Moving Associations – What associations moving companies belong to?

With over 5000 moving companies located in the USA alone there are numerous associations that stand behind this industry. In this article we will cover some of the most trusted moving associations in the business.

First question we should ask ourselves is “What is a moving association and what does it do to protect the customer?” – The answer to that is not always so simple. In the US alone there are over 60 organizations that represent the licensed and insured cross country movers. Each US state has at least one association that represents the movers located in that state, for example in California this is California Moving & Storage Association or CMSA.  These are usually non-profit organizations that have established certain standards for their members to help improve the industry and promote fair business practices. There are also local government agencies that certify and license moving companies (see the list here).

Which are the most important moving associations in the world?

Here is a short list of some of the largest associations on an international level:

• American Moving and Storage Association or AMSA – The most trusted association that represent over 3000 moving companies is the US.
• British Association of Removers or BAR – UK’s leading industry association that represents over 500 removal and storage companies.
• International Association of Movers – Global Association of Movers representing over 2000 companies in more than 165 countries around the globe.  If you’re going to be moving across the globe getting information from them is one of the things you should probably do.
• Canada Association of Movers – Industry trade association representing moving and storage companies.
• FIDI – Global alliance of independent quality international removal companies. It represents the interests of all companies specializing in international relocation.
• FEDEMAC – Federation of European Moving Associations members are National Moving Associations. They have more than 50 years of history in the industry.

How can a Moving Association help a customer in trouble?

We will only discuss moving companies in the USA.

If you are dealing with a problem of any kind and the moving company you are using is a member of AMSA or any of the state moving associations then they might be able to provide you with some help. Usually every member of these organizations is required to follow “Code of Ethics” and fair business practices. If the moving companies have used practices that are illegal or violate the code of ethics of the organization they are member of, they could lose their credibility and benefits of being a member and membership.

That being said associations can provide arbitration or assist in the communication between the customer and moving company to resolve their problem. Our research shows that members of any of the reputable moving associations in the US have much higher satisfaction rate than the ones that are not members of any organizations.

There are several UK moving associations like The British Association of Removers or The National Guild of Removers and Storers and if you are a UK based moving company, you might want to contact them and join the local community.

Do you own a moving company or have you ever dealt with movers? What moving associations is your moving company a member of? Let us know in the comments below.

Author: Martin Panayotovon May 5, 2011
An expert contributor to My Moving Reviews.