Moving company / movers software, built around FMCSA, DOT and cubic-foot inventory survey to binding estimate

Arkathos gives a moving company a workspace tailored to how the work actually runs — This workspace is built around turning an in-home move estimate into a booked, crew-dispatched, paid move day. Arkathos tailors a moving company workspace around 4 agents: Sentinel, Quartermaster, Treasury, Herald.

Compliance a moving company can't afford to miss

Watchtower tracks every license, bond, insurance policy, and continuing-education requirement for a moving company, with renewal cadences and staged reminders so nothing lapses.

• A moving company must maintain a Local business license, through the Municipal Clerk / City Business License Office, which renews every year.
• A moving company must maintain a USDOT Number & MCS-150 Biennial Update (Motor Carrier Identification Report), through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which renews every two years.
• A moving company must maintain a FMCSA Operating Authority (MC Number) - Motor Carrier of Household Goods (interstate), through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which has no fixed renewal cycle.
• A moving company must maintain a USDOT Number registration (MCS-150 biennial update), through the FMCSA (US DOT), which renews every two years.
• A moving company must maintain a MC Motor Carrier Operating Authority (interstate household goods), through the FMCSA (US DOT), which has no fixed renewal cycle.
• A moving company must maintain a Unified Carrier Registration (UCR), through the Unified Carrier Registration Plan / FMCSA, which renews every year.
• A moving company must maintain a BOC-3 Designation of Process Agents, through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which has no fixed renewal cycle.
• A moving company must maintain a Intrastate household goods mover license / permit, through the State Public Utilities Commission / State DOT, which renews every year.
• A moving company must maintain a State Intrastate Household Goods Mover License / Authority, through the State DOT / Public Utility Commission / Consumer Affairs agency (varies by state), which renews every year.
• A moving company must maintain a BOC-3 process agent designation, through the FMCSA (US DOT), which has no fixed renewal cycle.
• A moving company must maintain a DOT Drug & Alcohol Testing Program (49 CFR Parts 382 & 40), through the U.S. DOT / FMCSA (via C/TPA or consortium enrollment), which has no fixed renewal cycle.
• A moving company must maintain a Commercial general liability insurance, which renews every year.
• A moving company must maintain a Public Liability Insurance (BI & PD) - FMCSA Form BMC-91/91X, $750,000 minimum, through the Licensed insurer (filed with FMCSA), which renews every year.
• A moving company must maintain a Cargo Insurance - Household Goods (FMCSA Form BMC-34), $5,000 per vehicle / $10,000 per occurrence, through the Licensed insurer (filed with FMCSA), which renews every year.
• A moving company must maintain a Commercial auto / truck liability insurance, which renews every year.
• A moving company must maintain a Cargo / motor truck cargo insurance (BMC-32/34), which renews every year.
• A moving company must maintain a General Liability Insurance, through the Licensed insurer, which renews every year.
• A moving company must maintain a Workers' Compensation Insurance, through the State workers' compensation program / licensed insurer, which renews every year.
• A moving company must maintain a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) per driver, through the State DMV / Motor Vehicle Agency, which renews every 4 years.
• A moving company must maintain a Cyber Liability Insurance, through the Licensed insurer, which renews every year.
• A moving company must maintain a DOT medical examiner's certificate (medical card) per driver, through the DOT-Certified Medical Examiner (FMCSA National Registry), which renews every two years.

Everything Arkathos runs for a moving company

These are the agents set up first for a moving company — and because it's one platform, every plan includes all 16 Arkathos agents. Also included whenever you need them: Guardhouse, Scribe, Courier, War Room, Armory, Marshall, Mint Warden, Vault Keeper, Watchtower, Bulletin Board, Client Portal.

• Sentinel — Contact & lead management, Deal / estimate pipeline, Task & follow-up tracking, SMS & email outreach, Pipeline reporting.
• Quartermaster — Online booking & appointments, Calendar & availability, Events & waitlists, Automated reminders, Job dispatch & scheduling.
• Treasury — Invoicing & payment collection, Expense tracking, Accounting & bookkeeping, Business tax prep & filing, Recurring billing & subscriptions, Financial dashboards & reports.
• Herald — SEO & get-found content, Social media scheduling, Email & newsletter campaigns, Brand voice & content studio, Review & reputation growth, AI-overview & directory visibility.

Your tailored moving company workspace

These are net-new, moving company-specific capabilities — not a generic CRM bolted onto your industry.

