10 Moving Companies That Hold Both Broker and Carrier Authority

FMCSA issues two distinct types of operating authority: carrier authority (MC prefix, allows a company to physically transport goods) and broker authority (requires a separate license and a $75,000 surety bond). A company can hold both at the same time.

Trunk's analysis of the movers database identifies 10 companies with active slugs that hold both broker and carrier authority simultaneously. The group ranges from Allied Van Lines with 1,056 trucks to sole-operator outfits with a single vehicle. Their complaint totals span from 2 to 293. Dual authority is not inherently fraudulent, but it creates a structural ambiguity that regulators leave entirely unresolved, and that consumers have no practical way to detect on moving day.

Legitimate reasons for holding both licenses do exist. Van line agents are the most common case. A local agent affiliated with a van line like Allied or Mayflower typically holds carrier authority for local and regional moves it hauls itself, and broker authority to arrange long-haul transport through the van line's national network. This is an operationally normal structure, built around the reality that no single agent can self-haul coast-to-coast.

A smaller carrier might also hold broker authority to handle overflow. If a legitimate local mover books more jobs than its fleet can cover on a given week, it may broker some of those jobs to another carrier it trusts. Disclosed properly, this is a reasonable operational flexibility, not a deception.

FMCSA does not regulate how a company applies its authority on any given move. There is no requirement to tell consumers which mode the company is operating in, no box to check on the bill of lading, and no audit mechanism. The company decides, after booking, whether it is acting as carrier or broker.

The problem is not holding both licenses. The problem is presenting as one thing while operating as the other.

A company that markets itself as a carrier, quotes prices as if it will be doing the move, and collects a deposit, but then brokers the job to an unvetted carrier, is deceiving consumers. The consumer believes they hired a company with trucks and crews. In practice they hired a broker that may have never intended to move them directly.

This matters at the moment of a dispute. When damage occurs or a price inflates on delivery, a company operating as a broker can deflect liability to the carrier. The consumer signed a booking with Company A, but the bill of lading will be between them and Company B, which they never chose and may never have heard of before the truck arrived.

Nine of the 10 dual-authority companies in Trunk's database are flagged to avoid. Seven of those nine have FMCSA NCCDB complaint histories. The complaint distribution is not random: it clusters at the companies with the smallest fleets relative to their stated operations, which is a signal that carrier authority may exist primarily for licensing optics rather than actual transport capacity.

Below is every dual-authority company in Trunk's database, sorted by total NCCDB complaints.

AMERISAFE VANLINES (USDOT 3341650, FL): 6-truck fleet, flagged to avoid, 293 NCCDB complaints. No Google rating on record. The highest complaint count in this group by a wide margin.

Value Added Moving (USDOT 3488475, FL): 1-truck fleet, flagged to avoid, 135 NCCDB complaints. Google rating 3.9 from 44 reviews. BBB rating: B. A 1-truck operation with carrier authority and over 100 complaints is a structural mismatch.

ALLIED VAN LINES INC. (USDOT 76235, IN): 1,056-truck fleet, flagged, 89 NCCDB complaints. The van line model in practice: carrier authority for direct hauls, broker authority to coordinate agents across the national network. High complaint count reflects volume as much as conduct.

ROYAL MOVING AND STORAGE LLC (USDOT 3808951, NV): 8-truck fleet, flagged, 54 NCCDB complaints. No Google or BBB ratings on record.

CROSS COUNTRY MOVERS (USDOT 2780116, PA): 16-truck fleet, flagged, 50 NCCDB complaints. No consumer ratings on record.

AERO MAYFLOWER TRANSIT COMPANY (USDOT 125563, MO): 769-truck fleet, flagged, 44 NCCDB complaints. Van line affiliate structure, similar to Allied.

SAFEBOUND MOVING STORAGE (USDOT 2900155, FL): 33-truck fleet, flagged, 35 NCCDB complaints. No consumer ratings on record.

ATLAS VAN LINES, INC. (USDOT 125550, IN): 2,731-truck fleet, flagged, 29 NCCDB complaints. Largest fleet in this group. The complaint total is low relative to fleet size, consistent with a national van line's volume.

GLOBAL ELEGANCE MOVING & LOGISTICS LLC (USDOT 4355323, FL): 1-truck fleet, flagged, 22 NCCDB complaints. Another 1-truck operation with both licenses and a complaint history.

B. Von Paris & Sons, Inc. (USDOT 88613, MD): 31-truck fleet, not flagged, 2 NCCDB complaints. Google rating 4.8 from 482 reviews. BBB rating: A+. Founded in 1902, this is the only company in the group that is both dual-authority and not flagged, with a strong public consumer record. A genuine carrier that likely holds broker authority for overflow or long-haul coordination.

There is no FMCSA-mandated disclosure telling consumers whether a specific job is being handled as a carrier move or a brokered job. You have to ask directly and verify independently.

Step 1: Look up the company's USDOT number at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. Under the "Operation Classification" section, check whether it shows "Auth. For Hire" and whether its fleet size is consistent with the volume it claims to handle. A 1-truck company with carrier authority that also holds broker authority is almost certainly brokering most of its jobs.

Step 2: Ask in writing before signing anything: "Will your company's own trucks and crew be performing my move from pickup to delivery?" Get the answer in writing. If the company hedges, refers to "partner carriers," or cannot name the specific USDOT number of the carrier that will show up, you are dealing with brokered capacity.

Step 3: Request the carrier name before your move date. Under 49 CFR 371.109, brokers are required to provide a carrier list. If the company identifies itself as a carrier but cannot confirm a specific truck and crew, that authority may be in name only.

Step 4: Confirm who will appear on the bill of lading. If the bill of lading will be issued by a different company than the one you booked, your contract is with the carrier, not the entity that sold you the move. Your binding estimate may not transfer. The original company's complaint record, BBB rating, and pricing terms may be irrelevant to your actual move.

Of the 10 dual-authority companies in this list, only B. Von Paris and Sons shows the combination of large enough fleet, long operating history, clean safety record, and strong consumer ratings that would support trusting them in either mode. The remaining nine all carry flags that warrant additional scrutiny before booking.