The 8-week long-distance moving checklist we give every customer

Eight weeks out: choose your mover and your date

Start with two or three surveys, either video or in person, and ask every company for a binding or binding not-to-exceed estimate. Confirm the mover's USDOT and MC numbers on the FMCSA website and read the Rights and Responsibilities booklet they are required to give you.

Pick a load date that leaves a buffer before your closing or lease end. Midweek and mid-month dates are easier to book and often cheaper.

• Schedule surveys and compare written estimates
• Verify USDOT and MC authority
• Book the load date and pay the deposit
• Start a moving folder for receipts and documents

Six weeks out: decide what goes

Walk each room with a floor plan of your new home. Anything that will not fit or that you have not used in a year is a candidate to sell, donate or haul away. On an interstate move priced by weight, every pound you remove saves money.

• Measure large furniture against the new floor plan
• List items to sell online
• Book junk removal or donation pickups
• Request school and medical records

Four weeks out: paperwork and utilities

File a USPS change of address, then update banks, insurance, subscriptions and employers. Schedule utility shutoff at the old home for the day after loading, and set up electricity, water and internet at the new home for the day before delivery.

If you are driving, map overnight stops and book pet-friendly hotels now. If you are flying, keep flights flexible in case your delivery window shifts.

Two weeks out: start packing low-use rooms

Pack guest rooms, storage closets, books and seasonal items first. Label each box on two sides with the room and a short description. Set aside an open-first box for each person with chargers, medication, toiletries and a change of clothes.

• Use small boxes for books, large boxes for linens
• Photograph electronics wiring before unplugging
• Drain fuel from mowers and grills
• Refill prescriptions for the travel week

Moving week: the final stretch

Defrost and clean the refrigerator 24 hours before loading. Keep valuables, passports, jewelry and important documents with you, never on the truck. Confirm parking for the truck at both addresses and let neighbors know.

On load day, walk the house with your crew lead, review the inventory before signing, and keep your copy of the weight tickets and bill of lading in your moving folder.

Delivery day and the first week

Be at the new home before the delivery window opens. Direct the crew room by room, check off inventory numbers as items come in, and note any visible damage on the delivery paperwork before signing. Make beds first, then unpack the kitchen and bathrooms.

Within the first week, update your driver's license and vehicle registration, find a new doctor and pharmacy, and file any damage claim while details are fresh. Then take a breath. You moved across the country.