Before hiring an interstate moving company, understand the difference between a direct moving carrier and a moving broker.
Reliable Movers is a family-owned, federally authorized household goods carrier established in 1996. Safe Ship Moving Services operates as a moving broker, arranging transportation through third-party moving companies.
Knowing who actually transports your belongings, employs your moving crew, and handles delivery is essential when choosing an interstate mover.
Reliable Movers provides interstate moving services using our own trucks and experienced, long-term employees.
We are federally authorized to transport household goods across state lines. Review our licensing and insurance information .
Learn about brokers, binding estimates, delivery terms, and warning signs in our Interstate Moving Tips & Scam Warnings .
One of the most important questions to ask before hiring an interstate moving company is simple: Are you the actual moving company, or are you a broker?
A moving broker arranges transportation through another moving company. The company you speak with when booking may not be the company that arrives to load, transport, and deliver your belongings.
Reliable Movers is different. We are a federally authorized interstate household goods motor carrier . We use our own company-owned trucks and long-term, experienced employees. We do not broker shipments, subcontract moves, or hire day laborers.
When you book an interstate move with Reliable Movers, you deal directly with the company responsible for transporting your belongings, from pickup through delivery.
Not all interstate moving companies operate the same way. Compare hiring a direct household goods motor carrier with booking through a moving broker.
| WHAT TO COMPARE | Reliable Movers DIRECT MOVING CARRIER | Safe Ship Moving Services MOVING BROKER |
|---|---|---|
| Company Type | Federally authorized household goods motor carrier. | Federally registered household goods moving broker. |
| Established | 1996 | 2020 |
| Who Handles Your Move? | Reliable Movers directly loads, transports, and delivers your belongings. | Safe Ship arranges transportation through a separate motor carrier that performs the move. |
| Moving Trucks | Our own company-owned moving trucks and equipment. | The assigned motor carrier provides the moving truck and equipment. |
| Moving Crews | Our own long-term, experienced employees. No subcontractors or day laborers. | The assigned motor carrier provides the moving crew. |
| Moving Estimates | Written binding flat-rate estimates based on agreed inventory and services. | Broker-arranged estimates based on the transporting carrier’s tariff. |
| Pickup and Delivery | Handled directly by Reliable Movers using our own trucks and employees. | Handled by the assigned third-party motor carrier. |
| Customer Communication | Customers communicate directly with the company performing their interstate move. | Customers may communicate with the broker regarding booking and with the carrier regarding transportation. |
| Federal Registration |
USDOT 1605981 MC 837987 Direct motor carrier |
USDOT 3570396 MC 1202480 Household goods broker |
When you hire Reliable Movers, you hire the company that actually handles your interstate move. Our trucks. Our employees. Our reputation. Family-owned since 1996, with written binding flat-rate estimates.
Comparison prepared October 2026. Safe Ship Moving Services LLC is listed as a household goods broker in federal registration records. See FMCSA registration information and FMCSA’s explanation of movers and brokers . Reliable Movers’ operating information is provided by Reliable Movers. Both carriers and brokers can operate legally when properly registered.
Customers looking for interstate moving services want to know who is actually showing up on moving day. With Reliable Movers, the company providing the estimate is the same company responsible for loading, transporting, and delivering your belongings.
Reliable Movers has been established since 1996. We are not a lead service, we are not a broker, and we do not sell your move to another company. We use our own moving trucks and our own long-term employees.
Our interstate customers appreciate our written binding estimates, direct communication, and experienced crews. Before booking, customers can also review our insurance and licensing information to understand who they are hiring.
From Syracuse and Central New York to destinations along the East Coast and parts of the Midwest, Reliable Movers provides direct interstate moving service with the same company handling the job from start to finish.
Before hiring an interstate moving company, it’s important to research its complaint history, business practices, and customer experiences. The Better Business Bureau provides publicly available information to help consumers make informed decisions.
As of October 30, 2026, the Better Business Bureau profile for Safe Ship Moving Services LLC reports 840 complaints filed in the preceding three years, including 285 complaints in the preceding 12 months.
The BBB assigns Safe Ship Moving Services a B− rating and identifies the company as not BBB accredited. The profile also reports four complaints that were not resolved.
The BBB complaint record includes customer reports involving:
These are customer-reported concerns and do not establish that every allegation is accurate. Safe Ship also has positive customer reviews, and readers should consider the company’s responses and the outcomes of individual complaints.
