Most people call three moving companies, compare the bottom-line numbers, and book the lowest one. That number is the least reliable part of the quote. Two companies can quote the same job within fifty dollars of each other and still deliver completely different outcomes, because the price says nothing about who shows up, what happens when the truck runs late, or what the company owes you if your dresser arrives in two pieces.
When checking off your to-dos off your moving checklist, don’t forget to ask the right questions when choosing a moving company. The answers to seven specific questions to ask your mover tell you far more than the total does. Ask them on the phone before you sign anything, and write the answers down so you can compare companies side by side.
1. Are You a Carrier or a Broker, and What Is Your USDOT Number?
A carrier owns trucks and moves your belongings. A broker sells the job and hands it to a carrier you have not spoken to. Brokers are legal, and some of them do honest work, but you should know which one you are hiring before moving day, because the company that answered your call may not be the company that loads your furniture.
Any company handling interstate moves must register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and operate under a USDOT number. Ask for the number, then run it through the FMCSA search tool at protectyourmove.gov to confirm the registration is active and to read the complaint history. Federal rules also require a broker to tell you in writing that it is a broker, so a company that dodges the question has already told you something useful.
For a move that stays inside one state, federal registration may not apply. Ask which state agency licenses them and what the license number is.
2. Is the Estimate Binding, Non-Binding, or Not to Exceed?
These three words change what you pay at delivery, and most customers never learn which one applies.
- Binding estimate. You pay the estimated amount, no more, as long as the inventory and services do not change.
- Non-binding estimate. Final charges follow actual weight and services. Federal rules cap what the mover can collect at delivery at 110 percent of the estimate, so plan on having that extra 10 percent available.
- Not to exceed estimate. The estimate becomes a ceiling. If the shipment weighs less than projected, you pay less.
Ask which type you are getting, then confirm the same word appears on the paperwork. A verbal promise that the price will not change means nothing once the truck is loaded.
3. Who Will Be On the Truck?
Three companies quoting the same job may staff it three different ways: full-time employees, day labor hired that week, or a subcontracted crew the sales rep has never met. Crews that work together regularly damage less and load faster, which is the difference between a six-hour day and a ten-hour day when you are paying hourly.
Ask directly whether the crew consists of employees, whether the company runs background checks, and how long the average crew member has been with the company. For a long-distance move, ask whether the same crew loads and unloads the truck, or whether your shipment transfers to another carrier along the way. Residential moving companies that employ their own crews can usually answer all three questions without hesitating, and the answers hold up when you check reviews that mention crew names.
4. How Are You Pricing This Without Seeing My Home?
A quote produced from a two-minute phone call is a guess, and guesses get revised upward on moving day. Reputable companies survey the home first, either in person or over video. For interstate moves where the pickup address sits within 50 miles of the mover, federal rules require a physical survey unless you waive it in writing.
Your side of this matters too. Show them everything: the garage, the attic, the basement, the storage unit, the shed, the items you plan to keep, and the items you have not decided about. Every box that appears on moving day but not on the estimate gives the company a legitimate reason to charge more.
5. What Is Not Included in This Price?
This question surfaces more surprise charges than any other. Ask for the common accessorial charges in writing, and ask which ones apply to your two addresses. The usual list:
- stairs or flights above the first floor
- long carry, when the truck cannot park near the door
- shuttle service, when a full-size truck cannot reach the property
- elevator use in apartment and condo buildings
- bulky or specialty items such as a piano, a gun safe, a treadmill, or a hot tub
- appliance disconnection and reconnection
- furniture disassembly and reassembly
- packing materials, counted by the box and the roll of tape
- storage in transit if the delivery address is not ready
- fuel surcharges, travel time, and hourly minimums
Walk the company through both addresses while you ask. A narrow driveway or a fourth-floor walkup produces a charge whether you mention it now or discover it later.
6. What Happens If Something Breaks?
Basic coverage is thinner than most people expect. On interstate moves, released value protection comes at no cost and caps the mover’s liability at 60 cents per pound per article. Under that formula, a 50-pound television is worth $30, regardless of what you paid for it. Full value protection costs extra and obligates the mover to repair the item, replace it, or settle at current market value.
Neither option counts as insurance in the legal sense. Both are valuation levels, and the one you select appears on the bill of lading, so read that line before you initial it.
Ask how the claims process works and how long settlements typically take. Federal rules give you nine months from delivery to file a written claim on an interstate move. The carrier then has 30 days to acknowledge it and 120 days to pay, deny, or offer a compromise. Note any damage on the delivery receipt before you sign it, because the receipt becomes the record of what condition your shipment arrived in.
7. What Date Will My Things Arrive, and What Happens If You Miss It?
Local moves run on an arrival window. Long-distance moves often run on a delivery spread, a range of days rather than a date, and that range can stretch across a week or more while the carrier fills the rest of the trailer.
Ask three things: the spread you are being quoted, whether a guaranteed delivery date is available, and what the company does if it misses the window. Some companies pay a daily penalty for late delivery. Others offer nothing beyond an apology. That answer decides whether you can safely schedule a closing, a lease start, or your first day at a new job.
Comparing the Answers
Line up the answers from every company you called before you look at the prices again. A company quoting $400 less that cannot name its coverage tier, will not survey the home, and describes delivery as “sometime that week” is not cheaper. It has moved the cost somewhere you cannot see yet.
The companies worth hiring tend to answer all seven questions in one phone call, put the answers in writing without being asked twice, and treat the estimate as a commitment rather than an opening offer.
