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Six Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Moving Company

June 9 2016

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The average U.S. citizen moves 12 times in their life, and some people move even more often. In fact, 33% of renters will move every year! While some of those moves may be handled by parents, it will eventually come time to move all on your own. But when you're moving a whole house or family, it can get tough to do it all by yourself. Hiring a residential moving service is always a safe bet, but before you hire anyone, here are six questions you need to be asking.

How long has the company been in business?
You might occassionally find a startup business that's wildly successful and great, but odds are that's not going to happen with a moving or storage company. When looking at a moving or storage company, experience and track records matter. The more experience a company has, the better equipped they're going to be to help you make moving easy..

Are they licensed?
Most adults have never moved outside of their home state, but if you're among the brave few to test the waters of a new state, then your moving company should be able to accommodate you. All companies that practice state-to-state moves should have a US DOT number, which is a unique license number issued by the United States Department of Transportation. You can verify this number by searching in a database..

Is the company insured?
You should verify that the company is insured using the same website that you checked the license number on. A moving company without a license or insurance is like handing your car keys to an unlicensed, underage driver. Not a good idea. Before you trust a company with furniture delivery, you need to know that they're credible and trustworthy..

Are there any reviews?
Reviews are one of your biggest resources. Whether you're looking into a storage company, a commercial moving service, or something as simple as where to eat next weekend, reviews are a great way to get a second opinion. Looking into other people's experience with a company is a great way to determine how your experience might go..

What are they charging you for?
In any situation where you're hiring a service, you need to have a full understanding of the rates you're being charged before you pay anything. Low rates don't necessarily mean a low bill in the endgame! Think of rates like plane tickets: the price varies based on busy seasons, time of day, and day of the week. Not to mention the distance being traveled! Always make sure you go over a full, detailed report of what rates you'll be paying with your moving service..

Any more questions?
If you have any concerns, make sure you voice them. And if the company you're hiring doesn't have a single question for you, then it's time to high tail it out of there.