Texas is the second most populous and the second largest U.S. state. Located in the South Central United States, Texas shares a border with Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported California to Texas to be the second most common state-to-state move for the year of 2011. And, other major moving associations and van lines who released their annual moving reports, claimed Texas an inbound state. And this of course should be of no surprise. Compared to other U.S. states, Texas has well-developed labor and real estate markets.
So, being one of the the top inbound states and a state with high percentage intrastate moves, we decided to ask the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles – the regulatory authority responsible for household carriers, about the licensing and the safety standards for the local moving companies. Here is what Adam Shaivitz, Public Information Officer at Texas Department of Motor Vehicles shares about Texas movers.
What criteria do you employ to evaluate would-be moving companies? What are the exact standards that each applicant has to meet before obtaining the proper license, and respectively what are the consequences for the company if it fails to comply with the rules?
Adam Shaivitz: Currently, any “would-be moving company” falls under our Motor Carrier category. All motor carriers that conduct intrastate (strictly within the boundaries of Texas) operations have to apply for both a USDOT (applied for separately) and TxDMV number (operating authority). All applications are submitted to the TxDMV’s Motor Carrier Division and processed to receive a TxDMV number.
Moving companies applying for operating authority also have to submit proper proof of insurance (movers have to file both liability and cargo insurance in Texas) and pay applicable processing fees in order to obtain proper operating authority (TxDMV number). Failure to do so would result in not receiving an active TxDMV number.
How many companies were registered for the year of 2011, and how many have received license for the year of 2012?
Adam Shaivitz: There were 1,773 registered movers in Texas at the end of 2012. I don’t have a comparable figure for 2011 because of a change in our reporting functionality, but carrier numbers stay fairly consistent from year to year.
How many complaints against moving companies were received for the year of 2011, and how many complaints have been registered for the year of 2012?
Adam Shaivitz: Complaints against movers in 2011 = 430
2012 = 392
What were the most common reasons for filing the claims?
Adam Shaivitz: The most common reason for complaints received were for unlicensed movers. Second would be claim handling issues.
How many licenses were revoked for the year 2011, and how many licenses have been revoked for the year 2012?
Adam Shaivitz: 2011 = 0 2012 = 1
What were the reasons for the license revocation?
Adam Shaivitz: Non-compliance in correcting cited violations.
If you are moving soon, whether it’s an local or interstate move, do not forget to check the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles website. You can not only verify potential movers’ legitimate status, but also read some moving tips. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles advises to never accept verbal quotes and agreements, hire unlicensed movers or sign the bill of lading before reading it. Also you should be suspicious if on moving day a truck without company name or US DOT number shows. And do not hesitate to call the police in case your mover holds your items hostage demanding more money.
If you have a dispute to resolve with movers, mediation is an option. It’s conducted by a neutral third party and coordinated by TX DMV at no cost for consumers. Usually, mediation can be held by telephone conference, by written submission or in person at TX DMV facilities in Austin. If the mediation was unsuccessful, you might sue movers at your expense.
If you wish to file for mediation through TX DMV, you have to submit your request within 30 days after the mover has responded to your claim with an unsatisfactory offer or a denial of your claim, or 90 days after the date you submitted your original claim and you have not received an answer from the moving company.
I was an adjuster repairman for moving companies for over 33 years. Since you have been in the field for so many years I am sure you have heard the crazy stories dealing with intrastate moves as well as interstate claims. I wrote a book many years ago about moving claims. I sold about 2,500 books to movers as well as many insurance companies to give out. The book is not against the movers. I just let shippers know what can happen and what to do before the move to lessen the hell people go through. Sometimes before, during and after they move. I have a lot of moving claim story’s to exemplify what happened to them so people that read my book get a good picture of what can happen. Anyway I don’t want to take up all your time with stuff about the book. “Moving Hell Made Easier”. I am in the middle of re-writing it. It will be out in a month or so.
I have a question…What is the total amount of moving company claims in a year? Could be a few years ago, doesn’t matter. Also how many moves? Inter., and intra. Even if I only get one states worth. One of the bigger one’s hopefully.