4 Tips for Choosing a Long-Haul Moving Company
Hiring a long-haul moving company to ship business goods to another state or country can help enhance delivery efficiency. These trucking companies invest in quality drivers and safety measures to protect deliveries from potential damage. Before hiring a moving company, verify the drivers’ training, equipment availability, and customer service. Here are four tips for choosing a long-haul moving company:
1. Assess Services
Long-haul moving companies provide comprehensive logistics services and handle end-to-end solutions, including trucking services, storage or warehousing, and inventory management. Many trucking companies offer local, regional, or long-distance transportation services to suit your needs and budget. If you have large quantities of goods, choose a long-haul moving company that offers commercial warehousing and distribution solutions. This allows you to store your business goods until it is time to restock your storefront or transport them to a construction site. Inventory management solutions may include computer tracking to provide real-time updates of your inventory during storage.
Comprehensive logistics may also include customized packaging, such as carton packing, re-packing, heat sealing, and stretch and shrink wrapping. These services can help make moving your high-volume goods more convenient and efficient. Professional transport companies have expert management teams who conduct detailed planning to achieve well-organized and timely deliveries.
2. Check the Trucking Equipment
The trucking equipment a long-haul moving company uses to transport and handle your items impacts the deliveries’ efficiency and safety. Confirm that the company you choose has updated trucks and equipment that are well-maintained and road-ready. Well-maintained and operational equipment enhances efficiency by preventing potential breakdowns, which cause late delivery. Long-haul trucks in good condition also do not pose safety risks on the road and meet local, state, and federal safety standards. Trucks should also be clean to protect and verify your products’ integrity, especially if you are shipping pharmaceuticals and food products.
3. Evaluate Customer Service
Long-haul trucking companies provide customer service by storing your goods in safe, modern, on-site facilities. USDA-CCC approved U.S. Customs-bonded warehouses make sure your items remain safe and ready for use after they are transported to your chosen destination. Surveillance cameras and vetted employees help verify that your goods remain secure and are not tampered with. Many trucking companies are also prepared to store large volumes of goods, including those unloaded from trucks or trains. Safe storage solutions are a key customer service component. Long-haul moving companies may also include pre-move planning, move coordination, packing and unpacking assistance, and post-move support or follow-up in their customer service plans. If you are shipping or receiving goods internationally, transporters should be familiar with U.S. Customs regulations to streamline the movement of goods on and off port.
4. Review the Shipping Location
A long-haul moving company’s shipping location can impact its delivery time. Companies headquartered near major transportation networks such as highways, distribution centers, and ports are often prepared to accept rush orders or recurring shipments. Transportation hubs may also shorten last-mile times and achieve faster transit times, avoiding delivery delays
Companies in these strategic locations can access multiple route options along highways and interstates. This makes it easy to redirect their trucks to safer routes when weather-related challenges, like hurricanes, affect a region, helping maintain timely deliveries. A strategic location promotes flexibility by enabling a trucking company to respond quickly if you make last-minute shipping requests.
Finding Reliable Trucking Companies
A professional long-haul transport company promotes safety and reliability because of its well-trained team and quality equipment. Reputable companies provide excellent customer support by communicating consistently with clients during transit. If you need professional shipping services to another state or country, contact a long-distance trucking company today.
