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Bell Moving & Storage review (2026)

Ryan Mitchell, Moving Company Researcher at BestMovers.info
Researched and written byRyan MitchellMoving Company Researcher
Amanda Brooks, Senior Editorial Reviewer at BestMovers.info
Reviewed byAmanda BrooksSenior Editorial Reviewer

Last reviewed August 2026How we research moving companiesEditorial standards

Bell Moving & Storage is registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under USDOT 1246752 and MC 137495. Founded in 1922 and headquartered in Fairfield, OH, Bell Moving & Storage covers interstate (48). A two-bedroom interstate move with Bell Moving & Storage is estimated at $1,100–$4,200, before packing, valuation, and storage. BestMovers.info publishes no numeric score, star rating or ranked order for moving companies. On the documented record, Bell Moving & Storage is most relevant to greater cincinnati household moves handled by a small, long-established crew rather than a subcontracted network.

Key facts

USDOT number
1246752
MC / docket number
MC-137495
FMCSA legal name
BELL MOVING AND STORAGE INC
Carrier or broker
carrier
Carrier operation
Interstate
Federal filing address
4700 Le Saint Ct, Fairfield, OH 45014
Power units
7
Drivers
6
MCS-150 filed
2025-02-27
Founded
1922
Headquarters
Fairfield, OH
Coverage
Interstate (48)
2-bedroom interstate estimate
$1,100–$4,200
Services
Local, Long-distance, Packing, Storage
Data as of
2026-08-15
Last verified
2026-08-17
Verdict

Bell Moving & Storage

We do not publish a numeric score for moving companies.

Bell Moving and Storage Inc files from Fairfield, Ohio, active on the federal census with seven power units and six drivers, and carries docket MC-137495 on the registration. The operating-authority presentation read for this registration shows motor carrier of household goods authority; nothing further is stated, and no property or broker authority is inferred from the household goods entry. The filed address is in Fairfield while the company publishes the Cincinnati area as the market it serves: a filed address and a published market describe different things, and neither value is treated as a correction to the other. No federal safety rating is on file, which is neither a positive nor a negative signal. The company states first-party that it holds a Wheaton certification; Wheaton is a separate registrant and any Wheaton corporate identifier is recorded as a van-line identifier rather than stored on this record. The company states first-party that it was founded in 1922.

Best for
Greater Cincinnati household moves handled by a small, long-established crew rather than a subcontracted network
Main trade-off
The registration reports seven power units and six drivers, so peak-season capacity is limited and a large or tightly scheduled move may need to be scheduled well in advance.

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What is Bell Moving & Storage's USDOT number and is its authority active?

The USDOT number of Bell Moving & Storage is 1246752. This reflects the federal record as of 2026-08-15.

Why does the federal filing address differ from Bell Moving & Storage’s office?

The federal registration files 4700 Le Saint Ct, Fairfield, OH 45014. The company publishes Cincinnati, OH area as the base it serves customers from. Fairfield is the address on the federal filing. The Cincinnati area is the market the company publishes for customers. The two describe different things and neither is treated as a correction to the other; this is not a source conflict.

Both values read 2026-08-15.

Does Bell Moving & Storage have an MC docket number on file?

No MC docket was located in the FMCSA SAFER operating-authority presentation and company census file read for this registration on 15 August 2026; the detailed Licensing and Insurance page was not reachable at the time of reading.

The authority block read shows motor carrier of household goods on docket MC-137495. Property and broker authority were not shown in the records reviewed and are not inferred in either direction. Nothing here is a finding about the company's right to operate.

Records reviewed 2026-08-15.

Is Bell Moving & Storage licensed to move within Ohio?

For a move that stays inside Ohio, movers are authorised by Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), and the agency does not publish a single name for that authorisation on the pages we read. The agency publishes no public lookup; it verifies authorisation by phone on 1-800-686-7826. We have not verified Bell Moving & Storage's Ohio authorisation, and nothing here says it lacks one. Holding federal interstate authority is a separate thing from holding state authorisation for a move that starts and ends inside one state.

What is Bell Moving & Storage's USDOT number?

Bell Moving & Storage carries USDOT number 1246752 and docket number MC-137495 on the FMCSA company census file. The registered legal name is BELL MOVING AND STORAGE INC. The filed physical address is 4700 Le Saint Ct, Fairfield, OH 45014. The registration covers interstate operations. The census records the operation classification for Bell Moving & Storage as authorized for hire.

