1
International Van Lines
Customer rating
Great
Service availability
Excellent
Upfront pricing
Excellent
2
American Van Lines
Customer rating
Good
Service availability
Great
Upfront pricing
Good
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Moving is inevitable—at some point, we all have to go through the motions of planning, packing and hauling. Having a good moving company can make or break your moving experience, so it’s crucial to find the right service for your needs.
Forbes Advisor evaluated 70 moving companies across the country and looked at factors including service availability, pricing and insurance options, variety of packages and containers available, full-service packing and customer happiness.
Our top choices for best moving companies shine in areas of customer happiness and a variety of packages and containers (which combined account for 40% of the weighting).
1
Customer rating
Great
Service availability
Excellent
Upfront pricing
Excellent
2
Customer rating
Good
Service availability
Great
Upfront pricing
Good
Great
Excellent
Excellent
International Van Lines (IVL) is known for its far-and-wide moving service availability. IVL can not only handle short- and long-distance moves but also international moves, and it delivers on itemized billing as well as upfront pricing.
The company, which is both a moving broker and carrier, offers full-service packing and specialty moving for possessions like pianos and cars.
Read our full International Van Lines review.
Great
Excellent
Good
United Van Lines offers just about every moving service possible, including specialty moving services for items such as oversized TVs, hot tubs and golf carts. Costs can be a bit more than at other companies, but the excellent insurance and in-home moving estimate makes up for it.
Read our full United Van Lines review.
Great
Excellent
Good
With a network of over 5,000 employees, Atlas Van Lines services all 50 states and offers inclusive pricing that involves an in-home moving cost estimate, loading and unloading, shipment tracking and online moving resources.
You can add on optional specialty services like car and motorcycle transport, and customers report a positive experience with the mobile app. Note that customer reviews reported the quote process to be tedious and lengthy.
Read our full Atlas Van Lines review.
Excellent
Great
Good
Mayflower Transit can offer services to all types of households and performs local, long-distance and international moves as well as military and government relocations. Mayflower has a large geographical footprint making long-distance moves easy in our analysis.
While we wish Mayflower provided a quote before an in-home inspection, it neatly lists additional services and package options on its website for more unique moves.
Read our full Mayflower Transit review.
Excellent
Great
Good
Allied Van Lines offers basic and full-service moving packages for local, interstate and international moves. The company offers virtual walk-through and furniture disassembly services to better accommodate homeowners.
Prices greatly vary depending on weight of items and miles traveled, which could make Allied a pricier option, especially for local moves. However, the highly-rated reliability and customizable full-service options may make the cost worth it for some customers.
Read our full Allied Van Lines review.
Good
Great
Good
American Van Lines offers long-distance, military, commercial and corporate moving services at a competitive rate. Customer reviews indicated that the company is especially good at obtaining the necessary international work authorizations, passports and any other paperwork for moves to another country.
The moving company requires a significant deposit to reserve a move, and some weight limitations may apply, which could make local moves a bit pricier. Full packing and crating services are available for all moves.
Good
Great
Good
North American Van Lines partners with independent moving companies across the U.S. for local, long-distance and international moves. The network is extensive with availability in more than 130 countries and is known to be one of the pricier options.
You can expect a fast quote, but customer reviews indicate some shortcomings like late movers and mishandled or broken items. North American offers packing supplies for a smoother move, and you can add a few customizable add-ons like wine collection moving.
Good
Good
Great
U-Pack is a moving company that provides movable storage boxes you pack and unload yourself. You have a few pricing options depending on how hands-on you want to be with your move.
This company offers free quotes and flexible storage options as well as a number of containers and promises fast delivery times but does not offer services for local or international moves.
Poor
Good
Good
For flexible long-distance and local moves, PODS, short for Portable On Demand Storage, is a popular choice. While the company doesn’t service six states, it offers flexibility on delivery dates and container size.
Acting as both a residential and commercial moving and storage service, PODS is known to be one of the more budget-conscious options. Its pricing is transparent and upfront, and the company offers a month-to-month rental option.
Several customer reviews praise the company’s convenience but nearly just as many point to issues like insecure containers and lack of instant quotes for long-distance moves.
Good
Poor
Good
Stevens Worldwide offers full-service moving without requiring a deposit, and it supports international moves by offering immigration, house-hunting and rental-furniture services. Car transport and specialty moving services for items like pianos are available as add-on costs.
Stevens Worldwide does not service 15 states, and customer reviews indicate a lack of local agents in the areas that are serviced. Other reviews include complaints about broken items and limitations to coverage for damaged items.
