Vetting A Moving Company

The Issue
Americans move an average of X times in their lifetimes. Each time they move, people
are anxious to get their move done as quickly and as inexpensively as possible. This
combination of frequent moves and lax industry regulation has created an opening for
con artists and so called “rogue movers.” In order to protect yourself when hiring mov-
ers there are a number of common sense public records techniques you should employ
in addition to the traditional ways we seek referrals (e.g., through the phone book, from
friends, etc.)

Places to Check
Once you have met with potential movers or obtained an estimate, get a copy of the
“Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” booklet. This booklet should include
the moving company’s official name, address, phone number and Department of Trans-
portation and Motor Carrier license numbers assigned to the company.

With this information in hand, you should:

Consult with the Secretary of State’s office which can provide information on the busi-
ness, its officers and how long it’s been incorporated. Most of this data is available
online.

Check with the American Moving and Storage Association to determine if the company
is a member of the Pro-Mover certification program (www.promover.org). Members
must sign an ethics agreement and submit to annual checks for state and federal felony
convictions and verification of company ownership.

Check the company’s history with your state attorney general or public utilities com-
mission, the Better Business Bureau (customer satisfaction, complaints, licensing data,
etc.) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These entities assemble lists
of registered moving companies and track complaints against them.

State regulators will maintain complaint and administrative action files. The Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration (http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/) also maintains a

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 National Consumer Complaint Database and numerous other records (for a period of
up to six years) related to the companies, many of which are accessible without filing a
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Here are a few:

Motor Carrier Safety Ratings

This is an overall safety rating the agency develops. You can request it by phone at
(800) 832-5660. You can also write away for it:

Office of Data Analysis and Information Systems (MIA)

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.)

The following information is available from a system the agency calls the Motor Carrier
Management Information System (MCMIS) Data Dissemination Program:

Carrier File Extracts

Accident File Extracts
Carrier Safety Profiles
Personalized Carrier Reports
Personalized Accident Reports
Carrier Count Reports
Accident Count Reports

There are several additional documents available by filing a FOIA request. Among them:

Enforcement Reports
Compliance Reviews
Roadside Driver/Vehicle Inspection Reports (MCS-63s)
State Accident Reports
General Correspondence

In addition, FOIA requests are required to get copies of negotiated Settlement Agree-
ments, Notices of Claim and Out-of-Service Orders, final opinions in adjudication
matters and decisions of the Chief Safety Officer.

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