The complete mover vetting checklist: from first search to signed contract

Stage 1: Public-record verification (before you contact the mover)

The most efficient sequence runs the public-record checks before you spend time on a phone call. Two minutes of verification before first contact eliminates carriers with structural problems that no amount of sales conversation can fix.

Step 1.1: FMCSA SAFER lookup. Go to safer.fmcsa.dot.gov and search by company name. Confirm: operating authority status is "active"; entity type is "carrier" for an interstate move (if "broker," apply the broker checklist in Stage 4); no "out of service" orders on the safety fitness record; the company name in the SAFER record matches the company you searched for (name mismatches often indicate a bait-and-switch or name-rotation pattern). Record the USDOT number for use in subsequent checks.

Step 1.2: National Consumer Complaint Database. Go to nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov and search the carrier by USDOT number. Review the complaint count and categories. The database categorizes complaints by type: loss or damage, overcharge, delay in delivery, payment demand on delivery. A carrier with zero complaints after years of operation is either very good or very small. A carrier with a high complaint rate concentrated in "payment demand on delivery" has a documented hostage-load pattern. The count relative to the carrier's truck count and operating history is more informative than the raw number.

Step 1.3: BBB profile. Go to bbb.org and search the company name. Record the letter grade (B or above is the working threshold), the complaint count, the resolution pattern (resolved vs. unresolved vs. unanswered), and the business name history. A company that has operated under three or more names in five years is rotating identities, typically to escape complaint history — a pattern documented in FMCSA enforcement actions and state Attorney General consumer protection filings.

Step 1.4: State licensing check for intrastate moves. If the move begins and ends in the same state, check the state regulator: California Public Utilities Commission at cpuc.ca.gov (MTR-1 license database), Texas Department of Motor Vehicles at txdmv.gov, New York Department of Transportation, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Illinois Commerce Commission. Confirm the carrier's license is current and in good standing.

Stage 2: First contact and initial screening

The first conversation with a carrier serves three purposes: confirming that it is equipped to handle your specific move, establishing whether it will provide a written estimate based on a survey, and observing its conduct under basic due-diligence questions.

Step 2.1: Confirm USDOT and ask for broker disclosure. State the USDOT number you found in the SAFER lookup and confirm they recognize it as theirs. Then ask directly: "Are you the carrier who will handle this move, or are you a broker?" Under 49 CFR 371, brokers must disclose broker status in writing and provide the actual carrier name before pickup. A company that hedges on this question or claims to be both carrier and broker without explaining what that means in the context of your specific move is not complying with federal disclosure requirements.

Step 2.2: Insist on a walkthrough estimate. State that you expect a written estimate based on a virtual or in-home walkthrough of your inventory. Federal law requires this for interstate moves under 49 CFR Part 375. A company willing to quote a firm price without a walkthrough is providing a guess, not a compliant estimate. If the company pushes back or claims it does not need a walkthrough for moves your size, that is a disqualifying behavior.

Step 2.3: Ask about specialty items upfront. If your household includes a piano, gun safe, large exercise equipment, fine art, antiques, or a pool table, state that now. Ask whether the carrier has the equipment and trained personnel for those items, whether they are covered under the standard estimate, and what additional charges apply. A carrier that claims capability it does not have will not discover the gap until moving day; the time to surface it is the first call.

Step 2.4: Note the sales conduct. Legitimate movers operate on booked schedules and do not create artificial urgency. A company that tells you "this price is only good for the next 30 minutes" or "I have another customer for that date right now" is using high-pressure sales tactics designed to prevent due diligence. Note the pressure and proceed at your own pace regardless.

Stage 3: Estimate review

The written estimate is the primary consumer-protection document in the moving transaction. Every element of the estimate checklist below should be verified before you compare quotes across carriers.

Step 3.1: Confirm the estimate type is labeled. The estimate must be labeled as binding, non-binding, or binding not-to-exceed. This labeling is a federal requirement for interstate estimates under 49 CFR Part 375. A document that uses ambiguous language ("approximate," "projected," "price range") without a clear type designation is not a compliant estimate. Return it to the carrier and ask for a clearly labeled version before proceeding.

Step 3.2: Verify the walkthrough was complete. The estimate should reflect every room, closet, storage area, basement, attic, and garage on the property. If the surveyor walked three bedrooms and a kitchen but did not see the utility room, the workshop, or the oversized furniture in the garage, the weight estimate will be low and the final bill will be higher. Ask the carrier to confirm what was covered in the survey.

