How to choose a moving company

Your movers will handle everything you own

Few hires put more of your life in someone else's hands. Every dish, every photo album and every piece of furniture gets carried by the crew you pick. Pick well and moving day is uneventful. Pick badly and you find out about surprise charges, no-shows and broken furniture the hard way.

Sorting good movers from risky ones isn't complicated once you know what to check. Here's the list we'd hand our own families, and the same standard we hold ourselves to at Better Route.

1. Check the USDOT and MC numbers on FMCSA

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) registers moving companies. A mover that crosses state lines must have a USDOT number, and household-goods movers doing interstate work also need operating authority, shown as an MC number. Even for a local move, ask for both numbers. A company that has them has put its name on a federal record you can check.

To check a mover:

1. Ask for the USDOT and MC numbers. They're often on the truck, the website and the quote.
2. Search the number on the FMCSA's SAFER Company Snapshot.
3. Make sure the company name and address match who you're talking to, and that the record shows the company as active.

2. Get the quote in writing, after a walkthrough

A mover can't price a move it hasn't seen. A number given over the phone without a look at your home is a guess, and guesses tend to grow on moving day. A good mover walks through your home first, by video call or in person, and then puts the quote in writing.

If a company won't put the price in writing, it doesn't count.

3. Ask for the crew, the trucks, the rate and the travel fee

Most local moves are priced by the hour, so the details decide what you actually pay. Get these in writing:

• Crew size. How many movers are coming? Too few makes a long day; the right number finishes faster.
• Trucks. How many, and how big? A truck that's too small means a second trip.
• Hourly rate. For the whole crew, and when the clock starts and stops.
• Travel fee. What it costs for the crew and truck to get to you and back.
• Minimums. Whether there's a minimum number of hours.

For a long-distance move, also ask how the price is figured and when your things will be delivered.

4. Ask what's included, and what would change the price

Two quotes with the same hourly rate can be very different jobs. Ask what comes with the crew and what costs extra:

• Moving blankets, shrink wrap and floor protection
• Taking furniture apart and putting it back together
• Boxes and packing, full or partial
• Stairs, elevators and long walks from the truck
• Heavy items: pianos, gun safes, tool chests, gym equipment
• Storage, if your new place isn't ready

Then ask the question that matters most: what would make the final bill different from the quote? A good answer is specific, like more items than you showed on the walkthrough, an extra stop, or a parking problem at the new address.

5. Ask about insurance and valuation coverage

A legitimate mover is licensed and insured and will show you proof without hesitating. If a company dodges the question, walk away.

Then ask what happens if something is damaged. Movers offer different levels of protection for your belongings, often called valuation coverage. The basic level may pay far less than what an item is worth, so ask:

• What coverage comes with my move at no extra cost?
• What higher coverage is available, and what does it cost?
• How do I report damage, and how long do I have?

For anything truly valuable or irreplaceable, also check what your homeowner's or renter's insurance covers during a move.

6. Read the reviews, and look for patterns

Read recent reviews on Google, Yelp, the BBB and Angi. Don't stop at the star rating. Look for the same things coming up again and again: on time, careful, good communication, a price that matched the quote. One bad review can be bad luck. The same complaint five times is a pattern.

Read how the company answers complaints, too. Owning a mistake and fixing it says more than a perfect score. You can read Better Route's reviews here.

7. Ask who actually shows up

The crew is the company. Ask who will be in your home: trained employees, or whoever was available that morning? Who is the crew lead, and who do you call if something goes wrong on the day? A company with a real office, branded trucks and uniformed crews has a reputation to protect.

On a long-distance move, also ask whether the crew that loads your things is the crew that delivers them, and whether your belongings will share a truck with other shipments.

Red flags: when to walk away

• A quote far lower than everyone else's, given without seeing your home
• A demand for a large cash payment before you have anything in writing
• No physical address, no branded truck, no uniforms
• No USDOT or MC number, or a company name that doesn't match the FMCSA record
• No proof of insurance
• Vague answers about who does the work
• No written quote: "we'll figure it out on the day"

What hiring a mover should feel like

Better Route Moving & Storage is veteran-owned and based in Caldwell, Idaho. Owner Eric Lopez is a Marine veteran who learned the moving business in high school. The company runs on three standards:

• Integrity. We do what we said we'd do. If something goes wrong, we own it and fix it.
• Excellence. Details matter, from protecting your floors to putting your beds back together.
• Service. A move is a big day in your life. We show up ready to work and make it easier.

Hold us to every check on this page. That's what they're for. More about Better Route.