The single biggest source of moving horror stories.
A broker is not a moving company. They sell your job to whichever carrier they can find. Here is how to tell the difference and protect yourself.
What a broker actually is
A moving broker is a sales operation. They take your phone call, collect a deposit, and then find an actual carrier (a real moving company) willing to do the work. The carrier might be ten miles away or two states over. You typically have no contact with them until move day, and the broker collects their fee whether the carrier shows up on time, damages your goods, or holds your shipment hostage for additional fees.
Brokers are legal. Some are even reputable. But the moving industry has a long history of broker abuse, and most of the worst customer experiences in interstate moving start with a broker who gave a low-ball quote and washed their hands the moment they had the deposit.
Broker red flags
- Heavy advertising on Google and Facebook, especially in moving-leads marketplaces
- No physical address you can verify on Google Street View
- Stock photos of trucks and crews, no real names
- Pricing by "cubic feet" rather than by inventory and truck space
- Large upfront deposit, often 30 to 50 percent
- Will not provide a USDOT number, or provides one that turns out to be a broker MC instead
- Customer service hands you off the moment you have a problem
How to tell if a company is a real carrier
- 01Ask for a USDOT number. Look it up at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.
- 02Check the FMCSA snapshot. Look for "Carrier Operation: Interstate" and "Operating Status: Authorized For Property". Brokers will show "Broker Authority" or "MC Number" without carrier authority.
- 03Verify the address. Real carriers have a yard, trucks, and a real address. Brokers usually have a P.O. box or a virtual office.
- 04Ask about the fleet. Real carriers know how many trucks they own and what sizes. Brokers will deflect.
- 05Ask if they will perform the move themselves. The answer should be yes.
Why Reliable Movers is different
We are the carrier. USDOT 1605981, MC 837987, NYSDOT 36291. Verify any of those right now if you want.
Our trucks (nine of them, 10 to 53 feet), our drivers, our crews, and our trained employees do every job from quote to delivery. Mike or Jennifer review every quote personally. There is no broker in the middle, no cheapest-bidder handoff, and no anonymous customer service number.
Ready for a stress-free move?
Get a flat-rate quote from a real moving company. Family-owned. Fully licensed. Owner involved.