How to Pick the Right Team for Your Next Relocation

Relocation is stressful, especially if you are going somewhere far. You need to close all utility ends, get a large vehicle, and pack everything right. For many, this can take weeks to complete which is why some people opt for professional help from long-distance movers. But how do you pick the right team for the job? It’s not like you are moving far away every day. Well, there is no short answer, so let’s not waste time and dive right into things.

Reasons to Hire a Company

Now before we jump into the “how” part, let’s first discuss the “why” part. And the first thing we’d like to note is that without a team at your hand, you cannot count on a safe relocation. Don’t get us the wrong way, it is not like pirates will invade your truck and steal all your belongings, it is about your fragile items.

If you are traveling 1000 miles across the country, things can go either way and you can’t be 100% sure that your stuff will survive the trip unscratched. Unless you have experience driving a cross-country truck, you are bound to make rookie mistakes, especially at night when your attention isn’t as sharp.

In all honesty, the risks aren’t worth it and you are better off using either a moving service or sending your belongings one-by-one using a mail service, although the latter only applies if you have the money to spare as large item postal service isn’t cheap.

What to Ask Your Relocation Company

The reasons as to why you’d want a professional to handle your transportation needs are clear. But what do you ask for? How do you verify the quality? Well, it is complicated which is why your objective is to verify whether these requirements are in place, namely:

  • The company of your choice has a proper license issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation;
  • Has a proper online presence with lots of positive reviews and ratings across various reputable sources;
  • Whether they can provide verifiable testimonials from past customers;
  • Whether the price for their service is reasonable (i.e not too cheap or too expensive);

Indeed, if the company of your choice doesn’t have a proper license issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation then steer away from them. Equally, if you can’t find any reviews about the service online, consider asking how long they’ve been on the market. Lastly, reasonable prices are a must. If you see a company that has absurdly low prices, ask yourself how are they going to travel a thousand miles and what is the driver’s salary. Knowing answers to these questions will allow you to make an educated guess about what to expect.

What a Good Company Should Provide

While not all companies offer the same set of services, there is still an unwritten standard to be followed. A high-quality service should offer to its potential customers the following:

Licenses — While we already mentioned the USDT license, it would also be nice if the company had complimentary licenses. A good fit would be The American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA). You can learn more about their testing and qualification guidelines by visiting their websites but if the mover doesn’t have such accreditation, see if they offer something comparable.

Transparency — Usually, a transportation company includes in their pricing page the hourly rates. However, that is just the base. What a company should tell you is how much the packaging will cost, whether the rate changes if you want to relocate large and heavy furniture, among other things. While rarely a company can provide you with the exact price up-front, there should be either an online price estimating system or a contact form you can fill to get your quote.

Personalized Service — You might think that what kind of personalization you can get when all you need is a truck and team of heavy lifters. However, that is not the case, a relocation business can provide a uniquely tailored service. A good service will account for your personal schedule, will give you the appropriately-sized truck, and will provide the necessary packing material.

While these things aren’t definitive proof that the mover is good, they will provide you an indication as to how they operate and whether they care about customer experience.

Keep an Eye for Red Flags

When it comes to transportation, the industry is highly competitive and everyone is trying their best to win customers. This also means that there’s room for fraud and theft. These fly-by-night companies aren’t as common but they are real and the worst part is there’s no way to verify whether the service is any good.

The most common sign that a company is a no-no is when they ask for a large security deposit without a proper escrow system in place. If there is no such system in place (they are expensive after all) and they ask for cash, this also means that there’s something fishy. Last but not least, under any circumstance, never opt for a company that shows up in a rental truck.

Make sure that the company provides all the necessary documents and offers a properly written estimate. If any of the mentioned things are missing, ask for clarification or leave the vendor altogether.

Final Notes

Hiring the right moving company for the right job can be challenging. However, with this guide at your disposal, you can be positive that your relocation project will succeed. Yet, if you don’t have time to deal with any of this, and just want a straightforward, verified service, look no further than Safe Relocation. With years of experience and hundreds of relocations performed, you can have peace of mind knowing we’ll get the job done.

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William Woodall

Hi, My name is William Woodall, and I am a person who is determined to make the world a better place. I like to be around people and enjoy adventure and challenges.
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