Who regulates moving companies?
One of the biggest challenges you might face in your life is relocation. No matter where you are moving or with who, it can be overwhelming. Plus, you can be under a lot of stress. There are too many things you must think about. And one of them is how to find a good and reliable moving company. Nowadays, you can find tons of moving companies online and it can be a real struggle to find the best one. But do not worry, Master Moving Guide is here to help you. That is why this guide will be very helpful. Here we will write about who regulates moving companies.
Why is it important to find a good and reliable moving company?
Moving is a process that requires a lot of time, patience and preparation. To make everything right, you need to have help from a professional. Especially if you are about to relocate for the first time. There are a lot of things that need to be taken under the consideration, and finding reliable help that has the best moving insurance is essential. You need to know:
- that our items will be safe,
- that the details from the contract will be done the way they were agreed.
If you cannot count on help from professionals, you need to search for a better moving company that will help you with that.
Relocation can be expensive, and that is why if you are willing to pay for every service that the company is giving you, you need to know what is a binding estimate. A reliable and reputable mong company will be able to provide you with this information. And in a short period. Knowing how much it will cost, you can compare the services and the companies. After that, you can choose the one that suits you the most.
Who regulates moving companies?
You need to know the types of relocation based on the location. There are local moving companies, long-distance moving companies, and interstate moving companies. However, no matter where you are about to relocate, there are some things you need to know and do. For instance, one of them is making the moving costs checklist. This list will help you determine your moving budget. You will know much money you will need to spend for your perfect relocation. And when it comes to who regulates moving companies, it is different for local moving companies and interstate moving companies.
Local moving companies
Local moving represents moves that will start and end in the same state and under the same jurisdiction of state laws and regulations. And no matter how close your new home is you will also need to get the moving quotes to be sure that you can afford to hire the professionals.
These companies need to be registered in the state commercial motor vehicle branch of the state department of transportation. This way they have been inspected for safety compliance. Some states have laws that will dictate the amount of cargo insurance. Cargo insurance is really important for moving companies. However, the good thing about this is that not every state requires it.
Remember that the laws and the regulations depend on the state and the was in that certain state. Every state has a different department when it comes to who regulates moving companies. So every piece of information you read here needs to be double-checked in your state. You can check that by contacting your local Department of Transportation. Or it can be checked by the state consumer affairs branch.
Interstate moving companies
So, if you have prepared for moving interstate, you can expect the moving company to have something called a USDOT number. This number represents the unique identifier and it is issued by the United States Department of Transportation. It serves as a wide nation license for commercial vehicle operators who will cross over state lines to relocate you. Every company that is transporting items and cargo across the state lines must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, also known as FMCSA. There you can confirm the validity of a USDOT.
Make sure you know the difference between movers and brokers
When you are moving interstate, make sure that your movers and brokers are registered with the FMCSA. Of course, each company will provide you with different types of services. Brokers will make the arrangements to transport your items from one place to another. But the movers will do the actual physical work.
No matter if you have hired the moving company or the broker, you need to get a written estimate of your services in advance. You also need to be provided with information about the amount of insurance.
What kind of troubles can you have with unregulated moving companies?
Like in every business, some companies will try to do their job in unethical ways. Even illegal ways. Some companies may ask you to sign an incomplete estimate. This way, once you sign the blank pages or estimate that is not completely defined, the company will attempt to inflate the final price of your move. This means that you will be charged even more than you are supposed to. The other red flag is that these fraudulent moving companies will want you to pay everything in advance and in cash only. There are some cases where people do not even receive the bill of lading.
So if you want to avoid scams by these fraudulent moving companies, make sure you do your research on the moving company that you want to hire. AS we have said before, compare two or three companies that you like the most and confirm the license or the USDOT number in advance.
It is very important to be ready for the relocation and relocate without any damages or obstacles. That is why you need to double-check all the information you have gathered and make a great plan that will help you go through this process. Make sure you have checked and got all the important details about the moving company that you want to hire. Be aware of the red flags, Once you get everything right, you will see that all that hard work pays off once you gain the perfect moving experience.