Are you talking to a real mover?
Step 1: How to weed out the worst of the worst.
Text messages, or email response to your potential movers.
1. Are you a Broker?
If they say yes then politely, just say no. (pun intended) block them because they won’t stop. At least you wont need to look them up.
2. If they say no. Ask for their D.O.T. Number
Step 2: How to look up a movers license
Use this link and follow the next instructions
https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx
Step 3: How to find the correct license.
Select U.S.D.O.T. Number and type it into the search bar.
Step 4: Key things to look for on a license.
1. Entity Type: Carrier
2. Miles: At least 500,000 the same or previous year
3. Power Units: Trucks
4. Drivers: Should be about the same as their truck count
Logically. Say a company has 5 trucks and 2 drivers. Then they have mostly part time workers, not handling the moves in house.
Next. Say they have 20 trucks but only 20,000 miles. Just like the last example. This screams that something is off. They registered their little box trucks to do the local pick up, then Subcontract. A.K.A. sell their jobs off to the lowest bidder for the long haul.
You will not know who the other company is. More often than not, they do not know who the other company is, not until the day your stuff is to be loaded on the truck they found going in your direction.
With 2 different companies handling your items. They will be pointing their fingers at one another, when something goes wrong. Figuring out who is liable will be beyond annoying.
How to dive deeper into who these people are.
Companies can have a Legal Name and a D.B.A. Name.
You need to do a search for both. Just like this “Moving Insiders Reviews”. No. not my name. theirs. then the word “reviews” . Did you really think to use my name. You really need someone you trust to help you with all this. (Bless Your Heart)
While reading traditional reviews is a good thing. those reviews can be faked very easily and cheaply. I can get 100 reviews for $30.
To get to the bottom of things. I start with a BBB business profile. When was their BBB File Opened? When did their Business Start Locally? How long have they been Accredited?
It’s common, when just starting out, to have years worth of gaps in these numbers. In fact it is better this way, if someone had all their ducks in a row right from the start. that would mean they have done this before under another name.
Look at how many employees they have. If someone says they have 6 facilities throughout the country. But have 15 employees. That doesn’t add up! Each facility should have at least 15 employees.
Most movers do not have a D.U.N.S. Number, owners do not sell shares or get acquisitioned often. The next best thing to do. Is search for. Principal member names. More often than not. Everything is under a family member name. With no ties or reputation in the industry. Because they burnt their name. If you can not find anything that is odd. People should want to be proud of their work not hiding from it.
