On an interstate move, the mover must release your goods once you pay the most federal rules allow at delivery: the full binding estimate, or 110 percent of a non-binding estimate, plus a few defined extras. Anything else is billed later. A mover that holds goods for more than that can face federal fines and suspension.
The most a mover can demand before unloading
| Estimate type | Maximum at delivery |
|---|---|
| Binding | The exact estimate, plus services you requested after the bill of lading was issued, plus impracticable-operation charges up to 15 percent of all other charges due |
| Non-binding | 110 percent of the estimate, plus the same two extras |
| Partial delivery | A share of the delivery maximum in proportion to the weight delivered; delivering half the weight allows half |
| Total loss | No freight charges at all, apart from any valuation charge due, unless you caused the loss |
Sources for the table: 49 CFR 375.703, 375.407, 375.707 and 375.709.
The rest comes later, by invoice
Charges above the delivery maximum are collected after delivery. The mover must send an invoice within 15 days, excluding weekends and federal holidays, and then give you seven days to pay, extended to 30 days with a service charge (49 CFR 375.807). Paying the delivery maximum does not erase charges you legitimately owe; it gets your goods off the truck.
Payment method
The mover must name the forms of payment it accepts when it prepares the estimate, and must accept that form at delivery unless you agree in writing to change it (49 CFR 375.217). Check the estimate for the payment method, and have it ready on delivery day.
What federal law says about holding goods
If you offer the allowed amount and the mover still refuses to release the shipment, the regulations treat that as a failure to deliver with reasonable dispatch, which opens the mover to cargo delay claims (375.403(a)(10), 375.407(b)).
Federal law defines holding goods hostage as a knowing and willful failure, in breach of contract, to deliver or unload an estimated interstate shipment after the shipper has offered the required payment. The penalties are (49 U.S.C. 14915):
- a civil penalty of at least $10,000 for each violation, and each day can count as a separate violation;
- suspension of the carrier's or broker's registration for 12 to 36 months, extending to companies under the same ownership or control;
- an order to return the goods, and the government may assign some or all of the civil penalty to the shipper;
- on conviction, a fine, up to two years in prison, or both.
If a mover will not unload
- Offer the payment the estimate allows at delivery, in the agreed form, and keep a record of the offer.
- Do not sign blank documents or a receipt that releases the mover from liability. Why that matters.
- Report the mover to the FMCSA Complaint Center or at 1-888-368-7238. FMCSA names withholding belongings until the customer pays far more than the quote as a kind of moving fraud (FMCSA).
- Contact the state. FMCSA keeps a list of state-level enforcement contacts.
In-state moves
The federal limits on this page apply to interstate moves. For a move inside one state, state law governs delivery and payment. Check your state page for the rules we could confirm.
Sources
- 49 CFR 375.703, maximum collect-on-delivery amount , Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- 49 CFR 375.403, binding estimates , Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- 49 CFR 375.407, releasing a shipment moved on a non-binding estimate , Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- 49 CFR 375.217, collecting charges at delivery , Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- 49 CFR 375.707, charges when a shipment is partly lost , Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- 49 CFR 375.709, charges when a shipment is totally lost , Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- 49 CFR 375.807, invoices and credit after delivery , Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- 49 U.S.C. 14915, penalties for failure to give up possession of household goods , U.S. Government Publishing Office
- File a Moving Fraud Complaint , Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- FMCSA Complaint Center , Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- State-Level Enforcement Resources , Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration