In the event you can’t find a moving company through a friend or family member, you don’t have to worry. As long as you make an informed decision and know what to look for, you can find the right company. Especially with the information available on the internet today, and the competitive marketing strategies being taken by businesses, you shouldn’t have too much trouble. You just need to take the right steps!

First and foremost, get in touch with various companies in your area and get a quotation. If it’s a halfway decent company, a representative will show up at your door to carry out a survey of all the items that need to be transported. This is your ideal opportunity to ask them the right questions. Ask them how long they’ve operated and what kind of different jobs they’ve done before. Also, give them as many details as you can about the items that need to be transported. Tell them the city you’re traveling to, the number of items you have, and the nature of those items. All of this will let you judge if the company has the expertise and equipment to handle all your items with care while in transit.

Once the survey is over, you’ll be given a quotation in writing. One would think that the process if over and you just need to choose the company with the lowest quotation, but it’s not that simple. Your first impulse might be to say yes to the cheapest offer, but you should also consider what’s being offered for the price and if you’re getting the best value for money. What extra services are included in the quotation? Is packaging included in the price? Will the company disassemble and reassemble large furniture? Will the company charge extra for objects which require special care and attention, such as a piano or an old family heirloom grandfather clock.

It’s also a prudent move to not go after the money alone. Sometimes, low quotations can be a part of a scam to just get you to agree and companies don’t carry out the services as you would like. This is why it’s best to go beyond the price factor and check for reviews that past customers have made about the companies. After you have quotations from a few companies in front of you, this is where you start your screening process. It’s a lengthy process, but a necessary one if you want the best value for your money and want your possessions to be safely transported by a reliable company.

With today’s competitive market, reputation and customer service has become a very important factor for all professional companies. The case is no different when it comes to movers, and the more focused they are on these aspects, the better their reputation is in the market. Checking on the company’s website is the first step to this. Testimonials left by customers should give you a general idea on the company’s approach to customer service, more than what the testimonials actually say. This will tell you just how reliable the company is if something goes wrong or if you have any questions while your belongings are in transit.

You can also visit a few websites that are built for general consumer reports, such as yelp,  or those specifically catering to moving companies (there’s a few out there). Platforms like these have more unbiased and unfiltered customer reviews than company websites, along with a formal rating system and authentic descriptive testimonials. With the sheer number of responses on these platforms, checking online reputation gives numerous indications as to how these companies carry out their services.

After you’ve gone through the online reviews and shortlisted the contenders your next step is to check whether the remaining companies have been properly licensed by the United States Department of Transportation. As per law, all interstate moving companies must be registered with the Department of Transportation and duly licensed in the form of a USDOT number. This unique identification number is issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and signifies that the company complies with strict federal regulations pertaining to safety and reliability. This measure is built to benefit customers directly as it will ensure safe carriage of goods in accordance with the law, and that all your rights as guaranteed by law are protected.

Checking whether a company has a valid USDOT is very easy. The FMCSA website lets you search companies by name. Once you’ve found the company, you will have access to an electronic record which will confirm the status of the company. It also helps if the company has a membership with a professional association such as the American Moving and Storage Association. Membership of such a well-known organization will be an added stamp of reliability. If you’re not moving across state lines, then you can also check for any local laws which may be applicable or state associations that offer membership. The important thing is to check whether the company follows a certain set of rules and standards and if it maintains those standards adequately.

 

For one final measure of reliability, you can also check if the company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau. This will show how well the company has maintained its relationship with customers and, considering the high standards of the BBB, it would go a long way knowing that the company is duly accredited. This will also let you know the company is reliable, won’t fall short on fulfilling its end of the bargain, and won’t try to swindle you with any false claims.  

Hopefully, we’ve made things a lot clearer for you. It may be a lot of information to take in, but considering that you’re moving some of your dearest possessions to your new home, this is the level of diligence you will need to adapt to find the right movers. In conclusion, find a few companies, compare prices, check their reputation on online forums, and confirm that they are duly registered with the Department of Transportation (or your local state government body, if applicable). The exercise of going through such a thorough process will give you a sense of ease knowing you’ve done your homework, and are going to be able to make an informed decision. Happy hunting and safe journey!

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James Stevenson

Hi, My name is James and I've been involved in the property and real estate industry for 10 years now. I hope people will like to read about my thoughts and experiences in the industry and please contact me if you want to discuss my articles further!

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