A
STERLING MOVING & STORAGE INC
USDOT 631155 • MC-299121 • CRANSTON, RI
MoverAudit grade: A, based on federal records below
✓ No major red flags found
Complaint history
No federal complaints on record in the last 4 years. Records checked against the FMCSA household goods complaint database.
Company details
Legal nameSTERLING MOVING & STORAGE INC
Address61 COMSTOCK PARKWAY, CRANSTON, RI 02921
Phone(401) 943-3200
Company officerRYAN PENNINGTON
OrganizationCorporation
In business sinceFeb 1996
Last FMCSA updateJul 2025
Fleet & authority
Power units (trucks)11
Drivers12 (10 CDL)
Operation classAuthorized For Hire
Carrier operationInterstate
Broker authorityYes
Carrier authorityYes
Safety ratingNot rated
Prior revocationNo
MoverAudit risk score: 0/100
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
!No federal complaints on record in the last 4 years.
!Shares an address, phone or officer with 1 mover that have complaints or revoked authority (see identity check below).
✓Liability insurance on file with FMCSA, no recent cancellations.
✓USDOT registration is active.
✓Holds real carrier authority: they move goods themselves.
✓11 trucks registered with FMCSA.
✓No hostage-goods complaints on record.
✓In business since 1996: a long federal track record.
✓Never had operating authority revoked.
Roadside safety & insurance
Roadside safety record
Vehicle out-of-service rate, this company vs. national average:
Vehicle inspections2
Driver inspections3 (1 OOS)
Crashes, last 3 years0
FMCSA safety ratingNot rated
FMCSA safety categories (SMS BASICs), last 24 months:
Driver FitnessBelow cutoff
Controlled Substances/ AlcoholClean
Hours-of-Service ComplianceBelow cutoff
Unsafe DrivingClean
Vehicle MaintenanceBelow cutoff
Insurance on file
Liability insuranceOn file
InsurerLexon Insurance Company
Policy effective sinceDec 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
Oct 2017 → Dec 2018
Vanliner Insurance Company (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Oct 2005 → Oct 2017
Hanover Insurance Co. (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Aug 2005 → Oct 2017
Hanover Insurance Co. (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Aug 2003 → Aug 2005
Vanliner Insurance Company (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Aug 2003 → Oct 2005
Vanliner Insurance Company (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Aug 2003 → Oct 2005
Vanliner Insurance Company (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Apr 1999 → Aug 2003
Hanover Insurance Co. (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Jan 1996 → Aug 2003
United States Fire Insurance Co. (Bipd/primary)
$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
Aug 28, 2025 Walk-around, MA
5 violations, 1 out-of-service
49 CFR 391.41APC: Medical (Certificate) - Operating a property-carrying vehicle without… (driver), OOS
49 CFR 393.81-H
49 CFR 393.9A-LHWS
49 CFR 393.9A-LFTSI
49 CFR 393.9B-LLPL
Aug 26, 2025 Full inspection, RI
2 violations
49 CFR 390.21TB2-DOT
49 CFR 392.2-MCSR (driver)
May 29, 2025 Driver-only, MA
1 violation
49 CFR 391.41A-MCPC (driver)
Last 3 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 17, 2018 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Dec 17, 2018 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Oct 13, 2005 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Shared identity check
Caution: this company shares its address, phone number or officer with 1 mover that have complaints or revoked authority. This is the pattern behind "chameleon" carriers: a burned company re-registering under a fresh name. It can also be an innocent shared office, read the linked reports and judge.
Is Sterling Moving & Storage INC reliable? Our read of the record
On the evidence, Sterling Moving & Storage INC looks like a reliable operator: operating since 1996 with zero federal complaints in the last four years, 11 registered trucks, liability insurance on file without recent cancellations. A record like this is exactly what an honest mover's file tends to look like.
No public record can guarantee your specific move, so keep the basics: written binding estimate, USDOT 631155 on the paperwork, and reasonable deposit. But nothing in the federal file says walk away.
One caveat regardless of the rest: this company shares an address, phone number or officer with 1 other registered mover that carry complaints or lost authority. Sometimes that is an innocent office building; sometimes it is how a burned identity gets recycled. The identity check section above lists exactly who they are, look before you book.
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 Rhode Island
About Sterling Moving & Storage INC
Sterling Moving & Storage INC is a federally licensed household goods carrier based in Cranston, Rhode Island, registered with FMCSA since February 1996. Federal filings show 11 power units (trucks/tractors) and 12 drivers.
Over the last four years, the federal complaint database shows no complaints against this company. For a mover doing real volume, a clean federal record is a genuinely good sign; for a very small operation it may simply reflect a small number of moves. Combine it with the fleet data above and recent references.
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 631155, 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 STERLING MOVING & STORAGE INC
Is Sterling Moving & Storage INC legit?
Sterling Moving & Storage INC has an active USDOT registration (631155). It has no federal complaints on record in the last 4 years.
Is Sterling Moving & Storage INC a broker or a carrier?
A licensed carrier with 11 registered trucks.
Where is Sterling Moving & Storage INC based?
61 Comstock Parkway, Cranston, RI 02921. Phone on file: (401) 943-3200. Registered with FMCSA since February 1996.
Sources: FMCSA Motor Carrier Census (registration, fleet), FMCSA Household Goods Complaint History via NCCDB (complaints, checked Jul 16, 2026). MoverAudit summarizes public federal records; it does not accuse any company of wrongdoing. Verify details at protectyourmove.gov.