Moving companies arrived in Hamilton Township expecting to load a customer's belongings. Instead, they found New Jersey investigators waiting to check their licenses.
The surprise inspections were part of Operation Safe Move, a two-day undercover enforcement operation launched Oct. 15 by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.
Investigators posed as consumers looking for movers, found companies advertising their services online and hired them for what appeared to be a real moving job.
When the movers showed up, investigators checked whether they were licensed to operate in New Jersey. New Jersey State Police also inspected the trucks for safety violations.
In December, the Division announced that 11 moving companies had received Notices of Violation and $5,000 civil penalties for allegedly operating without the licenses required by state law.
New Jersey State Police also inspected the trucks. Those inspections uncovered 45 motor vehicle safety violations, according to the Division.
The operation included nine companies based in New Jersey and two based outside the state.
Among the New Jersey companies cited were:
Each received a $5,000 civil penalty, according to the state.
New Jersey has run multiple versions of Operation Safe Move in recent years.
In 2024, investigators cited 23 unlicensed movers and assessed $125,000 in civil penalties. State Police inspections that year found 64 vehicle safety violations.
George Clements, owner of Can't Quit Moving in New Jersey and a fourth-generation mover with more than 28 years in the industry, said consumers should ask whether the company owns its trucks and whether the people arriving at the home actually work for the company.
Those questions can be especially important given the pressure consumers are under on moving day, Clements said.
"You imagine you have to be out of this house and be out of that house and set this up, and it's a very stressful time," Clements said. .
New Jersey requires movers handling intrastate moves, those that begin and end within the state, to obtain a license from the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Licensed movers also must meet requirements involving insurance, vehicle registration and the transportation and storage of household goods.
The Division maintains a license-verification system where consumers can check a mover and review its complaint history.
That distinction matters because a moving broker and a moving company are not necessarily the same business
A broker arranges for another moving company to perform the physical move, rather than handling the move itself.
Clements said brokers may solicit estimates from consumers and then contract the job out to a moving company, often based on price.
"The middleman then sells it to the lowest bidder," he said. "If the broker messed up the estimate, there's no accountability."
The moving company that ultimately arrives may determine that the job requires more labor, trucks or time than the broker anticipated, potentially leaving the customer facing a higher bill.
Federal rules require interstate household-goods brokers to identify themselves as brokers in their advertising and provide consumers with information about the movers they use.
Clements said consumers should ask directly who will actually arrive on moving day.
"Who's in your crew?" Clements suggested asking.
"If the guy can just label off people in the crew and then tell stories about them, then that's their employees."
For an interstate move, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also recommends checking whether the mover or broker is registered and reviewing its complaint history.
For a move entirely within New Jersey, the state license remains a key check.
New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs requires licensed movers to provide consumers with a written estimate after an on-site or virtual survey of the goods being moved.
The estimate includes information such as the mover's license number, the addresses involved, the moving date and, when applicable, the number of trucks and workers and their hourly costs.
That makes a vague phone quote a poor substitute for documentation.
Clements has seen how dramatically moving costs can change depending on what a household actually owns.
"Some people only have a little bit of things," he said. "Some people think they have a little bit of things, and they have a lot of things."
He recalled quoting one move at about $2,000 and another at $18,000 before ultimately preparing an approximately $8,000 estimate for a customer who also wanted packing services.
The Division has warned that unlicensed movers have been accused of holding customers' belongings until they pay substantially more than the original price.
The state also warns that consumers can face losses if a mover lacks adequate insurance.
Clements said another problem can arise before a single box leaves the building: scheduling.
For apartment and condominium residents, he recommends asking about building requirements before the moving truck arrives.
"First call and make sure that there is a time slot for your elevator," he said.
Buildings may require certificates of insurance, reserve elevator windows or impose other rules for movers. Clements said some buildings also impose unusually high insurance requirements.
Clements said his busiest period generally runs from June through September, when families often try to move while children are out of school.
He also sees another increase in activity in the fall, when homeowners and renters make moves before the holidays.
The busiest individual month for his company, he said, is typically July.
The timing matters because consumers booking during peak periods may have fewer options if a mover cancels or fails to appear.
Before booking:
Learn more about New Jersey's Public Movers and Warehousemen requirements here.
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