Check the mover · Tool
Check my estimate
Answer as you read the quote. Each answer that is a warning sign shows up at once, with what to do, and the licence lookup is right below.
You get the warning signs as you answer, the extras to ask about, and the licence record.
Your estimate
Answer as you read the quote
6 extras to ask about on a long-haul job
- Stairs / long carry. A sofa that will not pivot is two people and ten extra minutes, every flight. Ask: How many flights, and is a long carry already in the number?
- Shuttle van. A 26-foot box that cannot make the last turn becomes a second vehicle and a second clock. Ask: If the street is tight, is the shuttle named or a surprise?
- Elevator reservation. High-rises run on a weekday freight slot. Miss it and the crew waits. Ask: Who books the freight car, and who pays if the building is late?
- Certificate of insurance. Many US and Canadian buildings want a COI 48–72 hours ahead. Ask: Do they already have the building’s additional-insured wording?
- Weekend / month-end. Saturday at month-end is when trucks disappear and the band jumps. Ask: Is the Saturday premium already in the number?
- Storage in transit. Keys that do not line up become another invoice and another handling of the piano. Ask: How many free days, and what is the weekly after that?
US rules: FMCSA Protect Your Move. See the 110 percent rule. Haulest is not a carrier.
Look up the licence
A USDOT or MC number from the FMCSA, or a UK company from Companies House, read live from the official record.
Official: FMCSA SAFER, Company Census, Companies House search. Self-reported household-goods cargo is not the same as HHG authority.
What these checks are based on
The US rules are the FMCSA's Protect Your Move pages: the estimate types, the 110 percent rule on non-binding estimates, and the licence an interstate mover must hold. The warning signs are the ones that show up again and again in one-star reviews: a big deposit before a survey, cash only on the truck, and a name that changes between the website and the payment. For UK jobs the 110 percent rule does not apply, but cash only and no company number are the same warning. Canada has no federal mover licence; for Ontario jobs, ask for a CVOR.
A quote that is silent on access is a guess, so the extras list names each fee that can appear on the bill. Read our estimate policy and how to read a moving estimate.
Dig deeper
Haulest is a research desk and quote line. We are not a carrier.