How to Verify Your Mover is Legitimate

Once you have a list of potential moving companies, use the following resources to verify which companies have good reputations and are licensed to provide the services you require. Companies with good BBB record, membership in AMSA, adequate insurance on file with the US Dept. of Transportation (US DOT) and who are not moving brokers should be at the top of your list.

BBB - Better Business Bureau
Check each company’s record with the Better Business Bureau ( www.bbb.org ) or other consumer organizations in your area. The most effective method to look up a moving company on the BBB site is to search using their main or toll free telephone numbers or their URL (website address).

AMSA - American Moving and Storage Association
Moving companies who are members of the American Moving and Storage Association have agreed to meet the standards of service, abide by the terms of published tariffs and participate in the Arbitration Program sponsored by that organization. You can check whether a mover is a member of AMSA by calling their toll free number 1-888-849-AMSA. In addition to establishing industry standards AMSA also provides arbitration services to resolve disputes over lost or damaged articles or other service matters.

DOT - Department of Transportation
An interstate moving company must be licensed with the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT), the federal agency that regulates moving companies. A moving company that holds a proper license is subject to all of the regulations administered by the DOT. Call the moving company's office and ask for their DOT number. Ask if they are affiliated with a certain van line. If they are, ask for that DOT number. Remember, a DOT number alone does not guarantee a company is a reputable mover.

FMCSA - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Now that you have the DOT number, you can find out even more information about a potential moving company. To make sure that your moving company not only has the license authority to perform your move, but also the insurance to make it legal, visit www.safersys.org . This FMCSA web site allows you to search for motor carrier license information.

How to Search for a company of the FMCSA Website

• Go to www.safersys.org, Choose "Licensing & Insurance," enter a moving company's DOT license number and submit. If your moving company is affiliated with a specific van line, enter the van line’s DOT number.
• Click on the button labeled "HTML" to view the insurance information on screen.
• Under the column "Authority Type" there are three listings: Common, Contract, and Broker. The column with the header "Authority Status" will tell you if their authority is active. Your moving company should have at least "Common" marked as active. If the columns "Application Pending" or "Revocation Pending" do not say "NO" for common authority, then you should be aware that something may be wrong. Companies providing actual moving services (such as 1st USA Van Lines, LLC) will be listed as Common. Companies which are moving brokers, i.e. companies who do not actually provide moving services will be listed as Brokers. The last table lists the insurance required and the actual amount of insurance a moving company has on file. The minimum insurance a moving company is required to have on file with the FMCSA for bodily injury and property coverage is $750,000. If a moving company does not have adequate insurance, you should be looking for a different carrier.

One final way to check your mover is to call the FMCSA's Safety Violation and Consumer Complaints hotline at 888-368-7238 and ask about the complaint history of your moving company.