Hiring movers is a necessary part of moving to a new home.

It is also a process that has been known to leave some customers victimized by moving companies in business purely to take advantage of their customers.

To reduce the incidence of these events, the state of Texas regulates interstate and local movers so that customers hiring services can find respected services or have recourse in the event of problems.

Customers searching for moving companies should understand the laws that movers must follow to operate within the state and choose only those services that can prove their good standing.

1. Licensing, Certification, And Tariff

To operate in Texas, moving companies must be certified/licensed with the TxDMV and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

Company license numbers must be prominently displayed on their moving trucks, all proposals and contracts, and on any advertising done by the company.

They must also have a Tariff of their business rates on file with the TxDMV so their fees can be searched.

Customers are encouraged to confirm movers have active state certification/licensing by searching the Truckstop database on the Texas DMV website.

Services that refuse to provide their number or cannot be searched by business name or license number on the database are not licensed and customers are advised to avoid them.

2. Proposals and Contracts

Texas law states that all interstate and local movers are required to provide customers with a proposal or contract before loading any items onto their trucks.

They must give customers the opportunity to review the contract and either accept or decline services.

Customers should carefully read all parts of their contract before signing anything, and ask any questions so there are no misunderstandings.

Avoid services that attempt to load items before providing a written, detailed contract or with a word-of-mouth agreement, as this is a common scam used by certain movers to demand higher payment to release property back to the customer.

It is illegal for movers to increase the cost of services without notice once the contract has been signed.

3. Rights and Responsibilities Brochure

Licensed Texas movers are required to provide customers with a “Rights and Responsibilities” brochure from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles before any items are loaded onto their trucks.

The brochure documents a list of customer’s rights when hiring moving companies and the recourse they have when things go wrong.

If no brochure is offered or available, consider that to be a red flag and avoid allowing the mover to load personal property.

4. Mover’s Liability

Licensed moving companies in Texas must provide the standard mover’s liability rate of 60 cents per pound, per article included in their services at no additional charge to the customer.

While some services will assume a higher amount of liability which must be documented for the customer before loading any items, they are not required to.

Instead, customers can seek personal moving insurance that more thoroughly protects their belongings.

5. Damage Claims and Mediation Services

Customers have 90 days to report damage or missing items to their interstate or local mover, who then has 20 days to respond to the claim.

They can either approve the claim and pay the owed damages amount within 90 days, decline it, or offer some kind of settlement.

Should the mover refuse to respond or be unwilling to take responsibility after the customer has submitted all necessary information and proof within the allotted time, customers may seek mediation services through the TxDMV.

Choose the Right Movers with Help From TxDMV

The right moving company can make the difference between a trouble-free relocation and a moving nightmare.

Always seek movers who are licensed with the TxDMV and abide by Texas laws for moving companies.

The best licensed and experienced local movers will operate by these important laws and strive to give their customers quality service and peace of mind!