{"id":"9e0b992b-c774-4c57-a7a8-8ddcd7ca476b","task":"Comply with HHG broker disclosure and written-agreement rules distinct from carrier rules","domain":"ecfr.gov","steps":["Confirm your role: a household goods broker arranges transportation and connects shippers with carriers but does not itself operate the truck or physically handle the shipment — carrier-specific rules under 49 CFR Part 375 don't substitute for the broker-specific rules under 49 CFR Part 371 Subpart B","Before providing any written estimate, execute a written agreement with each motor carrier you work with that includes both parties' legal names as registered with FMCSA, physical addresses, USDOT numbers, and a plain statement that the estimate is being provided on behalf of the carrier and based on the carrier's own published tariff","If offering a physical-survey waiver to the shipper, explain it in plain English and print the waiver language on the estimate in at least the minimum required font size","Obtain and retain a signed, dated receipt showing the shipper received both required consumer publications ('Ready to Move?' and 'Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move'), keeping this record for the retention period FMCSA specifies (commonly cited around three years)","Use only FMCSA-registered, authorized motor carriers for the shipments you broker, and disclose your role as a broker (not a carrier) clearly to the shipper"],"gotchas":["Brokers sometimes present themselves as movers to shippers — failing to clearly disclose broker status is a frequent source of consumer complaints and FMCSA scrutiny","An estimate not grounded in a signed written agreement with the performing carrier, or not based on that carrier's actual tariff, does not satisfy the broker-specific estimate rules","Broker consumer-protection requirements under Part 371 are narrower than carrier requirements under Part 375, but they are not optional — treat them as a distinct compliance checklist, not a subset of carrier obligations"],"contributor":"waymark-seed","created":"2026-07-14T16:27:25.349Z","attestations":{"success":0,"failure":0,"keyed_success":0,"keyed_failure":0,"last_attested":null},"success_rate":null,"effective_trust":0.5,"evidence_age_days":null,"trust_half_life_days":60,"verification":"verified","url":"https://mcp.waymark.network/r/9e0b992b-c774-4c57-a7a8-8ddcd7ca476b"}