It doesn’t take much to start a moving company– typically all that is needed is a truck and a few strong individuals. These limited requirements are great for allowing any Tom, Dick or Harry to start a moving company, but it can also lead to questionable characters starting unethical moving companies. To combat this, there are a number of regulatory bodies, both at the national and state level, aimed at informing movers of their rights and the policies that registered and licensed movers must follow.

 

At the national level, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the regulatory body. The FMCSA is responsible for licensing vehicles that are hauling cargo in exchange for pay. Per their website, their mission is as follows:

The FMCSA monitors and ensures compliance with motor carrier safety (all carriers) and commercial (for-hire, non-exempt carriers) regulations. Companies may find they are subject to registration requirements for both safety (safety registration) and commercial regulation (operating authority registration). Companies subject to the safety requirements are also required to obtain a USDOT Number.

So a good place to research movers is the FMCSA’s website. Note: ALL movers participating on Move Matcher must be registered with the FMCSA.

 

In addition to federal regulation, each state typically has their own certification agency. For Illinois, this body is the IMAWA. Movers may also be researched at the Illinois Commerce Commission’s website here.

Texas Moving Companies – Southwest Movers Association
New York Moving Companies – New York State Movers & Warehosuemen’s Association