8 Best Moving Companies | 2022
Adobe Stock
Best Overall
bhg BUY IT
Most Experienced
bhg BUY IT
Best Discount Programs
bhg BUY IT
Best for Fixed Pricing
bhg BUY IT
Best for Financing
bhg BUY IT
Easiest Quote Process
bhg BUY IT
The moving process can be both exciting and difficult with many major factors and minute details to keep in mind, so investing in a moving company may keep you from making big moving mistakes.
But with so many options for professional movers out there, trying to figure out which company to hire can quickly become overwhelming. That's why our Home Service Research Team created a guide to some of the best moving companies in the U.S. Keep reading to find out which moving company is the best for your local or long-distance move.
8 Best Moving Companies
Best Overall: International Van Lines
Most Experienced: Allied Van Lines
Best Discount Programs: North American Van Lines
Best for Fixed Pricing: American Van Lines
Best for Financing: JK Moving
Easiest Quote Process: U-Pack
Best for Storage: PODS
Best Tools and Resources: 1-800-PACK-RAT
Best Overall: International Van Lines
International Van Lines is a domestic and international moving company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The company operates in all 50 U.S. states as well as 180 countries.
As the name suggests, International Van Lines specializes in international moves, using sea and air freight to transport belongings abroad. The company also handles long-distance moves and local moves for customers relocating within the same state (though you must be moving into a two-bedroom apartment or larger to qualify for a local move).
International Van Lines offers a variety of packing services, which include specialty items like pianos and antiques, as well as comprehensive full-value protection plans. Customers can opt for a full-service or partial-service move depending on their needs.
Pros & Cons
Services and Cost
International Van Lines is a licensed carrier, providing a wide range of moving services, including:
Partial- and full-pack services
Short-term and long-term storage
Moving supplies
Loading and unloading services
Delivery
Crating
Specialty services for recreational and sports equipment, fragile items, large appliances, pianos, antiques, and more
Furniture disassembly and reassembly
Protection plan options
Vehicle relocation services
Corporate relocation services
Like all companies on this list, International Van Lines provides basic liability coverage—up to $10,000 at a rate of $0.60 per pound for its long-distance moving services. Customers can also purchase additional contents protection coverage, such as all-risk insurance or total-loss insurance.
All-risk insurance offers protection for the full value that you claim, but it is only available to customers who purchase a professional packing plan. The cost is 4% of the declared value. Total-loss insurance also offers full reimbursement in the event of a total loss, and it's available to those who choose to self-pack. This option can be purchased for 2% of the declared value.
To get a better feel for pricing, we asked what it would cost to move a two-bedroom home from Greensboro, North Carolina to Dallas, Texas. The quote we received from International Van Lines was $2,015–$3,445, which includes expenses for loading and unloading, moving supplies—like blankets and protective pads—mileage, fuel, and tolls during travel.
Our Take on International Van Lines
International Van Lines is our pick for top moving company due to its competitive pricing and wide variety of services. It has some of the most comprehensive moving packages in the industry and provides additional security through its two protection plans, which offer peace of mind if your move is a complicated one.
To get started with International Van Lines, fill out this short survey.
Most Experienced: Allied Van Lines
Founded in 1928, Allied Van Lines holds almost a century of professional moving experience. The company is located in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, a centralized location to many major metropolitan areas. Allied Van Lines brings expertise and know-how to popular full-service options such as packing and unpacking services.
Allied Van Lines provides local and long-distance moves in all 50 states, acting as a carrier for many of its moves, including its in-house vehicle shipping service. It is also a licensed and insured moving broker, so it may outsource services if your move is outside of its service area. For example, it brokers international moves in 130 countries.
Allied offers some DIY moving options, too. Allied's fragile-only packing has its workers pack only difficult and fragile items while you pack the rest. The company also offers a portable storage container moving service called Allied Express. These are great DIY alternatives that help you save money on Allied's services.
Pros & Cons
Services and Costs
Allied offers the following services:
Packing and unpacking
Furniture disassembly and reassembly
Loading and unloading
Fragile-only packing
Specialty services for difficult items like antiques and pianos
Long-term and short-term storage options
Contents protection plans
Moving checklist
Virtual survey
Moving blog
GPS tracking
Moving and packing supplies
Allied Express portable storage container moves
Transportation and delivery
Vehicle shipping
Corporate moves
International moves
Mobile app for virtual inventory
The company works with customers to create a custom full-value release plan to provide extra protection for your belongings.
Allied Van Lines uses many common factors other moving companies use to calculate the price of an interstate move. These factors include:
The total distance of your move
The total weight of your shipment
The time and date of your move
Services you purchased
Contents protection plans
To receive a detailed estimate from Allied, you must go through either an in-home or virtual survey. This process allows Allied to provide an accurate, binding estimate. This means that the price Allied gives you at the end of the quote process will not change drastically despite any unexpected changes in your move. Allied also features a smartphone application to help conduct the virtual survey and keep a digital inventory.
