Antiques and Jewelry on a Massachusetts Move: Ask What the Cargo Policy Excludes

Por James Brazil

James Brazil vive en Mérida, México. Fundó Swift Agent Sites y estudió Clásicas en la Universidad de Mississippi.

Publicado el 12 de noviembre de 2026 · Actualizado el 12 de noviembre de 2026

On a Massachusetts move that stays in the state, the DPU says a mover's cargo insurance will not cover items of extraordinary value, such as antiques or paintings. Ask for the exclusion list before loading day. The base rate many movers file is 60 cents per pound per article.

The bill of lading is where that choice is written down. A spoken promise in the kitchen does not change the line you initial on the truck.

What does the DPU actually say about valuables?

The mover guide treats cargo insurance and the valuation on your shipment as two different limits. Cargo insurance is the policy the company carries. The guide says that policy will not cover extraordinary-value items. Valuation is the amount you and the mover write on the bill of lading. Many companies' filed base rate, called a declared rate, stops at 60 cents per pound per article. A heavy frame can still be worth far more than that math.

The guide tells you to ask, before moving day, whether you can raise the declared value above 60 cents per pound. It also tells you to ask for a list of items that are not covered. Jewelry, a painting, and a family antique belong on that question even if they are not named in the guide's examples. If the company will not put the answer in writing, those items should not go on the truck.

Where does the choice get written?

State law, as the DPU describes it, requires a bill of lading for every shipment. The driver gives you a copy before loading. The guide says that paper should include the declared or released valuation of the shipment, the company's name and address, the DPU license number, a phone number, your address, and the loading and delivery dates.

Read the valuation line before you sign. If you wanted replacement cost and the line still says 60 cents, do not sign on the theory that the estimator will fix it later. The license number on that paper should match the company you checked. See how to check a Massachusetts mover.

What is a separate arrangement?

The guide's phrase is "make separate arrangements for valuables." That can mean a rider you buy from your own insurer, a specialist shipper, or carrying the piece yourself. Ask your homeowners or renters agent whether the policy covers goods in a mover's truck, and whether a scheduled item stays covered in transit. Get the answer in a letter or an email. A mover who says "we are fully insured" has not answered the exclusion question.

Photograph the item, note a model or a maker if you know it, and keep the appraisal or the receipt at home, not in a box on the truck. If the piece is excluded, the photos still help you with your own insurer. They do not raise the mover's 60-cent rate after a loss.

What if the item is damaged anyway?

The bill of lading may set a deadline for reporting damage. The guide says to read it and to report problems promptly, in writing, and to keep the damaged item for the adjuster. A claim for an excluded antique, filed only against the cargo policy, asks the company to pay a loss the guide says that policy does not cover. A claim that the estimator promised coverage the bill of lading never showed is a different complaint. Put both papers in the file.

If the move started and ended in Massachusetts and the company will not answer, file a written complaint with the DPU. The Transportation Oversight Division has to investigate written complaints. See how to file that complaint. Storage of the piece is a different office. See public warehouses and self-storage.

What changes if the truck leaves Massachusetts?

A move into another state is an FMCSA move. The DPU's in-state cargo note does not set the federal valuation. Interstate rules start at full value protection unless you waive it in writing. See interstate rules when the truck leaves Massachusetts. Ask which paper you are signing before you initial a 60-cent line out of habit.

FAQ

Does the mover's cargo policy cover an antique? The DPU says cargo insurance will not cover items of extraordinary value, and it names antiques and paintings as examples. Ask for the company's list.

Is 60 cents per pound the law for every Massachusetts mover? The DPU says many movers file a base declared rate of 60 cents per pound per article, and that most offer a higher declared value. Read the bill of lading for the rate on your job.

Can I raise the value on moving morning? Ask before moving day, which is when the guide tells you to decide. A change on the truck still has to appear on the bill of lading before you sign it.

Should I pack jewelry in a carton? If it is on the exclusion list, a carton does not create coverage. Carry it, or insure it on your own policy, and keep the receipt out of the shipment.

Who do I call if the company denies a piece it said was covered? Write the company first. If both addresses were in Massachusetts, file the DPU's written complaint with the estimate, the bill of lading, and the exclusion list.

Next step

Before the estimator leaves, ask for the uncovered-items list and for the declared-value line you will see on the bill of lading. Price a separate policy for anything on that list. Leave those pieces off the truck until the paper matches the conversation.

Sources: DPU: Moving Within Massachusetts.