Finding a reliable professional moving company is much needed but a very hard task. Moving home means moving everything that you own and it is just not right to hand over your hard-earned household goods in just anybody’s hands. It is wise to know all the details related to your chosen moving company along with their work permits and licenses.
For instance, if you are moving locally or to another state, the moving company must possess a registration number issued by the United States Department of Transportation, also known as USDOT number. Also credible local moving companies, like the ones associated with iMoving, should be affiliated with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Interstate moving companies have to follow certain rules and regulations set by both these governing authorities.
Knowing your chosen moving company’s USDOT number can help you in retrieving all the needed information about it. If you are wondering what this USDOT number is and how you can check it, keep on reading as we have tried to answer all your questions here.
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All about USDOT Number
Any company that operates a commercial vehicle to transport goods or passengers must have a USDOT number especially in the case of interstate commerce. The USDOT number is issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration which is a division of the United States Department of Transportation. A USDOT number is a unique identification number that is allotted by the government to know, monitor, and assess compliance-related issues of a particular company. The USDOT number of the company is also helpful in knowing the status and safety information about the company. All moving companies must have a USDOT number and not having one is a big red flag.
Where to Find It
A company’s USDOT number is often mentioned on its website as it is most commonly found at the bottom of the company website’s home page. If you are not able to find it on the company website, it is a good idea to ask for it directly from the company people. Be sure that it is your right to know about all the details related to the company’s work permits and permissions. After retrieving the number, you can search for company-related details on the website of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
What All Can I Know through the USDOT number of a Company?
A registered moving company provides all necessary information on its website, but no company would tell us about its limitations. But we can search for some real information about a registered company easily that may include contact details of the company. It is often seen that we hire a company based on telephonic conversation and rarely go to the company office so, knowing a company USDOT number will enable you to know the physical address and contact information of the company. You will also get to know about the insurance information and safety-related information. The USDOT number will also tell you the fleet size of the company; how many and what size vehicles the company owns and the number of drivers. It can also help you in knowing the real reviews and safety ratings of the company.
The best part of knowing the USDOT number is that you will be able to find out if there are any complaints registered against the company or company drivers. This data is provided by the National Consumer Complaint Database.
How is it Important
Every day we hear about moving scams and frauds and having your chosen moving company’s USDOT number is the best and the easiest way to know your company well before making any decision. Make sure you do not hire a moving company that doesn’t contain a valid USDOT number. It is a major red flag if a moving company especially an interstate moving company is not registered with the federal government as the USDOT number is very helpful in finding all the complaints registered against the company if there are any.
Moving home anyhow is a very hectic and tedious job and dealing with a rogue moving company would be the last thing anyone would like to handle. So, make sure you check your chosen company’s USDOT number to avoid any inconvenience in the future. Fraud and rogue moving companies have some very common scam practices like
- Fraud moving companies keep your belongings as a hostage and won’t give them back to you until you pay them their demanded amount of money. This demanded money can be way more than the estimate given to you.
- Some rogue moving companies change their moving plans and arrangements at the last minute and you cannot do anything as it is your final moving day and they do not even compensate for the inconvenience that occurred.
- They may even impose some unreasonable extra expenses at the time of final payment and do not even pay for the damages done by their staff.
Checking the credibility of the moving company should be your top priority when engaging with the service provider. US DOT number offers you peace of mind as you know who would be responsible for moving your valuables from one place to another. We hope this guide will help you with your US DOT related queries and make your moving experience smoother and safer.