Rights
Released value vs full value protection
Released value pays 60 cents per pound per article. A 50-pound television is worth $30 on that plan. Full value protection is the default on an interstate move unless you waive it in writing, and the minimum it can be valued at is $6 per pound times the shipment weight. That is 49 CFR 375.701.
Call +1 (866) 961-9682Haulest data team · Desk opened official pages 17 September 2026. Editorial.
Why you are here
The cheap number on the estimate is often the released-value number. People find out what 60 cents a pound means when the claim comes back.
Why Haulest
The two plans, the math, and the deductible question. We are not an insurer and we do not sell coverage.
| Item | Weight | Released value (60 cents / lb / article) | Full value protection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat-screen TV | 50 lb | $30 | Repair, replace, or cash for like kind, up to declared value |
| Sofa | 180 lb | $108 | Same |
| Box of dishes | 40 lb | $24 | Same, minus any deductible you chose |
What each plan actually does
Released value costs nothing extra and pays by weight, not by what the item was. It is the plan you get when you sign the waiver line. 60 cents per pound per article.
Full value protection means the mover repairs, replaces with like kind, or pays cash for a lost or damaged item. You declare a value for the whole shipment. The rule sets a floor: at least $6 per pound times the weight. A 7,000-pound move cannot be declared under $42,000.
Full value protection has a charge. You may lower it with a deductible. Ask what the charge is at each deductible before you decide, and get it on the estimate and the bill of lading.
Items of extraordinary value
Anything over $100 per pound, such as jewelry or a small piece of art, must be listed in writing before the move or the mover can limit liability on it. Ask for the high-value inventory form.
Boxes you packed yourself are a claim fight on any plan. Damage inside a carton nobody saw packed is hard to prove. Let the crew pack the fragile boxes if you want them covered without an argument.
Canada and the UK
Not a federal rule in Canada. Ask the mover for their liability terms in writing; Ontario's hiring-a-mover page tells you to. In the UK, ask for the goods-in-transit limit and read the self-pack exclusion. A lot of policies do not cover boxes you packed.
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 375.701 (valuation: released value vs full value)
Opens a government site. Checked September 2026.
- 49 CFR 375 Appendix A (Your Rights booklet)
Opens a government site. Checked September 2026.
- Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move (PDF)
Opens a government site. Checked September 2026.
- 49 CFR Part 370 (claims: 30 days to acknowledge, 120 to decide)
Opens a government site. Checked September 2026.
Ask out loud
- Is full value protection insurance?
- No. It is the mover's liability plan under federal rules. Separate insurance is a different product from a different company.
- Can I keep my homeowner's policy for the move?
- Some policies cover goods in transit and many do not. Ask your insurer in writing before you waive full value protection.
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.