What Should I Look For When Hiring a Long Distance Moving Company? (2026 Guide)

• The single most important thing to check is FMCSA registration and a valid USDOT number. Verify it at protectyourmove.gov before anything else.
• Insist on a written binding estimate (or a not-to-exceed quote) based on an on-site or virtual survey, not a quick phone number.
• Understand your insurance and valuation coverage: basic released-value protection pays only 60 cents per pound, so add full replacement value insurance for anything valuable.
• Favor a direct carrier (one team from pickup to delivery) over a broker that sells your job to someone else.
• Read customer reviews for patterns, check the Better Business Bureau, and learn the red flags that point to moving scams.

The best long-distance movers are FMCSA-licensed, give you a written binding estimate, offer full value insurance, run their own crews, and have a consistent track record of customer reviews across multiple platforms.

Everything below expands on those points, plus the quotes to compare, the questions to ask, and the red flags to walk away from.

A quick-reference ranking by overall fit for a typical full-household interstate move. Use it as a starting point, then run whichever option you choose through the checklist below.

The same checklist applies wherever you are moving, whether between major metros like Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Detroit, Austin, Texas, or Mesa, Arizona, or smaller cities like Traverse City or Lansing, Michigan.

Use this as your checklist before requesting a single moving estimate.

1. FMCSA Licensing and a Valid USDOT Number

Any moving company that crosses state lines must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and carry a USDOT number.

Verify it yourself at protectyourmove.gov to confirm active authority and review complaint history. A carrier that cannot produce a USDOT number on request should be ruled out immediately.

2. Carrier vs. Broker

A direct carrier transports your shipment with its own crews and trucks. A broker sells your job to a separate carrier and does not handle the move itself.

Brokers are legal and must also be registered, but a direct carrier keeps one team accountable end to end. It is also fair to ask whether the company runs background checks on its crews.

3. A Written Binding Estimate

Always get the price in writing, based on an on-site estimate or a virtual survey of your belongings.

A binding estimate locks in your total. With a non-binding estimate, federal law caps what the mover can collect at delivery at 110 percent of the quote, known as the 110 percent rule. A number guessed over the phone is not a real moving estimate, so gather at least three written moving company quotes to compare.

4. Insurance and Valuation Coverage

This is where many people get caught off guard. Released-value protection is the free default, and it pays only 60 cents per pound per item, which is almost nothing for electronics or antiques.

Full value protection, sometimes called full replacement value insurance, makes the mover liable to repair or replace lost or damaged items. Ask exactly what the insurance includes, what an upgrade costs, and how the claims process works, then confirm it in writing.

5. Transparent Pricing and No Hidden Fees

The best companies quote a guaranteed flat price based on a detailed inventory list, with no hidden fees or surprise weight-based charges.

Ask how fuel costs, mileage fees, truck size, long-carry and stair fees, and storage-in-transit factor into your transportation costs. A reputable mover discloses all of these upfront.

6. The Range of Services Offered

Strong long-distance movers do more than drive a truck. Look for full-service movers that handle packing services and packing supplies, loading and unloading, furniture assembly/disassembly, custom crating, vehicle shipping, and self storage, ideally coordinated under one quote rather than farmed out.

If you need international moving or other additional services, confirm that experience directly.

7. Reputation, Reviews, and Accreditation

Check Google, the Better Business Bureau, and the FMCSA complaint database, and look for patterns in customer reviews rather than a single star rating.

Professional accreditation and how a company responds to negative reviews often tell you more than the praise does.

8. Experience, Customer Service, and Communication

Favor professional movers with several years of experience and a clear track record on routes like yours.

Responsive customer service, a single point of contact or move coordinator, and digital tools such as online shipment tracking all make a long-distance move far less stressful.

• Are you a direct carrier or a broker, and what is your USDOT number?
• Is this a binding estimate or a non-binding estimate, and is it in writing?
• What does my valuation coverage pay, and what does full value protection cost?
• Do your own crews handle the loading and unloading, or do you use subcontractors?
• What is the delivery window, and what is your claims process if something is damaged?
• Are packing services, supplies, storage, and vehicle shipping included in this quote, or billed separately?
• Are there any additional services or fees not listed here?

A mover who hesitates or deflects on any of these is a red flag.

Build a realistic moving timeline and a moving checklist as soon as you have a target moving date.

Confirm pickup and delivery windows in writing, ask whether your buildings require moving permits or elevator reservations, and keep a copy of your inventory list for any future claims.

Most moving scams and moving fraud share the same warning signs:

• No USDOT number, or refusal to provide one.
• A large deposit demanded upfront, especially in cash.
• An estimate given without any survey of your belongings.
• A quote that is dramatically lower than every other bid.
• No written contract, or a request to sign a blank or incomplete document.

Pricing helps you sanity-check a quote. For a typical 2 to 3 bedroom household:

← swipe to see all columns →

Prices rose in 2026, with industry data pointing to a roughly 20 percent increase driven largely by fuel costs, and the steepest jumps on the West Coast. Always get at least three written moving company quotes before committing.

If you are moving out of the LA area, vet for local experience too. Freeway timing, building access, moving permits, and Certificates of Insurance for high-rises all matter here.

Neighborhoods and cities like Santa Monica, Pasadena, Sherman Oaks, Silver Lake, and Long Beach each have their own parking and permit quirks that an experienced crew will plan around.

For a local comparison, see our guide to the best cross country movers in Los Angeles, California. And if you are moving to or from the state, our overview of trusted California movers walks through packing, storage, and vehicle shipping options.

Ask for the company's USDOT number and search it in the FMCSA database at protectyourmove.gov. You can confirm active authority, insurance, and complaint history there. Cross-check with the Better Business Bureau and Google customer reviews. A licensed carrier will share these details without hesitation.

For most long-distance moves, a direct carrier is the safer choice because one team is accountable from pickup to delivery. A broker sells your job to another moving company, which can add uncertainty about who actually shows up. Both must be FMCSA-registered, so always confirm which one you are dealing with.

A binding estimate locks in your total price. A non-binding estimate can change based on actual weight and services, but under the federal 110 percent rule the mover cannot require more than 110 percent of the quote at delivery. Always get the moving estimate in writing.

Book six to eight weeks ahead for a peak-season moving date (May through August). Three to four weeks is usually enough off-season. Booking early gives you more choice of dates, time to compare quotes, and room to build your moving timeline.

When hiring a long-distance moving company, licensing comes first, the written binding estimate comes second, and insurance and valuation coverage come third. Everything else, services, customer reviews, and communication, helps you choose between the legitimate carriers that clear those three bars.

Run every candidate through the checklist, ask the questions, compare quotes, and walk away from the red flags. Do that, and the rest of your move gets a lot easier.

This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current pricing trends and federal regulations. Always verify a mover's FMCSA authority independently before booking.