What’s the difference between movers vs. brokers?
There are many options when it comes to choosing the right company to handle your move. Before you decide to book a moving date you should know the difference between actual movers vs. brokers.
What does a mover (carrier) do?
A mover is an asset based company who owns and operates the crews & trucks that will handle your long-distance move. Movers vary in fleet size and geographical locations they can cover. They would be responsible for arranging packing, loading and delivery of your household goods. A moving company must be registered with the DOT (Department of Transportation) as a licensed carrier. You can visit the DOT website to look up any moving company and their record will also be listed. You can view complaints, out of service issues and fleet size. It is recommended that you research any moving company before you make a decision. It’s good to know the difference between movers vs. brokers.
What is a moving broker? 
A moving broker is a company that arranges the transportation of your household goods via licensed movers, who would be doing the actual work. Brokers are normally sales offices that sell jobs to moving companies, and make a profit doing it. Not all moving brokers are bad, however, if you decide on a broker it’s important to find out who they’re working with to get your household goods moved.
A broker will not assume responsibility for any claims. If you experience damage, you would need to file your claim directly with the moving company that was hired to handle your move. Sometimes the broker is not able to sell the job to a moving company for various reasons. It’s important to know the difference between movers vs. brokers.
Tips
- Be registered with FMCSA;
- Provide you with FMCSA’s Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move booklet and the Ready to Move brochure;
- Provide you with 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 your shipment;
- Reference in their advertisements their physical business location, MC number, and their status as a broker that does not transport household goods but arranges for this service; and
- Have the mover that is transporting your shipment perform a physical survey of your household goods if they are within a 50-mile radius of the mover or its agent’s location, whichever is closer. It is your option to waive this requirement.
