Rights
The 110% rule on a US interstate move
On a non-binding estimate, an interstate mover cannot make you pay more than 110% of the estimate to get your goods off the truck. The rest is billed later, with at least 30 days to pay. That is 49 CFR 375.407. It is not a cap on the total.
Call +1 (866) 961-9682Haulest data team · Desk opened official pages 17 September 2026. Editorial.
Why you are here
The driveway is where the number changes. A crew, a locked truck, and a new figure is the moment most people sign anything.
Why Haulest
We print the section, the two exceptions, and what the licensed review rows say about estimates that moved. We are not a carrier.
| Phrase family | Rows | Share of rows |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate changed, price went up, extra charges | 96 | 5% |
| Held our things, would not unload, hostage | 46 | 2% |
What 110% means at the door
Non-binding estimate of $4,000. The mover can demand up to $4,400 before unloading. Not $5,900. If the final lawful charges are higher, they bill the balance and must give you at least 30 days to pay it.
Binding estimate of $4,000. They can demand $4,000 at delivery, plus charges for services you asked for after the estimate was written. A binding number is not a number they can raise because the truck was heavier.
Either way, pay what the rule says and take delivery. Do not argue on the driveway with your sofa as the hostage. Photograph the bill of lading and every weight ticket first.
The two exceptions people miss
Impracticable operations. If the truck cannot reach the door and they need a shuttle or long carry that was not in the estimate, the mover can collect for that at delivery, capped at 15% of the other charges due at delivery. The rest of it is billed later.
Services you added. A new stop, packing you asked for on the day, a piano nobody mentioned. Those sit on top of the estimate and on top of the 110%.
Interstate only. This is a federal rule for moves between states. An in-state move follows your state's tariff, if it has one. Canada and the UK have no 110% rule at all.
What to do this week
Get the estimate in writing and read the first line: binding or non-binding. Use the quiz if the paper is vague.
Look up the USDOT and check for household-goods authority. Registered is not authorized.
On delivery day, have 110% in the payment form the estimate names. Cash-only was a tell you should have caught earlier.
Official doors
1. Booklet
Interstate movers must give Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move. We link it. We do not rehost it as ours.
Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move (PDF)2. Lookup
SAFER company snapshot. Registered is not the same as authorized to haul household goods.
FMCSA SAFER company snapshot3. Complain
Protect Your Move. Photograph the inventory first. Then the phone.
FMCSA Protect Your Move
Official sources
Links go to the publisher. Haulest does not add findings. We checked these URLs in September 2026. If the live page moved, believe the agency.
- 49 CFR 375.407 (110% COD rule)
Opens a government site. Checked September 2026.
- 49 CFR 375.405 (non-binding estimates)
Opens a government site. Checked September 2026.
- 49 CFR 375.403 (binding estimates)
Opens a government site. Checked September 2026.
- Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move (PDF)
Opens a government site. Checked September 2026.
- FMCSA Protect Your Move
Opens a government site. Checked September 2026.
Ask out loud
- Does the 110% rule cap what I owe in total?
- No. It caps what they can demand before unloading on a non-binding estimate. Lawful charges above that are billed later with at least 30 days to pay.
- Does it apply to a local move?
- No. 49 CFR 375 covers interstate household-goods moves. In-state moves follow state rules, which vary from a full tariff to nothing.
- Can they refuse to unload if I pay 110%?
- Not lawfully on a non-binding estimate. Holding goods for more than the rule allows is the hostage-load pattern. Call the FMCSA hotline and file with the NCCDB.
Next
Call for a free quote
From, then To. Date and home size after that. A person on the phone is faster if you already know the dates.
Call +1 (866) 961-9682Haulest is not a carrier. We connect you to movers. We do not dispatch a truck.
Haulest is a research desk and quote line operated by Panaweb LLC. We are not a carrier.