Should I complain to FMCSA about a local move?

FMCSA regulates interstate moves. For a move inside one state, go to the state regulator or attorney general. You can still check the USDOT for safety records.

Will FMCSA get my furniture back?

FMCSA can act on a hostage load through its hotline and enforcement. It does not adjudicate your damage claim. That is the mover, then arbitration or court.

Right two thirds: beside the unlettered white side of a moving truck.

Rights

How to complain about a mover in the US

Interstate: file with the FMCSA National Consumer Complaint Database and, for a hostage load, call 1-888-368-7238. Claims for loss and damage go to the mover in writing first, and you can demand arbitration on claims up to $10,000. In-state: your state regulator or attorney general. No mugshots on this page, just the doors.

Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 29 September 2026

What the licensed review rows say. 31087 dated rows, as of 2026-10-29. Counted by phrase, not by sentiment.

Phrase family	Rows	Share of rows
Held our things, would not unload, hostage	732	2%
Estimate changed, price went up, extra charges	1699	5%
Damage, broke, scratched, dented	9876	32%
Late, delay, delivery window	3924	13%

Hostage load: today, not tomorrow

If the mover is holding your goods for more than the rule allows, call the FMCSA hotline at 1-888-368-7238 and file with the NCCDB the same day. Have the USDOT number, the bill of lading, and the estimate photographed.

Pay what the 110% rule requires on a non-binding estimate and demand delivery. Do not pay a number that appeared on the driveway without paper.

Loss or damage: the claim, then arbitration

File a written claim with the mover. The bill of lading names the window; nine months from delivery is the common term. The mover must acknowledge within 30 days and pay, decline, or make a firm offer within 120 days. That is Part 370.

If you disagree, an interstate mover must offer a neutral arbitration program. For claims of $10,000 or less, you can require it. Above that, both sides have to agree. 49 CFR 375.211. Ask the mover for the program name and the forms.

In-state moves, Canada, the UK

In-state: FMCSA does not regulate the price. Some states run a household-goods desk (Texas, California, Florida, Washington, Illinois, New Jersey among them). Start with the state attorney general if you cannot find the desk.

Canada: no federal mover licence. Ontario points you to its consumer protection complaint form. Check whether the mover runs trucks under a CVOR.

UK: no national remover licence. Trading Standards through Citizens Advice, then the trade association if the firm belongs to one. Small claims for the money.

What a complaint does

An NCCDB complaint lands on the carrier's federal record and can feed an investigation. It does not get your money back by itself. The claim and the arbitration do that.

A review with dates, the USDOT, and the paper attached helps the next person. Post it here and it stays dated. We do not invent a star total from it.

Official doors

Where to take a complaint

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)
Lookup
SAFER company snapshot. Registered is not the same as authorized to haul household goods.
FMCSA SAFER company snapshot
Complain
Protect Your Move. Photograph the inventory first. Then the phone.
FMCSA Protect Your Move

Reviewed 29 September 2026 by Anthony Bale. Numbers on this page carry their own dates; the official pages below are the sources.

Sources

Links go to the publisher. Haulest does not add findings. Checked September 2026; if the live page moved, believe the agency.

Ask out loud

Questions people ask

Should I complain to FMCSA about a local move?: FMCSA regulates interstate moves. For a move inside one state, go to the state regulator or attorney general. You can still check the USDOT for safety records.
Will FMCSA get my furniture back?: FMCSA can act on a hostage load through its hotline and enforcement. It does not adjudicate your damage claim. That is the mover, then arbitration or court.

Next steps

About Anthony Bale

A moving industry professional, author and writer. Anthony has been at different positions in the industry for the last 10 years, gaining significant knowledge on the relocation process. He himself has moved 6 times already, which helped him explore the other side of the moving process.

At Haulest he writes the US cost, hiring, and rights pages, reading the licensed review file every week so the numbers on the page are the numbers people reported.

All 61 pages by Anthony

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