• Cubic-foot inventory survey to binding estimate (Sentinel): Room-by-room item survey (on-site or video walkthrough) that tags each item with cubic feet/weight, totals the load, and auto-builds a 49 CFR 375 binding vs non-binding written estimate with the 110%-rule guard — replacing the generic Draft estimate for the household-goods workflow.
• Bill of Lading + valuation paperwork pack (Scribe): Generate and e-sign the legally-required BOL, order for service, 'Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move' booklet acknowledgment, and the released-value ($0.60/lb) vs full-value-protection election per move, retained against the job.
• Crew + truck capacity dispatch board (Dispatch): Assign crew size, named movers, and a specific truck to each move with a double-book guard across BOTH crew and truck, drive-time buffers, and a move-day status flow (en route / loading / in transit / unloading / complete).
• Move-day time + materials to final invoice (Treasury): Capture actual labor hours, travel time, and packing materials used (boxes, tape, wardrobe boxes, shrink wrap) on hourly moves and roll them into the balance-due invoice with deposit applied and the binding-estimate cap enforced.
• Damage / loss claims tied to the BOL (Guardhouse): Claims intake that links a damage/loss ticket to the move's BOL line items and valuation election, tracks the statutory claim window, and produces a settlement record — the trade's reputation depends on handling these cleanly.
• DOT/MC authority + insurance renewal tracker (Watchtower): Track USDOT/MC operating authority, the biennial MCS-150 update, cargo + general-liability COIs (and building COIs on demand), and per-driver CDL medical-card expirations with proactive renewal alerts.

The agents and tabs you get

Sentinel for a moving company surfaces Overview, Contacts, Tasks, Chat. Quartermaster for a moving company surfaces Dispatch, Calendar, Bookings, Availability, Chat. Treasury for a moving company surfaces Draft estimate, Invoices, Pipeline, Financial sheet, Chat. Herald for a moving company surfaces Get found, Directories, Brief, Compose, ✦Studio, Schedule, Chat, Brand voice.

Frequently asked questions

best moving company software for small movers

Small movers want one all-in-one CRM for leads, quotes, scheduling, dispatch, e-sign contracts and payments. Moving-specific tools (Moverbase, QuoteIQ, Chariot) work, or a flat-priced platform like Arkathos that bundles CRM, scheduling, invoicing and marketing with no per-seat fees.

how much does moving company software cost per month

Mid-tier moving CRMs run roughly $100-$300/month, entry tools under $100, enterprise $500+. Many bill per user. Arkathos uses flat pricing with no per-seat fees, so adding crew or office staff doesn't raise the bill.

do movers need a usdot number

Yes for interstate moves (trucks over 10,001 lbs), plus MC operating authority for household goods. 38 states also require USDOT for in-state moves, and some states add their own registration, like California's CAL-T number.

how do moving companies make a bill of lading

The signed estimate auto-populates the bill of lading; on move day crews confirm inventory, add photos and capture digital signatures at pickup and delivery on a tablet. Moving software generates compliant BOLs and syncs completed docs to the office.

moving crm with dispatch and mobile app for crews in the field

Look for mobile dispatch so crews view jobs, snap photos, log times, and collect signatures and payment from a phone. Arkathos combines CRM, scheduling and dispatch with field access included, not billed per crew member.

how do i get more moving leads

Rank on Google Maps and local SEO, collect reviews for word-of-mouth, run targeted PPC, and respond within five minutes. Arkathos's marketing and CRM agents handle local listings, review requests and instant lead follow-up.

is there free software for moving companies

Not really. Free generic CRMs lack bills of lading, dispatch views and moving workflows. Affordable all-in-one tools start near $30/month; since software helps close more jobs, most working movers skip the free route.

what software do i need to start a moving company

Core needs: a CRM for leads, an estimating/quoting app, scheduling and dispatch, bill-of-lading with e-signatures, plus invoicing, payments and payroll. Arkathos covers all of these—finances, CRM, scheduling, payroll and compliance—in one platform.

What licenses and insurance does a moving company need?

Arkathos tracks 21 items for a moving company, including Local business license, USDOT Number & MCS-150 Biennial Update (Motor Carrier Identification Report), FMCSA Operating Authority (MC Number) - Motor Carrier of Household Goods (interstate), USDOT Number registration (MCS-150 biennial update). Each renewal and expiration is monitored in Watchtower with staged reminders.

Which Arkathos agents does a moving company get?

Arkathos tailors a moving company workspace around 4 agents: Sentinel, Quartermaster, Treasury, Herald.

How is the Arkathos workspace tailored for a moving company?

Beyond the standard tools, Arkathos builds moving company-specific features: Cubic-foot inventory survey to binding estimate; Bill of Lading + valuation paperwork pack; Crew + truck capacity dispatch board.

Does Arkathos replace separate software for a moving company?

Yes — Arkathos runs moving company operations, compliance, billing, and marketing in one platform with flat pricing, so there are no per-seat fees or handoffs between disconnected tools.

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