Moving services compared: who packs, who loads, who drives, and who is liable

Tell full service, labor only, rental trucks, portable containers and the rest apart by who does each job, which rules cover it and who pays for damage.

The scopes: who packs, who loads, who drives Understand

Every way of moving a household splits the same four jobs between you and someone you pay: packing, loading and unloading, driving, and storing anything that cannot go straight to the new home. We call the set of jobs a company takes on its scope. Two quotes compare only when they cover the same scope, so the first question about any price is which of the four jobs it buys. This manual's convention

The pricing column is a general description, not a rate; each company and each state sets its own. The full table, with whose rules apply and who is liable on each row, is on Moving services compared: the table, and you can filter it by which jobs you want to keep.

Hired movers: full service, partial packing, and movers who load and drive

A full-service move is one where the moving company packs, loads, drives, and unloads at the other end. Partial packing keeps the movers for loading and driving but limits their packing to the rooms or items you name, often the kitchen, the art and the dishes, while you pack the rest. A third version has the movers load and drive while you pack everything. In each version the company that drives the truck is the one whose estimate, paperwork and liability matter, and Hiring a mover covers checking it.

The pricing basis depends on the distance and the state. For an interstate move, the federal rules require a written estimate after a survey of your goods, done on site or by video, and they allow an estimate by volume only if the mover explains in writing how it converts volume to weight (49 CFR Part 375, eCFR). Within a state, the state sets the basis where it regulates movers: California, as an example, allows moves under 100 miles to be charged by the hour and requires moves over 100 miles to be charged by weight and mileage (California BHGS, A Consumer Guide to Household Moving). Ask the authority

Labor only and the rental truck

Labor-only help is a crew you hire to load and unload while you rent, drive and return the truck yourself. You pay the helpers by the hour and the truck at its rental rate, and you take on the driving, the timing and the truck's contract. A rental truck with friends is the same arrangement with unpaid help. Both are the subject of Moving it yourself, which covers sizing the truck by volume and by weight, the helpers' jobs, permits and loading.

The question that separates these two from a hired move is who is responsible when something breaks. Nobody in a labor-only or friends move has the duties a household goods carrier has, which who pays for damage explains.

Portable containers, trailers and cubes

A portable container is a box the company drops at your door, you load it, and the company picks it up and drives it to the new address, or keeps it at its facility until you want it. A trailer or cube move, sometimes called "you pack, we drive", works the same way with freight equipment: you load a trailer or a set of cubes and a freight company moves them. Published sizes, as each company's pages showed them on November 2, 2026, give the range: Product-specific

• PODS lists 8-, 12- and 16-foot containers, describes them as ground-level with no ramps or stairs, and gives weight limits that it calls guidelines: 5,200 pounds for the 8-foot, 4,700 for the 12-foot and 4,200 for the 16-foot (PODS, Portable Container Sizes).
• U-Haul's U-Box is listed at 257 cubic feet and up to 2,000 pounds (U-Haul, U-Box Container Dimensions).
• U-Pack's ReloCube is listed at 308 cubic feet and a maximum of 2,500 pounds, (U-Pack, ReloCube Size). Its trailer holds about 1,944 cubic feet, and you can buy part of it, down to 5 linear feet, separated from other customers' goods by a bulkhead (U-Pack, Trailer Dimensions).

We list these because the companies publish their figures, not as a recommendation. The weight limits matter as much as the cubic feet: Moving it yourself shows how a load can fit the space and still be over the weight a unit is rated to carry. The legal point about containers is in which rules cover each scope: when you load and unload, the federal mover rules do not reach the company.

Specialty movers and move managers

A specialty mover handles one kind of item that a household crew may not take or should not: a piano, a large safe, fine art. Liberty Safe, a safe maker, says most of its safes weigh 200 to over 1,000 pounds and strongly recommends professionals for safes over 500 pounds or for moves involving stairs or tight spaces (Liberty Safe, Can I Move My Safe?). Product-specific We found no piano maker's moving guidance; Washington's in-state tariff treats pianos as special handling, with charges per flight of stairs (Washington UTC, Tariff 15-C (PDF)). Fragile, heavy and awkward things covers what to arrange for each.

