A
BUDD VAN LINES INC
USDOT 185771 • MC-152533 • SOMERSET, NJ
MoverAudit grade: A, based on federal records below
⚠ High risk: book with caution
Complaints by category, last 4 years
1 hostage-goods complaint on federal record. Hostage complaints mean movers demanded extra money before releasing belongings. Treat this as a serious warning sign.
Company details
Legal nameBUDD VAN LINES INC
Address24 SCHOOLHOUSE ROAD, SOMERSET, NJ 08873-5960
Phone(732) 627-0600
Company officerDAVID W. BUDD SR.
OrganizationCorporation
In business sinceJun 1974
Last FMCSA updateJan 2026
Fleet & authority
Power units (trucks)124
Drivers102 (92 CDL)
Operation classAuthorized For Hire
Carrier operationInterstate
Broker authorityn/a
Carrier authorityYes
Safety ratingSatisfactory (Feb 2016)
Prior revocationNo
MoverAudit risk score: 7/100
Computed from objective federal flags only: broker-only registration, fleet size, complaint volume and severity, hostage-goods reports and past revocations. Lower is safer. This is a summary of public records, not a review.
Complaints vs. other checked movers
Red flags & green flags
!1 hostage-goods complaint on federal record.
✓Vehicle out-of-service rate 11.86% is below the national average of 20.72%.
✓Liability insurance on file with FMCSA, no recent cancellations.
✓Official FMCSA safety rating: Satisfactory.
✓USDOT registration is active.
✓Holds real carrier authority: they move goods themselves.
✓124 trucks registered with FMCSA.
✓In business since 1974: a long federal track record.
✓Never had operating authority revoked.
Complaint history, year by year
2026 1 complaint
Hostage Goods: 1
This year includes hostage-goods complaints: customers reported belongings withheld pending extra payment. That is the most serious category in the federal system.
2025 3 complaints
Leasing Violations: 3
Shipment Documents: 1
Roadside safety & insurance
Roadside safety record
Vehicle out-of-service rate, this company vs. national average:
Vehicle inspections59 (7 OOS)
Driver inspections102 (7 OOS)
Crashes, last 3 years0
FMCSA safety ratingSatisfactory
FMCSA safety categories (SMS BASICs), last 24 months:
Driver FitnessBelow cutoff
Controlled Substances/ AlcoholBelow cutoff
Hours-of-Service ComplianceBelow cutoff
Unsafe DrivingBelow cutoff
Vehicle MaintenanceBelow cutoff
Insurance on file
Liability insuranceOn file
InsurerVanliner Insurance Company
Policy effective sinceMay 2017
Cargo insurance5
Cancellations, 3 yrs0
Stable coverage. Insurance is on file with FMCSA and no cancellations were recorded in the last 3 years.
Source: FMCSA Licensing & Insurance filings, refreshed nightly.
Insurance policy history
Dec 2013 → May 2017
Vanliner Insurance Company (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Dec 2013 → May 2017
Vanliner Insurance Company (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Dec 2013 → May 2017
Vanliner Insurance Company (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Dec 2013 → May 2017
Vanliner Insurance Company (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Dec 2012 → Dec 2013
American Guarantee & Liability Ins. Co. (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Dec 2012 → Dec 2013
American Guarantee & Liability Ins. Co. (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Dec 2012 → Dec 2013
American Guarantee & Liability Ins. Co. (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Dec 2012 → Dec 2013
American Guarantee & Liability Ins. Co. (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Every liability policy this company filed with FMCSA, newest first. Frequent insurer changes or repeated cancellations are worth a direct question; one long-running policy is what stability looks like.
Recent roadside inspections
Jul 1, 2026 Driver-only, SC
1 violation
49 CFR 392.2-INAT (driver)
Jun 10, 2026 Driver-only, FL
Clean, no violations
Jun 10, 2026 Driver-only, WA
Clean, no violations
Jun 9, 2026 Full inspection, AL
Clean, no violations
May 29, 2026 Walk-around, PA
3 violations, 1 out-of-service
49 CFR 391.41APC: Medical (Certificate) - Operating a property-carrying vehicle without… (driver), OOS
49 CFR 391.41APC: Medical (Certificate) - Operating a property-carrying vehicle without… (driver), OOS
49 CFR 392.2-SLLSR
49 CFR 393.95F: Emergency Equipment - Stopped vehicle warning devices missing or impr…
49 CFR 392.2-SLLSR
49 CFR 393.95F: Emergency Equipment - Stopped vehicle warning devices missing or impr…
May 23, 2026 Full inspection, IL
Clean, no violations
May 15, 2026 Driver-only, IL
Clean, no violations
May 8, 2026 Driver-only, NM
Clean, no violations
Last 8 roadside inspections from FMCSA records (up to 3 years). "OOS" means the driver or vehicle was ordered out of service on the spot.
