Is your mover a carrier or a broker?
Most long-distance moving horror stories start the same way: a broker sold the job to a carrier the customer never checked. Look up any USDOT number and find out who you are actually hiring.
Why this matters more than reviews
Reviews describe a company's past. The DOT record tells you whether the company quoting you is the company that will show up.
A carrier
- Owns the trucks and employs the crew
- Quotes and performs the same job
- Carries insurance on your shipment directly
- Is accountable to you if something goes wrong
A broker
- Owns no trucks and moves nothing
- Sells your job to a carrier you have not met
- Often takes a deposit before the carrier is assigned
- Points at the carrier when there is a problem
For transparency: BestMoving.us passes quote requests to a licensed interstate carrier and is paid for them. We are not naming that partner publicly right now. This tool reads the FMCSA public register and reports what the record says, including when that is not the answer we would prefer.
Checking a mover: common questions
What is the difference between a moving broker and a carrier?
A carrier owns trucks and employs crews: they move your belongings themselves. A broker owns nothing and moves nothing; they take your booking and sell it to a carrier you have not met and cannot evaluate. Both are legal and both must be registered with the FMCSA, but only one of them is accountable to you on move day.
How do I check if a moving company is legitimate?
Ask for their USDOT number and look it up at the FMCSA carrier lookup before paying anything. Check four things: that the entity type says Carrier rather than Broker, that operating status is authorised for property, that insurance is on file, and that the company name matches the one on your quote. A mover who will not give you a DOT number is not one to hire.
Is it bad to book a move through a broker?
Not automatically: some brokers work with good carriers. But it removes your ability to check who is actually doing the job, and the majority of serious long-distance moving complaints (hostage loads, prices doubling on delivery day, damage nobody will own) involve a broker in the chain. If you do use one, insist on knowing the carrier before you pay a deposit, then verify that carrier.
What is a USDOT number?
A unique identifier the U.S. Department of Transportation assigns to companies operating commercial vehicles in interstate commerce. Any company moving household goods across state lines must have one and must disclose it. It links to a public record of their authority, insurance, and safety history.
What are the warning signs of a moving scam?
A large deposit demanded up front, a quote given over the phone without any inventory survey, no USDOT number offered, a name that does not match the DOT record, a price far below every other quote, and no written binding estimate. Any one of these is a reason to slow down; two together is a reason to walk away.
Working with a licensed carrier
Direct carrier, verifiable DOT authority, and a binding estimate before you commit.