MENU
SEARCHThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Moving Fraud Task Force has shut down five household goods moving companies in Florida, South Carolina and Maryland for holding customer shipments hostage and failing to turn over records related to their investigations.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Moving Fraud Task Force has shut down five household goods moving companies in Florida, South Carolina and Maryland for holding customer shipments hostage and failing to turn over records related to their investigations.
The five movers who lost their authority to operate:
Allegiant Van Lines, Inc., USDOT No. 1712687, based in Davie, Fla.
Northern Van Lines, Inc., USDOT No. 1147457, based in Cooper City, Fla.
Northeastern Vanlines, Inc., USDOT No. 1212003, based in Pembroke Pines, Fla.
United West Moving and Storage, Inc., USDOT No. 1827150, based in Anderson, S.C.
Direct Movers, Inc., USDOT No. 1666092, based in Pikesville, Md.
FMCSA’s Moving Fraud Task Force began investigating Allegiant Van Lines in response to consumer complaints that the company illegally held customers’ possessions hostage. The company failed to respond to federal orders charging it with improperly holding hostage goods. The company has been suspended from operating for at least one year. In addition, it has been issued fines of over $88,000 for safety and commercial violations.
During the course of the investigation into Allegiant, FMCSA discovered the company’s owner also operated Northern Van Lines and Northeastern Vanlines and United West Moving and Storage.
Combined, more than 100 complaints have been filed against the three related companies in the National Consumer Complaint Database. They now face fines of over $31,000 total and have also been suspended from operating for at least one year.
Maryland-based Direct Movers was also shut down, and their DOT No. inactivated, for failing to comply with an FMCSA demand for records involving a shipment being held hostage.
In 2012, FMCSA established a Moving Fraud Task Force to investigate household goods moving companies with numerous complaints.
In July of this year, FMCSA announced that civil penalties of up to $56,000 had been levied against three Chicago-area moving companies as a result of an intensified investigation into Illinois movers.
More than 5,800 household goods moving companies are registered with FMCSA.
In 2012, FMCSA received more than 3,100 consumer complaints about household goods movers, up from 2,851 in 2011. Among the most common complaints are shipments being held hostage, loss and damaged goods, delay of shipments, unauthorized movers, and deceptive practices such as unwarranted overcharges.
When the unexpected happens, how you react to, and deal with operational blind spots is critical. Here’s how to keep you recovery on track, when nothing is normal.
Read More →
As fleets adopt artificial intelligence for routing, maintenance, and load matching, new security risks are emerging. Learn where the vulnerabilities are and how to put the right controls in place.
Read More →
The long-awaited registration system promises a single portal — and tighter fraud controls.
Read More →
CargoNet reports fewer supply chain crime events to start 2026. But losses hold steady as organized crime shifts tactics toward impersonation schemes and high-value goods.
Read More →
Heavy Duty Trucking is searching for forward-looking leaders at trucking fleets as nominations for HDT’s Truck Fleet Innovators 2026. Deadline is May 15.
Read More →
Cargo theft rings plant operatives as drivers inside legitimate, fully vetted carriers, then execute coordinated thefts that look like a traditional straight theft from the outside.
Read More →
A modest sequential increase capped the strongest quarterly performance in years, signaling continued freight momentum in early 2026.
Read More →
More than 300 carriers across 26 states have been sent to collections as the Ohio Turnpike cracks down on toll evasion and delinquent payments.
Read More →
The American Transportation Research Institute will examine driver coaching, regulatory impacts — including the "Beyond Compliance" concept —and weather disruptions that shape trucking operations.
Read More →
Fleet Advantage's Brian Antonellis says it's time for fleets to get back to the fundamentals of good maintenance practices. And that includes replacing older, inefficient equipment.
Read More →