Company | Company - Logo | Forbes Advisor Rating | Forbes Advisor Rating - Image | Best For | Customer rating | Service availability | Learn More CTA text | Learn more CTA below text | LEARN MORE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
International Van Lines | 4.4 | Best for Overall | Great | Excellent | Get Free Estimates | http://mktp.cc/jr3q | |||
Atlas Van Lines | 4.1 | Best for Customizable Packing and Moving Services | Great | Excellent | Get Free Estimates | https://mktphome.link/fts/1AhK7yU6sd65-17gVkAvUNk4b | |||
Allied Van Lines | 4.0 | Best for Customer Service and Experience | Excellent | Great | Get Free Estimates | https://mktphome.link/fts/1AhK7yU6sd65-17gVkAvUNk4b | |||
American Van Lines | 3.9 | -- | Good | Great | Get Free Estimates | http://mktp.cc/avl | |||
North American Van Lines | 3.9 | -- | Good | Great | Get Free Estimates | https://mktphome.link/fts/1AhK7yU6sd65-17gVkAvUNk4b | |||
U-Pack | 3.9 | -- | Good | Good | Get Free Estimates | https://mktphome.link/fts/1AhK7yU6sd65-17gVkAvUNk4b | |||
PODS | 3.8 | -- | Poor | Good | Get Free Estimates | https://mktphome.link/fts/1AhK7yU6sd65-17gVkAvUNk4b | |||
Stevens Worldwide | 3.6 | -- | Good | Poor | Get Free Estimates | https://mktphome.link/fts/1AhK7yU6sd65-17gVkAvUNk4b |
Knowing which moving company works the best for your needs can determine how painful (or painfully easy) your moving experience turns out to be. Consider the following factors when doing your research:
Before locking in a moving company, it’s important to understand the type of move you need.
Whether you’re moving personally or scheduling a move for your employer, knowing the difference between a residential moving company and commercial moving company is the first step to your search. From there, companies may offer the following services:
Local: Typically, any move under 50 miles is considered a local move. Depending on your state and the chosen moving company’s policies, these parameters may change. It’s important to confirm that your move is within the mileage of that particular company.
Long-distance: A move becomes long-distance when you require travel for over 50 miles (or the specified company’s policy). A long-distance move does not necessarily equate an interstate move (below).
Interstate: Interstate moves include any moves that require crossing state lines.
International: Any move that requires travel outside the United States (yes, this includes Canada) is considered an international move. You’ll not only need to check that your chosen moving company offers international services, but some may even offer assistance with housing and corralling immigration documents.
Moving containers: Moving container services offer containers of various sizes that, most of the time, homeowners have to pack themselves.
Specialty movers: Some movers offer specialty services for special items such as pianos, fine art and even wine collections.
Auto movers: If you need to move a car long-distance or internationally, some companies offer auto moving services as an add-on cost.
The cost of hiring a moving company will greatly depend on your home or business size, your destination and origin and whether you plan to utilize a traditional moving company or moving container. The cost of a local move is between $300 and $1,500, or $1,200 on average.
Long-distance movers can cost between $2,500 and $5,000, depending on how far you’re traveling and how much stuff you have. You can expect to pay more for a long-distance move than a local move, though some interstate moves can cost more just because you’re crossing state lines. Ensure that you can get a free estimate from each company you’re considering to get a better understanding of the average cost of your move.
If you’re moving locally, it’s likely easier to keep your existing furniture. Many moving companies charge by mileage, which means the shorter your move, the cheaper it’ll likely be.
Weight and space are what cost the most money for a move, so depending on the amount of furniture you have and how far you’re going, you can do some research to determine how much you can expect to pay if you move your furniture versus how much you may be able to get by selling it.
While most moving companies will be willing to move common furniture—and some may offer specialty services for items such as pianos, wine collections and expensive art—be aware that there are some items you should consider throwing out before working with a moving company.
You will be hard-pressed to find a company that doesn’t include the following items on its hazardous or do-not-move list:
• Fertilizer and pesticides
• Paints and aerosols
• Propane tanks or motor oil
• Anything flammable or potentially explosive
• Batteries and acids
• Charcoal
Also to note, you should never move extremely valuable personal items like jewelry or family heirlooms. While some moving companies may offer to include these items in the move for you, it’s best to play it safe with your most precious items yourself.
How much you should tip greatly depends on how many people are working on your move (loading and unloading) as well as how many hours or days your move will take.
A good rule of thumb is to plan to tip $4 to $5 per person for each hour of work. To put this into perspective, $20 per person would be acceptable for a half-day move (four hours or less) while a full-day move will warrant closer to $40 per person.
Always tip more than this minimum if your movers were especially impressive (for good karma, if nothing else).
For most moves, you can plan to schedule about two months out, or eight weeks, from the date of your move. Good-quality movers are less likely to be available on last-minute notice, so it’s best to play it safe here as well and schedule your chosen company sooner than later. Also worth noting is that professional movers will provide basic timelines based on your apartment size, so it’s important to tell them exactly how much stuff you have.
1
Customer rating
Great
Service availability
Excellent
Upfront pricing
Excellent
2
Customer rating
Good
Service availability
Great
Upfront pricing
Good
To determine the best moving companies ranking, the Forbes Advisor editorial team analyzed data on 70 companies, with each product’s rating determined by evaluating a variety of metrics, including:
Some of these factors were further expanded into sub-factors like customer reviews, BBB ratings, storage options, ease of receiving an online quote and what is covered under each company’s insurance options.
Samantha is an editor who covers all topics home-related including home improvement and repair. She edited home repair and design content at websites like The Spruce and HomeAdvisor. She also has hosted videos on DIY home tips and solutions and launched multiple home improvement review boards staffed with licensed pros.