Bill of lading and inventory: what to check before your mover loads

The bill of lading is your contract with an interstate mover. The inventory is the itemized list of everything that goes on the truck, and it becomes part of that contract. If something goes missing, gets damaged, or the price changes, these two papers are what you'll point to. Federal rules spell out what they have to contain and when you get them, so it pays to read them before anything is loaded.

You should get the bill of lading days before moving day

Under the federal rules, the mover has to give you the bill of lading, and you sign and date it, at least 3 days before the shipment is scheduled to load. You then have 3 days after signing to cancel it without penalty. If you add items or services on moving day and that produces a new estimate, the updated bill of lading doesn't restart the 3-day clock.

A mover that only hands you paperwork as the crew starts carrying boxes out isn't following this rule. That's worth noticing, along with the other red flags of moving scams.

What the bill of lading has to include

The rules list 17 required items. These are the ones most worth checking yourself:

• The mover's name and physical address, as registered with FMCSA. Compare it with the company you looked up. See how to read a mover's FMCSA record.
• Every carrier that will handle your shipment, when known, with names, phone numbers, addresses, and USDOT numbers. If a broker sold you the move, this is where the actual carrier should show up. See carrier vs broker.
• The form of payment the mover will accept at delivery. It must match what's on your estimate.
• Pickup and delivery dates or windows, and for guaranteed service, any penalty or per-day amount owed to you if they miss.
• The most you'll have to pay at delivery to get your things, on a collect-on-delivery move. For how that limit works, see binding vs non-binding estimates.
• The valuation statement, where you either keep Full Value Protection or waive it for the much lower released rate. See moving valuation coverage.
• Proof of any outside insurance sold to you, including the premium.
• Any extra services and minimum charges, such as packing or a minimum weight.
• Your estimate and inventory as attachments, if you weren't given them separately, plus a statement that the bill of lading includes every service on your estimate.

Blank and incomplete forms

A mover may never make you sign a blank document. It can ask you to sign one that's incomplete before loading, but only if the missing parts are things nobody can know yet, like the actual weight on a non-binding estimate or charges that come up in transit. Everything else should already be filled in.

Signatures and copies

• You and the mover both sign the bill of lading before loading, and it's signed again at destination.
• You get a dated copy when you sign.
• The driver has to have the bill of lading before the truck leaves your old home, and a copy stays with your shipment the whole way.

The inventory

• The mover has to make a written, itemized inventory of every box and every unboxed item, and put a matching ID number on each piece.
• It's done before or during loading, and you're entitled to watch and check it if you ask.
• You get a complete copy, signed by you and the mover, along with the bill of lading, before or at loading.

At delivery

The mover has to give you the chance to check that the same items are arriving and what shape they're in, and to write down anything missing or damaged. You get a copy of those notes. Take that chance even if the crew is in a hurry, because your notes help if you later need to file a claim. See how to file a complaint or claim.

If your move is priced by weight

On a non-binding estimate based on weight, the shipment must be weighed on a certified scale. You have the right to watch the weighing, and the mover has to tell you where and when it will happen. Each weighing gets a signed weight ticket, and your freight bill must include copies. If the truck was weighed at origin, you can ask for a re-weigh after you're told the weight and charges and before unloading starts, and the bill has to use the re-weigh weight.

Quick checklist

1. Get the bill of lading at least 3 days before loading, and read it before you sign.
2. Check that the company name, address, and USDOT numbers match the FMCSA record.
3. Confirm the payment method, the delivery window, and the maximum due at delivery.
4. Look at the valuation box and make sure it shows the choice you meant to make.
5. Refuse to sign anything blank.
6. Watch the inventory being made, and keep your signed copy.
7. At delivery, compare items to the inventory and note every problem in writing.