Moving Broker Vs Moving Company

There are two ways to hire a moving company to do your move. One way is to hire a moving moving company directly and the other is to hire a moving broker.

There are a few notable differences between a moving broker and a moving company, and we will go over them in detail here:

Moving companies use moving brokers as a middlemen to give them the information of potential household clients. A key thing to know is that moving brokers are not the actual movers and typically do not own trucks or moving equipment or have any moving staff. Think of a moving broker as the sales and customer support for the moving companies, they "sell" the move, or take down the information and then allow moving companies to choose which moves they want to take giving them better routing and usually giving you a better move for cheaper.

Moving brokers give estimates for a move either over the phone, or on their website, and collect the fee from the person who is moving. The brokers then contact all of the moving companies in their network and see which one wants the job for the best price. The benefit of using a moving broker is that moves are done cheaper than hiring a moving company directly because it fits the route better so the company that takes your move isn't scrambling to try to fit your move into their schedule.

Sounds Great, but there are some risks involved when using a moving broker. Because an in home estimate wasn't done a moving company might choose not to accept the job, often times this is due to the estimate being too low, and the company not having the availability or resources to complete the task, leaving the household without a moving company on moving day. If you choose the wrong broker who works with uninsured or unlicensed movers the company might charge extra fees once they see the job in person. These brokers do not accept any liability for any omissions or acts of the moving company hired. Luckily for you, US Interstate Moving is a fully licensed and insured interstate moving broker, and we care about only working with licensed moving companies for this reason.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is working to provide stronger consumer protections when using a broker. Therefore, moving brokers must:

• Be registered with the FMCSA.
• Provide the customer with the FMCSA Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move booklet and the Ready to Move brochure.
• Provide a list of the moving companies they use.
• Use only movers that are registered with FMCSA.
• Have a written agreement with movers they use.
• Base binding or non-binding estimates on the tariff of the mover that will transport the shipment.
• Reference in their advertisements their physical business location, motor carrier number and their status as a broker that does not transport household goods but arranges for this service.
• Have the mover that is transporting the shipment perform a physical survey of the household goods to be moved if they are within a 50-mile radius of the mover or its agent's location, whichever is closer. It is the client's option to waive this requirement.