Folks like William Lawton, Chris Corrigan and Kevin Kernan are not afraid of competition. They have been around long enough to figure out that hard work and customer service lead to success.
But they like a fair fight, so to speak.
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Lawton runs Lawton & Sons Movers, of Providence, a company that has been in business for 60 years. Chris Corrigan Moving Inc., of Central Falls, was initially started by Corrigan’s great-grandfather back in 1899. And Kernan’s business, Jones Moving & Storage, has been in Providence for 110 years.
Legitimate movers like these have had it with the band of rogue movers who aren’t playing by the rules.
Here’s how the rogue movers operate.
They advertise, maybe in the Yellow Pages, but often in the classified section of a local newspaper. They may rent a truck for a day – maybe for $40 or so. They undercut rates of legitimate movers. They often accept only cash, paying their workers under the table so as to deal with as little overhead as possible. They prey upon the consumer’s unabashed determination to save a buck.
Rogue movers do not obtain the proper insurance, such as liability and cargo insurance, or even workers’ compensation.
“It’s a very big problem in the industry,” said Lawton. “It is extremely prevalent. They take a lot of work away from legitimate movers – and they give us a bad name in the process.”
Too often, said Lawton, he has heard of these rogue movers charging $70 for a $100 job. And legitimate movers tell countless stories of being called at the last minute when a rogue mover has failed to show up for a job.
“Unfortunately, some people are more concerned about what they pay,” said Lawton.
Corrigan describes the rogue movers as virtually “undetectable.”
“They can come and go quickly,” he said. “And when people don’t know the system, things can happen – and then it’s too late.”
Terry Mercer is an associate administrator for the Motor Carriers Division of the state Division of Public Utilities and Carriers (DPUC), the agency that regulates the movers.
“A household-goods mover cannot operate an intrastate move without a license from this agency,” he said.
Getting such a license isn’t necessarily difficult. But you have to demonstrate a seriousness for doing business. It is the state’s way of protecting the public – and the interests of other businesses.
Mercer said a company must demonstrate that it is “fit, willing and able.” The process of proving that, for example, includes proof of the proper insurance and a criminal background check.
It is a formalized way to keep out the riffraff. And it’s a good thing it’s in place. Of course, there are always those who will try and beat the system. The DPUC cracked down on one rogue mover just two weeks ago. The state ordered the furniture and other items off the renegade truck. The woman who hired them hadn’t meant to start any trouble. That’s usually how it works. She found a phone number and called it.
Mercer said consumers need to do their homework. A moving company that runs a display advertisement in the Yellow Pages, for example, is required by the state to display their MC, or Motor Carriers number. And at its office, the company should have a certificate from the state.
Don’t be afraid to ask. Legitimate businesses won’t be offended.
Mercer said the state plans to continue watching for rogue movers closely and when possible, to crack down on them. But the reality is that the DPUC has a finite number of resources. And the rogue movers are slippery.
Kevin Kernan, of Jones Moving & Storage, is a proud businessman. Rogue movers offend him.
“Legitimate movers take their job seriously,” he said. “They are in it for the long haul. The rogue movers, they aren’t trying to build a business. It’s a different mindset when you know you are going to be there the next day – the next year.”
Kernan thinks people are taking a real risk when they hire a rogue mover. He wonders where the liability would fall if someone was to get hurt on a homeowner’s property during a move?
Suddenly those few dollars you thought you were going to save don’t seem like such a big deal.
Mercer agrees. And he suggests another concern.
“There’s the possibility that they load up your belongings in their truck and drive away … and you may never see them again,” said Mercer.
Now that’s reason enough for doing business with legitimate movers.
