Long distance moving: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering long distance moving
Long distance moving is judged on accurate estimates, reliable delivery windows and tracking the customer can see. Winning this work means a survey, a binding estimate and a clear explanation of the carrier and broker roles.
What customers ask
- What is the all-in cost for this move
- When will my shipment arrive
- How do I track my belongings
- What happens if my items are damaged
- Do you share the truck with other customers
- Are you licensed to carry my household across state lines
How to win the job
- On the first call, collect the origin and destination, the household size, the stairs and the target dates, then book a survey
- Survey the home in person or by video, and write an inventory with weights or volumes for the estimate
- Give a binding or clearly explained estimate in writing, and explain how the final amount is calculated
- Show the carrier registration and your valuation options before the customer signs
- Give the customer a tracking method and a plan for updates, and state the delivery window in writing
- Confirm the delivery plan at both ends and send a reminder with the contact for delivery day
What to put on your profile
- Photos of a loaded long distance truck with padded furniture, taken with the client's permission
- A list of the routes and regions you serve, with the typical delivery windows stated
- Your carrier registration details and insurance information, shown plainly
- A short note on how you track shipments and how customers get updates
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Offer storage in transit or a delivery date change if the new home is not ready
- Suggest a post-delivery check-in to confirm the inventory and any damage
- Share a short guide to updating addresses, utilities and documents around the move
Licenses and permits
Interstate household goods carriers are commonly required to hold federal registration, and brokers commonly need their own registration. Check with your state or local licensing agency and the transport authority that oversees interstate carriers before you take long distance work.
Questions
Can I accept a broker job without a carrier?
Only if your registration and the broker rules allow it. Confirm the role you play in writing and check the registration that applies to each part of the job.
How do I explain a delivery window?
Describe it as the period when the truck is expected to arrive, and explain that traffic and other stops can change it. Give the customer a way to reach you on delivery day.
About this guide
This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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