How to choose a moving company, using the federal record
A moving company is judged on records, not reputation: an active USDOT registration, granted household goods authority, a written estimate required by 49 CFR 375.401, and stated liability of 60 cents per pound per article under 49 CFR 375.701. BestMovers.info publishes no rating, no score and no ranked list of best movers, because the federal record supports none of those. It holds 182 company profiles and the census rows behind them, dated 2026-08-13. The six checks below are the ones the record can actually settle.
Researched and written by Daniel Novak · Reviewed by Brittany Evans · Last reviewed August 2026
Why this page names no best mover
BestMovers.info publishes no rating, no score and no ranked order of moving companies, here or anywhere on the site. A defensible ranking would need claims outcomes, on time delivery and crew performance for every company, and no public dataset carries those. What the federal record does settle is whether a company is registered, what it is allowed to carry, what it owes you in writing and what it is liable for. Those are the questions below.
How do you tell whether a moving company is legitimate?
A legitimate interstate mover is registered with FMCSA and its record is public. Look up the USDOT number the company gives you in the SAFER register and confirm three things: the entity status reads active, household goods appears in the registered cargo classes, and operating authority is granted rather than pending or revoked. Anyone transporting property for compensation across a state line must hold that registration under 49 U.S.C. 13901. A company that will not give you the number is the answer.
What does an active USDOT registration actually mean?
An active USDOT registration means the company has an open federal file and is meeting the filing duties attached to it, including a biennial MCS-150 update. It is not a quality mark, not an endorsement and not a safety rating. The census record it points at carries fleet, drivers, address and cargo classes as the company filed them. A registered cargo class is the registrant's own tick box; granted household goods authority is the separate agency decision.
What is the difference between a carrier and a broker?
A carrier moves your goods with its own equipment and employees, and is liable for them. A broker sells the job to a carrier and never touches the shipment. Both are federally registered, but a broker must maintain a surety bond or trust fund of at least $75,000 under 49 CFR 387.307 instead of insuring cargo. Ask which one you are contracting with in writing, because it decides who you claim against when something breaks.
What is the mover liable for if something breaks?
An interstate household goods carrier is liable at released value, 60 cents per pound per article, unless you buy full value protection. Under 49 CFR 375.701 released value costs nothing extra and is the default if you choose nothing, which on a 40 pound television means 24 dollars. Full value protection is priced separately and repairs, replaces or pays the item's value. Every interstate carrier must also offer neutral arbitration for loss and damage disputes under 49 CFR 375.211.
What should be in writing before you sign?
Get the written estimate 49 CFR 375.401 requires, and check whether it says binding, non binding or binding not to exceed. On a non binding estimate the carrier may collect no more than 110% of the estimated charges at delivery under 49 CFR 375.407, with the balance billed and payable within 30 days. The paperwork should also name the valuation you chose, the delivery spread, and the registered company performing the move.
Which questions separate a real quote from a lead form?
A real quote names the carrier, its USDOT number and the estimate type before it names a price. Ask who performs the move, whether the survey is virtual or in person, what the weight assumption is, and whether you may observe the weighing and request a re weigh, which 49 CFR 375.519 entitles you to. A page that produces a number instantly from a postcode and a bedroom count is a lead form, and the price is not an offer.
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Where the largest interstate carriers are listed
The companies filing the largest interstate household goods fleets are listed on a separate page, ordered by the power units each files with FMCSA and not by quality. The first five by that field are United Van Lines, Atlas Van Lines, North American Van Lines, Allied Van Lines, Mayflower Transit. See the full list and the ordering rule.