Federal source: FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot for USDOT 1246752 · Data as of August 15, 2026

How big is Bell Moving & Storage's fleet?

Bell Moving & Storage reports 7 power units and 6 drivers on its federal registration. Power units count trucks, tractors and other self-powered vehicles the company operates, not trailers. Bell Moving & Storage last updated that federal registration on February 27, 2025, so the counts describe the fleet as filed on that date rather than today.

Federal source: FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot for USDOT 1246752 · Data as of August 15, 2026

Does Bell Moving & Storage have a federal safety rating?

Bell Moving & Storage has no federal safety rating on its census record. Most interstate carriers have never had a compliance review, and a rating is only assigned after one, so the absence of a rating is not a negative signal about Bell Moving & Storage. It means no rating review has been recorded, and the other federal registration details remain the material check.

Federal source: FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot for USDOT 1246752 · Data as of August 15, 2026

Is Bell Moving & Storage a carrier, a broker, or both?

Bell Moving & Storage holds motor carrier authority on its federal licensing record and does not hold property broker authority. Carrier authority means Bell Moving & Storage is licensed to perform moves with its own trucks and crews rather than arrange them through another company. The crew that arrives on moving day works under this authority, and Bell Moving & Storage carries the federal liability for the shipment. The licensing record for Bell Moving & Storage shows household goods authority.

Federal source: FMCSA licensing record, read by hand · Data as of August 15, 2026

Is Bell Moving & Storage authorised to move household goods?

Bell Moving & Storage holds active operating authority covering household goods on its federal licensing record. This is a stronger statement than the cargo classification on the census registration. Authority is the licence to carry that freight for hire, and it has to be active for Bell Moving & Storage to move a household across state lines lawfully.

Federal source: FMCSA licensing record, read by hand · Data as of August 15, 2026

Information provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

How much can a mover charge above a non-binding estimate?

On an interstate move priced with a non-binding estimate, a mover may require no more than 110% of the estimated charges before it will release your goods at delivery. That cap is set by 49 CFR 375.407, and it applies to the mover you hire regardless of what the final weight turns out to be. Anything owed above that amount is not payable on delivery day: the mover must bill you for it, and you have 30 days from delivery to pay it under 49 CFR 375.407.

Source: 49 CFR 375.407, eCFR

What is a mover liable for if my belongings are damaged?

Every interstate mover must offer released value, the no-extra-charge level of liability set by 49 CFR 375.701. Under released value the mover owes 60 cents per pound per article, so a claim is settled on what a damaged item weighs rather than on what it is worth. A heavy item pays out more than a light expensive one. The alternative is full value protection, which a mover must also offer, costs extra, and settles at repair, replacement, or a cash equivalent. Released value applies by default if you sign nothing else.

Source: 49 CFR 375.701, eCFR

How can I verify Bell Moving & Storage?

Federal record: FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot for USDOT 1246752 · Data as of 2026-08-15 · Last verified 2026-08-17

Bell Moving & Storage in one paragraph

Bell Moving & Storage has been operating since 1922 (about 104 years), runs out of Fairfield, OH, and covers interstate (48). Current FMCSA filing shows USDOT 1246752 and MC 137495. Bell Moving and Storage Inc files from Fairfield, Ohio, active on the federal census with seven power units and six drivers, and carries docket MC-137495 on the registration. The operating-authority presentation read for this registration shows motor carrier of household goods authority; nothing further is stated, and no property or broker authority is inferred from the household goods entry. The filed address is in Fairfield while the company publishes the Cincinnati area as the market it serves: a filed address and a published market describe different things, and neither value is treated as a correction to the other. No federal safety rating is on file, which is neither a positive nor a negative signal. The company states first-party that it holds a Wheaton certification; Wheaton is a separate registrant and any Wheaton corporate identifier is recorded as a van-line identifier rather than stored on this record. The company states first-party that it was founded in 1922.

Estimated cost of a move with this carrier

This is an estimated quote range, not a record of prices paid. For a 2-bedroom interstate move, Bell Moving & Storage quotes generally land in the $1,100–$4,200 range, with the midpoint of that estimated range near $2,650. The low end of that range usually applies to off-season runs under 1,000 miles with self-packing; the high end shows up on full-service summer moves over 2,000 miles.

