We know that figuring out which mover to choose isn’t an easy task. Luckily, there are certain indicators that might make the selection easier, such as whether or not the companies you’re evaluating are licensed movers. In this page you’ll be able to find information about what it means to be a licensed mover. As well, we’ll fill you in on what are the most important licenses in the moving industry.
Plain and simple: a licensed mover is simply a moving company legally allowed to operate in its current city, state and/or country. Generally, regulations and requirements to obtain licensure will vary from state to state. As well, different requirements will apply depending on whether the company specializes on interstate or local moves.
You should always focus on finding licensed movers. Failing to do such might result in scams, loss of money, damage of property and other unfortunate situations. To check whether or not a mover is licensed, you can simply plug in the company’s name on this search tool. This will allow you to obtain information such as:
Particularly if you’re carrying out an interstate move, you should most definitely take a company not being licensed as a huge red flag! Remember that booking a licensed mover ensures that you hire a trustworthy and experienced company.
When it comes to licenses, such will vary depending on the type of move the company specializes is. In this section we’ll briefly introduce the main two licenses US movers should have.
Whether you’re moving locally or across state lines, it’s likely that the moving company you select holds a USDOT Number registration. At the moment, all interstate movers are required to have this registration while only 28 states requirelocal movers to have it as well.
In essence, the USDOT Number serves as a company’s unique identifier used when collecting and monitoring the company’s safety information obtained and assess during inspections, audits, crash investigations and compliance reviews.
In case your move will require ocean transport, it’s crucial that you look for a mover with a FMC accreditation. The main goal of the FMC is to foster fair, efficient and reliable international ocean transportation that contributes to the US economy and protects the public from deceptive practices. Thus, licensed movers of this kind are likely to be trustworthy, ethical and transparent.
We hope that this article managed to give you some insight into the importance of hiring licensed movers. In case you might be interested in the most relevant moving associations that you should also be on the lookout for when evaluating a mover, we recommend that you check out the ones linked below. 🙂
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