Step 3.3: Line-item the accessorials. Accessorial charges for long carry, stair carry, elevator use, shuttle service, specialty item handling, disassembly and reassembly, packing materials, and fuel surcharges should appear as explicit line items rather than embedded in the headline rate. Ask the carrier to itemize every accessorial charge that might apply to your specific move — your origin address, destination address, and inventory. If any is "not applicable," confirm it in writing on the estimate.

Step 3.4: Confirm the valuation election. The valuation coverage type — released rate at $0.60 per pound per item (federal default) or full value protection — must appear on the estimate and later on the bill of lading. If you are electing full-value protection, the declared shipment value must appear and the premium must be itemized. If you have items of extraordinary value over $100 per pound (jewelry, fine art, antiques), those must be separately declared under 49 CFR 375.211(b) — confirm that the estimate and the FVP rider accommodate a high-value inventory addendum.

Step 3.5: Compare three estimates on a normalized basis. Collect a minimum of three written estimates from FMCSA-active carriers for interstate moves. Normalize them: strip out any line items one carrier includes that the others have excluded (and add those line items to the excluding carriers' totals at the rate they would charge). An outlier estimate on the low side almost always reflects missing line items rather than a genuinely lower rate. The goal of the comparison is to find the carrier with the most accurate and complete estimate, not the lowest headline number.

Stage 4: Additional checklist if the entity is a broker

If the SAFER record shows the entity as a broker rather than a carrier, a parallel checklist applies. Brokers are legal under FMCSA registration and can provide useful services, but the consumer needs to run the vetting stack on the actual carrier handling the goods — not just the broker.

Step 4.1: Confirm broker disclosure is in writing. The broker must disclose broker status in writing before you sign any contract. If it is in verbal communication only, ask for written confirmation in the estimate or in a pre-contract email. Federal rules at 49 CFR 371 require written disclosure.

Step 4.2: Obtain the assigned carrier name and USDOT before signing. The broker must provide the actual carrier name and USDOT number before the pickup date. If the broker has not yet assigned a carrier, ask when you can expect to receive the carrier's identity, and make signing the contract contingent on receiving and verifying that information. A broker who cannot name the carrier until the day of pickup has not met its federal disclosure obligation.

Step 4.3: Run the Stage 1 checklist on the actual carrier. Once the carrier name and USDOT are disclosed, repeat Steps 1.1 through 1.4 on the actual carrier. The broker's own FMCSA record tells you the broker is registered; the carrier's FMCSA record tells you whether the company handling your goods is compliant.

Step 4.4: Confirm who holds the liability. Under 49 CFR 371, the carrier that handles the goods holds the liability under the FMCSA valuation framework. The broker is not in the chain of custody for your goods and damage claims run against the carrier, not the broker. Confirm this in writing with the broker before signing: who do you contact if there is a damage claim at delivery?

Stage 5: Contract and bill-of-lading review

The bill of lading is the legal contract for an interstate move and is issued at pickup. The order for service is a pre-pickup booking document. Both should be reviewed before the truck arrives.

Step 5.1: Review the order for service before pickup day. The order for service documents the agreed terms before the move begins: pickup and delivery addresses, the agreed rate or binding price, the service date, the delivery window, the carrier and USDOT, and the valuation election. Request it in advance of pickup day so you can review without time pressure.

Step 5.2: On pickup day, read the bill of lading before signing. The bill of lading must include: the pickup and delivery addresses; the agreed price or rate basis; the delivery window (not just a date — a documented window); the full inventory of items being loaded; the elected valuation level and declared value; and the carrier's identity and USDOT number. Blank fields are not acceptable. Any blank that is later filled in by the carrier without your review is an opportunity for terms to change without consent.

Step 5.3: Walk the inventory with the crew lead before signing. Each item gets a numbered tag on the inventory sheet and a condition notation — existing scratches, dents, missing hardware, prior repairs are noted with industry-standard codes. A scratch on your dresser not noted at pickup cannot be claimed as transit damage at delivery. Review the condition notations for any item of significant value before signing, and correct any that are inaccurate while the crew lead is still present.

Step 5.4: Never sign a blank or incomplete document. If the driver is visibly impatient about the document review process, that is a data point about how this mover operates under time pressure — the same time pressure that will apply if there is a dispute at delivery. The document review is a few minutes. The claims process is months. Sign only when you have read every field.

Stage 6: Pre-pickup confirmation (48-72 hours before)

The pre-pickup confirmation call serves as a final alignment check before the logistics are in motion. It catches changes and omissions while there is still time to address them.

