Logistics & relocation
Moving companies: what buyers verify before they hire.
Moving is federally regulated for interstate work and rife with hostage-load scams. DOT registration, binding estimates, and valuation coverage dominate the score.
Why trust is harder in moving companies
Interstate movers must register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and carry a USDOT and MC number, which makes verification unusually easy — and non-registration unusually damning.
The category's signature fraud is the hostage load: a lowball non-binding estimate, followed by a price increase once possessions are on the truck. Binding estimates and published valuation coverage are the structural defenses, which is why they weigh so heavily here.
The signals that carry the most weight
USDOT and MC numbers
Registered and active with FMCSA for interstate moves, verifiable in the public SAFER and mover databases.
Binding or not-to-exceed estimates
A binding estimate structure is the primary protection against post-loading price escalation.
Valuation coverage explained
Clear explanation of released-value versus full-value protection, which most customers do not understand.
In-home or video survey
Estimates based on an actual inventory survey rather than a phone guess.
Own fleet versus broker
Disclosure of whether the company moves your goods or brokers the job to a carrier you have not vetted.
Complaint history with FMCSA
Public complaint and safety records attached to the DOT number.
Red flags that cost points
- No USDOT or MC number for an interstate mover
- Estimate given over the phone with no inventory survey
- Large deposit required before moving day
- Operating as a broker without disclosing it
- Reviews describing price increases after loading
Where moving companies buyers actually check
- FMCSA SAFER and Protect Your Move databases
- Google Business Profile
- Better Business Bureau
- Yelp
- state moving association directories
Vettify pulls from these public sources when it scores a moving company. If a signal cannot be verified, it is reported as unverified rather than estimated.
Answers
The questions people are actually searching.
How do I verify a moving company is legitimate?
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For an interstate move, look up their USDOT number in the FMCSA Protect Your Move database. It shows registration status, whether they are authorized to operate, their insurance filings, and their complaint history. A mover advertising interstate service without an active USDOT number is operating illegally. For local moves, requirements vary by state — many states license intrastate movers through a public utilities commission or transportation department.
What is a binding estimate and why does it matter?
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A binding estimate fixes the price for the inventory listed, so the mover cannot raise it after loading. A not-to-exceed or binding-not-to-exceed estimate caps the price while allowing it to fall if the shipment weighs less. A non-binding estimate is a guess with no ceiling, and it is the mechanism behind most hostage-load disputes: the price rises once your possessions are on the truck and leverage has shifted. Insist on binding or not-to-exceed in writing.
What is a good trust score for a moving company?
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Moving companies score 45 to 75, one of the wider spreads in any category because the difference between a registered carrier and an unregistered broker is stark. Upper-band scores require active FMCSA registration with a clean complaint record, binding estimate offerings, published valuation coverage options, survey-based estimating, and clear disclosure of carrier versus broker status.
What is the difference between a moving broker and a carrier?
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A carrier owns trucks and moves your goods with its own crew. A broker sells the job and assigns it to a carrier you did not choose or research — meaning the company you vetted is not the company handling your belongings. Brokering is legal and must be disclosed, but undisclosed brokering is a serious trust failure and a common one. Always ask directly whether the company will perform the move itself.
How can a moving company improve its trust score?
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Publish your USDOT and MC numbers prominently and keep your FMCSA record clean. Offer and advertise binding or not-to-exceed estimates. Explain released-value versus full-value protection on your site in plain language. Require an in-home or video survey before quoting. And if you ever broker a job, disclose it before booking rather than on moving day.
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