When you hire a moving company, the name on the website may not tell you exactly what role that company is playing in your move.
For an interstate household-goods move, the company may be acting as a:
- motor carrier;
- household-goods broker;
- household-goods freight forwarder.
Some companies hold more than one of these authorities. What matters is the role the company is actually performing on your shipment.
These roles and federal records apply to interstate moves. Moves within one state are generally regulated by that state, and a local mover may have a USDOT number without any interstate household-goods authority.
Understanding the difference can help you know:
- who sold or arranged the move;
- who is responsible for the shipment;
- who will physically handle or transport it;
- which company you should research;
- which federal record matters;
- and where questions or claims may need to go.
The short version
| Carrier | Broker | Freight forwarder | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Provides transportation under its own authority | Arranges your move with a separate carrier | Takes responsibility for the shipment and uses carriers to haul it |
| Who hauls the goods? | The carrier, directly or through its agents or other carriers | A separate assigned motor carrier | One or more motor carriers |
| Responsible for the shipment in transit? | Yes | The assigned carrier, not the broker in its broker role | Yes, even when another company performs the hauling |
| Who should you research? | The carrier | The broker and assigned carrier | The freight forwarder and any named carrier |
How much a responsible company may owe for loss or damage depends on the valuation option and shipment terms. See Moving Valuation vs. Insurance.
Carrier
A motor carrier is the company that provides the transportation and is legally responsible for it.
For an interstate household-goods move, the carrier accepts the shipment under its own household-goods authority and is identified as the carrier in the shipment documents.
The carrier may use:
- its own trucks and crews;
- local agents;
- subcontractors;
- warehouses;
- other carriers or service providers where permitted by the arrangement.
If the carrier has accepted the shipment and committed to transport it, using another crew, truck, or participating company does not by itself mean the move was brokered.
Example: carrier
You hire Company A.
Company A accepts your shipment as the carrier.
Another crew or participating company may perform part of the work, but Company A remains the carrier identified in your shipment documents.
Company A = carrier
Broker
A household-goods broker arranges transportation with a separate motor carrier.
In its broker role, the broker does not transport your household goods and is not the company responsible for them in transit. The assigned carrier is.
A broker may handle parts of the customer relationship such as:
- sales;
- estimates;
- booking;
- deposits;
- communication;
- carrier assignment.
FMCSA requires interstate household-goods brokers to use FMCSA-registered movers and to make specific disclosures to consumers.
The assigned motor carrier still needs the appropriate active household-goods authority to transport an interstate household-goods shipment.
Example: broker
You hire Company B.
Company B arranges the move and assigns Company C, an authorized motor carrier, to transport your household goods.
Company B = broker
Company C = carrier
You should research both.
Freight forwarder
A household-goods freight forwarder takes responsibility for the shipment from pickup to delivery but uses one or more motor carriers to perform some or all of the actual hauling.
Consolidating shipments is part of how freight forwarders may operate, so your goods may travel with other customers' shipments.
Under federal law, a freight forwarder is treated as both the receiving and delivering carrier for liability purposes.
Unlike a broker, the freight forwarder stays responsible for the shipment even when another motor carrier performs the transportation.
Example: freight forwarder
You contract with Company D, a household-goods freight forwarder.
Company D accepts responsibility for the shipment from pickup to delivery and uses Company E, a motor carrier, to perform the hauling.
Company D = freight forwarder
Company E = carrier
Why the difference matters
The important questions are:
Who sold or arranged the move?
Who is responsible for the shipment?
Who will physically transport or handle it?
Those answers may point to more than one company.
A broker and a carrier may both be involved in the same move.
A freight forwarder and a carrier may both be involved in the same move.
A van line may remain the carrier while local agents perform parts of the work.
The brand name by itself does not always answer those questions.
How to tell which role a company has
Do not rely only on:
- the company name;
- a logo;
- what a salesperson says;
- a USDOT number by itself.
Check the federal record and the shipment paperwork.
Look for:
- legal company name;
- USDOT number;
- MC or FF number where applicable;
- which authority types are active — carrier, broker, or freight forwarder;
- whether each authority covers Household Goods, not only general property;
- the role shown in the company's published materials and your shipment documents.
A USDOT number is not enough
A USDOT number identifies a company.
It does not tell you, by itself:
- whether household-goods authority is active;
- what role the company is playing on your move;
- whether another carrier will transport your shipment.
Check the role and authority, not just the number.
Note for brokers
A broker is not authorized to transport household goods because it does not perform the transportation in its broker role.
For a broker, look for active household-goods broker authority.
For the assigned carrier, look for active household-goods motor-carrier authority.
One company can hold more than one authority
A company can hold more than one federal authority type.
For example, the same legal company may hold both:
- household-goods motor-carrier authority;
- household-goods broker authority.
