Household moving may never be pleasant, but it can be a reasonably straightforward experience for those who do it properly. Doing it properly means carefully evaluating several potential moving companies before making a decision. It means consulting DOT numbers, individual references, and other sources of information that can verify that you have chosen a reputable moving company.

Why all this hassle? Moving can be a notoriously rough experience. Most of this stems from the fact that household movers can basically do whatever they want because once they have your belongings, you are at their mercy. Any number of consumer advocacy and moving scam web sites attest to this fact.

Steps to Household Moving
So how you do ensure that your household moving goes as planned? You research each company thoroughly. Remember that any old boiler room operation can set up a web site; you need objective facts before you can begin. Make sure that every company you consider can provide you with a Department of Transportation number (DOT), and that you check it out in the federal database.

This database lets you know if they have "common authority," which basically means that they have the certification necessary to conduct the move. It also lets you know whether they have permits for intra- and interstate moving, and provides an actual inventory of the types of good they are permitted to transport. Most important, it allows you to see whether any revocations are currently pending, which in turn gives you a sense of the company's current standing.