Get Quotes from Top Movers in El Paso, TX

Are You Licensed to Practice as a Moving Company in El Paso?

Moving companies in El Paso must obtain a certificate of motor carrier registration per the requirements of Chapter 228 of Title 43 of the Texas Administrative Code. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) is responsible for issuing certificates of motor carrier registration, and movers in El Paso are encouraged to apply and obtain their certificates before operating within the state. Movers can apply for their certificate on the elinc portal the TxDMV provides. Note that each applicant must create a profile on the portal before beginning the application process.

However, before creating a profile on the TxDMV elinc portal, applicants are expected to have registered with the United States Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and obtain an intrastate USDOT number. This is very important in the application process, as applicants can only use the exact first name, last name, company name, and email address registered with the United States Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to create their profile on the TxDMV elinc portal.

Applicants can obtain an intrastate USDOT number online via the United States Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's unified registration system before creating a profile with the TxDMV.

Note that the profile application will be reviewed within 24-48 hours. Once the profile is submitted, the applicant will receive an email with further instructions from the TxDMV, and immediately after the profile is approved, the applicant will receive another email stating their Unique Identifier Number (UIN), which they will need to send to their insurance carrier.

By sending UIN to their insurance carrier, applicants can purchase and submit the required insurance policies online. Applicants must ensure that their insurance company complies with the insurance requirements for obtaining a certificate of motor carrier registration.

After an applicant's insurance carrier has filed the needed insurance, they will receive another email asking them to log in to MCCS and pay the required fees to complete their application. MCCS will convert the applicant's UIN to their TxDMV Certificate number once the fees have been paid. Call TxDMV at (800) 299-1700 for more information on obtaining a motor carrier registration certificate and using MCCS.

When considering hiring a mover in El Paso, it is always good to ensure that the company is licensed. You can confirm if your preferred mover has obtained a certificate of motor carrier registration by utilizing the TxDMV's truck stop database. Note that hiring a moving company that does not have a valid TxDMV license exposes you to many risks, including property damage.

In addition to obtaining a certificate of motor carrier registration for intrastate move, movers in El Paso are also required to obtain an operating authority permit from the city's Department of Planning and Inspections (equivalent to a locally issued business license). Movers can obtain this permit online using the citizens' access portal. Note that each applicant must create a user profile on the portal before proceeding with the application. Listed below are some of the information that each applicant is expected to include in their application:

• Name of the company or corporation
• Office telephone number
• Name of the contact person and email address
• Article of Corporation and Doing Business As (DBA) certificate
• Background check report

Queries concerning the requirements and process of obtaining an operating authority permit in El Paso can be directed to the city's Department of Planning and Inspections at (915) 212-0092.

How Much Do You Charge Compared with Other Movers in El Paso?

The cost of retaining the services of a moving company in El Paso is typically determined by several factors. These factors include the nature of the move, the distance involved, the size and weight of the items being moved, and whether or not the moving company will offer additional services like packing, storage, loading, and unloading.

When considering a moving company in the city, it is always in your best interest to discuss the cost of the service you need before finalizing any agreement with the mover. This is particularly important to avoid paying more than necessary for the move.

To ensure you do not pay more than the average market price for your move, it is essential to get and compare estimates from different moving companies in the city. By comparing estimates from different moving companies, you will be able to determine the actual cost of the service and choose the best moving company for the job.

In addition to comparing estimates from different moving companies, you should also ask the moving companies how they calculate their rates. Movers in El Paso calculate their rates using the following methods. These include:

• Hourly Rates: where rates are calculated based on the amount of time required to complete the job, including how much time it will take to move from point A to B
• Weight/Distance rates: where rates are calculated based on the weight of the object to be moved and the distance the mover will travel to complete the service
• Written binding Rates: where rates include the cost of all the transportation charges and agreed-upon services.

Transportation and material moving workers in El Paso earn an average annual wage of $33,250. The list below compares the hourly average wages earned by these workers in the city against those of transportation and material moving workers in other parts of Texas State as well as several other major cities in the country:

Will You Get a Moving Permit as Required by El Paso Regulations?

All transportation-for-hire companies in El Paso, including moving companies, must obtain an operating authority permit from the city's Department of Planning and Inspections. To get this permit, interested movers must file and submit an operating authority permit application on the citizens' access portal. However, each applicant must create an account on the portal before applying. Applicants are encouraged to read the step-by-step guide on creating an account on the citizens' access portal before initiating the process.

After creating an account, applicants can open the application portal to begin their application process. Each applicant is expected to include the following details in their application:

• Name of the company or corporation
• Office telephone number
• Name of the contact person and email address
• Article of Corporation and Doing Business As (DBA) certificate and,
• Background check report

Once the application is submitted, it will be forwarded to the transportation for hire inspector for review. An operating authority permit will be issued to applicants whose application passed the review process. Note that the operating authority permit fee must be paid before the issuance of the permit. The permit may be different for each applicant depending on other factors. Listed below are some permit fees for operating authority permits in the city:

• Operating authority (including a $2.00 Tech Fee) is $300.00
• Operating authority using alternative vehicles (including a $2.00 Tech Fee) is $130.00

Payment can be made through the Citizen Access Portal when you submit your application or in person at the One Stop Shop after you submit your application. For more information concerning the process and requirements for obtaining an operating authority permit, call the city's Planning and Inspections Division at (915) 212-0092.

