Moving Q&A: Working with Professional Moving Companies

I used to think a move was only about boxes and tape—about folding closets into cardboard and asking strangers to carry the weight of a life I had arranged in rooms. But the more I learned, the more I saw that moving is really a choreography of trust: a van, a manifest, careful hands, and the promise that what leaves your doorway will find its shape again somewhere new.

This is my honest guide to working with professional movers—what they will and will not pack, how your belongings are protected on the road, how coverage truly works, and how to choose a company that treats your story like it matters. If a move is a threshold, I want the crossing to feel calm, organized, and kind.

What Professional Movers Actually Do

Full-service movers can handle almost everything: packing, padding furniture, loading, transport, and careful placement in your new home. They bring the materials—boxes, wraps, cartons—and a method that keeps doorways, floors, and stair rails protected. If you prefer to pack yourself, most companies will do a partial service: they focus on fragile, bulky, or specialty items while you pack the rest.

There are limits. Reputable movers follow safety rules and local regulations. They typically do not transport live plants over certain distances, and they never transport pets, perishable foods, firearms without compliance, explosives, propane tanks, fuel, or hazardous chemicals. Think of movers as guardians of safe cargo; anything risky, living, or perishable stays with you or is handled by specialists.

Packing Services: Full, Partial, or Self-Pack

If you choose full packing, a crew will arrive with a plan: one room at a time, fragile items first, inventory as they go. Partial packing is common for kitchens, art, mirrors, and wardrobes. Self-pack works when you have time and want to save on labor—just follow professional standards: double-wall boxes for books and dishes, dish packs for plates, and clear labels on at least two adjacent sides.

I always set up a staging table for essentials—medications, chargers, documents, jewelry, a few days of clothing—and mark it "Do Not Pack." The simplest boundary prevents the most stressful mistake. On moving morning, that small island of certainty feels like a hand to hold.

What Movers Will Not Pack or Carry

Movers generally refuse flammables, aerosols, paints, solvents, chemicals, propane, gasoline, and any pressurized containers. Cash, irreplaceable documents, heirloom jewelry, hard drives with sensitive data, and prescription medications should travel with you. Perishable foods are out; plants are restricted or excluded depending on distance and regulations; pets travel only with their people or with licensed animal transporters.

Ask your company for its "non-allowables" list during the estimate. Walk through your home with that list in hand and make two piles: carry-with-you and donate/dispose. Nothing clarifies a move like deciding what remains close to your heart and what releases its hold on your life.

How Secure Your Belongings Are in Transit

Security begins before the truck moves. Crews pad-wrap furniture, crate high-value items when needed, build walls of boxes inside the truck, and strap cargo to prevent shift. An inventory (digital or paper) notes condition and count; your bill of lading states the route and terms. At delivery, the inventory is checked again, room labels guide placement, and you sign for receipt.

Your company's liability is defined in your paperwork. You are part of that safety net: be present at load and delivery, note any exceptions on the inventory, and take photos of suspected damage before unwrapping further. Good movers welcome this attentiveness; it keeps everyone honest and precise.

If Something Breaks: Valuation vs. Insurance

Here is the part few people explain clearly: movers do not automatically sell standard insurance; they provide "valuation," a contractual level of liability for loss or damage while they are in custody of your goods. The most common baseline is a minimal, per-pound coverage that rarely reflects an item's true value. The stronger option is full value protection, which requires the mover to repair, replace with a like item, or settle for the current replacement cost up to declared limits and subject to terms.

Separate moving insurance can be purchased through third parties or, in some cases, through your mover. This can supplement valuation and cover perils outside the mover's control. Read the exclusions. Some policies require you to list items above a certain value, to have professional packing for breakables, or to provide appraisals for art and jewelry.

Choosing Your Level of Protection

I start with a simple inventory: everything that would break my heart or budget if lost. For those items, I favor full value protection with a realistic declared value, or a separate policy when appropriate. I document the condition with phone photos and short videos, especially of pre-existing marks, serial numbers, and how art is framed or mounted.

High-value declarations matter. If you have a piano, fine art, or bespoke furniture, ask about custom crating and whether coverage requires it. Save purchase receipts or appraisals where possible. Protection is not a feeling; it is a paper trail prepared before the truck doors close.

I rest my hand on a labeled box as evening light settles.

How to Vet a Moving Company

Begin with an in-home or live video survey, not a blind phone quote. Accurate estimates require eyes on your rooms and an understanding of access—elevators, stairs, long carries, parking. Ask for a written estimate that spells out services, packing materials, valuation level, delivery window, and all surcharges. Clarity is kindness on moving day.

Check the company's legal and physical presence: a verifiable address, branded trucks, and consistent company name on contracts and communications. Ask for references you can actually call. Read recent reviews with attention to how the company resolves problems, not just whether problems occurred. Good movers do not fear scrutiny; they meet it with steady answers.

Red Flags and Quiet Gut Checks

Be wary of large cash deposits, quotes far below the others, a company that refuses to perform an on-site or live video survey, or contracts with blank lines. Watch for name switching between estimate and bill of lading, evasive answers about valuation, and pressure to sign immediately. If the conversation feels rushed or defensive, step back. Your belongings deserve time and patience.

Trust also lives in small signals: clean moving blankets, labeled tape, a foreman who counts aloud as items load, and a crew who asks before disassembling something delicate. Professionalism is visible long before the doors of the truck roll down.

Mistakes & Fixes

Mistake: Assuming the mover's basic liability will fully cover your belongings. Fix: Learn the difference between minimal per-pound coverage and full value protection, declare a realistic value, and document condition with photos and receipts before move day.

Mistake: Packing prohibited or irreplaceable items into the load. Fix: Keep cash, jewelry, essential documents, medications, perishable foods, hazardous materials, plants (where restricted), and all pet needs with you. Ask for the company's non-allowables list and walk through your home with it.

Mini-FAQ

Will professional movers pack everything for me? They can, if you choose full packing. Many people mix services—pros pack fragile and bulky items while you box the rest. Always set aside a "Do Not Pack" table for essentials you carry yourself.

How secure are my possessions in the truck? Crews pad, wrap, strap, and inventory. Your role is to be present at load and delivery, check labels, and note exceptions on the paperwork so any claim begins with clear evidence.

What if the movers break something? Your remedy depends on the valuation or insurance you selected. With full value protection, the company typically repairs, replaces with a like item, or compensates you per the contract. Report issues promptly and keep packing materials until resolution.

Should I buy separate moving insurance? Consider it for high-value shipments, long distances, or when you want broader protection than valuation. Review exclusions, required packing standards, and documentation needs before your boxes are sealed.

How do I know a company is reputable? Require an on-site or live video survey, verify a real address and consistent company name, ask for references, read recent reviews, and compare written estimates. Refuse pressure tactics and unclear contracts.

The Kind Move

Every move disturbs the dust of memory. I try to make that disruption gentle: careful lists, a calm crew, and coverage that lets me sleep on a mattress on the first night without worrying about what is still on the truck. A kind move is not luck. It is a sequence of ordinary, careful choices that carry your life, box by box, into a future that is ready for you.

When I look back at the best moves of my life, I remember the hush of a hallway full of labeled boxes and a foreman who nodded before lifting the first chair. That is how trust begins—quietly, professionally, and with both of us paying attention.