The Moving Company Industry

The moving company industry includes movers and packers, truck/trailer rental companies and companies that sell supplies to do-it-yourself movers. It also includes storage facilities. Many movers specialize in certain types of moves, like residential or commercial. Some provide packing and crating services, while others handle only loading and unloading. Some are certified to handle valuables, such as antiques or fine art.

When choosing a mover, check its reputation by looking for customer reviews on Google, Yelp or other sites. Look for both positive and negative reviews. If a company has a lot of bad reviews, you might want to reconsider hiring it.

Ask friends and family for recommendations. If they’ve used a moving company in the past, chances are good that their experience was positive. If they didn’t, ask them to recommend a few companies that might suit your needs. Then, read online reviews to get a feel for what other customers have experienced. Look for common themes, such as overcharging, slow moves and broken items.

Beware of relatively new moving companies rogers ar that don’t have a physical address, offer only a mobile phone number or use several different business names. These are often scams. Also, be wary of a moving company that requires a large down payment. Ideally, you should pay nothing until your belongings have been delivered.

Make sure the mover you hire is licensed to do business in your state. Interstate movers must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, while about half of the states regulate local, or intrastate, movers. Check the moving company’s licensing status on the FMCSA website or with your state’s regulatory agency.

A full-service moving company should be able to give you an estimate for the total cost of your move before starting work, but be aware that estimates may change once the movers start working. Some movers will give you a binding estimate, which guarantees that you’ll pay no more than what you were quoted once the job is complete. Other movers will give you a nonbinding estimate, which can fluctuate up or down depending on factors such as additional services and shipment weight.

The movers listed below provide a variety of services for local, long-distance and international moves. Some movers offer specialized services, such as art and piano moving, while others offer packing and storage services.

A few movers on this list, such as North American Van Lines and Oz Moving and Storage, stand out for their streamlined claims process. This makes it easier to file a claim and avoid a lengthy back-and-forth with a moving company over damaged or lost items. These companies will typically have a dedicated claims support line rather than a general customer service phone number. For example, North American’s claims support team can walk you through the process over the phone. If you’d prefer to file a claim via email, it’s easy to do with the help of an online form on their website.