Moving brokers: what they do and do you need them

Have you heard about moving brokers before? If have you never moved, chances are – you never pay attention to moving-related services which are completely reasonable. Now that you are looking to move, you see that you have different options: to hire moving brokers or a moving company. You have another option to organize a DIY relocation, but that is the hard way.

Moving brokers 101

Before we do anything else, we have to explain the basic term. A moving broker is a business that coordinates the hauling of your goods by contracting with third-party trucking companies. Many will say that a moving broker is a sales team that coordinates your relocation and then passes the business on to a real moving company. A broker does not perform the actual move. Only movers do this. So, essentially moving brokers are middlemen. They will talk to you, give you estimates, and such.

Moving brokers or moving companies? What is the cheaper option?

When compared to professional moving companies, brokers lack the necessary expertise. They are unable to provide moving trucks or other necessary equipment. They are also unable to provide price reductions. Since this is the case, hiring them will cost a bit more compared to if you had used a legitimate moving company. So, if you are looking to save some money – you should go straight to movers, just make sure to find reliable ones.

Responsibilities of moving brokers

As mentioned, they coordinate the hauling of your goods by contracting with independent trucking companies to do the driving. When you choose a moving broker, they will take care of booking your move and then selling it to a real moving company as we already mentioned. But one thing that they know is – which companies are good and which ones we should avoid. They have that experience so when they are choosing the company chances of them picking the wrong one are slim. When we look into companies we can only see what the company wants us to see and all of them claim that they are the best. That simply can’t be true. That’s why moving insurance is also important.

Something to think about

Using a broker isn’t without its hazards. It is possible that the moving business will decline the task, typically due to a poor estimate or a lack of available resources, leaving the customer without the need for a mover on the scheduled moving day. In addition, the moving firm may overcharge once they have a full picture of the project or hire workers who are not licensed or insured. It’s worth noting that brokers don’t take responsibility for the movers’ behavior in any way.