FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration)
The FMCSA is the agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation responsible for regulating, licensing, and tracking the safety record of commercial motor carriers — including interstate moving companies.
The FMCSA issues USDOT numbers and MC operating-authority numbers, sets safety standards for trucks and drivers, conducts roadside inspections, and maintains the public SAFER database at https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov where any consumer can look up a carrier's license status, insurance coverage, crash history, and out-of-service violations.
When hiring an interstate moving company, the FMCSA SAFER lookup is the most reliable consumer-protection tool: it shows whether the company is currently authorized to move household goods, whether its insurance is current, and whether it has had safety violations. The FMCSA also publishes "Protect Your Move" educational materials specifically for moving consumers.
Boston Best Rate Movers is registered with the FMCSA under USDOT #1718049 — searchable at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.
Related Terms
USDOT Number
A USDOT number is a unique identifier issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to commercial vehicles that transport cargo or passengers across state lines or within certain states.
MC Number (Motor Carrier Number)
An MC number is a separate federal operating authority issued by the FMCSA to motor carriers that transport regulated commodities — including household goods — in interstate commerce.
Carrier
A carrier is the moving company that physically picks up, transports, and delivers the customer's shipment — using its own trucks, employees, and equipment.
Broker (Moving Broker)
A moving broker is a company that sells a moving job to a customer but does not perform the move — the broker assigns the job to a third-party carrier and takes a margin.
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