How to read MoverSignal

MoverSignal explains dated and live official records. It is not a guarantee, recommendation or government endorsement.

The recommendation model

The quick read is rules-based and traceable to the evidence shown on the profile. It does not use reviews, advertising relationships or an undisclosed score.

• Looks clear so far means no supported current issue was found in the records checked. It does not mean the government endorses the mover.
• Review before paying means a required check is incomplete or needs direct confirmation. It is not an accusation.
• Proceed with caution is reserved for supported current signals: inactive registration, a current stop order, pending insurance cancellation, a live role mismatch or an adverse federal safety rating.

Missing inspections, “not rated,” crash involvement, an older import, or a temporarily unavailable live endpoint do not create a negative recommendation by themselves.

Who appears in mover counts

The national and state universe comes from FMCSA company-census records carrying the household-goods cargo indicator. A census record is not proof of current interstate household-goods authority. Profiles therefore show authority, registration and insurance as separate evidence layers.

Dated import plus live official check

The imported database provides nationwide search, history and safety context. When a profile opens, MoverSignal also checks the current MOTUS record. Live identity, registration, authority and insurance values replace older imported values on that page. Differences are logged for reconciliation and remain neutral unless the current official value itself supports a warning.

Authority and insurance

“Active authority matched” means a live or imported active carrier or broker authority record is tied to that USDOT number. “No active match” does not prove the company is unauthorized. An insurance filing missing from a dated import does not prove the company is uninsured. Current filings found live are displayed; canceled and duplicate filings are removed.

Crash and safety limitations

Crashes report carrier involvement, not fault. Zero inspections does not mean a perfect safety record. “Not rated” is neutral, not a passing or failing rating. Out-of-service percentages describe inspected vehicles or drivers and can be volatile when samples are small. These fields are not combined into a hidden safety score.

Dates and sources

Company census, authority, insurance, safety, crash and stop-order datasets update on different schedules. Every profile shows the live-check time beside the quick read and lists the observation date for each imported evidence layer. The linked government record remains the final source before payment.

Public quality evidence

Our reproducible live audit, match rate and reconciliation queue are published on the data-quality page. Machine-readable reports are available there for independent review.

Corrections

Use Correct a record to flag a mismatch, company-name issue, privacy request or changed status. Corrections remain pending until reviewed against official evidence.