Moving across the country requires you to consider a significant number of things. Whether you’re moving your headquarters or you’re opening a new branch, it’s important to explore how you’re going to get everything delivered to the new location promptly. By working with a trucking broker as opposed to a traditional moving carrier, you can take advantage of more personalized services.
What a Trucking Broker Does
Before you can decide what your business needs, you need to understand what a trucking broker does and how they can help you.
A trucking broker, commonly referred to as a freight broker, is an independent contractor who will match trucking companies and shippers to you based on what is involved with your cross-country move.
Additionally, you’ll also find freight/trucking agents. Agents don’t require a license through the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration), and they don’t assume the risk of creditworthiness.
A trucking broker will be the intermediary between you and the company that is ultimately responsible for your move. You can count on them to provide you with:
- Affordable pricing
- Quality movers
- An efficient way of moving everything across the country
Trucking brokers work for shippers (you) and the carriers (the companies doing the carrying of goods). This vital role ensures that you get your needs met while also helping carriers to fill their trucks. It is a win-win for everyone while ensuring that there is thorough communication every step of the way.
Trucking Brokers vs. Moving Carriers
It’s critical that you protect your move. As such, you have a big decision to make: do you work with a trucking broker or directly with a moving carrier? There are advantages to both, though it often depends on just how comprehensive your move is. The more components there are to your move, the more advantageous it can be to work with a broker.
Questions to Consider
Before you can make the decision, there are some questions that you have to consider:
- Are you moving within state or across multiple states?
- How much equipment, furniture, boxes, and other items are you moving?
- What kind of protection are you looking for to ensure everything is moved safely?
- How quickly do you want the move to be handled?
- How much are you willing to spend?
If you’re moving out of state, it is categorized as an interstate move. The moving carrier you choose will have to be licensed for interstate moving – and not all are.
When you start to get into a longer list of equipment and supplies being moved, it can be advantageous to explore non-traditional modes of transportation. For example, rather than everything going into the back of a truck, rail may be something to consider – especially for heavy-duty equipment.
You want peace of mind knowing that everything is going to get from one place to the next safely and without extensive damage. It’s why you need an insurance policy from the carrier for everything that they will be in charge of moving. It guarantees your items won’t be lost, stolen, or damaged.
The time that it takes to complete the move can vary, especially if a moving carrier is taking on more than one client at a time. Many will save money by loading their trucks, which means they could have several deliveries across the country before they get to completing your delivery.
There’s also the consideration of cost. The more you’re willing to spend, the more modes of transportation can be considered in order to get everything to you quickly and efficiently.
How a Moving Carrier Can Help
You can choose to work directly with a moving carrier, though they’ll charge you what they charge everyone. If they don’t offer the full level of protection you need or won’t move certain things because it is outside their scope, you may find that you have no choice but to work with multiple carriers – and this can be overwhelming.
If you’re going to work with a moving carrier, confirmed that they are registered with FMCSA. Further, be sure that you have read their reviews to ensure they’re capable of providing you with the level of service that you demand. It can be beneficial to get quotes from several carriers to ensure you’re not spending more than what’s necessary.
How a Trucking Broker Can Help
A trucking broker can be the intermediary between you and moving carriers. They’ll do the research and provide you with the insight to ensure you make the right decision. You work solely with the broker so that you have a single point of contact when you’re making your move.
When you choose a broker, however, it’s important that you find one that is registered with the FMCSA. You’ll want to ensure you have seen a list of moving companies that they use and provide you with a written agreement. This way, you can be sure that movers have actually been acquired to help you on moving day.
If you’re going to work with a broker, it’s a good idea to have the movers that have been selected to perform a physical survey of what’s being included in your commercial move. It ensures that they’re able to move it all and that everything has been costed (and insured) properly so that there aren’t negative financial repercussions later on.
Professional Trucking and Transport Services
Moving across the country can be overwhelming. There are a lot of things to consider, and you may not want to risk anything. Osage Specialized Transport is capable of moving your company from one side of the country to the other with ease. We have headquarters in both Denver, Colorado, and McKinney, Texas for your convenience.
With over 40 years of experience, we have the logistics experience to provide a seamless move. Our friendly operators can answer your questions and offer peace of mind knowing that your move can be handled with competence from start to finish.
We have a large network of carriers to find the movers that are best suited for the needs of your move. We also have experience with heavy equipment hauling – ideal if you’re a manufacturing company with equipment that needs to go with you.
We’re so much more than just a trucking broker. We’re a full-service transportation and logistics company. With our vast resources, we can offer you affordability, reliability, and promptness.
When you’re ready to learn more about what it’s going to take for you to move your company from one side of the country to the other, contact us. Our live phone support is available 24/7 to start answering your questions and provide you with reasonable pricing.