Authority history
Dec 3, 2013 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Dec 3, 2013 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Feb 15, 2012 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Dec 16, 2010 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Dec 6, 2010 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Nov 9, 2006 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Nov 9, 2006 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Dec 13, 2004 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Dec 13, 2004 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Sep 30, 1999 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Shared identity check
Clean identity check. This company's address, phone number and officer do not match any other registered mover in our database. No sign of the "chameleon" pattern where a burned company re-registers under a fresh name.
Is Budd Van Lines INC reliable? Our read of the record
The federal record argues for real caution with Budd Van Lines INC: 1 hostage-goods complaint on federal record. These are not opinions or reviews: each one is a fact filed in the federal system, and hostage-goods complaints in particular describe intent, not accidents.
If you already have a quote from this company, do not send a deposit before reading the complaint categories above. There are movers in New Jersey with cleaner records doing the same routes; two of them are listed below.
This assessment is generated from the public federal records shown on this page: registration, fleet, complaints, inspections, insurance and authority filings. It is a summary of records, not a review or an accusation.
Carriers to compare in New Jersey
About Budd Van Lines INC
Budd Van Lines INC is a federally licensed household goods carrier based in Somerset, New Jersey, registered with FMCSA since June 1974. Federal filings show 124 power units (trucks/tractors) and 102 drivers.
Over the last four years, consumers filed 4 complaints against this company with the federal government. The most common complaint category is "Leasing Violations" (3 complaints). Most seriously, 1 complaint fall under "Hostage Goods", meaning customers reported their belongings were withheld pending extra payment.
How to read this report
The grade and risk score at the top are calculated by MoverAudit from objective federal flags: whether the company is a broker or a carrier, how many trucks it operates, the volume and severity of complaints, hostage-goods reports, and past authority revocations. They are not official government ratings, and they are not reviews: every input is a public federal record shown on this page.
The complaint categories come from the FMCSA household goods complaint system. A single bad move can generate complaints in several categories at once, so the category sum can exceed the total. Pay the most attention to "Hostage Goods" and "Deceptive Business Practices": those describe intent, not accidents. "Loss and Damage" at low volume is normal friction for a carrier doing thousands of moves; the same number at a tiny company is not.
The fleet numbers matter more than they look. A company advertising nationwide service with zero or one registered truck is not doing that work itself: your move will be handled by someone you have not vetted. Compare the fleet size to the promises in your quote.
If you are considering this company, use this report as a starting point, not a verdict. Get the estimate in writing and check whether it is binding, confirm the USDOT number on their paperwork matches 185771, and if a different company shows up on moving day, stop and check that company here before a single box goes on the truck.
Questions about BUDD VAN LINES INC
Is Budd Van Lines INC legit?
Budd Van Lines INC has an active USDOT registration (185771). It has 4 federal complaints in the last 4 years. Review the categories above before booking.
Is Budd Van Lines INC a broker or a carrier?
A licensed carrier with 124 registered trucks.
How many complaints does Budd Van Lines INC have?
4 federal complaints in the last 4 years, most in the "Leasing Violations" category. That includes 1 hostage-goods complaints, the most serious category. Complaints are filed by consumers with FMCSA and cannot be removed by the company.
Where is Budd Van Lines INC based?
24 Schoolhouse Road, Somerset, NJ 08873-5960. Phone on file: (732) 627-0600. Registered with FMCSA since June 1974.
Sources: FMCSA Motor Carrier Census (registration, fleet), FMCSA Household Goods Complaint History via NCCDB (complaints, checked Jul 17, 2026). MoverAudit summarizes public federal records; it does not accuse any company of wrongdoing. Verify details at protectyourmove.gov.