THE SHORT ANSWER
Verify actual accepted and completed moves, collected results, available crew and fleet, claims and goods held in storage. Identify the actual mover or arranging broker and resolve proposed operating conditions with qualified support. Fund service, refunds and necessary equipment investment alongside purchase costs. Reviews, booked-job lists and DOT numbers do not establish transferable rights or future profit.
Verify accepted jobs and actual completed economics
Sample move files from quote and acceptance through changed scope, crew time, travel, packing, delivery, credits and collection. Separate offered household/commercial, local/interstate and storage work where records support it. Reconcile job reports to annual statements rather than relying only on bank deposits or selected profitable jobs.
Distinguish earned revenue from deposits and unperformed work. Review actual cancellations, seasonal shifts and customer exposure without a universal 10% cap. Read customer, referral, van-line and provider terms using the consent register. A booked job or review profile is separate from performed profitable service.
Resolve the actual operator and crew/fleet coverage
FMCSA distinguishes interstate household-goods movers and arranging brokers.
(FMCSA: interstate movers and brokers)Have authorities and advisors review actual entity, role, territory, customer/provider arrangements and proposed ownership-change conditions. The overview does not establish clearance for every local, commercial or interstate service.
Verify available qualified crews and permanent estimating, scheduling, driving, supervision and complaint duties. Inspect actual fleet/handling equipment appropriately for title, liens, leases, condition and needed investment. Temporary seller help, planned hires and every vehicle on an asset list are separate from funded demonstrated capacity.
Investigate claims and goods held in custody
Review actual loss/damage complaints, pending claims, refunds, deductibles, insurance and customer-service documents with qualified advisors. Reconcile stored goods to customer records, actual agreements, authorized access, unpaid charges and release duties. Customer-owned property is separate from business-owned inventory and cannot be assumed to be a purchased asset.
FTC guidance addresses necessary access and secure information handling.
(FTC: protecting personal information in business)Use approved redacted move/inventory/claims examples. Resolve permitted phone, booking, warehouse, payment, review-profile and software rights. Protect addresses, schedules, possessions and credentials through authorized diligence and a defined handoff.
Fund remaining work and authority conditions
FMCSA identifies a process for covered operating-authority transfers.
(FMCSA: operating-authority transfer notice)Obtain current agency/advisor direction for the actual proposed entity and transaction. The older summary does not grant automatic authority transfer or eligibility.
SBA acquisition guidance encourages reviewing investment and operating costs.
(SBA: evaluating an existing business purchase)Model actual wage, fuel, storage, refund and collection timing alongside price, debt, transition and necessary fleet investment. Use the moving financial guide to separate annual earnings from cash. Define fleet, receivables, payables, deposits, open moves, stored goods and complaint duties using the delivery guide; review current lender conditions through the financing checklist. Compare funded delivery and unresolved conditions before relying on growth or a turnkey label.
Buyer questions
What should I verify before buying a mover?
Accepted/completed work, operator roles, available crews and fleet, claims, stored goods, permissions and operating cash.
Are deposits free operating profit after closing?
Identify unperformed service, refunds and agreement responsibilities separately from earned revenue.
Does buying trucks settle operating authority?
Review the actual entity, service and transaction with authorities and qualified advisors.
Sources and review scope
Source review completed . The sources below support the identified concepts or rules; they do not validate hypothetical amounts or a valuation of your business.
- FMCSA: interstate movers and brokers
April 27, 2026 consumer guidance distinguishes interstate household-goods movers from arranging brokers and their registration/provider roles. Supports actual role and responsible-operator review. Full linked rules, state/local moves, applications, sale transfer and proposed operating clearance not reviewed.
- FTC: protecting personal information in business
Information inventory, necessary access, authentication, encryption, service-provider oversight, retention and incident planning. General security guidance; not an M&A privacy-law compliance certification.
- FMCSA: operating-authority transfer notice
Agency summary identifies a reporting process and legal interpretation for covered operating-authority transfers, August 2013 notice effective October 2013. Summary only: full linked notice and current transaction-specific process not reviewed. Use with current agency/advisor direction; no automatic transfer or eligibility decision.
- SBA: evaluating an existing business purchase
Current consolidated planning page, acquisition sections: investment and operating costs, personal fit, infrastructure, investigation and professional document review. Not proof of off-market availability, superior pricing or financing approval. No franchise-specific conclusions taken from this source.
Confirm tax, legal, accounting and lending applications with the relevant professionals. Historical market observations describe the stated period and reported sample.
This is educational material. Industry figures and program rules can change; check the original sources and your advisors before applying them to a transaction. Calculator scenarios are not appraisals, lending decisions, or offers.
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