How to Choose Long Distance Movers?

CitizenShipper CitizenShipper · Updated February 23, 2024

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From deciding what exactly you’ll take with you to choosing when exactly to move – moving can be a stressful event but moving long-distance can be even more so! Perhaps the biggest decision you’ll need to make is choosing reliable long distance movers. The price of a long-distance move will always be higher than a short distance move, but you only want to pay for it in cash and not by having your belongings broken, lost, or even stolen. This is why choosing the right long-distance movers is of high significance. There are several factors to consider before making a choice, and to assure that your choice will be one without regrets.

How to Find Long Distance Movers

Usually, a move is considered long-distance if it involves more than a 100-mile distance. If you thought that your move was a local one, but it turned out to be a long-distance, there’s still no need to panic, as there are a lot of moving companies that specialize in long-distance moves.

Use a Marketplace Site

 One way to get in touch with local moving companies that can do long-distance movers is to use a marketplace service, such as CitizenShipper, which allows you to collect quotes from moving companies quickly and easily in one place. You can get bids from trusted, verified movers. This is called “listing transport requirements”  – you simply need to fill out a form with information about your move. Once your requirements are listed, it will be sent to all transporters that match your criteria, and shortly after, you will be receiving messages and quotes. Each of the transporter’s credentials is listed in their profile, and they must pass the background check. You would surely want to consider checking out previous customer’s experience before choosing a transporter.

Call Local Companies

Another option to find a mover is to get quotes by calling local companies or using the quote tool on their website. You should certainly ask for an in-house estimate of the long-distance moving costs, and you should get that estimate from at least 3-4 moving companies so that you would have a better idea of what they charge for, and what are the extras you may have to include in your budget. 

Some of the extra costs may include moving specialty items (pianos, billiard pools), stair carries, and long carries. Learn as much as you can about these potential costs and upfront so that you won’t be surprised when you get a bill. Better yet, getting an estimate in writing after an in-house visit would further help you with selecting the movers that fit your needs optimally

Having an in-house estimate will also allow you to inquire about anything related to long-distance moving that crosses your mind. Sometimes, discussing the ‘unknowns’ in person may provide you with more information than you can ever find online, and that will also help you with determining the reliability and experience of the movers. 

How to Choose Long Distance Movers

Once you have invited several movers for an in-house estimate, you will now have a far clearer picture of the budget you will need for your long-distance move. However, you still need to decide on which mover to choose. The choice will come down to more than just the bottom line. To ensure you make the best choice possible you would want to consider the following factors:

Reputation Check

Finding an honest company that provides good service is always a challenge, and even more so when looking for a moving company – as moving is not something that one does regularly. One way of deciding on a good long-distance company might be by getting a suggestion from friends or family who have already used a service of a moving company that has corresponded to their requirements. However, recommendations like these are also not so common to get, so the best bet would be to check reputable long distance moving companies by reading their online reviews which can be found on sites such as Yelp. You can also check some other reliable review sites, such as Trustpilot

Reliability Check

When considering a trustworthy long-distance moving company, it’s important to pay attention to the official authorization of the company, namely, if the company is licensed by the US Department of Transportation. USDOT website has a list of every licensed long-distance mover, including the USDOT number they have been assigned.

While selecting a long-distance moving company, you would also want to make sure that you will pick a company that is an active member of two important organizations:

  1. American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) which made the ProMover program guaranteeing that members have passed a background check and agree to uphold their Code of Ethics. 
  2. Better Business Bureau (BBB) which is focused on providing more trust between customers and companies, and also a place where customers can better evaluate businesses’ accomplishments.

Affordability Check

While looking for a long-distance moving company, most of us will first think about the cost of it. However, when planning on a budget, you should also consider additional costs, such as packing, insurance, overnight fees, custom crating, shuttle services, hoisting, parking tickets, storage, heavy item surcharge, the fee for assembly and reassembly of furniture, just to name a few. Compare all the quotes you have received and what it is included in the quotes, and decide on the one that provides the best value for your money, keeping in mind that sometimes a very low quote might mean a potential fraud. You wouldn’t want to lose your valuable belongings betting on the suspiciously low cost moving company.

Intuition Check

Once you are sure that you have gathered all the needed information and facts regarding the moving companies and the cost of your long-distance move, and you still have a couple of good choices to choose from, it may be a good idea to go with your gut feeling. Once in a while, it is okay to rely on your hunch, especially if you know you have already done good research. 

Good luck with your research and happy long-distance move!