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Sullivan Moving & Storage INC (The CMS Companies)
Interstate household goods carrier registered with FMCSA under USDOT 56181 and MC-127405, based in San Diego, CA. Record as published in the Motor Carrier Census snapshot of 4 September 2026.
What the federal record says
Sullivan Moving & Storage INC trades as The CMS Companies and holds USDOT number 56181 and operating authority MC-127405. FMCSA records the company as an active interstate carrier for hire with a registered address in San Diego, San Diego County, California. Its household goods authority is on file as common carrier of household goods and contract carrier of household goods, which is the grant that allows a company to move a household across a state line for money. The USDOT record was created on 1 June 1974, 52 years before this snapshot, and the last MCS-150 form on file was filed on 26 March 2026.
The filing reports 17 power units and 42 drivers, 2.5 per truck. A fleet in that range can usually keep two or three long haul jobs running at once, which is the point where a mover starts being able to hold a delivery window rather than a delivery month. The equipment itemized on the form is 12 trucks, 5 tractors, 30 trailers. The company reported 294,000 miles for 2025, which works out at roughly 17,294 miles per power unit. That places it 26th by fleet size among the 416 registered household goods carriers based in California.
Besides household goods the census lists 4 other cargo classifications: general freight, building materials, machinery, large objects, construction. A carrier with a broad cargo list is running household moves alongside other freight, which can mean better rates on a backhaul and less predictable scheduling. The registered address falls in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area, where 31 other registered household goods carriers are based. FMCSA has assigned this carrier a satisfactory safety rating, dated 10 August 2006.
The nearest other registered household goods carriers are Discount Moving and Storage LLC in San Diego (same ZIP code area), Dewitt Companies LTD LLC in San Diego (2 miles), Tmt Socal INC in San Diego (2 miles). Distances are between ZIP code centers, so they are approximate. Getting three written estimates from companies in the same area is the single cheapest thing you can do to avoid being overcharged.
Registration summary
- USDOT number
- 56181
- Operating authority number
- MC-127405
- Household goods authority
- Common carrier of household goods, Contract carrier of household goods
- Census record
- Active on 4 September 2026
- Operation
- Interstate, authorized for hire
- Registered address
- San Diego, CA 92111-7905
Full registration record
- USDOT number
- 56181
- Operating authority number
- MC-127405
- Household goods authority
- Common carrier of household goods, Contract carrier of household goods
- Census record
- Active on 4 September 2026
- Operation
- Interstate, authorized for hire
- Registered address
- San Diego, CA 92111-7905
- County
- San Diego County
- Metro area
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
- Power units
- 17
- Drivers
- 42, 24 interstate
- Equipment reported
- 12 trucks, 5 tractors, 30 trailers
- MCS-150 last filed
- 26 March 2026
- USDOT record created
- 1 June 1974 (52 years)
- Cargo classifications
- 5 listed: General freight, Household goods, Building materials, Machinery, large objects, Construction
- Reported annual mileage
- 294,000 miles (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory, rated 10 August 2006
- Liability insurance on file
- $1,000,000, cargo insurance on file, surety bond on file
- Fleet rank in California
- 26th of 416
Nearest registered movers
Discount Moving and Storage LLC
San Diego, CA
same ZIP code area · 2 power units
Dewitt Companies LTD LLC
San Diego, CA
2 miles · 0 power units
Tmt Socal INC
San Diego, CA
2 miles · 11 power units
Move Myself LLC
San Diego, CA
2 miles · 1 power unit
We Like to Move IT INC
San Diego, CA
2.2 miles · 5 power units
Before you book Sullivan Moving & Storage INC
- Check the USDOT number on the quote matches 56181. Brokers routinely quote under one company and hand the job to another.
- Ask for a written binding or not-to-exceed estimate. A non-binding estimate can legally rise, and the carrier may demand up to 110 percent of it at delivery before unloading.
- Confirm valuation coverage. The free option is released value at 60 cents per pound per article, which pays about $60 for a 100 pound dresser.
- Get the same scope priced by at least two of the nearby carriers listed above.
Complaint history is not published here
FMCSA records household goods complaints in the National Consumer Complaint Database. That database has no bulk or export route open to the public, so no complaint counts appear on this site. Check the company yourself before you book. The FMCSA mover search returns complaint counts for the past three years alongside the registration record.
Our walkthrough of those lookups is on the FMCSA SAFER mover lookup guide.
What this kind of move costs
A full service van line is the most expensive of the eight methods this site ranks. These are our national cost bands for a two bedroom home, off peak, from cost by distance. Peak season, June through August, adds 30 to 40 percent.
| Distance | Rental truck | Container | Freight trailer | Full service mover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 to 1,000 mi | $1,100 - $2,500 | $1,800 - $3,200 | $1,500 - $2,800 | $2,500 - $5,500 |
| 1,000 to 1,500 mi | $1,500 - $3,200 | $2,200 - $4,000 | $1,800 - $3,500 | $3,000 - $7,000 |
| 1,500 to 2,000 mi | $2,000 - $4,000 | $2,600 - $4,800 | $2,200 - $4,000 | $3,800 - $8,500 |
| 2,000 to 2,500 mi | $2,500 - $4,800 | $3,000 - $5,500 | $2,600 - $4,500 | $4,500 - $10,000 |
| 2,500 mi and over | $3,000 - $5,500 | $3,500 - $6,500 | $3,000 - $5,500 | $5,500 - $12,000+ |
Back to all 416 registered movers in California or the national mover directory.
Where this data comes from
- Company records: FMCSA Motor Carrier Census (MCMIS Company Census File), snapshot 4 September 2026. Work of the US federal government, public domain.
- Operating authority: FMCSA Licensing and Insurance carrier file (data as of 14 May 2026, the final release of that file) and the Motus operating authority file (snapshot 5 September 2026), which replaced it.
- Geography: US Census Bureau 2023 ZIP Code Tabulation Area gazetteer, 2020 ZCTA to county relationship file, and the 2023 metropolitan area delineation. ZIP centroid precision.
Every company on these pages is registered with FMCSA. Registration is a filing requirement, not an endorsement, a licence to a standard, an approval, or a quality check by FMCSA or by this site. Fleet counts, driver counts and mileage are self reported by the carrier on form MCS-150 and are only as current as its last filing. Figures are reproduced as the federal files recorded them on the snapshot dates above and may have changed since.