In addition to obtaining an operating authority permit, moving companies must comply with the city's parking regulations. Some requirements of the city's parking regulations that movers must observe include:

• Not parking over 18 inches from the curb
• Not parking within 30 feet of a stop sign
• Not parking in a reserved parking space
• Not parking on the wrong side of the street

Moving companies can view the list of penalties for each type of parking offense on the parking violation page. More so, if the moving company is transporting your belongings outside El Paso and traveling on state routes, be sure the driver knows the state's requirements for specific roads and bridges. Ensure that your preferred mover has downloaded and carefully studied the States Traffic Rules and Parking Ordinances, enabling them to learn more about the state's restrictions for specific roads and bridges.

What Kind of Moving Services Do You Offer?

In El Paso, Texas, moves or relocations are commonly divided into four categories, namely:

• Local moves
• Long-distance moves
• Interstate moves
• International moves

Local move is the most common type of moving service offered in El Paso, and it involves transporting household goods within the city over a distance of less than 50 miles. On the other hand, a long-distance move entails carrying household goods over a distance of 100 miles.

Interstate moves involve transporting household goods outside El Paso and any move that involves crossing state lines or borders. Likewise, international moves involve transporting household goods to locations outside the United States. These can be archived using different modes of transportation, including air, sea, and road.

While the aforementioned moving services are available in El Paso, it is crucial to know that some unscrupulous individuals may claim to provide them when they do not. As a result, homeowners must understand that it is their responsibility to double-check the moving company they intend to hire.

First and foremost, homeowners must check that their preferred moving company not only provides the services they require but also has the resources and experience to complete the job.

Secondly, homeowners must ensure that they are dealing with honest movers by inviting their potential mover to inspect the items and asking for an estimate after the inspection.

Homeowners should offer a visual depiction of the objects to be transported, as well as any other specific services they may require, to the moving company. This will allow the mover to provide accurate moving estimates. Nonetheless, some dishonest people may still charge you more than what is necessary for the services you require.

To avoid paying more than necessary for a move, homeowners can get estimates from different moving companies and compare each estimate with the average cost of the moving service in the city. Listed below are cost estimates for some common moving services offered by professional moving companies in El Paso:

Do You Provide Packing and Storage Services?

Checking to see if the mover you are considering offers packing and unpacking solutions can save you time and money while ensuring that your items are safely packaged and sorted before and after the move. Moving firms in El Paso often provide the following types of packing services:

• Full packing and unpacking services
• Partial packing and unpacking services
• Furniture assembly and disassembly services
• Professional box handling and organization services
• Used box pick-up and disposal services

In addition to packing and unpacking services, you may also require some form of storage service before, during, or after the move. Situations where clients in the city may require storage services include:

• When the individual is not ready for the move, but their belongings are no longer safe at the old apartment
• When the individual needs time to settle into their new home before moving their belongings in
• When the new apartment has less space to contain the items being moved

However, before hiring a moving company for any of the aforementioned services in El Paso, you should inquire about the availability of these services and the cost of enjoying these services. If your preferred moving company does not offer packing and storage, it might be in your best interest to choose one that does, as this will simplify the process and ensure that you only deal with one moving company.

In addition to finding out whether your potential moving company is offering packing and storage solutions, it is also crucial to double-check if the company has the resources to complete the job. You can request to see the storage facility where your belongings will be stored beforehand, as well as the packing supplies that will be used to organize your items. Finally, you should also ensure that you discuss how these services will be billed, as this will help you determine the actual cost.

What is an Appropriate Tip for Your Movers in El Paso?

Tipping your mover, especially when they have performed very well, is customary in the country. Although tipping is not mandatory in El Paso, many residents tip their movers to show their satisfaction with the services they receive and to encourage the personnel that provide these services. However, even though tipping is purely a matter of individual choice, most people struggle to determine the appropriate amount to give as a tip to their movers.

While it is customary to tip movers 5% to 10% of the overall moving cost, or $3.50 to $5 per hour of work completed, bear in mind that tips calculated via percentage means don't usually reflect the actual effort they put in to get the job done. This is because the overall moving price often includes additional factors such as gas prices and the distance traveled. As such, residents are encouraged to tip movers hourly as this captures the actual effort they put in to get the job done.

Residents must also understand that, depending on the type and complexity of the move, they are free to tip their mover more than the aforementioned price. Similarly, residents should also note that it is their duty to notify the moving company when they are not satisfied with the services rendered.

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Movers in El Paso?

Movers are often victims of work accidents, and in fact, transportation and material moving workers are estimated to have accounted for 20 percent of all on-the-job injuries that necessitated time off in the United States in 2018. As a result, it is always in your best interest to ensure that your mover carries the appropriate insurance policies that protect you from financial responsibilities resulting from work-related injuries, property damage, and lost items.

You should always ask your mover to provide copies of the insurance policies and any other evidence of the insurance purchased. After receiving proof of insurance from your mover, you should also contact the insurance company that issued the certificate to verify details of the insurance purchased. For more information concerning the right insurance policies for moving companies in the city, call TxDMV at (888) 368 - 4689.

Note that every licensed mover in Texas is legally required to offer a standard liability of 60 cents per pound of cargo. However, some moving companies may take on more risk, but this will be addressed and agreed upon by both sides. Nonetheless, It is vital to remember that moving company limits are not the same as insurance, so be sure yours is covered.

Can You Provide References or Recommendations in El Paso?

Getting references and letters of recommendation from your potential mover before finalizing any agreement with them is another way to find out if the mover is a good fit for you. Consider it a red flag if your potential mover refuses to provide references or letters of recommendation from satisfied previous clients.

References and letters of recommendation usually indicate that a moving company keeps its promises and delivers competent service, and some moving companies display these references on their official website. Nonetheless, you should always verify any reference given to you by contacting the listed customers and asking them about their moving experience.