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Last Updated: Jun 19, 2024
We’re here to give you everything you need to know about Dot numbers to help you in your moving process. Everything from learning what exactly a DOT number is to how to find it and use it to your advantage during the research process of hiring a moving company.
DOT numbers are one of the most important things to find out when it comes to moving. They will help you during your background research process and ultimately help you make the right decision of what moving company to hire.
In short, a DOT number is a government tracking number that’s used by every moving company across the country. You can almost think of it as a license plate number on the back of a car. The DOT number can be typed into various government websites and see a moving company’s full history, any accident reports, and their safety rating.
To find a company’s DOT number, you’ll go to the FMCSA website and search the name of the company and the DOT number. Moving companies are required to list their DOT numbers on their websites; so customers have easy access to it.
All DOT numbers are issued by the Department of Transportation and serve as a way of identifying commercial moving vehicles. It is required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that every moving company has a DOT number on each of their vehicles that will be hauling belongings from destination to destination.
Another thing to consider is that 38 out of the 50 states require local moving companies that only transport goods within the boundaries of the same state they operate in to get a USDOT number from the FMCSA.
To find a DOT number of the moving company that you’re considering hiring, follow these simple steps.
A DOT number’s main purpose is to protect the mover from any type of fraud that could occur during the moving process. It’s a straightforward, easy way to research the moving company you’re considering hiring and find their safety records and complaint history.
Some moving companies that are either scams or have poor customer histories will try to create a fake DOT number. You can easily avoid this by checking their USDOT number with the FMCSA.
If you’re worried about a moving company using a fake DOT number, here are a few tips to help you make sure the moving company is indeed not a fraud.
Once you’ve found the DOT number and searched it on the FMCSA’s website, you can check the safety rating of the moving company you’re researching. All you need to do is click the hyperlink that says “Safety Rating” and one of three safety ratings will pop up.
Although doing extensive background research like this can be a massive headache, by doing things like researching your moving company’s DOT number, you’ll have a better understanding of whether or not you should work with that moving company.
The more research you do when hiring a moving company, the better your chances of having a seamless, easy, and smooth move!
Meet Tommy, a writer from San Diego, California with a passion for interior design and moving! Coming from a family of interior designers from San Diego, he’s been involved in the world of moving and helping to create beautiful homes for the places people move to. He’s also moved over ten times in various states such as California, Washington, and Arizona! Through these moves, he’s worked with a variety of moving companies, and prides himself on knowing what to look for and how to have the safest, smoothest move possible! For the past few years, he’s bringing his talent of copywriting and knowledge of moving together to help people all across the world start new chapters in their lives through moving! When he’s not busy writing, you can find him doing extensive research all to help your moving process.