A moving carrier owns trucks and employs movers. When you book a carrier they show up on moving day with their own truck and their own crew. They handle your move directly from start to finish.
A moving broker does not own trucks or employ movers. When you book a broker they arrange your move through a carrier in their network. The broker coordinates everything but a carrier does the actual move.
Both are legitimate ways to arrange a move. Both are regulated by the FMCSA. The key is not which type you use but how reputable the company is and whether they provide binding quotes.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates both moving brokers and carriers. Here is what each must do under federal law.
Both brokers and carriers must provide customers with the FMCSA publication "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move" before accepting any payment.
You can verify any broker or carrier at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. MoveSafe is USDOT #4021844.
Here is what most articles about brokers vs carriers get wrong.
The risk is not whether you use a broker or a carrier. The risk is whether the company you use — broker or carrier — is reputable, licensed, and accountable.
There are excellent moving brokers and terrible ones. There are excellent moving carriers and terrible ones.
The questions you should ask any moving company are the same regardless of whether they are a broker or carrier:
A licensed broker with 26 years of experience and a vetted carrier network is a safer choice than an unvetted carrier you found on a random website.
Learn how to avoid moving scams by watching for these warning signs.
Any broker or carrier operating interstate must have a USDOT number. If they cannot provide one do not book them under any circumstances.
Legitimate companies provide written binding quotes. Verbal quotes or non-binding estimates that can change on delivery day are a major red flag.
A reasonable deposit is normal. A large cash deposit — especially more than 20 percent of the total — before your move starts is a scam warning sign.
Real moving companies have real addresses. Search the address online. If it does not exist or is a residential address that is a red flag.
Experience matters in moving. A company that has been in business for less than 3 years has a limited track record. Check when they were founded before you book.
Search for reviews specifically mentioning price changes on delivery, missing items, and deposit issues. These patterns repeat with scam companies.
MoveSafe Relocation is a licensed moving broker registered under USDOT #4021844. We have been arranging moves since 1998. You can read about MoveSafe to learn more about our company.
Here is exactly how we work.
When you book with MoveSafe we match your move with a carrier from our vetted network. Every carrier we work with has been verified for FMCSA registration, insurance coverage, safety record, and customer history.
We give you a binding quote before you pay anything. That price does not change on moving day.
Your dedicated MoveSafe coordinator stays with you from booking to delivery. You never deal directly with the carrier. If anything goes wrong you call us and we handle it.
Whether you need long distance moving or local moving, we have vetted carriers ready to help.
We have been building carrier relationships since 1998. We know which carriers are reliable and which ones are not. That knowledge is what you get when you book with a broker who has been doing this for 26 years. Check our reviews to see what customers say.
| Category | Carrier | Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Owns trucks | Yes | No |
| Employs movers | Yes | No |
| Handles move directly | Yes | Through vetted carrier |
| FMCSA regulated | Yes | Yes |
| Binding quotes available | Yes | Yes |
| Nationwide coverage | Sometimes limited | Usually broader network |
| Single point of contact | Yes | Yes |
| Good option for long distance | Yes | Yes if well established |
| Risk if unvetted | High | High |
| Risk if vetted and reputable | Low | Low |