How to Choose & Verify a Moving Company
Don't choose a mover because the website looks good—including ours. Verify the company, understand who will actually move your belongings, compare the written estimate, and resolve unanswered questions before anybody loads the truck.
What Kind of Move Are You Hiring For?
The right verification changes with the move. Choose yours and this guide will emphasize the right checks.
Verify the Mover Yourself
A logo, truck, review profile or DOT number on a website is not the same thing as confirming the company through the agency that regulates the move.
Check HHG Movers, too.
Don't take our word for our credentials. HHG Movers lists USDOT 2792009, MC 86750 and Georgia HHG8757. Use the same official government resources below to verify us that you would use to verify another mover.
Use the Government Source That Matches Your Move
We intentionally send you to the official source rather than copying a government database into an HHG-controlled score. Government records can change; the agency record should be your source of truth.
Moving Within Georgia
Verify the mover through the Georgia Department of Public Safety's household-goods/mover resources. Confirm the company you are hiring matches the licensed business—not merely a similar name.
- Compare company/legal name.
- Compare the authority/license information.
- Compare the company contact information with your estimate.
- If something does not match, resolve it before booking.
Moving Across State Lines
Use FMCSA's Protect Your Move and SAFER systems. A USDOT number by itself does not prove a company is authorized to transport household goods interstate.
- Search by company name, USDOT or MC number.
- Confirm the identity matches your estimate.
- Confirm interstate household-goods authority.
- Check registration, insurance information and complaint resources.
Don't ask only, “Do you have a DOT number?”
Ask whether the company is currently authorized for interstate household-goods transportation and whether the company taking your money is the carrier that will physically transport your belongings or a broker arranging another carrier.
Know Who Is Actually Coming to Your House
This distinction becomes especially important interstate. A mover transports household goods. A broker arranges transportation with a mover. FMCSA requires interstate movers and brokers to be registered, but their roles are not the same.
Ask the Company
“Are you the actual carrier that will put my belongings on your truck, or are you arranging my move with another carrier?” Then verify the answer against the written documents and applicable government records.
Ask Who the Crew Works For
Know whether the people arriving are the company's employees, an agent, a subcontracted carrier, temporary/day labor or another arrangement. The answer affects who you are trusting inside your home and who is responsible for the move.
HHG Movers' answer
HHG Movers is a carrier, not a broker. We perform our moves with our own W-2 employees rather than selling the move to an unknown moving company or staffing the job with day labor.
Check Your Mover
Use this after you have looked at the mover's website, estimate and government record. “I don't know” is useful—it tells you exactly what to ask before you sign.
The Cheapest Number Is Not Automatically the Cheapest Move
Compare what each company is actually promising, not just the number at the bottom.
| Compare | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| Pricing method | Hourly, binding, non-binding, flat-rate or another lawful method? Understand what controls the final charge. |
| Inventory / scope | Are the same rooms, furniture, boxes, specialty items, packing and access conditions included in every quote? |
| Crew & equipment | How many movers, what truck/equipment, and who actually performs the work? |
| Minimums | For hourly work, understand the minimum billable time and what starts/stops the clock. |
| Possible changes | What happens if inventory, services, access, dates or destination conditions change? |
| Protection | Ask what furniture, floors, doorways, mattresses, TVs and fragile/specialty items receive. |
| Valuation / liability | Do not accept vague “everything is insured” language. Understand the actual liability/valuation options that apply to your move. |
| Deposit / payment | Know the deposit, cancellation terms, accepted payment methods and when the balance is due. |
| Storage | If storage may be needed, ask where goods are held, who controls them, and how redelivery works. |
| Delivery | For longer moves, understand pickup/delivery expectations and who you contact while the shipment is in transit. |
Slow Down Before You Hand Over Your Belongings
One odd detail may have an innocent explanation. Several unresolved warning signs should make you stop and investigate.
Identity Doesn't Match
The business name, address, license/authority information or phone identity doesn't line up across the estimate, website and official records.
Vague About Who Moves You
You cannot get a straight answer about whether the company is the carrier, broker, agent or who will physically arrive.
No Meaningful Inventory Review
A suspiciously low quote is produced without enough information about what you own, access conditions or services needed.
No Written Estimate
Important pricing promises live only in a phone conversation or text and the company will not clearly document the agreement.
Large Upfront Demand
A company pressures you for a large payment before service, especially while other questions remain unanswered.
Blank or Incomplete Promises
Never sign blank documents. Read the estimate, order/bill of lading and other documents before signing.
“Everything Is Fully Insured”
That phrase can hide important details. Ask exactly what valuation/liability applies and what your options are.
Pressure Instead of Answers
A legitimate mover should be able to explain its identity, pricing, scope, process and written terms without rushing you past reasonable questions.
Questions Worth Asking Every Mover
What is your legal company name and license/authority number?
