Mover or broker: how to tell, and why it matters
Many people who think they hired a moving company actually hired a broker. It is legal, and some brokers are good. But it changes who is holding your belongings and who is responsible when something goes wrong.
The difference in one sentence
A carrier owns the truck and moves your things. A broker sells you the move and then arranges for some carrier to do it.
Why it matters
- Responsibility for your goods sits with the carrier, not the broker. If a box arrives crushed, your claim is against the company that carried it.
- The broker’s estimate may not be the carrier’s estimate. The broker usually has not seen your things. The carrier that shows up may reassess the weight or volume, and its number is the one that governs.
- You may not know who is coming until close to the day.That makes it hard to check the actual carrier’s record before you have committed.
What a broker must tell you
Household-goods brokers registered with FMCSA are required to:
- Clearly identify themselves as brokers, not carriers, in advertising and in writing.
- Give you their physical address, USDOT number, and MC number.
- Provide FMCSA’s consumer information materials.
- Maintain a surety bond or trust fund with FMCSA.
- Use only carriers with which they have a written agreement.
A company that avoids the question of whether it is a broker is telling you something. So is one that calls itself a “moving company” while FMCSA lists it with broker authority only.
How to check for yourself
- Get the USDOT number. Every registered interstate mover and broker has one.
- Look it up on FMCSA’s Company Snapshot — it shows the entity type, operating status, and insurance on file.
- Check whether the name on your estimate matches the registered legal name or a listed trade name.
- If it is a broker, ask in writing which carrier will perform the move and get that carrier’s USDOT number too.
Questions worth asking before you pay
- Are you a broker or the carrier that will move my shipment?
- Which carrier will actually perform this move, and what is their USDOT number?
- Is the carrier bound by the price on this estimate?
- If something is damaged, who do I file the claim with?
- What is your MC number and is your broker bond current?