Interstate moving checklist from planning to pickup

About eight weeks before the move

Decide what is moving, what will travel with you, and what will be sold, donated, or discarded. Walk through storage areas as well as living spaces. Make an initial inventory and note fragile, unusually heavy, high-value, or difficult-to-replace items. This gives estimators the same scope and helps you decide what should never go on the truck.

Research carriers and brokers separately. For an interstate move within the US, use protectyourmove.gov or the FMCSA mover search to check each business yourself. Interstate household-goods carriers need a USDOT number and MC operating authority, and brokers must also register with FMCSA. Match the legal name and role to the advertisement and documents. Registration is a starting point, not a quality guarantee.

Read recent complaint text and owner responses. Look for recurring problems involving estimates, unexpected carriers, pickup, delivery, claims, and communication. Create a short list based on identity, relevant authority, complaint patterns, and willingness to conduct a careful survey.

During the comparison stage

Arrange in-home or live video surveys with the movers you are seriously considering. Show every room, closet, garage, outdoor area, and storage space. Describe origin and destination access, including stairs, elevators, loading restrictions, and the distance a truck may be from each door.

Request written estimates built from the same inventory and services. Compare binding, non-binding, or binding-not-to-exceed terms as applicable, along with packing, storage, valuation, payment, cancellation, pickup, and delivery language. Ask who will perform the move and whether a broker or another carrier will be involved.

Choose only after questions are answered in writing. Save the accepted estimate, order for service, inventory, terms, deposit receipt, and correspondence in a backed-up folder. Add contact details for the salesperson, operations team, assigned carrier, and any claims department as they become available.

During the middle weeks

Update the mover when your inventory or access changes. Request revised written documents rather than assuming an email note will change the estimate. Confirm elevator reservations, parking or loading arrangements, building rules, and destination access with the responsible property contacts.

Plan packing around risk. Keep medicines, identity documents, keys, travel needs, work essentials, valuable jewelry, and irreplaceable records with you. Ask about prohibited items and owner-packed-box rules. Use a room-based labeling system and keep a separate contents record for boxes with significant items.

Review valuation protection and any separate insurance while there is time to read full terms. Photograph important belongings and existing furniture condition. Record useful model or serial details. Back up photographs and documents outside the shipment so a lost device or packed computer does not take the evidence with it.

In the final week

Confirm the pickup date or window, arrival contact, legal carrier name, and expected payment method using contact information you trust. If a broker arranged the move, independently review the assigned carrier before pickup. Send the final inventory and access notes to the carrier and ask it to confirm receipt.

Finish packing early enough to avoid surprise packing labor. Separate items that stay with you and mark them clearly. Photograph electronics before disconnecting them, prepare appliances as instructed, and avoid packing substances the mover prohibits. Make a simple plan for children, pets, building access, and where the truck can legally stop.

Print or download accessible copies of the estimate, order for service, inventory, valuation selection, payment receipts, and contact list. Keep a charged phone and another way to access the files. Review what you will check on the bill of lading so moving-day pressure does not turn the signature into a formality.

On pickup day

Confirm the arriving company's identity before loading. Walk through the home with the crew, discuss anything that changed, and require revised terms to be explained in writing. Read the bill of lading and compare it with the estimate and order for service. Do not sign blank fields or documents you cannot retain.

Review the mover's inventory and condition descriptions. Ask for corrections where they do not match what you see. Take final photographs of major items and the condition of both properties. Keep children and pets away from traffic paths, but remain available to answer questions rather than leaving the loading process unattended.

Before the truck departs, check every room and storage area. Obtain complete signed copies, the shipment contact, and any pickup or tracking information. Keep payment proof and documents with you. Your next checklist begins with transit updates, delivery preparation, and inspection before signing the final receipt.

What if I have less than eight weeks to plan?

Keep the same order and compress the intervals. Prioritize identifying the legal mover, checking its public record, obtaining a complete written estimate, reading the contract, protecting essential items, and documenting condition. Convenience tasks can wait; identity and terms should not.

When should I tell the mover about added boxes?

As soon as you know. Send an updated inventory and ask whether the estimate or services change. A written revision before pickup is easier to evaluate than a new demand while the crew is waiting.

What records should stay with me?

Keep the estimate, order for service, bill of lading, inventories, valuation choice, receipts, policy documents, mover contacts, and important messages accessible. Keep personal identification, medicine, keys, financial records, and irreplaceable documents out of the shipment as well.

Should I leave while the crew loads?

Plan to remain available or appoint a trusted adult who understands the documents and inventory. The representative should be able to answer questions, note condition issues, review changes, and receive signed copies without being rushed.