Insurance for New Moving Companies

What insurers ask a new mover

• Owners' years in the moving business
• Number and type of trucks
• Average shipment size and value
• Storage location and protection
• Crew hiring and training

Paperwork beyond insurance

New household goods carriers also deal with FMCSA's consumer protection requirements, such as providing required consumer information to shippers and having a dispute settlement program. Insurance is only one part of being ready to operate.

Two filings before authority goes active

A household goods carrier needs a liability filing, usually a BMC-91 or BMC-91X, and a cargo filing, the BMC-34, on record with FMCSA before its authority becomes active. Both come from the insurers that write the policies. If you buy liability and cargo from different companies, each one files its own form.

Because the authority will not activate without them, line up quotes during the waiting period after you apply rather than after the protest period ends. Insurers usually want the MC number before they file.

Consumer protection duties from day one

49 CFR Part 375 applies to every interstate household goods move. A new mover must give customers written estimates, provide FMCSA's Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move booklet, explain valuation choices, offer neutral arbitration for loss and damage claims and keep records of each shipment. An underwriter may ask how you handle these steps, because poor paperwork often leads to disputes and claims.

Ways to make a new account easier to place

• Document each owner's and manager's moving industry experience
• Use written hiring checks and training for drivers and crews
• Keep a simple inventory and photo process for every shipment
• Describe where trucks are parked and how goods are stored overnight
• Start with the trucks and lanes you can actually run, then add more

Frequently asked questions