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The ReviewMyMover guide

Moving broker vs. carrier: understand who handles your move

Quick overview: Before booking, identify whether you are dealing with a company that transports goods or arranges transportation.

Use this guide with your moving plan

Read the explanation, check its sources, and apply it to your actual inventory and written estimate.

Before booking, identify whether you are dealing with a company that transports goods or arranges transportation.

Moving and destination planning illustration
FMCSA consumer resources1 min readEditorial standards →

By ReviewMyMover Editorial · November 4, 2026

The carrier’s role

A household-goods carrier transports your shipment. Ask which company will handle pickup and delivery, and confirm its current operating information.

The broker’s role

A moving broker arranges transportation with a carrier rather than transporting the goods itself. For interstate moves, FMCSA says brokers must be registered and use registered interstate movers.

Questions to ask

Ask whether the business is acting as a carrier or broker, which carrier will perform the move, and whose tariff supports the estimate. Request clear written company identities and contact details. A company’s location alone does not determine its registration type.

Official source

Read FMCSA: Movers vs. Brokers. This original ReviewMyMover explanation is not an FMCSA endorsement or company-specific authority check.

Make it part of your plan.

Use the moving budget planner and company directory to organize your next steps.

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Useful next steps