What Is a Moving Broker?
Not all moving services are created equal, so let’s take a look at moving brokers
If you’re planning a move, making the right choice about how to transport your belongings can be daunting. Learning what a moving broker is can help you narrow down your options and check another task off your moving to-do list. Let’s break down the key differences between a moving broker vs. a carrier and get set up for success on moving day.
Moving Brokers vs. Carriers: What’s the Difference?
Rather than owning a fleet of trucks and hiring people directly to help you move, a moving broker organizes and hires a contractor that bids on the job and provides labor. The broker then keeps a fee or percentage of the total amount paid for the job as compensation.
Since moving brokers often work with many types of moving companies, they often have the ability to negotiate a lower price than a single customer hiring a local moving service. Unlike a broker, a moving carrier is a company that owns trucks and employs movers to pack and drive your belongings.
A moving broker is an intermediary that can organize the labor, equipment, and materials necessary to help you move. On the other hand, a moving carrier operates moving trucks, owns equipment, and hires movers. A moving broker is not authorized to do the moving for you, whereas a moving carrier can complete the entire process.
To make the best decision about hiring the right movers, learning the differences between the types of companies that offer these services will help. Let’s take a look at some of the key factors that make moving brokers vs carriers different.
Moving Broker Pros and Cons
Review the pros and cons of hiring a moving broker.
Pros
Saves money: Moving brokers can negotiate lower prices with services they frequently work with. They can typically draw more competitive bids and prices than homeowners.
Offers variety of services: A moving broker can find and hire a broad variety of moving contractors with various specialties, timelines, and costs to fit your needs.
Saves time: By handing over the planning and price negotiations to a moving broker, you can save time during the moving process.
Cons
Might not complete your move in time: Since a moving broker doesn’t own trucks or employ movers, some things that can get in the way of them providing services to you on moving day. If the broker can’t find a company to do the job because of cost considerations, availability, or overbooking, they might not complete your move within your time constraints.
Added fee for finding movers: Moving brokers charge for their service of finding the labor and equipment to complete your move, so if you’re great at finding deals and have the time to sift through ads, it can be worth it to hire a company directly.
Moving Carrier Pros and Cons
Check out the advantages and disadvantages of hiring a moving carrier.
Pros
More likely to be local: By working directly with a moving carrier, you’ll likely hire a company located in your area, supporting a local business.
Hires labor directly: A moving carrier is a company that has a staff including drivers, movers, and any other work you will need help with on moving day. You’ll work directly with their team, making it easy to coordinate schedules.
More reliable: Carriers are less likely to have scheduling conflicts and the price is set between you and the carrier at the same time as booking. This means that there’s less of a chance of cost constraints or last minute overbooking causing delays for your move.
Cons
Limited scope of services: It’s unlikely that you will have access to the wide variety of services that a broker can access, but a carrier will likely be local to you.
Likely to be more expensive: The cost of hiring a moving carrier is typically higher than the expense of a moving broker, but you’ll receive actual moving services in return.
More time spent researching and booking: Since you’re finding and hiring a moving carrier directly, you’ll need to put in the effort to research and book them yourself.
Moving Broker vs. Moving Carrier
Price
The average cost to hire a long distance moving carrier is between $2,700 to $10,000. On the other hand, the average cost of a local move is between $920 and $2,530. A moving broker can cost anywhere from $1,700 to $2,500. A brokerage will keep between 20% to 40% of the total price as a finder’s fee. However, keep in mind that you’ll still need to pay for actual moving expenses in addition to the cost of hiring a moving broker.
Renting a moving truck will cost between $30 and $2,500, depending on the distance of the move and the size of the truck. Because moving truck rental services usually charge a mileage fee in addition to the flat fee to rent the truck per day, the amount can fluctuate significantly. In addition to rental fees, insurance, fuel, and packing materials will add to the cost of moving yourself.
Most affordable: Moving carrier
Reliability
Since moving brokers often work with many different companies, they might not vet every company they work with. Since a moving broker usually isn’t local to you, it can be hard to find out what company they plan to hire until the labor is booked. When you hire a carrier to help you move, you’re often dealing with a single company that’s much easier to research. For reliability, moving carriers are a better option.
Most reliable: Moving carrier
Options and Customizations
Since a moving broker has many contacts that they work with, they will often offer a wider range of options. Moving carriers are more likely to have limited options and staffing. If you need multiple services, like specialty packaging for antiques and fine art or large, heavy items, a moving broker will more likely offer a convenient one-stop shop.
More options: Moving broker
Services
Moving brokers can often book labor for extra services like packing, storage, move-out cleaning, and providing packaging supplies. A moving carrier usually has a limited list of services, however some may offer extra services. If you have the time to research the types of extras you want, a carrier is a good option, but if you don’t, a broker can streamline the process.
More available services: Moving broker
Distance and Routes
Moving brokers have access to more routes and cover a larger area because they work with multiple companies. A moving carrier has more limited routes with less drivers available, so if your move ends up in multiple trucks or multiple trips, it will take longer to get your belongings.
Faster moving process: Moving broker
Frequently Asked Questions
Moving brokers are required to advertise that they aren’t moving carriers. While it might be buried in the text of the ad, they need to say somewhere that they aren’t the provider of moving services. Moving brokers should also display their Department Of Transportation number in their advertising. Read all of the advertising materials carefully and ensure your moving company is registered.
To make sure that your moving quote is fair, check current prices for hiring movers in your area. Your starting and final locations can affect the price. You should also make sure you include the cost of any specialty movers in your price estimate. Calculate your moving costs including the estimated expense of moving services and compare the figure to average costs in your area.
A reliable mover broker will make it clear upfront that they are a moving broker and not a carrier. It’s also important to research the company, including reading reviews and requesting customer testimonials. If the moving broker isn’t willing to tell you what companies they work with, that’s a red flag.