Our Take on Allied Van Lines
Allied Van Lines is a great choice for anyone concerned about having knowledgeable and skillful movers. The company acts as a carrier for many of its services, including vehicle shipping. This means you receive direct communication with reputable customer service. Allied provides additional tools such as GPS tracking, virtual surveys, and a mobile app for digital inventory.
To plan your move with Allied Van Lines fill out this easy-to-use form or call 877-483-9424.
Best Discount Programs: North American Van Lines
For customers looking to receive some additional discounts, we recommend North American Van Lines. The company's agents often offer limited-time discounts and options to help bring your initial estimate down. This may include changing the move date or opting for lower contents protection coverage.
The company also offers both veteran and union member discount programs. For example, American Legion members can receive exclusive moving and storage discounts, non-peak rates year-round, and up to $100,000 in replacement coverage protection on their items while in transit.
North American Van Lines alleviates a lot of stress when it comes to the claims process, too. It offers customizable contents protection plans, so you receive coverage over the actual value of your items rather than a predetermined amount based on their weight. The company also features easily accessible, detailed claims forms for both domestic and international moves.
North American Van Lines services all 50 states and 130 countries. In addition to its discounts, the company provides ample customer support and online resources such as a moving calculator, a space calculator, relocation guides, checklists and info on shipping wine collections.
Pros & Cons
Services and Cost
Customers can receive the following services from North American Van Lines:
Packing and unpacking
Loading and unloading
Transportation and delivery
Fragile-only packing
Installation and assembly for furniture and appliances
Moving and packing supplies
Storage services
International moves
GPS tracking
Assistance with self-packing (such as help choosing which type and quantity of boxes and packing supplies are needed)
Vehicle shipping
Virtual surveys
Mobile app for digital inventory
Moving checklist
Relocation guides
Similar to other companies on this list, you can expect the following factors to influence your overall cost with North American Van Lines:
Coverage plan
The total distance of your move
Services you purchased
The overall weight of your shipment
The time and date of your move
North American Van Lines does not provide any online pricing because it requires a virtual or in-home survey to provide binding estimates. Home surveys and binding estimates means North American Van Lines will not drastically change the price you are quoted at the end of the quote process.
Our Take on North American Van Lines
We recommend North American Van Lines if you want to obtain as many discounts as you can. Customers receive further financial peace of mind through the company's contents protection plans and detailed claims forms. The company also provides a great selection of full-service and partial-service moving options paired with reputable customer service. We recommend North American Van Lines if you are a veteran, military member, or union member.
To see which discounts the company can provide you, complete this brief questionnaire or call 877-624-0912.
Best for Fixed Pricing: American Van Lines
American Van Lines was founded in South Florida in 1995 and has one of the largest moving networks in the country. The company operates an extensive fleet of moving trucks as well as weekly shuttles to and from nearly every major city in the country. If a customer is having a difficult time getting their vehicle to their new home or acquiring a rental, the shuttle can provide transportation.
The full-service mover can help with local, interstate, and international moves (it serves 48 states, excluding Hawaii and Alaska). The company's equipped to handle specialty items and provides storage solutions, auto shipping assistance, and limited insurance options.
Unlike many other nationwide moving companies, American Van Lines uses a fixed-price model. Customers are given a binding estimate at the end of the quote process and will pay that price no matter what obstacles arise during their move.
Pros & Cons
Services and Cost
American Van Lines employs its team of expert movers on a full-time basis rather than as contract labor, which other moving companies are known to do. Because of this, the average American Van Lines mover has at least a decade of experience. The company offers the following services:
Loading and unloading
Packing and unpacking
Transportation and delivery
Moving supplies (e.g. small, medium, and large moving boxes, mirror cases, wardrobe boxes, dish pack boxes, mattress cases)
Protection plans
Storage services
Specialty services for items like pianos and artwork
Furniture disassembly and reassembly
Crating
Corporate relocation services
American Van Lines offers two content protection plans: Full-Value Protection and Released Value. The Full-Value plan's overall cost depends on the determined value of your belongings, while the Released Value coverage is included in the cost of your move. However, the Released Value coverage only covers $0.60 per pound per article.
The company does not offer online quotes, but you can find some pricing information on its moving cost page. Based on the average cost of similar moves, American Van Lines approximates that a move from Greensboro to Dallas for a two-bedroom apartment (or 6,000 pounds) would come out to around $4,706.
American Van Lines stands out from other moving companies because of its binding estimates. Though you will likely have to make a larger deposit up front, the fixed-price model eliminates unforeseen expenses related to hourly labor or mileage that may arise on moving day.
