Houston Interstate Movers - Legal Requirements

Houston interstate movers can transport your items within the state of Houston and also to the surrounding locations in California such as Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego. Long-distance movers can be either interstate or intrastate. An interstate mover is different from a local mover in that the former is allowed to cut across state lines. It is however illegal for a local mover to work outside the state that he has been licensed to operate in. Local movers are licensed by the state of Texas while interstate movers are licensed by the United States DOT (Department of Transport). The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) have partnered with the moving industry players, consumer groups and other state law and enforcement agencies to make sure the client has the information needed to spot and avoid fraudulent movers.

Some movers are however licensed for both interstate and intrastate or local moves. But if a mover is licensed in say New York, it is illegal for him to move items from Houston to New York. He can however transport items from New York to Houston.

Before choosing an interstate mover, it is important to make sure that he has been licensed to move outside the state of Texas. To check a mover’s registration, just log onto the website www.protectyourmove.gov. Next, check for insurance cover, reliability and professionalism. This can be determined after a little research and from reading customer reviews. It is also necessary to consider the best price for the best services. Since interstate moves can take a long period of time, it is also wise to find out from the mover how they plan to pack and store the items. The client has a right to be given this information.

By law, interstate moving charges are based on the actual weight of your belongings. The weight is based on a specific state certified scale. The interstate mover should give you a document quoting the weight of the items. A contract should then be signed but the client should read the fine print before signing. The contract should have details on delivery time, contact numbers and charges. An estimate should also be provided after evaluation of the goods. Each interstate mover must abide by the 110% rule when it comes to collecting payment on a non-binding estimate. Failure to do so can lead to disciplinary measures taken by the United States DOT (Department of Transport).

Terry Moving and Storage has been licensed for interstate moves in Texas. They have had more than 25 years of experience so they must be quite reliable as a bad mover cannot last for that long in the business. A-1 Allstate Movers also offer their services to Central Texas inhabitants.