Who should move me to NYC?

May 12, 2009 8:27 PM

What's the most reputable moving company around for cross-country moves? I'm moving from Las Vegas to Manhattan, and have about 1BR worth of stuff, mostly books and a nice bed. High BBB ratings and being New York City-based are pluses. Which two guys and a truck can I trust??
posted by foodbedgospel to travel & transportation (10 comments total)

Do you have a car you're having towed, or are you going to ride with the driver?
posted by koeselitz at 8:32 PM on May 12

Should've mentioned this, koeselitz -- I'll be taking a car separately, and therefore not keeping a close eye on the moving truck.
posted by foodbedgospel at 8:44 PM on May 12

Talk to one of the national companies. Ask about driver ratings. Get a driver who has a 1 or 2 rating. The key is the driver not so much the company although they do go hand in hand. I moved from SF to NYC and used a company based in Montana because of the driver who did the move.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:35 PM on May 12

movingscam.com was helpful for me (they have some testimonials and a blacklist), but the site is down as I post this. Moovers, Inc. had a good rep, and I had a good experience with them for a in-state CA move. They have a NJ office. I also recall that "you pack we drive" places like ABF were preferred for having less opportunity for scammage.

However, 1BR of stuff is a sort of pissant amount. You might want to look into ABF's ReloCube or other storage pod things.
posted by fleacircus at 9:48 PM on May 12

I had a great experience using Mayflower for a Brooklyn, NY to Portland, OR move of 1BR worth of stuff four years ago. I got estimates from what I think of as the big three national moving companies (Bekins, Allied, Mayflower) and the estimates were all affordable and allpretty close. I ended up going with Mayflower because I was impressed with how professional the estimator was, but the other two seemed fine as well. I had no problems on my move, which ended up costing within 1% of the original estimate. Estimates cost nothing. Get a bunch of them-- and don't ever trust an estimate you get over the phone-- if they don't come out and eyeball your stuff, there's no way they can estimate accurately.
posted by dersins at 10:02 PM on May 12

Finding a reputable moving company is quite difficult. There are many, many bad companies out there and not enough good ones. I am going to strongly second what fleacircus said - you have to check out movingscam.com. Avoid any company on their blacklist like the plague. Seriously. Don't even think about going with one of them.

On the flipside, it's not really possible to create a "whitelist" - after all, who wants to stick their neck on the line like that, given all the gonifs in this industry? But what you can (and really must) do is check out the movingscam message boards. As I recall they are organized regionally, so look for people who have good experiences in your area. You might also try posting a query for your specific move on those boards.

I personally had a good experience with JK Moving & Storage, which was recommended on movingscam, going from DC to NYC. However, I believe they are based in Virginia and may not go as far as Vegas. Also, let me stress that this was almost three years ago. Things change, though, and I can't really vouch for them given the amount of time that's passed... but it would be worth at least checking to see if others have had good experiences with them more recently on movingscam.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:59 PM on May 12

I suspect the big full service movers will be really expensive for 1 BR worth of stuff. I'd check into one of the pod companies. You load your stuff, you lock the pod, you unlock the pod in NY. There is minimal opportunity for anybody to mess with your stuff.
posted by COD at 5:20 AM on May 13

Stick with the big companies as dersins said. I've used Mayflower and they are great.
posted by JJ86 at 6:46 AM on May 13

Nthing the suggestion for a big national company. I used Bekins for a small college apartment move, they had some way to work it so it wasn't terribly expensive (ie: I wasn't paying for a full truck). Get quotes from several. If you're really concerned ask them who their local movers are on either side, they'll likely be an independent company who just contracts for the big national company. Then check up on their reputation, too.
posted by Nelson at 7:56 AM on May 13

U-Pack You will save a load of money, and if your not up for the labor hire local movers to load and unload.

Most carriers charge a 1500lb minimum and this is the peak season rate wise. Expect to pay a surcharge for Manhattan also.
posted by pianomover at 2:47 AM on May 14