With spring finally upon us, many people are getting ready to move. Americans are a mobile population; Census Bureau data indicate that 16 percent of Americans relocate within the country in any given year. This doesn’t include people who move outside the U.S.

There are various ways to get from here to there. Using a friend’s pickup truck means you do it all. The truck rental companies provide the vehicle but little else. The “u-pack” units park a truck body on your lawn or driveway, leave you to pack it for two days, and then truck the possessions to the new address.

Professional movers do about 60 percent of their annual business in late spring and early summer. After May 15 each year the prices – and activity – rise dramatically. Choosing a full-service mover requires research, preferably with local companies that have connections to national lines such as Allied, United Van Lines or Fox & Ginn. There are three such outfits according to an informal survey: two in Bangor and one in Brewer. Get in touch with us if you want more information.

Because fraud and unethical practices exist in some sectors of the moving industry, it is best to start with somebody who “speaks your language” and earns your trust. This isn’t to say that moving companies are deliberately deceitful or incompetent. Faced with logistics mishaps, the reputable ones will own up to the gaffes. But there are too many stories of companies that deliver damaged goods or no goods at all, and the customer still has to pay the moving bill whether or not a contract was signed.

For example, a man who moved from Missouri to Down East Maine a while ago received a substantial settlement from a national van line after his possessions were shipped to Penobscot County and put into storage, leaving him with the bill for thousands of dollars and no possessions. His couch, stove and easy chair were eventually auctioned off by the storage company. In the end, Northeast CONTACT helped the man get remuneration.

Some tips based on our research:

. Make sure the moving company you pick is insured and licensed by the Federal Highway Administration or the U.S. Department of Transportation.

. Get written estimates from three moving companies. Be suspicious of the lowest bid and get a binding estimate even if it is slightly more expensive.

. Do your own packing and unpacking; the cost can easily multiply if movers do it all. A mover may charge $20 or more for a medium-sized container, plus a minimum of $28 to $32 to pack large boxes and $14 or more to unpack them.

. A well-planned move means the customer will always get a bill of lading, which lists each item on the truck, plus the deliver dates and insurance terms.

. The wise customer always takes precautions and thinks about potential complications. For instance, if the mover fails to deliver on time, and you incur expenses because of the delay, the customer can recover some money either with a per diem allowance or through a lawsuit.

Here are some other tips:

. If your shipment is lost or destroyed, you owe nothing, except any agreed-upon amount for liability protection.

. Don’t forget the payment is made at the time of delivery even if your belongings are damaged. If you contest the price, the mover may lock your goods in storage and stick you with the bill.

. Always get things in writing. If you have a nonbinding estimate, you may be required to pay the estimated cost plus 10 percent at the time of delivery with cash or a certified check.

. After your stuff has arrived and before signing a receipt, check for damaged boxes, broken mirrors and torn fabric. If you discover any problems after the driver has left, call the company immediately.

Unforeseen events may add costs even to a written estimate. For example, moving to a city suburb may require shifting the boxes to smaller trucks, since there might be tonnage restrictions on roads in populated areas.

Finally, the customer has nine months to file a complaint for damages but probably shouldn’t wait that long, according to Northeast CONTACT’s experience. Since the FHA cannot resolve claims, an unsatisfied customer may work it out with the company, hire an arbitrator or, if all else fails, go to court.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration, now in its 30th year, of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast CONTACT, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. Individual and business memberships are available at modest rates. Interested and motivated prospective volunteers are always needed and welcomed to apply to help with our mission. For assistance with consumer-related issues, including consumer fraud and identity theft, or for more information, write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329, or e-mail contacexdir@live.com.