A move manager plans and runs the parts of a move around the truck: sorting and downsizing, a floor plan of the new home, selling or donating what stays behind, overseeing the movers, and unpacking. The National Association of Specialty & Senior Move Managers (NASMM), a trade association, says some but not all of its members are also movers; the others work with a moving company. NASMM says members charge by the hour or by a package price and give a written estimate before payment (NASMM, FAQs). Product-specific Move managers are often hired for an older adult's downsizing move, but nothing in the service limits it to that. If the move manager is not the mover, the mover it brings in is checked the way Hiring a mover describes.

Parcel shipping and storage

Sending boxes by a parcel carrier suits a move of a few boxes and no furniture, or the boxes you want ahead of the truck. Each carrier sets its own size, weight and price limits, and we did not survey them; check the carrier's own pages before you pack to them. Ask the authority

Storage comes into a move when there is a gap between leaving one home and getting into the next. A mover can hold your goods in its warehouse between pickup and delivery; the federal rules call this storage-in-transit and set notice rules for when it turns into ordinary storage (49 CFR 375.601 to 375.609, eCFR). A container company can keep a loaded container at its facility. Or you can load a self-storage unit and move twice. Each has its own contract and its own answer to who pays if something is damaged in storage. The move calendar covers whether a gap can be avoided.

Which rules cover each scope

Three kinds of rule can cover a move: the federal household goods rules, a state's mover rules, and a contract. Which one applies depends on who moves the goods, who pays, and the route.

The federal rules: interstate moves by a mover, for you

The federal rules for movers are in 49 CFR Part 375, enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Part 375 applies to a household goods motor carrier only when it moves household goods for an individual shipper in interstate commerce (49 CFR 375.101 and 375.103). Each part of that sentence leaves something out: Ask the authority

• Containers and trailers you load. The definition of a household goods motor carrier leaves out a carrier moving goods in containers or trailers that are "entirely loaded and unloaded" by someone other than its own employees or agents. Most portable-container and "you pack, we drive" moves fall here.
• Store delivery. Delivering furniture from a factory or a store is also outside the definition.
• Employer-paid moves. An individual shipper owns the goods and pays the charges. When an employer pays the mover, the shipper is commercial and Part 375 does not apply; the employer's contract with the mover governs, and you ask the employer for its terms.
• Moves inside one commercial zone. A move across a state line inside one metropolitan commercial zone is not covered. The federal booklet's example is Brooklyn, New York, to Hackensack, New Jersey.

The other half of the test is interstate commerce. The federal definition includes a move between a place in one state and a place in another, and a move "between two places in a State through another State" (49 CFR 390.5). So a move that stays inside your state can still be interstate if the route leaves it.

Moves within one state

A move that starts and ends in one state, by a route that stays inside it, is under that state's rules where the state has them. The federal booklet says its regulations do not apply to a move between two points in one state. Some states license movers, set their rates and write their own estimate, valuation and claim rules; others say less. The default: before you price a mover for an in-state move, find your state's mover regulator and its consumer guide. The FTC's advice for in-state moves is to ask your state's consumer protection office (FTC, Avoid scams when you hire a moving company). Ask the authority

Two state examples show how far apart the rules sit. In Texas, "Texas movers must be licensed with the TxDMV," and before loading the mover gives a written proposal stating the maximum amount (Texas DMV, Don't Make a Move Without Us). In Washington, the Utilities and Transportation Commission sets minimum and maximum rates in its tariff and prices moves of 55 miles or less by the hour (Washington UTC, Consumer Guide to Moving). Neither is a summary of your state's rules. Hiring a mover covers the license lookup.