Step 6.1: Confirm pickup time and crew size. Moving-day logistics depend on knowing when the truck arrives. Confirm the arrival window and the crew size, which should match the crew size in the estimate. A last-minute crew downsize changes the timeline and may affect the estimate if it was based on a specified crew.

Step 6.2: Confirm parking access and building logistics. Confirm that the carrier knows the parking situation at the origin address: is a truck permit needed? Is street parking available for a 26-foot truck? Is there an elevator at an apartment building, and has an elevator reservation been made for the move date? For the destination address, confirm the same. A surprise at parking on moving day delays the entire operation and sometimes triggers long-carry charges that would not have applied with better logistics.

Step 6.3: Re-confirm specialty items. Restate any specialty items (piano, safe, large exercise equipment) and confirm the carrier has the equipment needed. If the carrier sold you on its specialty capability in the first call but has not confirmed crew composition for those items, the pre-pickup call surfaces that gap.

Step 6.4: Confirm the delivery window in writing. Ask the carrier to confirm the delivery window in writing — email or text is sufficient. The window on the bill of lading is the operative document, but a written pre-move confirmation of the window establishes an expectations baseline for any delay claim. If the carrier modifies the delivery window at this stage, document the modification in writing before agreeing.

The post-delivery checklist

The vetting work continues through delivery. The steps at delivery are as important as any pre-move check because the delivery receipt is the last document you sign and the document against which any damage claim is measured.

Step 7.1: Be present for the entire unload. Your job at delivery is the same as at pickup — present, available, not in the crew's path, but watching the process. Check items off the inventory sheet as they come off the truck. Any item that does not appear is either still on the truck or not there. Raise missing items before the truck leaves, not after.

Step 7.2: Inspect fragile and high-value items before signing. Before signing the delivery receipt, open the boxes the inventory marked as fragile, valuable, or specialty items. Check furniture for damage that was not on the pickup inventory. A signed delivery receipt without damage notations is a strong indicator that damage documented later is pre-existing — it is not an absolute bar to a claim, but it weakens your position significantly.

Step 7.3: Note any damage on the delivery receipt before signing. The delivery receipt has an exceptions section. If you observe damage, note it specifically — item name, damage description, location on the item. Sign under the noted exceptions. Do not sign a clean receipt and expect to raise damage afterward; the carrier's position will be that the receipt you signed shows no damage.

Step 7.4: Photograph everything at delivery before moving items. Timestamp photographs of damaged items in the position they were unloaded in are stronger evidence than photographs taken after you have rearranged the room. Take photographs before the crew leaves.

Step 7.5: File a damage claim within 9 months under 49 CFR 370. The federal claim window is 9 months from delivery, filed with the carrier in writing. Itemize damages by item with specific dollar amounts. The carrier has 30 days to acknowledge and 120 days to resolve. If the claim is denied or the settlement is inadequate, file a complaint at nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov and contact your state Attorney General's consumer protection division in parallel.

Red-flag summary: the disqualifiers at each stage

Across the seven stages above, certain findings should move a carrier off your shortlist immediately regardless of price or convenience.

Stage 1 disqualifiers: no active USDOT number for an interstate move; operating authority listed as inactive or out-of-service; entity name in SAFER does not match the company you searched; more than one business-name change in three years; complaint pattern dominated by "payment demand on delivery" in the NCCDB.

Stage 2 disqualifiers: refusal to provide USDOT number; refusal to conduct a walkthrough estimate; inability to answer whether the entity is a carrier or broker; high-pressure closing tactics demanding immediate commitment.

Stage 3 disqualifiers: estimate with no binding-vs.-non-binding label; estimate that does not reflect a complete inventory survey; accessorials excluded from headline number without explicit identification; valuation election not present on the estimate; only one estimate gathered (minimum is three).

Stage 4 broker disqualifiers: no written disclosure of broker status; refusal to name the assigned carrier before signing; assigned carrier with no active FMCSA operating authority.

Stage 5 disqualifiers: blank fields on the bill of lading; delivery window absent from the bill of lading; inventory sheet unsigned by crew lead; valuation election absent or set to released rate without consumer confirmation.

Stages 6-7 disqualifiers: last-minute crew change without explanation; refusal to allow pre-delivery inspection; delivery receipt presented for signature without time to review; carrier demanding cash above the contracted amount before releasing goods.

Each disqualifier above corresponds to either a documented FMCSA violation pattern or a behavioral signal that the carrier's operating standards are below the compliance threshold. Price is not a mitigating factor — a low quote from a carrier with multiple disqualifiers is not a good deal.