Mover, broker, or lead site? A red-flag field test

Use official FMCSA resources to compare the name, number, authority, and contact information. Look for a mismatch between the brand in the advertisement and the entity in the record. A number alone is not proof that the salesperson is authorized to use it.

• Confirm whether the record describes a carrier or broker.
• Compare addresses and phone numbers, not only company names.
• Read complaint themes and the timing of recent records.
• Save your own copy of the record and written estimate.

Lowball problems often begin with an incomplete inventory, an estimate built only by phone, or a vague list of access charges. A video or in-home survey gives the estimator fewer excuses to discover the shipment for the first time on load day.

Make sure the written estimate identifies the estimating method, inventory, services, pickup window, delivery expectations, payment terms, and valuation choice. Ask which facts could change the price and how a change must be documented.

Pressure for an unusually large deposit, payment through a hard-to-reverse method, blank paperwork, a different company name, or a substantially higher price at pickup all deserve a stop. Do not let a closing date or packed house force a signature you do not understand.

Once the shipment is loaded, leverage changes. The safest move is to resolve identity, scope, payment, and paperwork before the first item crosses the truck door.