The US moving industry generates $23.4 billion in annual revenue and has grown at a compound annual rate of 2.8% over the past five years (IBISWorld, 2026). It is a fragmented market — the top players hold a small fraction of national share, and the majority of the industry is made up of local and regional operators. The opportunity for a well-run small business is real.

But the moving business is also operationally unforgiving. Labor intensity, physical risk, customer expectations, and thin margins punish operators who wing it. The companies that last and grow are the ones who build a real operating foundation from day one.

This is what that foundation looks like — with the actual numbers, the regulatory requirements, and the order to do it in.

Understand the economics before you spend anything
Write a basic moving company business plan
Get licensed and insured (USDOT, MC, insurance)
Buy or lease your first truck
Build your business infrastructure
Set your pricing before your first call
Hire your first crew
Launch your marketing
Get your first booked jobs
Run it like a business from day one

Step 1: Understand the Economics Before You Spend Anything {#step-1-understand-the-economics}

The average moving company earns a net profit margin of 3–5% (IBISWorld, 2026). This matters before you buy a truck.

A company doing $500,000 in revenue keeps $15,000–$25,000 after expenses. At $1 million, that’s $30,000–$50,000. These are not numbers that support an expensive truck payment, high overhead, and inconsistent pricing. The operators who build real wealth in this business do it by scaling revenue while controlling costs — and by understanding their numbers from the start. (Full margin benchmarks by company size.)

Build a basic financial model before you launch:

Estimated revenue per job (your local market, your crew size)
Jobs per week at target capacity
Annual revenue projection
Monthly costs: truck (payment + insurance + maintenance), labor, marketing, admin
Projected net margin

If the math doesn’t work at your planned scale, adjust the plan before you invest.

What does it cost to start a moving company?

Realistic startup budgets, based on what operators actually spend:

Startup tier	What it looks like	Typical cost
Bootstrapped	Used 16-ft truck (cash), owner drives, basic insurance, home office	$25,000–$45,000
Standard launch	Used 20–26 ft truck, 2–3 hired helpers, wrapped truck, CRM software	$45,000–$75,000
Funded launch	New or newer truck, small crew from day one, marketing budget, office	$75,000–$150,000

Where the money goes in a standard launch:

Item	Range	Notes
Truck (used 16–26 ft)	$15,000–$45,000	The single biggest line
Truck wrap	$2,000–$3,500	Non-optional — it’s a moving billboard
Commercial auto insurance	$3,000–$8,000/yr	Varies wildly by state and record
General liability + cargo	$3,000–$7,000/yr	Bundles available
Workers’ comp deposit	$1,500–$4,000	Required for employees in most states
LLC + legal + licenses	$500–$2,500	USDOT is free; state fees vary
Equipment (dollies, pads, straps, wrap)	$2,000–$4,000	Don’t cheap out — damage claims cost more
Software (CRM, dispatch, estimates)	$150–$400/mo	See what it should do
Marketing launch (GBP, LSA deposit, uniforms)	$2,000–$5,000	Google Business Profile is free
Working capital reserve	$10,000–$20,000	The line that saves companies — fuel and payroll come before receivables

The two lines people under-budget: working capital and insurance. The truck gets bought, then a slow first quarter ends the company because nobody reserved three months of operating cash.

Step 2: Write a Basic Moving Company Business Plan {#step-2-write-a-business-plan}

You don’t need a 40-page document for a bank you’re not borrowing from. You need one page that forces honest answers:

1. The market. How many households in your service area? What’s the average move value there? Who are the 3–5 competitors, and what do they charge? (Call them as a customer. It’s the best data you’ll ever get for free.)

2. Your niche. “Full-service local moving” is a plan; “2–3 bedroom residential moves within 40 miles, with packing add-ons” is a business. Common profitable niches: apartment turns for property managers, senior downsizing, office relocations, last-mile delivery, single-item moves the big companies won’t take.

3. The revenue model. Jobs per week × average ticket = weekly revenue. Be realistic about the ramp: most companies run 2–6 jobs/week in year one, not the 15+ of an established operator.

4. The cost model. From the table above. Add your own draw (you need to eat) as a labor cost, not profit.

5. The break-even point. Fixed costs ÷ contribution per job = jobs/week to break even. If that number is 12 and your market supports 6, fix the plan — not the dream.

A one-page plan you revisit monthly beats a template plan you never open. Write it, put the break-even number on the wall, and re-run the model every quarter.