Safe Ship Moving Services operates as a moving broker, arranging transportation through third-party motor carriers. Consumers should understand which company will physically transport their shipment, what services are covered by the estimate, and who is responsible for delivery and damage claims.
With Reliable Movers, customers work directly with the company performing their move. We operate our own trucks, employ our own experienced moving crews, and provide written binding flat-rate estimates based on the agreed shipment and services.
Learn more about our direct interstate moving services and our interstate moving tips .
Source: Better Business Bureau — Safe Ship Moving Services LLC . Figures checked October 30, 2026, and subject to change. BBB customer complaints are consumer-submitted accounts. BBB is not affiliated with or endorsing Reliable Movers.
Reliable Movers does not broker your shipment to another moving company. Our own employees and company-owned equipment handle your move.
We have long-term employees who have worked together for years. We do not rely on temporary day laborers or subcontracted crews.
We provide written binding moving estimates based on the agreed shipment and services. Any requested changes are addressed in writing.
Customers deal directly with Reliable Movers rather than having their shipment assigned to an unrelated moving company.
Consumers can verify interstate moving companies through the federal government’s Protect Your Move resources.
FMCSA Protect Your MoveFamily-owned since 1996, Reliable Movers has built its reputation on experienced crews, dependable service, and honest flat-rate pricing.
Read our customer reviews and see why families throughout Central New York trust Reliable Movers for local and interstate moving.
Reliable Movers is a family-owned and owner-operated moving company founded in 1996. Mike and Jen remain directly involved in the business, with Mike working in the field and Jen handling the office, scheduling, estimates, and customer coordination.
Mike is co-owner of Reliable Movers and remains actively involved in moving operations, equipment, crews, and difficult specialty moves.
Jen is co-owner of Reliable Movers and manages the office, customer communication, scheduling, estimates, contracts, and move coordination.
Reliable Movers has grown through decades of hands-on experience, long-term employees, and a commitment to providing dependable local and interstate moving throughout Central New York.
Family-owned since 1996. Licensed interstate carrier with our own trucks and experienced crews. Written binding flat-rate estimates, no brokers, and no hourly guessing games.
Our Trucks. Our Employees. Our Name Says It All.
Yes. Safe Ship Moving Services LLC is registered as a household goods moving broker. Brokers arrange transportation through authorized moving carriers rather than physically transporting the shipment themselves. Read the FMCSA explanation of moving brokers .
Reliable Movers is a federally authorized interstate household goods motor carrier, not a broker. We use our own trucks and long-term employees to load, transport, and deliver your shipment. Learn about our interstate moving services .
Yes. As of October 30, 2026, the Better Business Bureau profile reported 840 complaints filed in the preceding three years. The complaint count may change. Customers can review the Safe Ship BBB complaint record and the company’s responses. Customer allegations are not automatically verified findings.
Yes. Properly registered moving brokers can legally arrange interstate household goods transportation with authorized carriers. The important distinction is understanding who will actually transport your belongings and who is responsible for performing the move.
Yes. Reliable Movers provides written binding flat-rate estimates based on the agreed inventory and services. Requested changes to the shipment or moving arrangements are addressed in writing. Review our interstate moving tips for more information.
A binding estimate establishes the agreed charge for the listed shipment and services, subject to applicable contract terms and regulations. Changes to inventory, additional services, or access conditions may affect the final price. Reliable Movers explains and documents agreed changes before proceeding.
Reliable Movers’ own experienced employees handle your shipment using company-owned moving trucks. We do not broker your move to another moving company or use subcontracted moving crews.
Ask for the company’s USDOT and MC numbers and verify its operating authority through the FMCSA Protect Your Move resources. Reliable Movers operates under USDOT 1605981 and MC 837987. You can also review our licensing and insurance information .
For an interstate shipment, the transporting motor carrier is responsible for handling cargo claims under applicable federal regulations and the terms of the bill of lading. Reliable Movers handles its own interstate shipments directly. Learn more about our insurance and valuation information .
Reliable Movers has been family-owned since 1996. Customers work directly with our company, receive written binding flat-rate estimates, and have their shipments handled by our own long-term moving employees. You can read Reliable Movers customer reviews or explore our interstate moving services .
