A DOT number lookup takes about two minutes and answers three questions no sales call will: is this company registered with FMCSA, is it a carrier or a broker, and have other customers filed complaints against it. Every interstate mover and broker has to hold a USDOT number and show it in its advertising, so a company that can’t give you one has already answered the first question. Hercules Moving Solutions is a licensed moving broker, DOT 3497836 and MC 1153414, and we’d rather you check those numbers than take our word for them. This guide covers the free federal tools, what each field on the result means, and the mismatches that should end the conversation.
Key Takeaways
- Every interstate moving company and broker must be registered with FMCSA and hold a USDOT number. The FTC’s advice is simple: don’t hire an interstate mover that isn’t registered.
- Three free government tools cover the lookup: FMCSA’s Protect Your Move mover search for household goods authority and complaint history, the SAFER Company Snapshot for safety data, and the Motus public search for the registration record.
- A USDOT number identifies the company. An MC number is an operating authority docket, and FMCSA is considering phasing MC numbers out in favor of suffixes on the USDOT number.
- Search by number, not by name. Company names are shared, misspelled and copied; a USDOT number belongs to exactly one registrant.
- On a brokered move, run the lookup twice: once on the broker’s number and once on the carrier that gets assigned, and confirm the name on the truck matches the bill of lading.
On This Page
- Where to Run a DOT Number Lookup for Free
- USDOT Number Lookup vs MC Number Lookup: What Each Number Tells You
- How to Read an FMCSA Company Lookup Result
- Run the Lookup Twice on a Brokered Move
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Check the Number Before You Check the Price
Where to Run a DOT Number Lookup for Free
The third-party lookup sites on page one of Google all wrap the same federal data, so go to the source. FMCSA’s Protect Your Move mover search is built for household goods moves specifically. It covers interstate movers and brokers only, and the result shows registration status, the type of authority held, the headquarters address, complaint counts and, where one exists, a safety rating. Open that one first.
- Get the USDOT number from the company. It should be on the website footer, the estimate and the truck. A company that will only give you a name has failed the first test.
- Open the Protect Your Move search, choose Search by Company, and enter the USDOT number rather than the name.
- Open the matching record and check four things: the legal name and any DBA, the physical address, the entity type (carrier or broker), and the authority status.
- Scroll to the complaint section. Read the categories, not just the count; a hostage-load complaint weighs more than a delay complaint.
- For the safety side, run the same USDOT number through the SAFER Company Snapshot, which adds fleet size, inspections, crashes and out-of-service status. Since May 2026 FMCSA’s Motus system also offers a public search of the registration record by USDOT number, legal name or DBA.
The federal position on the result is blunt. The FTC’s consumer alert on moving scams says an interstate mover must be registered with DOT and not to hire one that isn’t, alongside two other rules: no blank paperwork and no large cash deposit before the move.
USDOT Number Lookup vs MC Number Lookup: What Each Number Tells You
The two numbers get quoted together but they do different jobs. A USDOT number identifies the company itself and follows it through every registration it holds. An MC number is a docket number tied to one specific operating authority, which is why some companies carry several. FMCSA’s registration FAQ, updated May 2026, says MC numbers were never a statutory requirement and that the agency is considering phasing them out, with each type of authority shown instead as a suffix on the USDOT number. Existing MC numbers stay valid, so a mover quoting one isn’t out of date, but anchor your search on the USDOT number.
| Number | What it identifies | What to check on a moving company |
|---|---|---|
| USDOT number | The registered entity, across all its registrations | Legal name and address match the website and the estimate; status is active |
| MC number | One operating authority docket | Authority type is household goods carrier or household goods broker, and it is active, not pending or revoked |
| Entity type | Carrier or broker | Matches what the company told you on the phone; a broker cannot legally advertise as a mover |
For a moving company the authority type matters as much as the number. A carrier holds household goods authority and is the company legally responsible for your shipment. A broker holds broker authority, arranges the move, and under FMCSA’s rules has to use only registered movers, give you the Your Rights and Responsibilities booklet, and state in its advertising that it’s a broker that does not transport household goods. Hercules does that in the header and footer of every page.
How to Read an FMCSA Company Lookup Result
Most people stop at the word active. The useful part is comparing the rest of the record against what the company showed you.
