Start with the two identifiers every legitimate mover has: a corporate name registered with the state and, for interstate work, a USDOT number. Enter the USDOT number into the FMCSA Company Snapshot to confirm the carrier's status, operating authority, and insurance filings, then check the corporate name on the state registry — Sunbiz in Florida — to confirm the entity is active and to see its registered address.
Red flags worth walking away from: a quote given without any survey of the goods, a demand for a large cash deposit, a blank or incomplete bill of lading, a rental truck instead of marked equipment, and a company whose USDOT number belongs to a different legal name. Each of these is visible before money changes hands.