Our Take on American Van Lines
American Van Lines is an excellent company to use if you want transparency about pricing. Its binding estimates are designed to prevent confusion surrounding the cost of your move. In addition, the company's experienced, reliable movers provide a wide range of full-service and partial-service options.
Get a free and personalized quote from American Van Lines by completing this online form or by calling 877-960-3186.
Best for Financing: JK Moving
Since its founding in Sterling, Virginia in 1982, JK Moving has become the largest fully licensed and insured independent mover in the U.S. It provides customizable full-service options for cross-country moves in all 50 states as well as internationally. However, the company does not assist with local moves outside of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
JK Moving offers packing/unpacking, loading/unloading, and transportation services as well as special assistance during commercial moves, like document and data destruction. The company's moving crews are drug-tested, undergo background checks, and get trained in a fully furnished practice home.
What makes JK Moving unique is its mission to help customers navigate financial pain points during a move. A moving coordinator works with you to create a plan that's tailored to your needs and budget, and they'll also provide financing options.
Pros & Cons
Services and Cost
JK Moving offers a long list of moving services, including:
Packing and unpacking
Transportation
Loading and unloading
Long-term and short-term storage solutions
Specialty services for difficult items like pianos
Corporate relocation services
Government moves
Freighting
Crating
Archive services
Car relocation services
GPS tracking through smartphone app
JK Moving's contents protection plan, the Replacement Value (Full Replacement Cost) option, allows you to determine the value of your belongings and select a deductible. For example, a $90,000 policy with a $250 deductible will cost you $630. A moving coordinator can help you determine the right amount to select for your home.
Because JK Moving customizes its moving packages for each customer, it does not provide sample pricing online. The quote process requires an in-depth discussion and a virtual walk-through with a moving coordinator. We were able to get an estimate for a two-bedroom home moving from Atlanta to Chicago. The requested services included furniture disassembly, wrapping and padding, loading, unloading, and full-value protection. The quote came out to $7,521.
Thanks to its partnership with Enhancify, JK Moving also allows you to finance your move. Within minutes of submitting an application through Enhancify's user-friendly website, you are matched with lenders and can compare their loan terms and interest rates. Depending on your credit rating, these interest rates may be as low as 0% for the specified loan period.*
*Subject to credit approval
Our Take on JK Moving
We recommend JK Moving for customers who are interested in premium, full-service options. The company tailors each package to the client and its financing options are uncommon in the moving industry.
Fill out this short form online or call 571-487-8929 to get a quote from JK Moving.
Easiest Quote Process: U-Pack
Founded in 1997, U-Pack is a nontraditional moving company that falls between full-service and DIY. This door-to-door mover exclusively provides portable storage containers and transportation of belongings for residential properties. Packing/unpacking and loading/unloading are not included.
U-Pack's equipment-and-shipment model allows for a transparent quote process. You only pay for the space you use. As of July 26, 2021, the company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
U-Pack handles interstate moves in all 50 states as well as Puerto Rico, and the company has a 150 mileage requirement for use of its services.
Pros & Cons
Services and Cost
True to its name, U-Pack drops off a trailer or ReloCube moving container at your home that you then pack yourself. You have three business days to load the container, and once you're finished, the company returns to pick it up and drive it to your new home.
ReloCubes are roughly 6'x7'x8', which translates to about 308 cubic feet. According to U-Pack, you should plan to get one cube for each room in your home, though rooms with less furniture can likely be combined into a single container. This is a great option for urban moves since the cubes are designed to fit into one parking space and are made of steel and aluminum for durability and security. Alternatively, you can reserve space in a larger moving trailer.
U-Pack offers these additional services:
Long- and short-term storage
Moving labor via third-party companies
GPS tracking
Liability insurance
The company can generate an instant online quote based on the origin and destination of your move, your move date, and the number of rooms in your current home. We received a moving estimate from U-Pack for 13 feet in a moving trailer going from Greensboro to Dallas. The quote, which included the cost of equipment, driving labor, transportation, and mileage, was $2,752. Two ReloCubes going to the same place cost $3,761.
With U-Pack, customers automatically get liability coverage. Catastrophic liability coverage is $3 per pound per piece, and refers to damages caused by a catastrophic loss (e.g. the trailer catches on fire or is overturned). This option locks at a maximum of $60,000 per trailer and $7,500 per ReloCube. Carrier negligence liability coverage starts at $0.10 per pound per piece, and refers to loss or damage caused by the person transporting your belongings.
Our Take on U-Pack
If you're looking to book a self-service mover as quickly as possible, then U-Pack might be your ideal company. It's also a great choice for anyone who's on a budget and needs transportation support since it's one of the cheapest options on this list.
To get a speedy quote from U-Pack, fill out the company's online form.
Best for Storage: PODS
Founded in 1998, PODS may be the most recognizable name on this list. The company helps with local and long-distance moves and also provides long-term and short-term storage options.
