As a professional mover, I have seen it all. What I’ve seen the most, is someone desperate for help, who is willing to pay “just about anything” to get it over with. Unfortunately, that is the wrong way to move… and a very costly mistake. That is why I want to help show you what you need to know before moving, where you can find legal, reputable movers at a price that is fair for what is being transported.
There are three type of moving services that you should be aware of. They are:
1. Hourly Rate Movers
2. Flat Rate Movers
3. Do-It-Yourself
I will break down each of these three moving services in order to help you pick the right moving service for your needs.
Hourly Rate Movers
Generally speaking, this is the most expensive route when moving; however, the reason for this is fairly simple. The moving service has to have several licenses to operate in a specific area along with insurance coverage in the event that they have an accident while transporting your goods.
As far as licensing is concerned, a reputable moving service will have two federal licenses (MC-Number and a DOT-Number) and one state license. Some moving companies only carry two federal licenses from the FMCSA, which allows them to use their own personal truck for moving items. Most companies usually have state licenses in order to represent themselves on the local market.
For this reason, along with the cost of insurance, equipment and employees, it is not unheard of to see these types of moving services charging anywhere from $65 per hour up to $125 per hour or more. Most of these companies will charge upfront fees such as supplies, mileage and fuel costs and other tertiary fees.
Hourly rate moving companies also have to be insured to be legal… this is important if they ever damage your goods or have an accident while transporting your belongings. In North Carolina, the NC Utility Commission covers your goods at a “maximum liability” of $0.60 per pound. That means, your highly expensive, hard-to-replace furniture might only be worth $20.00 to the insurance company.
Flat Rate Movers
There isn’t a lot that’s different between a flat rate moving service and an hourly rate moving service. Most flat rate moving companies still adhere to the same rules, regulations, licensing and insurance requirements. However, the biggest difference is that you won’t be left trying to figure out how much it will cost you to move from Point A to Point B.
Most flat rate moving services are part of a larger contracting firm who has handled all the licensing and regulations. The movers are then paid on a salary plus commission basis. Here, you’ll probably get a really good deal, especially if it is a short move or doesn’t take a lot of time. However, you should be careful as a lot of unscrupulous “businesses” that aren’t licensed or insured will try to gain your business through shady or misleading ads, including prices that are “too good to be true”.
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