12 Questions to Ask a Moving Company Before You Book
Four questions filter out most moving scams before money changes hands: What’s your USDOT number? Are you a broker or a carrier? Is this estimate binding? And what valuation coverage applies? The moving industry has honest professionals and a notorious scam layer (FMCSA’s Protect Your Move program exists for a reason) — these 12 questions, with good-vs-bad answer examples, tell you which one is on the phone.
The Legitimacy Questions
1. What’s your USDOT number? Why it matters: Interstate movers must register with FMCSA; the number unlocks their complaint history, insurance status, and identity at the FMCSA mover search. Local moves: ask for the state regulator license instead. ✅ Good: The number, instantly — it’s on their trucks and paperwork. ❌ Bad: “We’re fully licensed” with no number. End the call.
2. Are you a broker or a carrier? Why it matters: The single most important question in moving. Carriers own trucks and move you. Brokers sell your move to an unknown carrier — the #1 source of hostage-load horror stories, bait pricing, and vanished accountability. ✅ Good: “We’re a carrier — our trucks, our employees.” ❌ Bad: Evasion, or “we work with a network of trusted partners.” That’s a broker.
3. Will the crew be your employees or day labor/subcontractors? Why it matters: Trained employee crews are accountable and insured under the company’s policies; pickup labor often isn’t.
4. Can I see your certificate of insurance — and can you provide a COI for my building? Why it matters: Many apartment/condo buildings require a COI before move day (the NYC version of this story). A real company produces one routinely; a fly-by-night can’t.
The Money Questions
5. Is this estimate binding, non-binding, or binding-not-to-exceed? Why it matters: On interstate moves these are legally distinct (FMCSA rules): a binding estimate is the price; non-binding can grow with actual weight; binding-not-to-exceed caps your downside — the gold standard. ✅ Good: “Binding-not-to-exceed, based on a video or in-home survey.” ❌ Bad: A phone-only “ballpark” they’ll “finalize at pickup.” That’s the hostage-load setup.
6. How did you calculate this — and will you do a video or in-home survey? Why it matters: No legitimate long-distance estimate exists without seeing your stuff. Surveys also force the garage/attic conversation that prevents move-day “your shipment is bigger than quoted” revisions.
7. What’s the deposit? Why it matters: Reputable movers take small deposits or none ($0–$200 typical). Large upfront deposits are the scam industry’s revenue model — same rule as contractor deposits.
8. What fees aren’t in this estimate? Why it matters: Stairs, long carries, shuttle trucks (when the semi can’t reach your street), packing materials, storage-in-transit — the legitimate extras should be named and priced now, not discovered on the invoice.
The Protection Questions
9. What valuation options do you offer, and what do they cost? Why it matters: The free default — released value — pays 60 cents per pound: $36 for a 60-pound TV. Full Value Protection costs more and actually repairs/replaces. Interstate movers must offer both (the full valuation guide). ✅ Good: Both options explained with prices, plus the high-value inventory form. ❌ Bad: “Everything’s fully insured.” (Nothing called “insurance” is included by default.)
10. What’s the delivery window — and what compensation applies if you miss it? Why it matters: Long-distance deliveries quote windows (1–14 days is common), not dates. Get the window and the delay policy (per-diem compensation) in writing.
11. What’s your claims process and deadline? Why it matters: Interstate claims allow 9 months to file, but the process (photos, inventory numbers, forms) determines whether you ever collect. A company that explains it clearly handles it cleanly.
12. Can you give me three recent local references? Why it matters: Reviews older than the current peak season + drive-by-able references beat a wall of fresh five-star reviews — the moving-scam industry manufactures those by the thousand, then changes company names.
Red Flags That End the Conversation
- No USDOT number, or a number whose FMCSA record shows a different company name
- Phone-only estimate for a long-distance move
- Large cash deposit demanded to “lock in the rate”
- Truck arrives unbranded, or branded with a different company than you hired
- The quote is dramatically below all others — lowballs become hostage loads
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the most important question to ask a moving company? “Are you a broker or a carrier?” Brokers resell your move to unknown carriers — the root of most moving nightmares. Verify the answer against their USDOT record, where broker/carrier status is listed.
What’s a binding-not-to-exceed estimate? The best of both worlds: if your shipment weighs more than estimated, you pay the estimate; if less, you pay the lower actual. Interstate movers offer it after a real survey — ask for it by name.
How much deposit is normal for movers? Little to none — $0–$200 holds a date with reputable companies. Demands for hundreds or thousands upfront, especially by wire or app transfer, are the signature of the scam layer.
Is my stuff automatically insured during a move? No — the included “released value” coverage pays 60 cents per pound, which is nearly nothing for electronics and furniture. Full Value Protection (or third-party insurance) is the real coverage, and it costs extra.
How do I check a moving company’s complaint history? Run their USDOT number through FMCSA’s mover search at protectyourmove.gov — registration status, insurance, fleet size, and complaint counts are public. Two minutes, before any deposit.
Last updated: June 11, 2026. Regulations and mover verification per FMCSA Protect Your Move; industry standards per moving.org; labor economics per BLS wage data (May 2025). Pair with how to compare the bids once the answers come back clean.