Boston long-distance moving: hiring and access planning

Verify who will carry your belongings

For a move across state lines, search FMCSA’s household-goods database by company name, U.S. DOT number or MC number. The search covers interstate movers and identifies authority types such as carrier, broker and freight forwarder. Ask the company quoting your move to name the carrier that will collect and transport your household goods. [4]

Review registration status, company contact information and complaints. FMCSA says interstate for-hire moving companies must hold the required license and insurance, and directs readers to verify those requirements in addition to reviewing the search data. Treat insurance verification as a separate task. A registration search alone does not complete that check. [4]

FMCSA does not endorse companies based on registration, safety ratings or other search information. It also cautions that a missing safety rating alone does not establish that a company operates unsafely. [4]

Give each bidder the same inventory and access description. Include stairs, elevator availability, large furniture, packing requests and any storage you want. Request a written explanation of who handles pickup, transport and delivery, and who you should contact if those arrangements change. Compare offers against that shared scope.

Agree on access before comparing quotes

Ask the mover to review both addresses before you accept an offer. Share entrance photos and the proposed loading location. Ask whether its intended truck can use that location, and request written charges for any smaller transfer vehicle, carrying distance, stairs, packing or storage it proposes.

Boston’s standard moving-truck permit reserves two parking spaces for one day, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The city requires an actual legal parking location. Confirm that the mover’s arrival window fits those hours and that the crew can load from the spaces you intend to reserve. [1]

Boston lists $69 for two non-metered spaces, including two signs, and $109 for two metered spaces. These municipal fees cover curb reservation. Use a written offer for your shipment to budget transport, packing and delivery. [1] [2]

Assign responsibility for applying, receiving the permit, posting signs and removing them afterward. Include any tasks you delegate to the mover in the booking agreement. Coordinate building access and elevator use with your property manager before settling on a pickup time.

Reserve and prepare your loading space

Follow the detailed Parking Clerk instructions when planning your deadline: Boston accepts online applications from 15 days to eight weeks before the move, and in-person applications from three days to eight weeks before it. The portal describes its online minimum as two weeks; allow 15 days to follow the detailed instructions. [1] [2]

For an in-person application, visit the Parking Clerk’s Office on the second floor of City Hall. Provide the moving date, the address where the truck will park and whether the spaces have meters. For an online application, check your account’s mailing address because the city sends the approved permit there. [1]

Post signs at least 48 hours before the permit’s 7 a.m. start time; the city recommends three days. Place copies of the city’s neighbor flier on cars within a half-block of your reserved spaces every day for at least two days before the move. For metered spaces, the city requires fliering only one day before the move. Remove signs and fliers and clean up debris afterward. [1]

Confirm the route and delivery handoff

Tell the dispatcher that moving trucks cannot use Storrow Drive. Boston cites low clearance and a 10-foot height limit. Ask the dispatcher to confirm a suitable truck route to your loading address before pickup. [3]

Boston notes that most local leases turn over at the beginning of September and that some neighborhoods have temporary traffic and parking restrictions. For a move around that period, check your exact loading location and date with the city before relying on your usual curb arrangement. [3]

Agree on the destination handoff before pickup. Ask for the delivery window, the notice you will receive and the contact responsible for updates. Decide who will meet the crew, check the inventory and document damage or missing items. Keep essential documents, medication and items you need during the trip with you.

Boston one-day moving-truck curb reservation fees

Choose the next step for your loading arrangement

Your hiring checklist

1. Identify the transporting carrier and review its registration, authority type and complaints using the FMCSA search described above.
2. Treat required licensing and insurance verification as a separate task beyond reviewing the FMCSA search data.
3. Send each bidder the same inventory, entrance photos and access requirements.
4. Get written pickup and delivery arrangements, added-service charges and a contact for changes.
5. Confirm the truck route and the permit authority for your loading address.
6. Assign responsibility for the permit application, signs and daily neighbor-flier tasks described above.
7. Arrange building access and elevator use with the property manager.
8. Keep essential items with you and designate someone to receive the shipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to reserve a parking space?

Boston does not require a moving-truck parking permit. A permit reserves legal curb space for the moving day. Decide with your mover whether to reserve space after reviewing the loading location and truck size. [1]

What if a car occupies my reserved space?

Call Boston police at 617-343-4911, explain that the issue is not an emergency and provide the plate number. The city says police will arrange a tow if they cannot reach the owner. [1]

Does the FMCSA search complete my mover checks?

Use the search to review interstate registration, authority type, contact information and complaints. FMCSA instructs readers to verify required licensing and insurance in addition to the search data. The agency does not endorse movers based on their database records. [4]