Before you even contact the movers in Boston, MA to take a look at the size of the project, there are some important questions that can be handled during the initial phone interview which will give you a better idea of the company you are dealing with.

This is your opportunity to see if the Boston moving company in question is there to meet your needs, or if you will need to keep looking. To avoid the misfortune of signing on with some rogue moving company, be sure to include the following questions in that initial first interview.

Questions to Ask Prospective Moving Companies in Boston

References

Before you even dial the phone number, the best place to begin your search for a reputable Boston, MA moving company would start with your friends, family, and co-workers who may have had dealings with a particular company in the past and can point you in the right direction.

Never assume the bigger brands and the most impressive web pages are going to offer you the best rates or services, don’t believe any of the rates you will find from a ‘find-a-mover’ sites either. The only one who can present you with a realistic figure is someone who has had a look around your home and can make a professional estimate.

There are also many household goods brokerage companies that are supposed to help you find a good mover in Boston, Massachusetts, but these are not regulated by the same laws that govern movers and are risky in this sense.

Registration Number of the Boston Moving Company

The moving company will have a license and registration with the FMCSA – the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Ask if you can review their USDOT Number — US Dept. of Transportation. If the Boston, MA movers do not operate out of state, they may not have this number.

Boston Mover Rates and Estimates

Ask for the rate the company uses; this will usually be given at the pound times the distance, this is mandatory if the moving company is hauling goods long distance. If the company is quick to give you a rate per cubic foot, just thank them for their time and scratch them from the list.

If the move is only for a relatively short distance, a rate per hour may also be an acceptable option.

Neither the hourly rate nor the rate per pound can change, but the estimates can be quite different depending on the type of rate provided by the carrier.

These estimates must be completed in writing, and the mover must provide the customer with a copy, which will include all the charges and the total for the moving service in Boston. This will be signed by both parties before the project can commence. There should be points that indicate payment methods and specific dates as well.

Local Boston Moving Subcontractors

Often a larger moving company will work with many smaller local contractors. You will want to ask about this, and if this is the case be sure to get the name and contact information of the subcontractor they hope to use. This way you can research the information on these drivers to make sure you will be receiving a top quality service.

Most often these subcontractors are local moving companies near you with their fleet of trucks and with reviews and testimonials that are easily located. There is often a high quality of service to be expected from these local movers in Boston MA who live off word-of-mouth advertising.

Additional Fees

It would be most unfortunate to be caught unprepared for additional fees at a time like this, so be sure to inquire about them or about when additional fees may apply. There may be fees for transporting certain awkward items, e.g. a grand piano. Other costs may include moving objects across difficult terrain by hand, or if the load has to be transported by hand over a given distance.

For this reason, it is good to look over all the details related to the logistics of the move yourself. The total weight, even an estimate, of the load being moved, the weight and girth of the largest piece object being moved, where the Boston moving truck could feasibly park without being penalized by the parking authority and other such details would be important to consider.

Here are a few other points to consider and investigate:

– Obstructions to stairways and elevator weight restrictions in high-rise apartment buildings and condos (both for the destination and point of origin).

– Possibility of reserving a parking spot for the occasion.

– Fuel surcharges and certain transport surcharges (to remote areas for example)

– Storage charges or storage-in-transit fees may also be applied on longer trips.

The extra cost will be referred to as ‘flight fees’ or long carry charges. It is important to inquire specifically about these additional fees so that you are not caught unprepared. If you are well informed about each and every one, it is entirely possible to avoid at least some of them and save yourself quite a bit of cash.

Additional Transfers

Some of the bigger moving companies in Massachusetts will ship your belongings from one depot to another; this means your stuff will be moved from one set of hands to another. This is not a deal breaker. However, the more transfers your stuff will see the more possibilities for lost or broken items are presented. If you can choose between more transfers or a slightly elevated price, go with the higher price.

Furthermore, if traveling in the rain or snow, this increases the possibilities of wet and water-damaged items on arrival.

Insurance

Last and by no means least, ask about the insurance carrier the Boston moving company works with. They will often provide additional protection to the customer for an extra cost based on the weight of the load; this means that you will have to consider the value of the items you are placing under such a policy.

The average policy will pay around 60 cents for a pound of damaged goods – which is quite literally ‘not worth its weight in pork fat’. It may be best to call up your home insurance provider to see if they can give you a better