Movers vs. Online Brokers? What’s The Difference?
If you’re not doing the moving yourself, the chances are that you will hire help. There are two ways you can do so. One is to hire a moving company directly, and the other is to use an online broker.
That being said, you need to know the difference between the two. After all, a moving company can make or break your move. It pays to know which works best for you so that you can save yourself lots of headaches.
Let’s look at how the two differ.
Movers
Movers do what the name says – they help you with the actual move. They are part of a moving company which often owns an array of moving equipment and a fleet of branded moving trucks. Some provide the necessary moving supplies, including boxes, tapes, markers, labels, and so forth.
Movers are full-time professionals who have undergone extensive training to handle all kinds of moves. Reputable Portland local movers are fully-licensed, bonded, and insured. Before the move, they’ll send an expert to your home to do a little survey and provide you with an accurate estimate or quote. And that isn’t all; you can ask the rep any query and iron out outstanding issues.
The beauty of hiring movers is that you’ll get face-to-face interaction before agreeing.
Online Brokers
The internet has made myriad of things possible. Now you can connect with all sorts of Portland moving companies with a click of a button, which brings us to online brokers. They are NOT the actual professional movers. Instead, online brokers are the go-betweens that match you with professional moving companies.
As such, online brokers neither have a crew nor own moving trucks and equipment. They just provide people moving with the convenience of finding the right movers. You can say they are “sellers” of moving services.
It’s important to note that there are some risks involved when working with brokers. The chosen Portland local movers, for instance, can reject your job because of a low quote, lack of equipment, and so forth. They might also charge you additional fee.
Brokers can also connect you with unlicensed or uninsured movers. This can become a huge nightmare for you because brokers don’t accept any liability in case of damage goods and whatnot.
According, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires that online brokers:
- Be registered with them
- Work with only movers registered with FMCxSA
- Have a list of (and a written agreement with) moving companies they work with.
- Make it clear that they don’t provide the actual service
Wrap-Up
While working with online brokers can be convenient, it can also present a set of challenges. You are better off working directly with reputable Portland local movers.
