You may have already seen the stats -- approximately 16 percent of the U.S. population moves each year, mostly on weekends. And with spring soon segueing into summer, the continuous herd of moving vans, trailers and trucks will be migrating in large numbers from neighborhood to neighborhood. In fact, more than 21 million Americans move between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Most people don’t feel like lifting a finger during the moving process. As a result, more and more people are electing to hire companies that specialize in local moves. By trusting professional movers to handle the heavy lifting, families and businesses can focus on the countless other details associated with changing addresses.

However, selecting a moving company is a major decision. Real estate agents should advise their clients to contact each mover and learn about the services outlined in the estimate before making a decision. And since there are state and, in many cases, local regulations, clients should check with their state moving and storage associations to learn about rules that apply to movers.

The Internet can be a good starting point, but should not be used to obtain an estimate. Customers can help guarantee accurate estimates by contacting the moving company and speaking directly to a trained representative. It’s easy for people to overlook many items that need to be moved, unless prompted by a professional.

National van lines tend to have bigger (53') trucks that are better suited for longer and larger moves. However, these companies sometimes cannot nail down the loading/unloading schedule to a specific day. And since they often try to maximize the extra cargo space, a customer’s belongings may be packed in with other people's items on the same truck. Finally, customer belongings might be handled several times if trucks are swapped along the way.

On the other hand, local and regional moving companies use smaller (26') trucks during the moving process. They also offer more convenient scheduling for moves (customers are given a specific date and time), and belongings are loaded and unloaded just once.

Clients should want movers to treat their possessions as if they are their own, so advise them to make sure they ask plenty of questions before hiring a local moving company. This is certainly no time to be shy. Since most disputes over moving agreements occur when the customer is confused about pricing, here are a just a few questions that your clients should ask their movers:

• Do you charge by the piece or by the hour? Most times paying by the hour with an accurate estimate is better. No matter how the rate is calculated, customers should find out everything that is included in advance so that there are no extra charges down the road. Nobody likes surprises during the moving process. The best local movers will customize each move within a specified budget, regardless of if a customer wants to transport a single couch or the entire contents of a large estate.
• Are my items insured during the move? Be sure to ask for an explanation of the company's policies and options. Customers should make sure the mover is insured and bonded for the valued amount of their merchandise. After all, a cheap move is no bargain if your treasured possessions are not insured.
• Do you have full-time employees, or do you use temps and day labor? Be cautious of moving companies that use temps and day labor, as they are usually not adequately trained.
• Do you have worker’s compensation? Customers are well within their rights to ask for proof of worker’s comp insurance, when necessary. Licensed movers are required to have worker’s comp for their employees. In almost all cases, customers are not liable for moving-related injuries sustained by movers.

Remember – cost is an important factor when selecting a moving company, but it's not the only factor to consider. Asking friends and business associates for recommendations is always a good way to start.

Melanie Bergeron is president of the Lansing, Michigan-based Two Men and a TruckŪ International. Founded in 1985, Two Men and a TruckŪ is the nation’s largest local commercial and residential moving franchise system, with more than 116 locally owned and operated locations in 25 states with a current fleet of more than 740 trucks. Visit www.twomen.com for more information.