What is the Difference Between a Moving Carrier and a Broker?

Moving brokers are sales teams that book your move and sell it to a moving company. They are not agents, and they do not take responsibility or are authorized to transport your household items. Brokers don't have moving trucks or professional carriers. Brokers are intermediaries between the household you are moving and moving companies.

They don't own trucks or moving teams, and they don't usually have moving staff. They offer the convenience of finding a moving company, but they are not responsible for what happens once a moving company is selected. Brokers charge a fee (usually paid by the moving company to the broker for a sales leadership opportunity) and then they are released from liability. A carrier operates trucks and is often an owner-operator who only schedules shipments through a customs broker and serves only a few routes.

A broker has a huge network of car carriers serving all over the country. An agent can give you a lower rate, as they have multiple carriers competing to transport your vehicle. Brokers also verify USDOT authority, federal licenses, and cargo insurance from the transportation company transporting your vehicle. Choosing the right moving company for your valuables is a huge responsibility, so it's incredibly essential to understand the dynamics of the freight forwarding company to ensure you deliver your property and valuables to the right entity for your transportation.

The Department of Transportation reports that more than 3,600 complaints they receive annually generally involve disreputable companies that prey on people who don't know the difference between a moving agent and a moving company. A moving brokerage company will arrange the transportation of your belongings, but will request the assistance of professional carriers who are authorized to provide the actual moving services. The amount you pay in advance will be the moving agent's fee for arranging the move of the home between you, as a customer, and the moving company as a carrier of household goods. Since the departments of the company are fluidly interconnected and the tasks are well distributed among the various domains, all staff members working for the transport company are aware of their responsibilities. In most cases, using a carrier service is the best option as it can provide you with a lower rate, verify USDOT authority, federal licenses, and cargo insurance from the transportation company transporting your vehicle.

It can also be difficult to verify these things on your own. Furthermore, it mitigates the chances of risks and communication problems, making the moving process a hassle-free effort. Your work does not end here; by unloading and unpacking all the belongings for you, professional carriers help you save considerable time and energy. This becomes especially relevant when you have little time to move from one place to another and you have many other tasks lined up that need to be completed.