Step 3: Get Licensed and Insured {#step-3-get-licensed-and-insured}

Federal Requirements (Interstate Moves)

If you intend to move goods across state lines, you are required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to:

Obtain a USDOT number (free registration at fmcsa.dot.gov)
Obtain Operating Authority (MC number) as a household goods carrier
File tariffs or provide binding/non-binding estimates to customers
Carry cargo liability insurance of at least $0.60/lb (released value) or full replacement value
Register with the FMCSA Mover Registration System

State Requirements (Intrastate Moves)

State requirements vary significantly. Some states require a separate state operating license; others accept the federal USDOT number. Research your specific state’s public utilities commission or department of transportation requirements before you launch.

Insurance: The Non-Negotiables

At minimum, you need:

Commercial auto insurance — $3,000–$8,000/truck/year
General liability insurance — $1,500–$3,000/year
Cargo insurance (goods in transit) — $1,500–$4,000/year
Workers’ compensation — required in most states for any employee; approximately 15–25% of moving labor payroll

Do not skip workers’ comp. Moving is one of the higher-risk physical labor industries, and a serious on-the-job injury without coverage is a business-ending event. Our full insurance guide covers coverage types, costs, and customer-facing valuation options.

Step 4: Buy (or Lease) Your First Truck {#step-4-first-truck}

Your truck is your most significant capital decision at startup.

Buying vs. Leasing

Buying used (a 2014–2018 box truck, 16–26 ft) is the most common choice for first-time operators. Prices range from $15,000 to $45,000 depending on condition, mileage, and size. The asset is yours, there’s no monthly payment if you pay cash, and depreciation is slower than it looks.

Leasing preserves cash and keeps you in a newer truck, but monthly payments add a fixed cost that puts pressure on your margin when volume dips.

Truck size: A 16-foot truck is adequate for small apartments and bedroom moves. A 20–26-foot truck handles 2–3 bedroom houses. For your first truck, a 20-footer covers the widest range of jobs.

Inspect before you buy: hydraulic liftgate function, box floor condition, tire dates (not just tread), transmission behavior under load, and whether a diesel makes sense for your annual mileage. A $4,000 “deal” that needs $8,000 of work isn’t a deal.

Wrap Your Truck

Your truck is a moving billboard in neighborhoods where people are about to move. A professional wrap with your company name, logo, phone number, and website generates organic awareness with zero ongoing cost. This is not optional.

Step 5: Build Your Business Infrastructure {#step-5-business-infrastructure}

Business Entity and Banking

Register as an LLC in your state. The cost is $50–$500 depending on the state. An LLC separates your personal assets from your business liabilities — essential for a business with physical risk and potential damage claims.

Open a dedicated business bank account. Commingling personal and business funds creates accounting problems and legal exposure.

Systems Worth Having From Day One

The infrastructure that separates real companies from truck-and-a-phone operations:

Business phone line that answers every call (missed calls are lost jobs)
A moving CRM — more on this in step 10
Accounting software or a bookkeeper from month one
A process for damage claims — written, fair, and fast

Your Website

You need a website before you need much else. It is the destination for every marketing effort you make — Google searches, referrals, social posts, truck wraps. A basic professional site with your service area, pricing or quote form, and contact information is sufficient at launch. Our moving company website checklist covers the 12 elements that win or lose customers.

Step 6: Set Your Pricing Before Your First Call {#step-6-set-your-pricing}

Set your rates before your first call. Research what competing companies in your market are charging (check their websites; call as a customer if necessary). Calculate your minimum profitable rate from your actual costs — labor, truck, fuel, overhead, insurance per billable hour. Price at a level that is competitive and sustainable.

The three decisions to make explicitly:

Hourly vs. flat-rate. Hourly is simpler and safer for new operators; flat-rate wins competitive jobs but requires accurate scoping (which requires an inventory-based estimate)
Your minimums. Two movers × 2 hours minimum is common; know your true cost per truck-hour before setting it
What’s included. Materials, stairs, long-carry, appliance fees — write the policy down, or your crews will improvise it on the customer’s driveway

See our complete guide to moving company pricing.

Step 7: Hire Your First Crew (or Work the Jobs Yourself) {#step-7-hire-your-crew}

Many operators start by working jobs themselves with one or two helpers. This is completely viable at low volume, but it creates a ceiling: you can’t sell and move furniture at the same time.

When you’re ready to hire:

Moving helpers are typically W-2 employees, not 1099 contractors. Misclassification exposes you to significant tax and workers’ comp liability
Pay competitively — $17–$22/hour for movers in most markets — or you will churn through people
Background check every hire. You’re sending people into customers’ homes
Train on both the physical technique (back safety, furniture protection, packing) and the customer interaction side (communication, professionalism, damage reporting)

The hiring trap that kills small movers: hiring in a panic after selling jobs you can’t staff. Build a bench of trained relief helpers before you need them — our guide to hiring and retaining movers covers the system.

