Hello and welcome to the 495 Movers podcast. My name is Justin Bruni, and I’m going to be your host.

The purpose of this podcast is to educate our viewers and people all around the world about the nuances and insights of the moving industry, so you can book better movers and have a better moving experience.

This podcast is going to unearth and uncover the good, the bad, and the ugly of the moving industry and give you the peace of mind you need to start a new beginning in your life.

Moving is not easy, and at 495 Movers, we aim to make that process easier. We want to share what we know and educate you so you can make informed decisions, whether you choose to move with us or another mover nationwide.

In this episode, we’re covering the top five moving myths and misconceptions.

Myth #1: All Moving Quotes Are Final

This simply isn’t true.

A lot of people get a price from a moving company and assume that’s going to be their final price. There are lots of variables that can affect the final price of a moving estimate.

Typically, you start with the weight or pounds of your shipment, which can go up or down and work either in or against your favor. You also have companies that charge for packing materials, either by the item or by the box. You could also choose to pack yourself, which introduces variable costs that may not be included in the moving estimate.

What you want to do is absolutely get three quotes from three separate movers. This allows you to gauge different levels of service and confirm the inventory list, including which company you think has the most accurate inventory list.

Typically, when you have three quotes, there will be one outlier. That can help you quickly identify a mover that may be trying to scam you.

In addition to that, you want to be very clear about your responsibilities in the estimate. If you’re going to pack boxes and you don’t end up packing those boxes, you need to let the movers know.

Again, there are lots of different variables that can affect the final numbers.

My recommendation is also to upload your estimates in a PDF file to ChatGPT or DeepSeek. That way, you can get an objective third-party analysis and breakdown of your quotes and see where movers may be leaving open opportunities for additional costs or changes in price.

You might hear language like “binding estimate,” “non-binding,” or “guaranteed to exceed.” You want to make sure you’re reading the fine print because most of those phrases will be followed by language about the final inventory and services rendered, meaning the price can still change.

At 495 Movers, our vision around cost control is that everybody is a VIP customer. Everybody gets free packing materials and a lot of labor is included, whether the customer is going to do the packing or 495 Movers is going to handle the packing.

There’s a lot more cost control because we’re not charging item by item or box by box. If you can find someone like that in your area, that is absolutely a valuable asset that a company can offer you.

So again, when you’re receiving a quote from a moving company, understand that it may not be the final price. You want to be very careful, dive into the fine print, and use a third-party tool like ChatGPT or DeepSeek to help you understand the differences between your quotes.

Make sure you’re going through all of the details to understand whether there will be additional costs. If there are, you can at least plan for them.

You want to make sure there is either a cap on the price, or, if there isn’t a cap, you understand exactly what type of situation you’re getting into based on the services being rendered.

Myth #2: The Weekend Is the Best Time to Move

That’s simply not true.

Most movers are going to charge about 20% to 40% more for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday bookings, and a lot of movers won’t even work on Sundays.

It’s not that you have to aim for the middle of the week for your move. When you’re reaching out to a mover, simply ask, “What days on your calendar can I get a lower price?”

It’s likely that they could have one day during the week where they only have a few moves, while other days they have many more.

So simply ask those questions and inquire with the moving company you’re speaking with to see if you can better fit into their schedule if you have the flexibility.

Oddly enough, Monday is the most common day in the moving industry to move. About 19% of all moves are conducted on a Monday. Sunday didn’t even make the top five.

Again, this speaks to the fact that most moving companies don’t work on Sundays.

Our vision at 495 Movers is that we need to be available. We don’t want to make our customers cater to us. We want to cater to the needs of our customers.

It’s not that a mover not working on a Sunday will be a red flag, but it can certainly be helpful to have that option. You may want to move on the weekend because you have more time and availability to either do things yourself or be better prepared for the overall move.

Again, you can save by trying to target days like Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. At the same time, that may not be the best fit for you if you don’t have the ability to take time off work, get your kids out of school if you’re moving during the school year, or handle other basic life activities.

Of course, if you do have to book for the weekend, I recommend trying to book well in advance, potentially a month and a half to two months early. That way, you can prioritize your preferred date instead of getting booked at the last minute and paying much higher prices because of limited weekend availability.

Myth #3: All Movers Are Licensed and Insured

Consumer Reports claimed that consumer complaints nearly doubled from 2015 to 2022 regarding movers. The majority was based on scammers masquerading as movers, and unfortunately, that level of activity has also increased in the last several years.

It’s becoming easier and easier to make yourself look like a reputable business. There are simple steps and procedures you can follow to make sure you’re not working with a scammer.

First and foremost, look up the company’s USDOT number. This is a number that every moving company should have. You can look up that number online and quickly bring up a snapshot of the company.

It will show you the business address. That business address should be a brick-and-mortar facility. It shouldn’t be someone’s apartment, and it shouldn’t be someone’s home.

It will also show you the number of power units for that company, meaning the number of trucks they have.

If they have no trucks or one truck and they’re representing themselves by saying, “Hey, we’re going to bring two or three trucks to your move,” but the USDOT information clearly shows that they don’t have the resources or capabilities to handle that job, you’ll get some credible insights from that platform.

You also want to look up movers that are registered with the Better Business Bureau. This provides another level of accountability on the back end in the event that things go awry or don’t go right.

You want to have some measurable information upfront that you can rely on if things don’t go right with your move.

