A Different Moving Company Showed Up. Now What?

You researched movers. You picked a company. You got a quote, signed a contract, paid a deposit. Moving day arrives. A truck pulls up with a completely different company name on the side, or no name at all. The crew has never heard of the company you booked with.

This is not a mistake. This is how the moving broker model works. And in Trunk's database, 83% of consumer complaints about flagged movers involve a broker dispatching a carrier the consumer never selected, never vetted, and never agreed to use.

The company you booked with was a broker. It does not own trucks. It does not employ movers. It sold your move to a carrier, sometimes the lowest bidder, sometimes whichever carrier was available that day. The carrier showing up at your door may have a clean record. Or it may have revoked authority, a history of hostage loads, or 14 FMCSA complaints.

You have about 15 minutes to make a decision that could cost you thousands of dollars or save you from a nightmare. Here is what to do.

Before a single box goes on that truck, you need information. Once your belongings are loaded, your leverage disappears. The carrier has physical possession of everything you own. This is the moment that determines the rest of your move.

Tell the crew: "I need a few minutes before we start. I want to check your paperwork." Any legitimate crew will understand. If they pressure you to start loading immediately, that is your first red flag.

Every interstate moving company is required by federal law to display its USDOT number on the truck. Look for it on the cab door, the side panel, or the rear.

If the truck has a USDOT number: - Write it down or photograph it. - Go to safer.fmcsa.dot.gov on your phone. Enter the USDOT number. In 30 seconds you will see: the company's legal name, whether its operating authority is active, its insurance status, its crash history, and any out-of-service orders. - If the authority status says anything other than "ACTIVE" (such as "REVOKED," "NOT AUTHORIZED," or "INACTIVE"), do not let them load your belongings. This carrier is not legally permitted to operate.

If the truck has no USDOT number: - This is a federal violation. Interstate carriers must display their USDOT number. - A truck with no markings is either operating illegally or the company has intentionally removed identification, which is a pattern Trunk has documented in chameleon carrier investigations. - Do not let them load.

The Bill of Lading is the contract between you and the carrier. It is required by federal law before any loading begins. The carrier must provide it, and you must receive a copy.

Check the Bill of Lading for: - The carrier's name and USDOT number (it should match the truck) - The price. Compare it to your original estimate. If the Bill of Lading shows a price significantly higher than your binding estimate, do not sign it. - The pickup and delivery addresses - The liability coverage option you selected

If the carrier cannot produce a Bill of Lading, or if the Bill of Lading shows a different price than what you were quoted, stop. This is the most common entry point for bait-and-switch scams: the broker quoted you $3,000, the carrier's Bill of Lading says $6,500.

Call the company you originally booked with. Ask:

1. "Who is the carrier you dispatched to my move?" Get the carrier name and USDOT number. Confirm it matches the truck in your driveway. 2. "Is the price the same as my binding estimate?" If the broker says yes but the carrier's paperwork says something different, you have a documentation conflict. Get the broker's confirmation in writing (text or email) before proceeding. 3. "What happens if I refuse this carrier?" The broker may offer to send a different carrier, reschedule, or refund your deposit. Get their response in writing.

Document this call. Note the time, who you spoke with, and what they said. If possible, record the call (check your state's recording consent laws first). This conversation becomes evidence if things go wrong.

While you are standing in your driveway, you can check the carrier in under two minutes:

- Search the carrier name and USDOT on Trunk (trunk.lorea.ai). If the carrier is in our database, you will see their Google rating, BBB complaints, FMCSA crash history, documented red flags, and whether they are flagged to avoid. - Check the FMCSA SAFER database (safer.fmcsa.dot.gov) for active authority and insurance. - Search "[carrier name] complaints" or "[carrier name] reviews" on Google. Look for patterns: hostage loads, price increases after loading, damaged goods, missing items.

This takes two minutes. It could save you thousands.

Refuse to let them load your belongings if any of the following are true:

- The carrier's FMCSA authority is revoked, inactive, or not authorized - The truck has no USDOT number displayed - The Bill of Lading price is significantly higher than your binding estimate - The carrier cannot produce a Bill of Lading - The crew demands cash, Zelle, Venmo, or money order instead of credit card - The carrier has a pattern of complaints for hostage loads, bait-and-switch, or overcharging that you found in your quick check - The crew refuses to provide their company name or USDOT number

Yes, refusing means your move does not happen today. That is better than the alternative: your belongings on a truck driven by a company with revoked authority that may demand $8,000 at delivery when you were quoted $3,000.

It may be reasonable to let the carrier proceed if:

- The carrier has active FMCSA authority with current insurance - The Bill of Lading price matches your binding estimate - The carrier has a reasonable record (no major red flags, decent Google reviews) - The crew is professional and transparent about their company identity - You have the broker's written confirmation of the price and terms

Even if you proceed, continue documenting. Photograph the truck, the crew, the Bill of Lading, every room before loading, and the inventory sheet. Take a video walkthrough of your home before they start.

If you are reading this after your belongings are already on the truck, you still have options:

- Do not pay more than the binding estimate at delivery. Federal law requires carriers to deliver at the binding estimate price. They may demand more. You are not legally required to pay more than 110% of a non-binding estimate or the full amount of a binding estimate. - If the carrier refuses to unload at the agreed price, this is a hostage load. Call the police. File a report. Then file with FMCSA. - Document the delivery. Photograph every item as it comes off the truck. Note damage on the inventory sheet before signing. - File a credit card chargeback for any amount above your binding estimate.

The consumer guide at trunk.lorea.ai/mover-holding-stuff-hostage walks through the hostage load scenario step by step.

The broker model is legal. FMCSA licenses companies as brokers separately from carriers. Brokers are not required to tell you upfront that they are brokers, although a 2022 federal regulation now requires them to provide their broker status in writing before booking.

In practice, most consumers do not know they booked a broker until moving day. The broker's website looks like a moving company. The quote looks like it came from a mover. The sales rep talks about "our trucks" and "our crews." Then a different company shows up.

Trunk tracks this pattern systematically. Of the 404 NCCDB complaints against Safe Ship Moving Services, the most-complained-about broker in America, the majority involve consumers who did not know Safe Ship was a broker and were surprised when a different carrier arrived. The same pattern repeats across dozens of Florida-based brokers that Trunk has documented.

The fix is to verify before you book. Check whether the company is a broker or carrier on FMCSA SAFER. If it is a broker, ask which carriers it uses and research those carriers independently. Or book directly with a carrier whose trucks you have verified.

Print this or save it to your phone for moving day:

1. Do not let them start loading until you check paperwork 2. Photograph the truck, USDOT number, license plate, and crew 3. Look up the USDOT on safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. Confirm authority is ACTIVE. 4. Ask for the Bill of Lading. Compare the price to your binding estimate. 5. Call the broker. Confirm the carrier name and price in writing. 6. Search the carrier on Trunk (trunk.lorea.ai/movers/[carrier-slug]) 7. If anything fails checks 2 through 6, do not load. 8. If everything checks out, proceed but keep documenting.