Moving Trust & Safety Center
Verify a moving company before you book. Free guides on FMCSA / USDOT verification, broker vs carrier differences, scam patterns, rogue movers, and binding estimates — written for shippers, not for movers.
Researched and written by Daniel Novak · Reviewed by Brittany Evans · Last reviewed August 2026
Why verification matters
Most moving complaints — surprise fees, lost belongings, hostage loads — come from a small share of operators that fail basic verification checks. Pulling a USDOT number on FMCSA SAFER, asking whether you're hiring a carrier or a broker, and insisting on a written binding estimate are three steps that filter out most bad actors before move day.
Trust & Safety guides
How to find and verify a moving company's USDOT number using FMCSA's free public records.
Understand who actually moves your stuff — and why that matters for price, liability, and complaints.
Red flags that show up before you sign — low-ball estimates, deposits, fake reviews, name changes.
What rogue movers do (hostage loads, surprise fees), how FMCSA tracks them, and how to avoid them.
The difference between binding, non-binding, and binding-not-to-exceed estimates — and which to ask for.
How moving fraud actually works, who investigates it, and how to get refunds or a seized shipment released.
Twelve warning signs that show up before move day — and a 7-step verification checklist to filter most of them out.
How to file a complaint with FMCSA, the FTC, your state AG, and the BBB, and which channel actually works.
The delivery cap on a non-binding estimate, the billing window, released-value liability, the written estimate, and your right to a re-weigh, each with its CFR section.
How to confirm you're hiring a carrier (the company that actually moves your stuff) instead of a broker reselling your job.
Broker vs carrier, the 30-second version
- A carrier physically moves your shipment and is the legal entity on your bill of lading.
- A broker takes your booking and assigns it to a carrier in their network — they don't own trucks.
- Both are legal and both must register with FMCSA. The risk is undisclosed brokering and surprise pricing on move day.
Top 5 moving-scam warning signs
- A quote you cannot reconcile with the other written estimates you have in hand.
- Large deposit demanded by wire or peer-to-peer app.
- No USDOT number, or one that doesn't match the brand.
- Sight-unseen quote with no virtual or in-home survey.
- Pressure to book "today only" before you've seen anything in writing.
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