Hiring long distance movers to relocate your household goods far away or between states is convenient. However, here are a lot of things long-distance moving companies aren't telling you.
Moving Estimate
Before you hire long distance movers, understand that the initial moving estimate may change unless your costs are binding. The initial quoted price may not be the final price. Make sure to get any changes to the estimate in writing to avoid surprises later on.
Flat Rate Long Distance Moving Company
Some long distance moving companies would rather quote you an estimated cost than a guaranteed price. However, as a consumer, you can ask your movers to provide a flat rate on your relocation.
A flat rate long distance move ensures that you don't have to worry about the common bait-and-switch moving scams. The legal term for a flat rate, according to the FMCSA, is a binding not-to-exceed quote.
Delivery Window
Most people ask why long distance movers take so long to deliver household goods. If you're moving a small or mid-sized load, your movers will likely share your load to save money on fuel.
Long distance moving companies do not disclose that they are sharing your load with other customers because they don't want to lose the sale. Additionally, when a consumer uses an exclusive truck, the average cost is $8,500.00.
The demand for affordable long distance moving services is at an all-time high, and movers are trying to adapt. As a result, movers are sharing your load at the expense of longer wait times for your household goods.
Related Article: How Long Long Distance Movers Take For Delivery
Expedited Delivery
As a consumer, you can request an exclusive truck or an expedited delivery. However, a faster delivery time will come at the expense of higher long distance moving costs.
To speed up delivery, request in writing from your long distance movers when placing your moving service order. Please note that the average surcharge to expedite your shipment is $1500.00. The $1500.00 surcharge for a faster delivery date is an additional cost on top of your moving costs.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA regulates interstate and long-distance moving companies and ensures your movers follow safety rules and regulations. Legitimate long distance movers possess a DOT number, indicating that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has licensed them.
How Do You Know If Your Movers Are Reputable or Legit?
You can verify a mover's license and insurance on protectyourmove.gov and check online reviews. This tool checks if your movers have any concerning complaints, like deceptive business practices or holding your belongings hostage.
Cubic Feet Vs. Weight
Some long distance movers calculate your costs by weight, and others go by cubic feet:
Cubic Feet: moving companies that go by cubic feet calculate costs by multiplying each item's length, width, and height. After that, they will divide the total by 1728 to get the total cubic feet of your item.
Weight: For movers to charge by weight, they have to weigh the empty truck and then the truck once your items are on the moving truck. Many people say moving estimates calculated by cubic feet are better because they're verifiable through weight tickets.
Which Option is Better, Weight or Cubic Feet?
Aside from focusing on weight Vs, cubic feet, try to aim to hiring a reliable, trust worthy moving company. As mentioned above, favor weight estimates because you can verify the weight through a weight ticket. However, shady moving companies have scammed people out of money through cubic feet, and weight estimates. That's why you should focus on working with transparent long distance moving companies rather than overthinking the cost process.
Avoid Long Distance Moving Scams
Avoiding moving scams is easy when you know the red flags to look out for:
Low Ball Estimates: Shady long distance moving companies will quote you a low non-binding estimate to bait-and-switch your moving costs. For example, if you're moving from a three-bedroom and get a quote for 600 cubic feet, that's a red flag. In other words, ensure your estimated volume aligns with your needed furniture.
Reviews: Never hire a long distance moving company without checking for reviews online. Google the business, and if you see limited or negative reviews, that is a red flag to look out for.
Website: Movers who take their business seriously will have a professional website to showcase their work. Additionally, their email will have the same domain name as their website. Please do not hire a mover without verifying their email address and website to ensure they are legit.
DOT Number: With a long distance movers' DOT number, you can find almost everything you need to know about your movers. You can check your movers database to see if your movers have any history of alarming complaints.
Finding Good Long Distance Movers
The purpose of this post is to keep you informed and well aware of the potential moving scams that happen in the industry. However, not every business is, shady and not every moving company is lying to you. At American National Movers, we help people find trustworthy movers that fit their needs and budget, while avoiding scams.
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