What a moving contract is made of
Researched and written by Daniel Novak · Reviewed by Brittany Evans · Last reviewed August 2026
People talk about signing a moving contract as though it were one piece of paper. An interstate household-goods move normally produces four, they are issued at different moments, and they do different jobs. Knowing which is which is the difference between a claim that is measured against something and a claim that is an argument.
The short version: the bill of lading is the contract of carriage, and the inventory is the record of condition. Those two decide most disputes.
The estimate
The estimate states what the carrier expects to charge and on what basis. An interstate household-goods carrier must give the shipper a written estimate of charges before the move. (49 CFR 375.401), and it names whether it is binding or non-binding, which decides what may be demanded at delivery. It is not the contract to carry your goods, and a figure agreed verbally after the estimate is issued has no place to live.
The order for service
The order for service is the booking document. It records the parties, the addresses, the agreed dates or date spreads for pickup and delivery, the services ordered, and how you can be reached in transit. It is the document that shows what was promised about timing, which is why a delivery spread argument is settled here rather than on the estimate.
The bill of lading
The bill of lading is the contract of carriage and the receipt for the shipment. The driver hands it to you at pickup and you sign it. It restates the charges and the terms, and it records the level of liability you chose. If the bill of lading and the sales conversation disagree, the bill of lading is the document that governs. Read it at the kerb, before it is signed, and do not accept a blank or partly completed one.
The inventory
The inventory lists what went on the truck and what condition each item was in, usually with a code for existing marks and damage. At delivery, the same list is checked off as items come in. A loss or damage claim is measured against the inventory and the bill of lading together: the inventory shows the item existed and what state it was in, and the bill of lading shows what the carrier undertook to be liable for.
Which document a claim is measured against
The liability level on the bill of lading sets what a claim can pay. Released value is the no-extra-charge level of carrier liability on an interstate household-goods move, set at 60 cents per pound per article. (49 CFR 375.701), and full value protection is the paid alternative, which settles at repair, replacement or cash equivalent. Neither one pays anything for an item that is not on the inventory. Separately, Every interstate household-goods carrier must offer the shipper a neutral arbitration program for disputes over loss, damage and charges, and must describe that programme before the move. (49 CFR 375.211).
What this page does not tell you
Claim deadlines, cancellation terms, deposit rules and storage terms sit in the carrier's own contract and tariff, and in state law for a move inside one state. They vary, this site holds no register of them, and no figure for them is stated here. Read them on your own paperwork before signing, and ask for anything you were told but cannot find written down.
Official sources
Compare licensed movers
Tell us your move details once. We'll match you with FMCSA-licensed movers serving your route.
No obligation. Your quote request may be shared with up to 4 moving companies that may serve your requested route.
Where are you moving?
Get matched with licensed movers based on your route and move details.
.
.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bill of lading on a move?
Is the estimate the contract?
What is the difference between the order for service and the bill of lading?
Why does the inventory matter for a claim?
More from the Trust & Safety Center
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.
The federal identifier, who must hold one, what an active registration proves, and the larger list of things it does not prove.
The operating authority docket, how it differs from a USDOT number, which one a household-goods mover needs, and what a broker docket means.
Who must register, what the federal application asks for, and what happens between the number being issued and authority being granted.
Three confirmations settle it: registration active, authority covering household goods, and that authority current rather than lapsed.
Field by field: power units, drivers, cargo classes, operation classification, safety rating and out-of-service rates.
Released value against full value protection, the arithmetic on a real item, and the two documents a claim is measured against.
What a delivery spread on the paperwork means, what the delivery cap governs at delivery, and the 30-day billing window.
The agency and route recorded for each state, and a plain statement of absence where the record holds none.
The two pricing mechanisms: hours on a local move, weight and distance on an interstate one, and the federal right to a re-weigh.
A procedure for building your own figure before you call anyone: home size, distance, services, and how to test a quote against it.
Questions whose answers can be checked afterwards, in the federal record or on the paperwork, rather than judged by tone.
What a registered mover must have on file, what released value pays, and why insured and liable are two different words.
Once you've vetted licensing and reviews, compare options for your specific move.