Insurance for moving companies
Customers' belongings, heavy trucks and heavy lifting: three different risks.
A moving company carries other people's belongings in large vehicles, with crews doing physically demanding work in customers' homes. Each of those creates a different exposure, and each is covered by a different policy.
The core policies
- Commercial auto: liability and physical damage for your trucks and vans. Personal auto policies don't cover business use like this.
- Motor truck cargo or inland marine: customers' goods while loaded, in transit and sometimes in storage.
- General liability: injuries and property damage at customers' homes, such as a dented door frame or a damaged floor.
- Workers' compensation: crew injuries, required in most states once you have employees.
- Warehouse legal liability, if you store customers' goods.
- Umbrella: extra liability limits above the auto and general liability policies.
Interstate movers
Moving household goods across state lines brings federal registration with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, including proof of insurance. Interstate movers must also offer customers the federal liability options, Full Value Protection or Released Value, and explain them in writing.
Why customers ask if you're "licensed and insured"
Customers increasingly check before they book. A current certificate of insurance and clear written liability terms help you win jobs, and help settle damage claims without disputes.
Common questions
Typically commercial auto, cargo or inland marine for customers' goods, general liability, workers' compensation for employees, and often an umbrella. Movers who store goods add warehouse legal liability.
Interstate household goods movers register with the FMCSA and must show proof of insurance, and they must offer customers the federal liability options.
Usually not goods in your care, custody or control. That's what cargo or inland marine coverage is for.
Want this priced for your situation?
This page is general information, not advice about your specific circumstances. A licensed insurance professional can tell you what’s actually available to you.
Sources
- Protect Your Move, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Checked 23 September 2026.
- Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move (49 CFR Part 375, Appendix A), Cornell Legal Information Institute. Checked 23 September 2026.
General information only, not insurance advice. Coverage, availability, and terms vary by insurer and by state, and are subject to underwriting. Quote My Policy LLC connects you with licensed insurance professionals. Nothing here binds coverage.