Broker

"A company that takes your move booking and dispatches it to an actual moving carrier, without owning or operating a single truck themselves."

Why it matters

Brokers are legal under FMCSA regulations but they are the source of most long-distance moving complaints. The broker collects a deposit, books the job, and assigns it to whatever carrier bids lowest. The carrier shows up with your stuff loaded and demands payment changes that the broker did not disclose. The broker disclaims liability because they do not actually move anything.

A legitimate broker will tell you up front that they are a broker and will name the carrier within 48 hours of booking. A scam broker will use a name that sounds like a carrier ('Allied Moving Services LLC') and will not name the actual carrier until pickup day.

Best practices

Ask 'Are you the actual carrier or a broker?' as the first question on every quote call. Verify the carrier's USDOT number directly at fmcsa.dot.gov. A real carrier has trucks, drivers, a physical address, and a complaint history you can look up. A broker has none of these.

Frequently asked

Are all brokers scams?

No, but the bad ones outnumber the good ones in the long-distance market. A reputable broker is transparent about being a broker, names the carrier in advance, and does not require a large non-refundable deposit. Scam brokers do all the opposite.