When moving across state lines, this is referred to as interstate moving.
Moving is stressful enough with packing boxes and preparing for the move but interstate moving involves more. One important thing to know is that there are requirements that interstate moving companies must follow. When moving across state lines each state has their own guidelines. Long distance moving companies that move households from one state to another are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and are required legally to do the following:
- Display their U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) number in any advertising. Their DOT number is the identifier of the company the truck belongs too that collects and monitors the moving company safety information that was acquired during an audit, crash investigations, compliance reviews, and inspections.
- Obtain licensing by the FMCSA
- Provide arbitration if a customer’s complaint cannot be amicably resolved. The FMCSA does not have the authority to resolve any claims against interstate moving companies but if there is a problem the customer can file a complaint against the company by calling FMSCA
- The homeowners must receive a brochure entitled Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move so they are informed before the move is started.
- Allow the homeowners to review the list of charges and rates
- Furnish the customer an accurate summary of how complaint handling procedures, which includes a phone number
Interstate moving service companies charge their customers a rate that is based on what they will be moving so to make it less expensive try to get rid of stuff you do not need before contacting a moving company. If this is the first time that you have moved, do not hire the first company that you see on the internet or in the phone book. You should get quotes from at least three different companies. You need to check their reputation, and how reliable they are.
When interviewing moving companies in person or over the phone you should ask the following questions.
- How long have they been in business as a company
- Make sure that they have the proper license and that they are insured
- You should check to see if they have a DOT number properly placed.
- Does the company sub-contract their work out to other moving services, If you decide to hire the company you are interviewing you do not want to find out another moving company you know nothing about is moving your household belongings.
- Does the moving company take the extra precautions to protect fragile items from being damaged during the move
- Do they offer an option to purchase insurance to cover any damage to your household items beyond a preset amount?