That does not mean every shipment involving that company is brokered or that every move uses both authorities.
The role that matters is the role the company is actually performing on your shipment.
Ask:
- Is this company accepting my shipment as the carrier?
- Is it arranging transportation through another carrier?
- Which company is named as the carrier in the Bill of Lading?
- Which company is receiving my payment?
- Which company handles the claim if something goes wrong?
If a broker is involved
Before pickup, you should know:
- the broker's legal name and federal identifiers;
- the assigned carrier's legal name;
- the carrier's USDOT number;
- which company receives your deposit;
- which company appears as carrier on the Bill of Lading.
Broker estimates
A household-goods broker can provide an estimate, but the estimate must be tied to the motor carrier that will perform the transportation.
The broker's estimate should be based on the transporting carrier's survey and published tariff or rates.
If the assigned carrier changes, ask:
- whether the existing estimate still applies;
- whether the new carrier agrees to the services and price;
- whether new paperwork is required.
What about van lines and agents?
A van line is a carrier that works through a network of local agents.
The agent that books your move may not be the same company that:
- surveys your belongings;
- packs the shipment;
- hauls it;
- delivers it.
Agents act on the van line's behalf within the role they are given.
A broker is different: it arranges the move with a separate carrier and is not acting as that carrier's agent in the brokered transaction.
A company calling itself an “agent” does not settle the question by itself.
Your Bill of Lading should identify the carrier.
For a van-line move, research:
- the national van line;
- the local agent handling your move.
What about franchise brands?
A national moving brand may contain separately operated local businesses.
The brand name does not necessarily identify:
- one legal company;
- one USDOT number;
- one motor carrier;
- one set of reviews.
For a franchise system, identify:
- the specific location quoting you;
- the legal company behind that location;
- the federal record that applies to an interstate move;
- the carrier named in your shipment documents.
What about self-move or container services?
Some services do not fit the traditional full-service mover model.
With a self-load or container service:
- you may load and unload the shipment yourself;
- one company may provide the equipment;
- another company may perform the transportation;
- a freight forwarder or other transportation arrangement may be involved.
When you load and unload a container or trailer entirely yourself, without the company or its agents doing that work, the company transporting it generally falls outside the federal definition of a household-goods motor carrier.
Some household-goods consumer protections may therefore not apply in the same way.
That does not mean no federal rules apply. The transportation company may still operate under federal authority for general property.
If the company or its agents load or unload for you, ask which rules apply and what authority the company is using.
The Bill of Lading is the anchor document
For an interstate household-goods move, the Bill of Lading is one of the most important documents for identifying who is actually involved.
It should show the mover's name as registered with FMCSA and identify other motor carriers known to be taking part, with their USDOT numbers.
If what appears on the Bill of Lading does not match what you were told during booking, ask before loading begins.
Who should you research?
| If you're dealing with… | Research |
|---|---|
| A carrier | The carrier, plus any agent named on your paperwork |
| A broker | The broker and the assigned carrier |
| A van line | The van line and the local agent handling your move |
| A franchise brand | The specific location's legal company, plus the carrier on an interstate move |
| A freight forwarder | The freight forwarder and any carrier named on your documents |
When more than one company is involved, keep their records and reviews separate.
Broker reviews mostly reflect the sales, booking, deposit, communication, and carrier-assignment experience.
Carrier reviews are more relevant to pickup, transportation, delivery, physical handling, and claims.
What to check on your paperwork
Before paying or loading, you should be able to answer:
- Who did I hire? What is the legal company name, and is it acting as carrier, broker, or freight forwarder on this move?
- What federal identifiers apply? What are the USDOT and MC or FF numbers, and does the federal record show the household-goods authority needed for that role?
- Who will transport my shipment? If a broker is involved, what are the assigned carrier's legal name and USDOT number?
- Does the Bill of Lading match? Does it name that carrier and any other carriers expected to participate?
- Will anyone else handle my goods? Is an agent, warehouse, subcontractor, or other provider involved?
- Who receives my money? Who receives the deposit and other payments?
- Where does a claim go? Which company handles loss or damage claims?
If you do not know the answer to one of those questions, ask before the move begins.
Check the company on your paperwork
Already have a moving estimate or agreement?
Use HGM Free Check to research the company and federal identifiers shown on your paperwork.
If a broker arranged the move, check the assigned carrier too.
We don't choose your mover. We give you better information to choose yours.
Related HGM resources:
- Moving Checklist: What to Check Before You Book
- How HGM Researches Moving Companies
- Moving Valuation vs. Insurance
- Binding vs. Non-Binding Moving Estimates
Federal concepts referenced from FMCSA guidance and federal household-goods statutes and regulations.
Last reviewed: October 6, 2026.