The Moving Industry,From the Federal Register
Everything in this section comes from public records: the FMCSA Motor Carrier Census, the rules that govern interstate moves, and the structure of van lines, agents and independents. No survey data, no estimates, no vendor reports.
- Interstate HHG carriers
- 6,013
- active authorities, Sept 2026 snapshot
- Median fleet
- 4 trucks
- carriers on our state pages
- Largest carrier
- 4,731 trucks
- United Van Lines
- Top 25 split
- 7 / 7 / 11
- van lines / agents / independents
Start here
As of our September 2026 snapshot of the federal census, 6,013 US carriers hold active interstate household-goods authority under a moving-company style name. The typical one is small: across the carriers detailed on our state pages the median fleet is four trucks, 64% run five or fewer, and 85% run ten or fewer. Most were licensed in the last fifteen years and most have never been safety-rated, because a rating requires a compliance review that small carriers rarely receive.
The top of the market looks different. The 25 largest interstate movers run a median of 204 trucks, and eleven of them have held authority since 1974, the earliest date the register records. Seven are national van lines, seven are agents operating under a van line's authority, and eleven are independent carriers. That structure, which decides whose USDOT number ends up on your bill of lading, is the subject of one of the guides below.
Regulation is split three ways: the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for interstate household goods, each state's own regulator for moves inside its borders, and the Federal Maritime Commission for the intermediaries that book ocean freight. The plain guide to who regulates what explains which rules apply to your move and where to complain when they are broken.
Moving Industry guides
6 guides in this section, every figure from the published model.
6 min readNewest
US Moving Industry Statistics From the FMCSA Register
Snapshot of September 23, 2026: 6,013 US carriers hold active interstate household-goods authority. The median mover runs 4 trucks and has no safety rating.
Sep 24, 2026
6 min read
Van Lines, Agents and Independent Movers, Explained
Of the 25 largest interstate movers, 7 are van lines, 7 agents, 11 independents. Who holds the authority, whose USDOT is on the bill of lading, who pays claims.
Sep 24, 2026
7 min read
Who Regulates Moving Companies in the US? A Plain Guide
Interstate movers answer to FMCSA. In-state movers answer to the state: California's BHGS, the Texas DMV, Florida's FDACS. Who requires what, where to complain.
Sep 24, 2026
Pages in this section
What to know before you start
The five things that decide most of the outcome in this part of a move, in the order you will meet them.
- 1
The register is the source
Every figure here is computed from the FMCSA Motor Carrier Census as published on data.transportation.gov, filtered to active household-goods carriers with moving-company names. The date of the snapshot is printed on every page that uses it.
- 2
Small is normal
A four-truck fleet is the median. The national brands are a thin layer on top of thousands of local businesses, most of which hold interstate authority they use a few times a year.
- 3
Unrated is not a warning
Most carriers have no safety rating because they have never had a compliance review. A Conditional or Unsatisfactory rating is a warning; no rating at all is the default for a small mover.
- 4
Texas, Florida and California dominate the count
Those three states account for the largest numbers of active household-goods carriers in the snapshot, with New York, Georgia and New Jersey next. The state pages list each one's carriers by fleet.
- 5
Three regulators, three sets of rules
Interstate moves are federal; intrastate moves are the state's business, and some states barely regulate them; ocean freight is the FMC's. Which regime applies decides what protections you have and who takes your complaint.
Moving Industry: questions people ask
How many moving companies are there in the United States?
In our September 2026 snapshot of the federal census, 6,013 carriers hold active interstate household-goods authority under a moving-company style name. Counting intrastate-only movers and companies with other kinds of names, the total is larger; the register does not tag every mover as one.
How big is the average moving company?
Small. Across the carriers detailed on our state pages the median fleet is four trucks, 64% run five or fewer and 85% run ten or fewer. The 25 largest interstate movers run a median of 204 trucks, and the largest, United Van Lines, runs 4,731.
Who regulates moving companies?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates interstate household-goods moves. Moves within one state are regulated by that state, through a public utilities commission, a transportation department or an agriculture and consumer services department depending on the state. Ocean freight intermediaries are licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission.
What is the difference between a van line and an agent?
A van line holds the interstate authority, publishes the tariff and dispatches the long-haul drivers. An agent is an independently owned local mover that sells, packs and loads under the van line's name, so the van line's USDOT number goes on your bill of lading. Independents do everything under their own authority.
Why do most movers have no safety rating?
A rating requires a federal compliance review, and reviews are targeted at larger carriers and at carriers with inspection or crash history. A small mover can operate for decades without one. Unrated is the default; Conditional and Unsatisfactory are the ratings to avoid.
More guides
All 14 topics →How this section is written. Every cost figure on this page and in these guides is generated from the same published model that powers the calculator, and every carrier figure comes from the federal register with the snapshot date shown. We do not operate trucks, we collect no customer reviews, and no company pays for placement.