- Legal name and DBA. The name on the website, the estimate and the truck should all resolve to this record. A trading name that appears nowhere on the record has no history you can check.
- Physical address. Compare it to the website and the estimate. A residential address in a different state from the office you were told about is worth a direct question.
- Operating status and authority status. Active means registered and authorized. Inactive, revoked, or a pending application means the company can’t legally take your interstate move today, whatever the salesperson says.
- Complaints. FMCSA records categories such as hostage loads, loss and damage, and estimate disputes. One complaint on an old record means little. A cluster in the last two years means the pattern is current.
- Safety rating. Many small carriers and every broker will show none, and FMCSA says a missing rating alone doesn’t make a company unsafe. An Unsatisfactory rating does.
One habit worth building: search by number, never by name. The Hercules name is shared with a dozen unrelated moving companies in Virginia, Ohio, Ontario and elsewhere, and none of them are us. A name search returns all of them. DOT 3497836 returns one record, with a South Florida address and broker authority, which is exactly what our website says. If a number leads to a record that contradicts the website, the record is telling the truth. Our guide to what credentials the best long distance moving services should have starts from that same check.
Run the Lookup Twice on a Brokered Move
A broker’s record and a carrier’s record are two different things, and on a brokered move you need both. Hercules builds your inventory, prices it against carrier tariffs, and places the shipment with an FMCSA-authorized carrier whose authority, insurance and safety record we’ve checked. The page on how Hercules matches a shipment to a carrier explains who does what. The short version: the carrier’s crew loads, drives and delivers, the carrier issues your bill of lading, and the carrier is responsible for your goods once they’re on the truck.
So the second lookup happens once you know the carrier’s name:
- Ask for the assigned carrier’s USDOT number as soon as it’s confirmed. A broker that can’t or won’t give it to you hasn’t actually placed your move.
- Run that number through the same search. It should show household goods carrier authority, active status, and an address that matches the carrier’s own paperwork.
- On load day, the name on the truck, the name on the crew’s paperwork and the name on your bill of lading should all be the same company. If a different company shows up, stop and call your coordinator before anything is loaded.
- Keep both records. A claim goes to the carrier, and the record is how you prove who that was.
This matters because of the pattern behind most complaints in the category: the customer vets the company they spoke to, a different company arrives, and the price changes once the truck is loaded. Hercules Moving Solutions’ guide to avoiding moving scams walks through that hostage-load sequence. The lookup is how you break it before it starts, and it pairs with the seven questions to ask before you hire, the first of which is broker or carrier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a DOT number lookup free?
Yes. FMCSA’s Protect Your Move mover search, the SAFER Company Snapshot and the Motus public search are all free and need no account. Third-party lookup sites repackage the same federal data, sometimes behind a paywall or a lead form, so there’s no reason to pay. Search by USDOT number for an exact match rather than by company name.
How do I find a moving company’s DOT number?
Look at the website footer, the written estimate, and the door of the truck; FMCSA requires interstate movers and brokers to show their USDOT number in advertising. If you can’t find it, ask, and a legitimate company gives it immediately. If they offer only a name, search that name in the FMCSA database and confirm the address matches.
What if the DOT number doesn’t match the company name?
Treat the record as the truth and the company as unverified. A number that resolves to a different legal name, a different state, or a revoked authority means you don’t know who you’re dealing with. Ask for a written explanation, and if it isn’t clean and immediate, walk away. FMCSA takes complaints about unregistered movers and brokers.
Does a moving broker have a DOT number?
Yes. Interstate household goods brokers must be registered with FMCSA and hold a USDOT number, and their record shows broker authority rather than carrier authority. Hercules Moving Solutions is registered under DOT 3497836 and MC 1153414 as a broker. Look it up, confirm it says broker, then ask us for the assigned carrier’s number once your move is placed.
Check the Number Before You Check the Price
Two minutes with the FMCSA database settles whether a company can legally take your move, which kind of company it is, and what its customers have reported. Do that before you compare estimates, because the cheapest number from an unregistered company isn’t a price, it’s a deposit you may not see again. Start with ours: look up DOT 3497836, confirm it says broker, and then get a free quote after you’ve checked our license or email info@herculesmovingsolutions.com. When your move is placed, we’ll give you the carrier’s number so you can run the check again.