Rentals, containers and helpers: the contract

When nobody you hire is a household goods carrier on an interstate move, and no state rule reaches the arrangement, what governs is the contract you sign and your own insurance. A rental truck comes with a rental agreement: Budget's, as an example printed on its truck page, forbids carrying a person or an animal in the cargo section, forbids flammable substances such as gasoline, propane or oil, and makes the renter pay for damage from overloading or the wrong fuel (Budget, 26-Foot Moving Truck, with its rental terms). Product-specific A container company has its own terms on what can go in the container and what it pays for. Labor-only helpers work under whatever agreement their service offers; we found no source that says whether any state licenses loading-only crews, so ask your state's regulator if it matters to you. Ask the authority

Read each contract for four things before you sign: what it bans from the load, what it pays for if your goods are damaged and up to what amount, what you pay if the equipment is damaged, and what damage waiver or protection it sells. Write the answers in the notes column of the quotes sheet.

Who pays for damage

The scope decides who is liable when something breaks or goes missing. There are two default answers, and every scope lands on one of them or a mix.

A hired mover on an interstate move is liable under the valuation you choose on its paperwork: full value protection, or released value at no more than 60 cents a pound per article, which you choose only by waiving full value in writing (49 CFR 375.201). Valuation is the mover's liability, and Triple-I, the insurance industry's information group, says it "is not technically insurance" (Triple-I, Getting the right insurance coverage for moving). An in-state mover is liable under its state's rules, which differ: Hiring a mover shows the range.

A move you do yourself, or a container you load, has no carrier liable for your goods in the way a mover is. What pays for damage is your own insurance, if it covers the situation, and whatever the rental or container contract offers. Triple-I's page makes two points worth reading before you rely on a homeowners or renters policy:

• Homeowners and renters policies cover belongings in transit and in storage facilities, but Triple-I says they "will not pay" for damage done while movers are handling, packing or moving them.
• For a rented truck, Triple-I says your car policy's collision and comprehensive coverage "likely will not transfer" to a moving van.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), in a page dated February 1, 2011, says homeowners or renters insurance will likely give limited coverage in transit and that the policy deductible applies, and that a personal auto policy may not cover a rented truck (NAIC, Leaving Home: Insurance Considerations for a Move). These are general statements from an industry group and a regulators' association, not your policy's terms. Ask the authority

Three questions for your insurer, from Triple-I's page: does my policy cover my belongings in transit and in storage, and with what deductible; does it cover damage while hired movers or helpers handle them; and is a trip transit policy, a special perils policy or a floater (a policy for listed high-value items) available. If you rent a truck, add a fourth: does my car policy cover the rental truck, and if not, what does the rental company's damage waiver cover. Write the answers on the quotes sheet. Ask the authority

Choosing against your constraints

Choose a scope from the things that limit your move, not from a price you heard first. Write each of these down; the rows they rule out are usually plain once they are on paper. The list is our method. This manual's convention

1. The date, and how fixed it is. Lease end, closing, school and any building's moving days (The move calendar).
2. The distance. Across town, farther within the state, or to another state.
3. A budget range. A range you can say aloud, not a single figure.
4. Stairs and access at both ends. Flights of stairs, an elevator to reserve, a long walk from parking, street parking only, building rules.
5. Who can lift and carry. Count the people who can carry a dresser down stairs, and name anyone who should not lift for reasons of health or age.
6. A gap between homes. Out and in on the same day, or days to weeks apart.
7. Special items. A piano, a safe, art, appliances, anything over the household's lifting limit.

Price at least two. Put each surviving option on the quotes sheet: company, scope, the amount, the estimate type or rental rate, any deposit, what it says about damage, extra charges listed, and the dates. A blank amount means the company did not give one; 0 means no charge. Compare like with like. A mover's price includes labor and driving; a truck rental does not include fuel, helpers, materials, permits or your own time, and the do-it-yourself cost box adds those up. Doing more of the work yourself changes what you pay for; whether the total comes out lower depends on the prices you get. Test it

For a hired mover, a price is an estimate only once it is written after a survey of your goods; a phone quote is not one (Hiring a mover). For a container or rental, the quote should name the unit, the dates, the mileage or distance, and the fees.

