Voted Jacksonville’s Best Moving Company 5 Years in a Row

First, pay careful attention to the process the company uses to provide you with a quote. All local moving companies must perform a home walkthrough prior to moving day before giving customers a moving quote. If they fail to perform a walkthrough in advance or if their price is vague, we recommend finding a different local moving company in the Jacksonville area.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, is a great resource of information about moving companies. This organization was established to ensure that all commercial carrier vehicles meet the specific requirements outlined by law and that they obtain a Department of Transportation (DOT) number. With the DOT number, you are able to look up your moving company on the FMCSA website. You can also ask the local moving company directly for their (DOT) number.

One of the best ways to investigate the Jacksonville local movers you hire is to perform online research through reputable, third-party websites. Going beyond Google reviews, be sure to check with independent organizations like the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”). They can verify that the local moving companies you are considering are established and accredited. If the local mover you are considering has had any complaints filed with the BBB, you can easily access that information in their files and even see the company’s response to those claims.

We recommend that you also ask the moving company directly for a list of the accreditations they have earned, including what industry associations they belong to. Lastly, request their insurance information and be sure it’s up to date.

Want to know more? Read about choosing the best local mover for you.

It is important to understand that valuation coverage is not insurance. What you get through your Jacksonville local mover is valuation coverage, and you need to reach out to a licensed insurance company if you would like to purchase insurance on your move. Valuation is an agreement between you and your moving company regarding claims and declaring who is liable for those claims.

Valuation coverage guarantees that the local moving company pays for items that became lost or damaged by fault of the moving company. if your goods are lost or damaged and the moving company is at fault, the local mover agrees to pay the agreed-upon amount. For example, Suddath offers standard Released Value Protection (RVP) valuation coverage at $0.60 per pound of your shipment.

According to federal law, it is required that local moving companies offer you valuation coverage. If a moving company fails to do so, it may be a sign that they are a disreputable or “rogue” mover.

As you prepare for your upcoming move, you will want to explore if valuation coverage will work for you, or if you’d like to insure your goods through an insurance company. If you have more specific questions about insurance and valuation coverage, your local moving coordinator will be happy to help.

Learn more about your valuation coverage options in our blog post on valuation coverage.

It is our goal to make sure that the belongings we move for you always make it to their destination without incident. We have all of our drivers and crew members spend time training at Suddath University, which is located right here in Jacksonville, in our warehouse off of Baymeadows Road. There, our local movers spend a full week training on packing techniques, loading/unloading safety instructions, and even how to greet customers on moving day.

In the rare case that one of your items is damaged, your Suddath move coordinator will assist you with the process of documenting your broken items and submitting a claim. Once the form is completed, a claims representative will reach out to you within 24 hours or less.

Absolutely. As a Jacksonville local moving and storage company, Suddath has climate-controlled space dedicated to storing our customers’ household items. Much like the training our drivers and operators receive, Suddath invests significantly in training our warehouse staff. During these training sessions, they learn best practices for proper loading, crating, and unloading of your goods. This ensures that your goods are stored to prevent damage. Not only are your items maneuvered safely, but they’re also tracked using best-in-class warehouse technology.

Suddath’s storage facilities are also trusted by many local companies for the safekeeping of their products and goods. We often store food, medical supplies, and other items that our business customers depend on to keep safe, and our local storage customers benefit from the extra level of security and climate-control features.

For customers who feel that seeing is believing, your coordinator is happy to schedule a tour of our Jacksonville warehouse.

A “packing crate” is a large wooden container used to place items in for storage or relocation purposes. “Packing and crating” can refer to the materials or the process of putting belongings into a large wooden box.

At Suddath, we offer flexible packing services to match your precise needs. Having a good packing strategy is crucial as part of smooth relocations and, fortunately, we have plenty of experience and expertise.

Our options include:

• Full-service packing services: Here, our professional packers take the lead, using the best materials and techniques. Our packers are background-checked and rigorously trained, and they’ll arrive with all the supplies they need. If you don’t have the time to pack yourself or would rather hand it off to the pros, this is a great option.
• Partial packing services: This can be used to meet your budget as we’ll pack the items you tell us to. This can include fragile, awkward, valuable, or large items. When you choose this option, our local movers will still blanket wrap certain items on moving day, such as furniture and appliances.
• DIY packing: If you’d rather do it yourself or this is a budget-savvy decision, your move coordinator will offer packing tips—and, on moving day, our local movers still protect your furniture and heavy items.

When you’re looking for flexible, professional Jacksonville local moving companies, think Suddath.

A local move is typically defined as one where there’s a distance of less than fifty miles between the old residence and the new one. This is usually intrastate (within the borders of one state) although, if you live near the border of another state, it could be interstate. Long-distance moving, meanwhile, is generally defined as a move that’s more than fifty miles, within the same country, while international moves involve relocation to another nation. It’s easy to get a quote from our local movers in Jacksonville, FL.

First, you’ll want to request estimates from experienced and trustworthy Jacksonville local moving companies, doing so early enough to get your desired moving date. Typically, requesting an estimate four weeks before your relocation date is enough time (although, from May to September—peak moving season—it wouldn’t hurt to add on a couple more weeks).

Have a good sense of what belongings you will not be taking with you. Perhaps you’ll give some to family members or donate them—or maybe you’ll want certain items to go into storage. The point is to be clear about what doesn’t need to be moved, labeling it so local movers are aware of this.

Get a quote for the services you’ll want. This can include choosing from our three packing options and unpacking services and knowing if you’ll need storage services, either short- or long-term. Pick a day when you have enough time for the process.

To get started, request a free quote from our local movers in Jacksonville, FL.