Step 8: Launch Your Marketing {#step-8-launch-marketing}

Google Business Profile

Create and fully complete your Google Business Profile before your first job. This is your most important marketing asset for local search. Fill out every field, upload photos of your truck and crew, and start collecting reviews from your very first customers.

Google Local Services Ads

Once you have your license and insurance documentation, apply for LSA verification. These ads appear above all other Google results and are pay-per-lead — you only pay for actual customer inquiries.

Paid leads (with discipline)

Lead marketplaces can fill the calendar while your organic presence builds. Read the comparison of moving lead providers first, and measure cost per booked job, not cost per lead.

Referrals

Tell everyone you know that you’re open for business. Moving companies that launch with a strong personal network often fill their first few months without any paid advertising. Real estate agents, property managers, and apartment complexes are high-value referral partners — introduce yourself and offer a referral arrangement. The full marketing playbook for movers is here.

Step 9: Get Your First Booked Jobs {#step-9-first-jobs}

A realistic first-90-days sequence that works:

Weeks 1–2: Exist everywhere. Google Business Profile live, website with a working quote form, social accounts created, insurance docs uploaded for LSA verification.

Weeks 2–4: Work your network. Message every landlord, agent, and property manager you know. Post in local community groups. Offer a friends-and-family rate on the first 10 jobs — in exchange for reviews.

Weeks 4–8: Buy leads selectively. Test one lead provider with a small batch. Respond to every lead within 5 minutes — at your size, you have no excuse for slow response, and speed is your competitive advantage over established companies.

Weeks 8–12: Convert reputation into pipeline. Every completed job gets a review request and a referral ask. By job 25–30, your Google profile should have 10+ reviews — at which point organic “movers near me” visibility starts compounding.

The companies that stall in year one usually skipped the review engine. Ten reviews is the difference between invisible and credible.

Step 10: Run It Like a Business From Day One {#step-10-run-it-like-a-business}

The single biggest differentiator between moving companies that grow and those that plateau is systems. Not hustle — systems. Specifically:

A CRM that tracks every lead from inquiry to booked job to completed move
Digital estimates with e-signature and deposit collection
Dispatch software that gives your crew a professional schedule and gives you visibility
Automated review requests that build your Google rating without manual effort
Job-level profitability tracking — so you know your real margin on every job from day one

Starting these habits when you have 1 truck and 2 employees is far easier than retrofitting them when you have 5 trucks and 15 employees. The operators who wait to “get organized later” usually never do.

MoveRight was built by operators who scaled a moving company to $42 million in annual revenue. It packages that operational playbook into software that any company can use from day one.

Moving Company Startup: Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to start a moving company?

A bootstrapped single-truck operation can start for $25,000–$45,000 (used truck bought with cash, basic insurance, owner operating). A standard launch with a hired crew and marketing budget runs $45,000–$75,000. The most commonly under-budgeted line is working capital — reserve 3 months of fuel, insurance, and payroll.

Is a moving company profitable?

The average moving company nets 3–5%, but well-run operators hit 15–22% through data-driven pricing and labor discipline. Profitability is determined less by market and more by systems: accurate estimating, controlled labor overruns, and overhead management. Benchmarks by company size here.

Do I need a USDOT number to start a moving company?

Yes, if you’ll move household goods across state lines — along with MC operating authority from FMCSA. Intrastate-only moves are governed by state rules, which vary. Registration for a USDOT number is free; MC authority has a filing fee and insurance requirements attached.

Do I need a license to move furniture locally?

Most US states don’t require a special license for intrastate household goods moves — but several do (including California, Texas, and Florida, with state-specific carrier permits). Check your state’s public utilities commission or DOT before launching. Commercial auto insurance and workers’ comp are effectively non-negotiable regardless of state.

How much do moving company owners make?

In small companies, most owner income is really wages for driving, estimating, and dispatching. A $750K-revenue operator paying themselves market rates for those roles might net an additional $30,000–$60,000 in true profit. At scale (6+ trucks, owner out of daily operations), owner earnings of $150,000–$400,000+ are achievable.

Should I buy a franchise or start independent?

A franchise (Two Men and a Truck, College Hunks, etc.) buys you brand recognition, systems, and launch support for a $50,000–$150,000 investment plus royalties. Starting independent keeps full margin and control but means building brand from zero. Independent ownership with modern software has never been more viable — the franchise premium buys what a good CRM, marketing system, and playbook now provide.

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References:

IBISWorld. (2026). Moving Services in the US — Industry Report
FMCSA. (2026). Starting a Moving Business — Regulatory Requirements. fmcsa.dot.gov
US Small Business Administration. (2025). Starting a Business Checklist

How to Start a Moving Company in 2026: The Complete Guide (Costs, Licensing & First Job)

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