Though PODS caters to all 50 states, it does not have a physical branch in Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wyoming.
Pros & Cons
Services and Cost
PODS will deliver a portable steel-framed container to your home that you're responsible for loading and unloading. The rental fee allows you to keep the container for 30 days at each location. The company's list of services includes:
Moving the portable storage containers
Packing and unpacking (through a third party)
Loading and unloading (through a third party)
Storage solutions
Commercial moving services
Moving supplies (e.g. small, medium, and large moving boxes, wardrobe boxes, TV box kits, textile blankets)
Protection plans
PODS offers three container sizes: 7 feet, 12 feet, and 16 feet, but the 12-footer is only available for local moves. For an additional cost, you can keep your container at a PODS storage center. These facilities boast climate-controlled units and 24/7 security.
For a 16-foot container traveling from Greensboro to Dallas within a month's time, we received a pre-tax quote of $2,780. PODS utilizes a pay-as-you-go model, so the first payment covers the initial delivery of the container, the first month's rental fee, and contents protection (for which PODS offers two options). The second fee includes the cost of transportation to a PODS storage center near your destination and the third payment covers the final delivery to your new home and picking up the container.
Our Take on PODS
Portable containers are a useful feature when it comes to long-distance moves, and you can count on PODS for excellent storage solutions if the need arises. Looking for a little flexibility in your moving schedule? The company offers plenty of time for loading and unloading and is transparent about costs during the quote process.
For more service and pricing details from one of the best moving companies with storage options, fill out PODS's online form.
Best Tools and Resources: 1-800-PACK-RAT
1-800-PACK-RAT is known for its all-steel weatherproof portable storage containers. The company started with just three locations in North Carolina but has since grown to more than 50 across 30 states and Washington, D.C., providing moving and storage services within a 100-mile radius of each one.
The user-friendly website is chock-full of good content, including informative videos, a moving checklist, a space calculator, how-to guides, a weight calculator, location guides, and activity books for kids. 1-800-PACK-RAT also maintains a moving blog that offers helpful tips and tricks.
Pros & Cons
Services and Cost
1-800-PACK-RAT offers a similar setup to U-Pack and PODS. It delivers your choice of container(s) to your home, and you have 30 days to load it up before the company transports and delivers your belongings to your new place. 1-800-PACK-RAT advertises the following services:
Provides and transports portable storage containers
Short-term and long-term storage
Moving labor via HireAHelper (for an additional cost)
Moving supplies (e.g. small, medium, large, and extra-large moving boxes, wardrobe boxes, kitchen dish boxes, frame boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper)
Auto transportation services
The company offers three container sizes: 8 feet, 12 feet, and 16 feet. Each all-steel container sits on the ground for easy loading.
We requested a quote for a 16-foot container moving from Greensboro to Dallas that included transportation from the current residence to the new residence, delivery and pickup, a no-cut security lock for the container, and contents protection coverage for up to $10,000. The estimate we received was $2,522.40.
Our Take on 1-800-PACK-RAT
If you value a user-friendly experience and customer support, then 1-800-PACK-RAT is a good choice for your move. The company provides various online tools to help make the process easier, and though its availability is a bit more limited than competitors', it offers high-quality containers.
To get more information on 1-800-PACK-RAT, fill out this questionnaire.
How Much Does a Move Cost?
The cost of moving depends on a number of different things, but a moving truck rental company is typically the cheapest option.
Most top-rated moving and storage companies factor in the following details when calculating prices:
Location of your former home
The date and time frame of your move
The distance of your move
The overall size/weight of your items
The number of moving containers or truck size needed
The parking situation
Hourly labor
Fuel costs
Contents protection plan/insurance costs
Additional services purchased
For a local move, expect to pay around $1,000 for a professional moving company. If you plan to hire a long-distance mover, that number will jump up to $4,000 or $5,000.
Other Services for Your Move
Packing and means of transportation aren't the only things to worry about when you're moving. If you're a homeowner, you'll need home insurance, and a home warranty will ease the financial burdens that come with repairing or replacing a home's systems and appliances. Here are a few resources to help make the transition smoother.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check to make sure my moving company is properly licensed?
All of the great moving companies on this list are fully licensed, bonded, and insured. If you have a company's USDOT number, you can check that it's registered on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's website.
How much should I budget for moving expenses?
If your move is local, prepare to shell out between $500 and $1,500 for professional movers. If your move is long-distance, that number will likely increase to $4,000 or $5,000 for services from residential moving companies that drive for you.
Is there anything a mover won't move?
Check with your moving company if you're unsure whether or not something can be moved, but most movers will not transport:
Perishable foods
Fertilizer
Plants
Paints
Aerosols
Propane and fuel tanks
Loaded guns
Motor oil
Batteries
