If a Wyoming Mover Holds the Goods: Interstate 110 Percent, In-State Contract
James Brazil lives in Mérida, Mexico. He founded Swift Agent Sites and studied Classics at the University of Mississippi.
Published · Updated
What you pay before a Wyoming mover unloads depends on the route. If the shipment crossed a state line, 49 CFR 375.407 requires release when you pay 110 percent of a non-binding estimate. If both addresses are in Wyoming, WYDOT does not publish that percentage.
Write down which states are on the bill of lading before you send a new amount from the curb. Extra services you requested after that bill of lading can be added to the interstate tender. A Wyoming-only demand uses the estimate you signed.
What is the interstate rule?
For a non-binding interstate estimate, you tender up to 110 percent at delivery. Charges for services you asked for after the bill of lading can be added. The mover that keeps the goods after that tender fails the reasonable-dispatch duty in 49 CFR 375.407. A partial delivery can be billed only for a prorated share of the weight that arrived. The two federal booklets, "Ready to Move?" and "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move," are supposed to be in your hands before you are in this argument. See the interstate rules.
Pay the 110 percent in a form you can prove. Keep the receipt and a photo of the invoice. Then call FMCSA at 1-888-368-7238 if the truck still will not open. A Wyoming letter of authority does not raise that federal ceiling.
What applies if the move never left Wyoming?
WYDOT's operating-authority materials require the letter and the insurance filings. They do not publish a household-goods tariff or a delivery-release percentage. There is no state sheet that says "pay the estimate plus 10 percent and the crew must unload," which is the Oregon rule, and there is no sheet that copies the federal 110 percent rule onto a Gillette-to-Casper job.
Your leverage is the paper you signed. If the estimate says $1,800 for the services listed, a demand for $1,800 is what that paper describes. A new cash line for stairs, a shuttle, or a "same-day fee" that was not in the estimate is the line to dispute before you hand over the extra money. Ask the driver to add it in writing, with a reason. If you pay the undisputed estimate and the company still holds the goods, write that fact down with the time and the address. See why the written estimate is the price.
Who do you tell?
Start with the company, in writing, even from the sidewalk. If the problem is a price or an advertisement that was never real, file the Attorney General's consumer complaint after you have tried the company. The unit answers in writing. It represents the state, it does not represent you, and it says it does not take a private contract dispute as its own case. A hold that is only a math fight over an invoice may land in that second box. A hold tied to a bait-and-switch quote is the file the complaint page describes. See what the Attorney General will take.
Operating authority is 307-777-4850. A missing letter does not, by itself, make the Attorney General your mover. Use WYDOT for the credential and the Attorney General for a deceptive practice. See the letter of authority.
What should you not do on the curb?
Do not sign a blank delivery receipt in exchange for the keys to the truck. Do not pay a new cash demand that is not on any paper, and do not agree that the goods arrived in perfect condition if you have not looked. Photograph the invoice, the truck name, and any carton you can see. Those pictures go with the complaint. If the company offers to store the load until you pay a new total, ask for the warehouse address and the daily rate in writing before you leave the street. Note the time you tendered the estimate amount and the name of the person who refused to unload.
FAQ
Does 110 percent apply to a move across Wyoming? No. That figure is the federal rule for a non-binding interstate estimate. A Wyoming-only job does not get it from WYDOT's operating-authority page.
What do I pay an interstate mover before they unload? Up to 110 percent of the non-binding estimate, plus extra services you requested after the bill of lading. Get a receipt.
Can the Attorney General order the truck to open? The office does not act as your lawyer and does not take private contract disputes as its cases. It reviews a written complaint about a deceptive practice and answers in writing.
Should I call WYDOT if the crew wants more cash? Call 307-777-4850 if you need to know whether the company holds authority. The price dispute is the estimate plus, if deception is the issue, the Attorney General.
What if only part of an interstate shipment shows up? 49 CFR 375.407 limits the collection on the spot to a prorated share based on the weight delivered, once you are in the 110 percent framework.
Next step
Sort the route first. Interstate: tender 110 percent of the non-binding estimate and call FMCSA if the goods stay on the truck. Wyoming-only: pay the written estimate, refuse a new cash line that is not in writing, and send the Attorney General the estimate and the invoice if the demand does not match what you were sold.
Sources: 49 CFR 375.407, FMCSA: Protect Your Move, WYDOT: intrastate operating authority, Wyoming Attorney General: consumer complaints.
Before you hire: Check a moving company's federal authority and insurance free, from FMCSA's records.
General notes for moves in and to Wyoming. Not a quote or a recommendation of any specific company. Confirm details with the mover you hire.
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