At some point in our professional or personal life, we may be faced with moving to another city or another state that is hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Moving can be a stressful experience, so it’s important to find a long distance moving company that will take some of the pressure off of you and your family. Long distance moving companies have different operating procedures and rate structures, so you should be prepared to ask some direct questions and get specific answers before you sign on the dotted line and begin the moving process.

There are five critical questions that any moving company should answer before you make a final decision. Before you start asking questions however, do some research on the company; there are several sites on the Internet that will give you information about company’s past performance, references and history. The Better Business Bureau is another good source of information. This information will be a big help in analyzing their answers.

The first question that we all want answered is how much is it going to cost? You might want to start your conversation with one of the other questions, but you will need to set a budget for the complete move and their charges will be eat up a large portion of that budget. Usually the company will ask you about the items you are moving, the size and the amount of fragile and perishable items you have to move. If cars or any other vehicles are involved, they will want to know about them as well. From the information you supply, they will give you a quote. Ask the company how they establish the price quoted and make notes.

The next question is how long is it going to take? Time is always an important issue in a move and you usually have a specific day and time in mind and the company should be able to confirm that date with you. You might have to be flexible, especially if the company meets all your other qualifications, but can only confirm the day before or two days after your date. You also need to know how long the actual move is going to take and when the truck will be unloaded.

The third question, which usually goes along with how much does it cost is: What services do you provide? You want to make sure that the price they quoted you includes all the services you need like packing, special handling and storage. Usually these service cost more, so it’s good to give them a detailed description of the services you need, so you do get an accurate price before you sign.

Reputation is always an issue when you’re investing your personal property with a company for an extended period of time. Ask them about it, even though you have done your own research. It’s a good idea to hear what they have to say about their company and services, as well as the references they give you.

The fifth question is the legitimacy of the company. Get the company’s license number and dot record and check them out. Make sure they have insurance and there are no issues pending with the company. Your research will probably give you some of that information, but it’s important to get it from them as well.

Your long distance move can be a positive experience if you do your homework, ask the right questions and let your intuition guide you in choosing the long distance moving company that’s right for you.