Local hourly pricing through Bell Moving & Storage is not published by the company and we hold no rate card for it. Our national editorial estimate for a two-mover crew and a truck on a local move is $105 to $155 an hour, May 2026, and it is a model figure rather than a quote from this carrier. Ask whether travel time, fuel surcharge, and stair fees sit inside or outside the hourly number, because that is where two apparently identical quotes diverge.

Where this carrier may fit

Greater Cincinnati household moves handled by a small, long-established crew rather than a subcontracted network. That is an editorial view of fit, not a measured performance result: we hold no complaint-rate, claims-outcome or satisfaction dataset for Bell Moving & Storage. Three things make any move with this company more predictable, whatever the carrier: an inventory list locked in two or more weeks ahead, a binding not-to-exceed estimate in writing, and a destination ZIP the company services directly rather than through a subcontracted agent.

How to work around the main trade-off

The trade-off summarised at the top of this page is the one that most often costs readers money with Bell Moving & Storage. Two questions defuse it at quote stage: ask for the specific line items that drive the number up on your move profile, and ask whether the crew at your origin is employed directly or subcontracted to a local agent.

Then price the same inventory with one alternative below. A second quote on identical inventory is the only reliable way to tell whether the premium buys you anything on your particular lane.

Bell Moving & Storage vs the competition

CarrierFounded2BR price range
Bell Moving & Storage1922$1,100–$4,200
Allied Van Lines1928$3,200–$7,500
Atlas Van Lines1948$3,000–$7,200

Booking process, step by step

  • Request a quote with a complete inventory list. Online forms are fine for a first pass; a video survey is what makes a binding number stick.
  • Insist on binding-not-to-exceed in writing. Federal rules let a carrier collect up to 110% of a non-binding estimate at delivery, with the balance billed later; a binding not-to-exceed estimate removes that exposure.
  • Confirm valuation coverage. Released value (the federal default) pays $0.60 per pound. Full-value protection costs more but actually replaces a damaged TV.
  • Confirm pickup and delivery windows. For interstate jobs the delivery window is a range, not a date — plan accordingly.
  • On move day, walk the truck and check the inventory list before signing the Bill of Lading. Note any pre-existing damage on the form.

What this page does and does not say

We publish no numeric score, star rating or ranked order for Bell Moving & Storage, and we recommend no company over another. What this page carries is the federal registration record above and the sourced facts beside it. Read those, then price the same written inventory with one alternative before you sign.

Updated August 2026 Reviewed by Amanda Brooks182 company profiles published

Compare side by side

Bell Moving & Storage vs Allied Van LinesBell Moving & Storage vs Atlas Van LinesBell Moving & Storage vs United Van Lines

Where Bell Moving & Storage is documented

These links follow the company's documented location only. They are not a service-area claim.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Bell Moving & Storage licensed and insured?
Bell Moving & Storage operates under USDOT 1246752 and MC 137495. Verify current standing, insurance on file, and household goods authority on safer.fmcsa.dot.gov before signing a contract.
How much does Bell Moving & Storage cost for a 2-bedroom move?
A 2-bedroom interstate move with Bell Moving & Storage is typically estimated at $1,100–$4,200. Final price depends on distance, season, packing services, and access conditions on both ends.
Does Bell Moving & Storage offer binding estimates?
Bell Moving & Storage offers binding-not-to-exceed quotes on request. Always ask for one in writing before move day, especially on interstate jobs.
What services does Bell Moving & Storage include?
Bell Moving & Storage offers local, long-distance, packing, storage. Confirm which add-ons are bundled into the base quote and which are billed separately.
Where does Bell Moving & Storage operate?
Bell Moving & Storage covers interstate (48) and is headquartered in Fairfield, OH, where it has been based since 1922.
Who is Bell Moving & Storage best suited to?
Bell Moving & Storage suits greater Cincinnati household moves handled by a small, long-established crew rather than a subcontracted network. The main trade-off to plan around: The registration reports seven power units and six drivers, so peak-season capacity is limited and a large or tightly scheduled move may need to be scheduled well in advance. Compare at least one alternative quote before you sign.

Sources