Why the document is the contract
Federal rules require a written estimate before any interstate household goods move. The estimate becomes the basis for what the carrier can collect at delivery. Verbal promises don't bind the carrier — only what's printed on the signed Order for Service does.
Read it like you'd read a lease. Each line is a commitment.
Header section: who and how
The carrier's legal name, USDOT number, and MC number must appear at the top. Cross-check both numbers in SAFER. The legal name should match what FMCSA shows. If the estimate is from a broker rather than a carrier, the broker's MC docket appears here and the carrier's name should be specified separately (often in a section labeled 'assigned carrier').
Estimate type
One of three options will be checked or specified: Binding, Non-Binding, or Binding Not-to-Exceed. This single choice controls whether the price can change between signing and delivery. Binding NTE is the safest default; non-binding is the highest-variance option.
Inventory list
The complete list of items being shipped, item by item, with quantity. Sofa, bed frames, mattresses, dressers, dining table, boxes by size category, appliances. The inventory drives the weight or cube estimate that drives the price.
Sign only an inventory you reviewed. Add anything missing in writing before signing.
Weight or cubic footage
Major van lines bill by weight; some independents bill by cube. The estimate should show either the surveyor's estimated weight in pounds or estimated cube in cubic feet. Both connect to a per-pound or per-cube rate that produces the linehaul charge.
| Line item | What it covers | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Linehaul | The base transport cost (weight/cube × distance) | Should match the tariff for your weight class |
| Fuel surcharge | Percent of linehaul, varies with diesel | Should be a disclosed percentage, not hidden |
| Origin services | Loading labor at pickup | Includes basic equipment (blankets, dollies) |
| Destination services | Unloading labor at delivery | Should match origin services scope |
| Long carry | Carry beyond the distance the carrier's tariff allows between truck and door | Ask for the trigger distance in your carrier's tariff and whether your address exceeds it |
| Stair charge | Per flight beyond the first | Listed per flight per move |
| Shuttle service | Smaller vehicle if trailer can't access | Ask if your address requires it |
| Packing materials | Boxes, paper, tape, wrap | Itemized or flat — confirm scope |
| Packing labor | Crew packing your items | Hourly or per-room — varies by carrier |
| Bulky article | Pianos, safes, hot tubs, gun safes | Per-item listing on inventory |
| Valuation | Released value at 60 cents per pound per article, or full-value protection | Released value is the federal default; the upgrade must be elected in writing |
| Storage-in-transit | Holding goods between pickup/delivery | Daily or monthly rate; minimums apply |
| Total estimated charges | Sum of above based on estimate type | Binding NTE = ceiling; non-binding can change |
Pickup and delivery windows
Two date ranges. The pickup window is the narrower of the two; the delivery spread on an interstate move is wider, and its length is set by the carrier for your lane rather than by rule. Ask for both windows in writing on the estimate, because a spread agreed verbally is not a spread you can hold anyone to.
If you need a guaranteed delivery date, that's a separate paid upgrade, not a default.
Deposit and payment terms
Standard terms: payment due at delivery, accepted methods listed (cash, money order, certified check, credit card on some carriers). Watch for terms requiring full payment before delivery — that's not standard for legitimate carriers.
No federal rule sets a deposit ceiling, so the deposit line is a commercial term you negotiate rather than a regulated one. Whatever the amount, get the refund and cancellation terms printed on the same document and pay by a method that leaves you a chargeback route. A non-refundable deposit taken before any survey is the term to walk away from.
Signature line
Sign nothing blank. Sign only after every section is filled in. Keep a copy of every page — the carrier should email you a PDF or hand you carbon copies on the spot.
Red flags before signing
- Total without itemized breakdown
- Estimate type left unchecked
- Empty inventory or inventory not signed by both parties
- No USDOT/MC numbers printed
- A deposit demanded before any survey, or with no written refund terms
- Wire transfer or cryptocurrency listed as accepted payment
- Cancellation policy missing
- A delivery window far wider than the carrier will explain for your lane