How to Vet a Long-Distance Moving Company Before You Sign the Contract

The interstate moving industry has more rogue operators than most people realize. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration receives thousands of household goods complaints every year about lost shipments, hostage loads, and estimates that quietly double at delivery. Boston sees more than its share of this because the city moves a lot of households out of state, and a slice of the market gets served by companies that should not be operating at all.

The good news: interstate carriers are heavily regulated at the federal level, so a serious vetting process takes about an afternoon and can save you a five-figure headache. Here is how to do it, step by step, before you sign anything.

Step 1: Verify the Company’s DOT and MC Numbers

Every legitimate interstate mover has an active USDOT number and, for household goods carriers, a Motor Carrier (MC) number issued by the FMCSA. Both are free to look up on the FMCSA SAFER website. Type in the company name or number and check three things:

• Operating authority is active, not revoked or out of service
• The entity type says “carrier” of household goods, not just “broker”
• Insurance on file is current

If a company will not give you a DOT number over the phone, or the number they give you does not match their advertised business name, walk away. This is the single most common tell for scam operations targeting the Boston market.

Step 2: Understand Broker vs. Carrier

A carrier owns trucks and moves your goods. A broker sells your move to another company and takes a cut. Brokers are legal, but the industry has a documented pattern of brokers taking large deposits, subcontracting to whoever bids lowest, and disappearing when the load arrives damaged or late.

You want a carrier that operates its own trucks, or at minimum discloses the arrangement in writing. Ask directly: “Are you a carrier or a broker, and will your own crew load my shipment on origin day?” Get the answer in writing before you pay a deposit.

Boston-based carriers with their own fleets are a safer starting point precisely because you can see the trucks, meet the crew during the estimate, and hold one company accountable end to end. The long distance movers in Boston that operate as licensed carriers rather than brokers will handle your load from origin pickup to destination delivery with one bill of lading and one point of contact.

Step 3: Insist on an In-Home or Video Survey Estimate

The FMCSA requires interstate movers to give you a written estimate, but there is no rule forcing them to look at your belongings first. Companies that quote you a price over the phone from a rough item count are almost always going to revise it at pickup or at delivery.

A serious carrier will schedule either an in-home walkthrough or a live video survey where they inventory your rooms one at a time. The output is a binding or binding-not-to-exceed estimate, which locks in your price barring documented additions.

Non-binding estimates are legal and sometimes appropriate for smaller loads, but they are not guarantees. If you accept a non-binding number, understand that under federal rules the carrier is only obligated to release your goods on delivery once you have paid the estimated amount plus 10 percent, with the balance due within 30 days.

Step 4: Understand the Two Valuation Options

Federal rules give you a choice of two liability coverages, and every reputable carrier will explain both.

• Released Value Protection: The default and no additional charge. The mover is liable for 60 cents per pound per article. If they lose a 10-pound laptop, that is $6 owed to you. Not real insurance.
• Full Value Protection: The mover is liable for the replacement value of items lost or damaged in your shipment. This is the tier most households actually want, and it costs extra.

Do not confuse valuation with insurance. If you want true third-party insurance, buy a separate moving policy from an insurer. Ask any carrier you are vetting to send you their valuation options in writing, along with any deductible tiers.

Step 5: Read the Order for Service and Bill of Lading

Two documents matter more than the marketing copy on any mover’s website:

• The Order for Service, which lists the agreed services, pickup and delivery windows, and estimated cost
• The Bill of Lading, which is the actual contract of carriage signed at pickup

Read both before signing. Look specifically for the pickup window, the delivery spread (interstate delivery is quoted as a range of days, not a single date), any storage-in-transit language, and the fee schedule for stairs, long carries, shuttle trucks, and elevator moves. Ambiguity here is where surprise charges are born.

Ask for the FMCSA booklet titled “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.” Every licensed interstate carrier is required to provide it. If your rep does not know what you are talking about, you have your answer.

Step 6: Verify Reviews Across More Than One Platform

A moving company’s own website will show its best reviews. Cross-check on at least three of these before you commit:

• The FMCSA complaint database for the company’s DOT number
• The Better Business Bureau, including complaint history and how the company responded
• Google reviews sorted by newest, not most helpful
• Reddit threads for moving in your specific origin and destination cities

Look for patterns, not one-off complaints. Every busy carrier has at least one unhappy customer. What you are watching for is repeated language around price changes at delivery, missing items, unresponsive support, or shipments held past the delivery window.

Step 7: Watch the Deposit and Payment Terms

Reputable interstate carriers typically ask for a modest deposit at booking, with the balance due on delivery. Red flags include:

• A demand for large cash deposits or wire transfers before pickup
• Payment demanded only in cash or cryptocurrency at destination
• Refusal to accept credit cards, which offer dispute rights
• Pressure to sign the same day, before the estimate is in writing

Any of the above and you keep shopping.

A Vetting Checklist to Print

• Active DOT and MC numbers on FMCSA SAFER
• Written confirmation of carrier vs. broker status
• In-home or video survey completed
• Binding or binding-not-to-exceed estimate in writing
• Valuation options explained on paper
• FMCSA booklet delivered
• Order for Service and Bill of Lading reviewed line by line
• Reviews checked on FMCSA, BBB, Google, and Reddit
• Reasonable deposit, credit card accepted
• One point of contact identified for the entire move

An interstate move rewards paranoia in the shopping phase and calm on move day. Do the vetting up front and the load will take care of itself.