How to Choose an Interstate Moving Company
An interstate move is where things go wrong expensively, which is why the federal government runs a consumer campaign about it. Instead of a ranking, this is the verification process: check the USDOT registration, tell a carrier from a broker, understand the three estimate types and the two valuation options, and get the delivery window in writing.
What this page is
An interstate move is the one where things go wrong expensively — a truck arrives, your belongings go on it, and the price changes. That is a known enough problem that the federal government runs a consumer campaign about it.
So instead of ranking companies, this is the verification process. Every step is public, free, and takes minutes. Apply it to us as readily as to anyone else.
Before you pay anything
- USDOT and MC number
- Verify it is active
- Carrier or broker?
- Ask directly
- Estimate type
- Binding, non-binding, or not-to-exceed
- Valuation option
- 60¢/lb or Full Value
- Delivery window
- In writing
Verification tools and definitions from the FMCSA Protect Your Move program.
Step one: the federal registration
Any company moving household goods across state lines must be registered with the FMCSA and hold a USDOT number.
- Ask for the USDOT and MC numberBefore the estimate, not after. Hesitation here is itself an answer.
- Look it upUse the FMCSA search for a registered mover tool.
- Check it is authorized for household goodsNot every registered carrier is. Freight authority is not the same thing.
- Read the complaint historyIt is published. If the federal record and the review sites disagree, believe the federal record.
- Match the nameThe operating name on the registration should match the estimate. A string of trading names over a couple of years is worth asking about.
Step two: carrier or broker
This single question explains most bad interstate moves.
| Carrier | Broker | |
|---|---|---|
| Owns the trucks | Yes | No |
| Employs the crew | Usually | No |
| Performs your move | Yes | Sells it on to whoever takes it |
| Who you can hold responsible | The company you booked | Depends on the paperwork |
| Legal? | Yes, with registration | Yes, with registration |
Brokers are not fraudulent by definition. But you are buying from a company that will never see your furniture, and the crew that shows up is chosen later, sometimes at short notice.
Ask it plainly: are you the carrier that will perform this move, or are you brokering it? Then ask whether the movers are employees or subcontractors. A straight answer to both is a good sign whichever way it goes.
Step three: the estimate
| Type | What it means | Risk to you |
|---|---|---|
| Non-binding | An estimate. Final price based on actual weight or hours | Can go up |
| Binding | Fixed price for the listed scope | Changes only if you change the scope |
| Binding not-to-exceed | You pay the lower of the estimate or actual cost | Lowest |
The FMCSA explains how a binding estimate works and what it must contain. Get the type written on the document before you pay a deposit.
Insist on a real inventory. A price given over the phone in four minutes, with no video walkthrough and no itemised list, is not an estimate. It is a number designed to win the booking and be revised when the truck is loaded.
Step four: valuation
On an interstate move the carrier must offer two levels of liability. Neither is insurance.
| Option | Cost | What it pays |
|---|---|---|
| Released Value Protection | Included, no charge | 60 cents per pound per article — a 30 lb TV is covered for $18 |
| Full Value Protection | Charged | The mover may repair, replace, or settle in cash under the applicable terms |
Both are set out in the FMCSA liability and valuation guidance. Ask which is written into your paperwork, whether there is a deductible, and how items of extraordinary value are declared. More in moving insurance and valuation.
Step five: the delivery window
An interstate move delivers within a range of dates, not on a date. That is normal — the truck may carry more than one shipment, and weather and routing move things.
What is not normal is refusing to put the range in writing. Ask for the spread in days, what happens if it is missed, and who you call while the shipment is in transit.
The worst-case scenario — a truck holding a shipment against a re-quoted price — is a known enough fraud that the FMCSA publishes guidance on it. It almost always starts with a suspiciously low phone quote and no inspection.
Warning signs
- A large deposit demanded up front, or cash and wire transfer only.
- No written estimate, or one with no itemised inventory.
- No video or onsite survey for a full household.
- A price far below every other quote.
- No USDOT number, or one that does not check out.
- A generic name with no verifiable physical address.
- The bill of lading appears only on move day, with pressure to sign.
- Refusal to put the delivery window in writing.
- An answering service instead of the company when you call back.
How we answer the same questions
- Carrier, not broker. The movers are California Movers USA employees, background-checked and trained; the work is not subcontracted.
- Scope confirmed by video walkthrough or onsite inspection before a written estimate. A fast starting quote is a planning number, never a final price.
- Interstate moves are normally quoted as a flat rate against a confirmed inventory. The price changes only if you request or approve a documented change of scope.
- The standard full-service scope lists crew, truck, blankets and furniture protection, mattress protection, protection for TVs, mirrors, artwork and electronics, floor and doorway protection, disassembly and reassembly, loading, transport, unloading and placement, plus three reusable wardrobe boxes with no return requirement.
- A sales specialist owns the scope, a dispatcher owns the schedule, a lead foreman owns the day.
- A booking deposit reserves the move and is stated in the booking documents. Eligible customers may divide an approved amount into four payments through the installment service; the provider decides eligibility and the amount after registration, generally $600 to $4,000.
See interstate moving, state-to-state moving, and pricing.
Questions people ask
How do I verify an interstate moving company?
Look up its USDOT number with the FMCSA registered mover search and confirm the registration is active and authorized for household goods.
What is the difference between a carrier and a broker?
A carrier performs the move with its own trucks and crew. A broker sells the job to another company. Both must be registered; only one will be at your door.
Is a binding estimate always better?
It is more predictable. A binding not-to-exceed is better still, because you pay the lower of the two figures.
What does 60 cents per pound cover?
Very little. It is per pound, not per value — which is why light, expensive items are effectively uncovered under Released Value.
Why is delivery a window rather than a date?
Interstate trucks often carry more than one shipment, and routing and weather move the schedule. The window should still be in writing.
How far ahead should I book?
Six to eight weeks where possible, and earlier for a summer date.
Verification tools and definitions from the FMCSA; reviewed September 2026. Federal requirements change — confirm current rules with the FMCSA.
For a move inside California the checks are different — see how to choose a local moving company. Tell us what you are moving and we will come back with a starting quote you can compare against anyone else’s.