Then verify it yourself using the correct state or federal source.
Are you the carrier that will physically perform my move?
If not, ask exactly who will and what role the company you're speaking with plays.
Who will be inside my home?
Ask whether the crew consists of employees, agents, subcontractors, temporary workers or day labor.
How did you build this estimate?
The mover should understand your inventory, origin/destination access and requested services—not merely your bedroom count.
What could change this price?
Get the answer before moving day. Added goods/services and changed conditions can matter depending on the estimate and move type.
What protection is included?
Ask specifically about furniture, mattresses, TVs, floors, entrances, fragile goods and specialty items.
What are my liability / valuation options?
For interstate moves, federal rules provide specific valuation choices. Do not confuse valuation responsibility with a casual promise that “insurance covers everything.”
What happens if my closing or move date changes?
Know rescheduling, storage and delivery options before a real-estate delay creates an emergency.
Use This Same Checklist Against Us
We built this guide to help you choose intelligently—even if you are comparing HHG Movers with other companies.
Verify Us
USDOT 2792009 · MC 86750 · Georgia HHG8757. HHG Movers is licensed and insured and is not a broker.
Know Who Shows Up
HHG uses its own W-2 employees. Our crews are trained, background checked and drug tested; HHG carries workers' compensation and commercial auto coverage.
Let Us See the Move
Video walkthrough is the standard and preferred estimate method. In-person estimates are available when video isn’t practical or when HHG Movers determines an on-site review makes sense.
Get the Written Quote
The Rate Planner is for planning. Your written estimate/quote after HHG reviews the actual move is the document that governs the service and pricing.
Choosing and Verifying Movers
How do I know if a moving company is legitimate in Georgia?
Start with the applicable Georgia regulatory source for an intrastate household-goods move and compare the company's identity and authority information with the company giving you the estimate. Do not rely only on a logo or a license number printed on the mover's own website.
How do I verify an interstate mover?
Use FMCSA's Protect Your Move mover resources and SAFER Company Snapshot. Confirm that the company identity matches and that the carrier has the appropriate interstate household-goods authority and required registration/insurance information.
Is having a USDOT number enough?
No. FMCSA explains that a company can be registered but not authorized to transport household goods. Verify the company's actual status and household-goods authority.
What is the difference between a mover and a broker?
A mover/carrier physically transports household goods. A broker arranges transportation with a mover. For interstate moves, both have federal requirements, but their roles and responsibilities are different.
Should I get more than one moving estimate?
Yes. Multiple written estimates can help you compare scope, pricing and professionalism. Make sure each company is estimating substantially the same inventory and services or the dollar amounts are not an apples-to-apples comparison.
Is the cheapest moving quote usually best?
No. A lower legitimate price can be a good value, but a quote is only useful when you understand what it includes, how it was calculated and what can change it.
Should a mover see my belongings before quoting?
A serious estimate needs meaningful inventory information. HHG prefers a video walkthrough. Interstate federal rules also contain specific estimate/survey requirements, including provisions for physical or virtual surveys.
Should I pay a large moving deposit?
Treat large upfront demands as a reason to investigate. FMCSA identifies demands for cash or a large deposit before an interstate move as a fraud warning sign. Compare the deposit terms with the rest of the company's credentials and written agreement.
What if the moving company asks me to sign a blank form?
Do not sign blank documents. Read the information in the estimate and moving documents before signing and keep your copies.
Does “licensed and insured” tell me everything?
No. Ask what license/authority applies to your move, verify it independently, and understand the actual liability/valuation terms rather than assuming every loss or damage is automatically covered at replacement value.
How can I tell whether reviews are trustworthy?
Look beyond the average star rating. Read recent positive and negative reviews, look for detailed descriptions of actual moves, check how the company responds to problems, and compare review patterns across more than one source.
Why does the company's address matter?
A consistent real business identity makes verification easier. FMCSA lists a missing local address or missing registration/insurance information on an interstate mover's website among potential warning signs.
What should I ask about the moving crew?
Ask who employs the crew, who supervises the job and whether another company or temporary labor will perform the move. You should know who will be handling your property before moving day.
What documents matter on an interstate move?
Interstate moves involve required consumer information and written moving documents. FMCSA tells consumers to read the estimate, bill of lading, inventory and other completed documents carefully and retain important paperwork through delivery and claim resolution.
What if a mover's government record does not match its sales pitch?
Stop and resolve the discrepancy before paying or signing. Ask the company to explain the legal/business name, authority or address difference, then independently verify the explanation.
Can I use this checklist to compare HHG Movers with another mover?
Yes. That is exactly what it is for. Verify HHG's credentials and answers the same way you verify anyone else.
Compare Us. Verify Us. Then Decide.
We would rather earn your move after you understand what you're buying than win it because you didn't know what questions to ask.