If they only have a Google account for reviews, with no Yelp, Facebook, or other online presence, that could be something to look into. Most companies offering their services across a variety of platforms will have social media accounts where you can learn more about their business.

You can check out their Instagram posts and see videos of movers carrying boxes, packing furniture, and doing the work.

These are some brief steps you can take. You can also simply ask the right questions and get as much information as possible from the movers you’re vetting.

Myth #4: The Cheapest Estimate Is the Best Deal

Again, unfortunately, wrong. I wish that was the case.

You want to avoid movers who are going to try to pull one over on you and convince you to simply accept the cheapest deal.

This is your stuff. This is your inventory and your livelihood. A lot of your belongings naturally reflect your own identity.

When you’re moving everything that you own, whether it’s locally or long-distance, you want to have some level of investment in your move.

That’s not to say you should go out and find the most expensive mover. But at the end of the day, if you’re looking at a collection of quotes and deciding to go with the lowest estimate, it’s a big gamble.

That’s because some movers may include hidden fees or not be upfront about all of their practices. In addition, some movers are incentivized to go to your job site and increase the cost.

Many moving companies pay professional movers commission on additional costs on a move. If your cost goes up 30% or 40%, it’s possible that the movers on that job could collect a percentage of those additional charges.

At 495 Movers, we incentivize our movers with commission on five-star reviews so that the incentives are aligned with your experience, rather than encouraging you to spend more money.

I’ve worked with many customers over the years who have come to me after bad moves, and they know all the right questions to ask because they’ve had a bad experience.

They accepted one of those low-ball quotes, and now they’re coming to an elevated experience with a company like 495 Movers. They know all the questions to ask, but they had to pay a fair price to get that education.

That’s what we want to do here: give you all the tools and insights so that you’re not simply taking the lowest quote. We want you to feel comfortable spending a little bit more with someone who is going to provide reliable service.

Again, look up companies on the Better Business Bureau. Look to your realtor for a recommendation, potentially. Realtors work with all sorts of business developers and independent contractors. They probably know someone or have a business in mind, or even a group of businesses, that can help you.

Myth #5: Packing Is Easy

You might be laughing. I get it. Maybe you’ve packed a box or two.

The biggest recommendation here is to start packing some boxes and understand your skill and your ability to actually pack your own inventory.

I recommend packing two, three, or four boxes and carrying them up and down some stairs. Get your legs into it and see how it’s going to feel because on moving day, it’s going to be about five or ten times what you’re feeling in that short little span.

You need a lot of things to go in your favor to pack well. Like I said, you need the skill, you need the time, and you need the materials.

Sometimes you even need a third party, like a family member, to come by and watch your kids or your pets.

Kids and pets love boxes. They’re going to get in your way and prevent you from doing what you want to do. They might help you throw a thing or two in a box, but eventually they’re going to start unpacking boxes once you’re on a roll.

Then there’s time.

We all have jobs and life activities. Picking up the kids from school, going to soccer, working, and only leaving yourself a few hours each night to pack a box or two is going to leave you hanging on moving day.

It can potentially add additional costs because you weren’t prepared with your end of a partial-pack move.

You might say, “I’m going to pack the boxes,” but come moving day, there are 20, 30, or 40 more boxes to pack simply because you weren’t ready.

This isn’t to tell you to go out there and start getting quotes for full-pack moves. What it is telling you to do is get a better understanding of your skill set.

Can you do this?

I’m getting up there in age. I just moved in the past week or two, and I’m not the same mover I was a few years ago. You always want to keep yourself in the know about your own body and what you can provide to the move.

Are you going to be working on moving day? Are you going to be doing all the work ahead of time?

Again, it’s not going to be easy.

Even if you have a spouse, partner, or friends who are coming over to help you ahead of time, it’s still more organizing. It’s more people to tell how and what to pack and how to pack fragile items.

I do recommend leaving a lot of the packing to the movers.

Your wall decor, lamps, glass, televisions, and simple breakables are things you may want to consider having the movers pack.

Pay to have the movers pack the kitchen. If you’re packing the kitchen yourself, you might not have the things you need to use in your kitchen. You really have to do it on moving day or the day before.

When you have all of these details coming down the pipeline that you have to handle, getting out of your house, getting into the new house, working with your realtor, buyers and sellers, there are all sorts of things going on.

The last thing you want to worry about is whether you packed Grandma’s china correctly.

So I do recommend leaving a majority of it to the movers. And if you are going to tackle the packing yourself, have a very good understanding of your capabilities.

Forty percent of consumers said that packing was the hardest part about moving. Not buying the house, not selling the house. It was packing the boxes.

So next time you book a mover, try to keep that in mind. What can I do versus what can the professionals do for me?

Knowledge Is Power

At the end of the day, myths create confusion, and knowledge is power.

When you’re looking to book a mover, you want to have all the leverage and information you can so that you can spot red flags.

495 Movers wants to do its part to spread the good word, knowledge, and insights so people all over aren’t making these mistakes.

Hopefully, in turn, it will help us bring a brighter eye and a sunnier sky to the moving industry.

We really appreciate you stopping by and joining our podcast today. It was a quick show with some quick insights into the moving industry.

We’ll be back consistently with content that will give you the leg up and put you in a better position to book better movers.

Be sure to like and follow the channel on your way out, and we’ll see you next time.

Take care.