Moving

There are a few things to understand about moving companies when shopping around for your next relocation. Knowing these will help you pick the right carrier for your needs and reduce the stress of moving.

Moving Companies Can Be As Involved As You Want

Consider whether you want a self-service move or a full-service move — is your highest priority budget or convenience? Here are the three common types of moving services based on the level of involvement with the company itself.

• Full-Service Move: The moving company supplies labor for practically every part of your move. This means the company packs, loads, transports, unloads and unpacks your belongings. This sometimes even includes furniture disassembly and reassembly.
• Partial-Service Move: The moving company supplies labor for some parts of the move. It often loads, transports and unloads your belongings. It may also allow you to mix and match a range of services.
• Self-Service Move: You handle all parts of a move except for transportation. This is the most cost-effective and DIY service, where you pack, load, unload, and unpack your own belongings, but the moving company supplies professional transportation.

Moving companies often offer additional services like contents protection plans, moving insurance, storage solutions and vehicle relocation.

Know Whether You’re Contracting a Carrier or a Broker

In the moving industry, companies function as carriers, brokers or both. Carriers are licensed, bonded and insured to provide in-house moving services. This means they supply their own trucks and labor to execute the move.

Brokers act as mediators between the customer and a local moving company that matches their needs. This means the company providing the truck and performing the actual transport isn’t the company you purchased the services from, leaving room for miscommunication.

We recommend choosing a carrier when possible. Carriers often provide slightly higher-quality services due to employees holding salaried positions and more extensive experience rather than contracted ones.

Your Quote and Invoice Might Differ

Most often, companies provide ballpark estimates. This means the customer receives a best-guess quote and does not know the actual price they will pay until their move is complete. This is due to weight being such a large factor in how a moving company charges for its services.

However, some companies provide binding estimates. This means the customer is guaranteed the price they are quoted. Companies that provide binding estimates typically require an in-person or virtual home walk-through, allowing them to provide the most accurate quote possible.

Get ready for your next move with our article on the best moving companies.