Your rights when you move: the FMCSA booklet, explained
What the federal booklet your interstate mover has to give you actually says, from estimates and weighing to delivery delays and claims.
The BoxTrack team · · 6 min read
The estimate came as a PDF, and attached to the same email was another PDF that nobody opened. It was called "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move." Three weeks later, standing in a driveway while the driver said the truck weighed more than expected and the bill had gone up, it would have been useful to know what was in it.
Every interstate mover has to give you that booklet. It's long and written in the voice of a regulation, so most people skip it. This is a plain walk through what it covers, in the order you'll need it.
Why you got it at all
Federal rules (49 CFR 375.213) say that when an interstate mover gives you a written estimate, it also has to give you the booklet Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move. FMCSA's consumer page says movers and brokers must give you its Ready to Move brochure as well. Before you sign the bill of lading, the mover also has to give you notice that its tariff is available, a summary of its arbitration program and a summary of how it handles complaints.
If the mover sends a link instead of paper, the rules require it to get a signed, dated receipt from you. So if you clicked "I received the booklet" on a form, that's what it was.
Numbers from the booklet and the rules behind it
Before the move: the estimate
FMCSA requires a written estimate for every shipment. A price over the phone isn't one. The booklet explains the two kinds:
- A binding estimate is the price you pay for the services listed on it.
- A non-binding estimate is the mover's best guess. The final bill depends on the actual weight and services, but at delivery the mover can't make you pay more than 110 percent of it to get your things. Anything above that is billed later.
Our guide to reading a moving estimate goes through the line items. If you add services on moving day, the paperwork has to change to match.
Who pays if something breaks
This is the section people most need and least read. The booklet describes two levels of mover liability:
| Option | Default if you sign nothing | What the mover owes |
|---|---|---|
| Full value protection | ✓ | The replacement value of lost or damaged goods in the whole shipment |
| Released value | ✗ | No more than 60 cents per pound per article |
FMCSA's own example is a 10-pound stereo component worth $1,000: under released value, the mover would owe about $6. You only get released value if you sign a specific statement choosing it on the bill of lading. Items worth more than $100 per pound, such as jewelry, need to be listed on the shipping documents or the mover can limit what it owes for them. FMCSA also notes that separate moving insurance is regulated by the states, not by these federal rules. Our post on full value protection vs released value covers the choice in more depth.
Moving day: the inventory and the bill of lading
The bill of lading is your contract with the mover. The booklet tells you to read it before you sign and to keep it until your goods are delivered, the charges are paid and any claims are settled.
The mover also prepares an inventory of what it loads, usually with numbered stickers and condition notes like "scratched" or "dented." You and the mover sign each page. Read the condition notes before you sign. If a note says a dresser was already damaged and it wasn't, say so on the form.
Weighing: you can watch, and you can ask again
If you're paying by weight, the mover has to tell you where and when each weighing will happen and give you a reasonable chance to be there. Not showing up is treated as waiving that right.
Once you know the billing weight, you can ask for a reweigh before unloading starts. The mover can't charge you for it, but your final bill is based on the reweigh, even if it comes out higher. FMCSA's handbook gives a rough check: if your shipment works out to an average of 35 to 45 pounds per article, a reweigh probably won't help.
In transit: delays
Pickup and delivery dates go on the bill of lading, often as a window. If the mover can't make them, 49 CFR 375.605 says it must tell you as soon as it knows, at its own expense, and give you the new dates. Telephone, email, in person, fax, overnight courier and certified mail all count. FMCSA's guidance adds that a new date doesn't excuse the mover from damages caused by missing the original one.
Delivery: pay, then check
Have your payment ready. On a binding estimate you pay that amount; on a non-binding one, up to 110 percent. If you don't, the mover can refuse to unload and put your goods in storage at your expense.
As boxes come off the truck, check them against the inventory and write any missing or damaged items on the delivery receipt before you sign. A note at the door is much easier to build a claim on than a call two weeks later.
After the move: claims and arbitration
The booklet's claims section is the one to bookmark:
How a claim runs under the federal rules
- Within 9 months of deliveryFile your claim in writing; FMCSA suggests certified mail
- Within 30 days of receiving itThe mover must acknowledge your claim
- Within 120 days of receiving itThe mover must pay, offer a settlement or deny it, in writing
- If you disagreeAsk for arbitration through the mover's program
For claims of $10,000 or less, the mover has to agree to arbitration if you request it, and the decision binds both sides. Above that, arbitration happens only if you both agree. One thing the booklet makes clear: FMCSA doesn't settle claims for you, so the paperwork is on you. Our guide on how to file a moving damage claim walks through the letter itself.
Keep your own list next to theirs
The mover's inventory might say "Box 47, kitchen." That's enough to prove a box went missing, but not what was in it. A claim for a missing box goes much better when you can say exactly what it held and roughly what it was worth.
BoxTrack keeps that list for you as you pack. Make a box in the app, snap a photo of what goes in, and AI lists the items for you to check, with an estimated value. Print a QR label for each box, and write the mover's sticker number in the box name if you like. On delivery day, tick boxes off as they come in, and if one doesn't arrive, you already have its contents and photos. See how BoxTrack works for a move. Your first box is free.
This is general information, not legal advice. The federal rules apply to interstate moves; read your own estimate, bill of lading and the booklet your mover gives you.
Sources
- FMCSA, Your rights and responsibilities when you move
- FMCSA, Consumer rights and responsibilities
- eCFR, 49 CFR 375.213, information a mover must provide
- eCFR, 49 CFR 375.605, notice of service delays
- eCFR, 49 CFR Part 375
- FMCSA, Liability and protection
- FMCSA, Pickup of your shipment (Subpart E)
- FMCSA, Transportation of your shipment (Subpart F)
- FMCSA, Have you discovered loss or damage to your shipment?