Moving to another country is outside this manual: international shipping, customs and the destination's rules each need their own sources. The FTC notes that interstate and international movers must be registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

See it: Walter's move manager and Jun's container See it

• 49 CFR Part 375 on the eCFR: the federal household goods rules, with the definitions that set who they cover.
• NASMM, Guide to Rightsizing and Relocation (PDF): the move-manager trade's free guide, with its questions for hiring one.
• Triple-I, Getting the right insurance coverage for moving: what homeowners and renters policies do and do not cover in a move.
• FMCSA, Movers vs. Brokers: the agency's side-by-side of a company that moves goods and one that arranges the move.

Practice: two scopes, priced Practice

Minimum: your constraints written down, and two priced options on the quotes sheet, each with the rules that cover it and who pays for damage noted. Time: about 1 hour, plus the calls or forms that bring back prices. Materials: your saved setup, the scopes table, the quotes sheet (or paper), and your phone.

1. Write your constraints. The seven in choosing against your constraints, one line each. Where you do not know one yet, write "not yet" and the date you will know.
2. Cross out rows. On the scopes table, strike every scope a constraint rules out. Write the reason beside it in a word or two.
3. Note the rules and the liability. For each scope left, write which rules cover it (federal, your state, or a contract) and who pays for damage.
4. Ask for prices. For a mover, ask for a written estimate after a survey. For a truck or container, ask for the unit, its listed size and weight limit, the dates, the mileage or distance and every fee. For helpers, ask the hourly rate, any minimum, travel time, what they will not carry and whether they carry liability insurance.
5. Enter at least two. Put each on the quotes sheet. Leave an amount blank if the company did not give one; write 0 only when there is no charge.

Your move Your move

Check your work Check your work

Criteria

• Are your constraints written down, including who can lift and who should not?
• Did you cross out each scope for a reason you can name?
• Does each priced option on the quotes sheet say which rules cover it: federal, your state's, or a contract?
• Does each say who pays for damage, and have you asked your insurer anything you are relying on?
• Are the two prices for the same goods and the same dates, with the costs a do-it-yourself price leaves out either added or noted?

Worked example

Walter's sheet passes. His constraints are on one page in Grace's handwriting. Three scopes are crossed out with a reason each. His two rows are from different scopes, the mover and the move manager, and each names its rules: "in-state; license lookup open" and "own contract; not a mover." The certificate-of-insurance question is written as open, with the mover and the community's office as the ones who answer it. Jun's sheet passes for the same reason: the container row says the contract and the renters policy govern, and the insurer's answer is written as still to come. Neither sheet says which option is better value; the sheets record, and Walter, Grace and Jun decide.

Common mistakes

• Comparing a mover's price with a truck rental alone. The rental leaves out fuel, helpers, materials, permits and your time. Add them in the do-it-yourself cost box before comparing.
• Treating a container company as a mover. When you load and unload, the federal mover rules do not apply; the contract does.
• Assuming a homeowners or renters policy covers what movers break. Triple-I says those policies will not pay for damage done while movers handle your goods. Ask your insurer.
• Taking an employer-paid move as a federally covered one. When the employer pays, the shipper is commercial; read the employer's terms.
• Booking helpers without asking what they will not carry. Find out before moving day which items they leave for you.
• Calling a phone quote an estimate. For a hired mover, an estimate is written after a survey.

What is still unresolved

Which mover to hire, and whether its estimate and valuation are sound, is settled in Hiring a mover. Which truck or container is big enough, by volume and by weight, is settled in Moving it yourself. Whether your insurance covers a situation is your insurer's answer, not this manual's. Whether a borderline route is interstate is for FMCSA or your state's regulator. The cost of doing it yourself is arithmetic on your own figures in the do-it-yourself cost box.

Knowledge check and scenario

Checklist

• My constraints are written down: date, distance, budget range, stairs and access, who can lift.
• I crossed out the scopes that do not fit, with a reason for each.
• For each scope left, I noted which rules cover it and who pays for damage.
• The quotes sheet has at least two priced options from different scopes or companies.
• I asked my insurer the three questions and wrote down the answers. (Go deeper; optional)
• I priced a third scope and added the do-it-yourself costs. (Go deeper; optional)