best moving company

The Best Moving Companies: Choosing The Right Moving Company

If you’re planning a move; whether it’s across town or across the country, you will need the best moving company to help you. Choosing between the various options is difficult and each company will try and convince you that they’re the best. 

Go through the reviews below of each company and decide which is the best option for you based on the services they provide. 

Best Moving Companies: Top Picks

Since moving is so stressful, we put together a list of the best rated moving companies to help you with your move, while meeting your budget and needs. Our ratings explain what type of move these companies assist with, their pros and cons, if they offer moving quotes, and an explanation of why we chose them.

international van lines

International Van Lines 

Best Overall

  • Local Moving? Yes
  • Interstate Moving? Yes
  • International Moving? Yes

Pros:

  • Has a generous cancellation period of at least 48 hours prior to scheduled move with a full refund of your deposit
  • Rated the Best in Customer Service awards in 2021
  • Offer one month of free storage 
  • Offer interstate, local, and international moving.

Cons:

  • There is no container moving service 
  • A deposit is required in order to schedule your move.

Why We Chose Them

Our top choice for an international mover is International Van Lines. Newsweek rated International Van Lines as best in customer service in 2021, and it is easy to understand why. 

They offer full service packing, shipment tracking, transportation of your vehicles, moving supplies, many insurance options, and online quotes. To reserve a date for your move, you will need to put a 25 percent deposit down. If you need to cancel your move for some reason, you have the ability to do so up until 48 hours before your scheduled move. 

united van lines

United Van Lines

Best Full-Service

  • Local Moving? Yes
  • Interstate Moving? Yes
  • International Moving? Yes

Pros: 

  • Online tracking
  • Good insurance options 
  • Great cancellation policy
  • Popular for corporate moving

Cons: 

  • Pricey
  • No container service

Why We Chose Them

United Van Lines is a highly recognized name when it comes to moving, mostly because this moving company has been around since the beginning of the 1920s and is one of the best moving companies. They are widely known for their corporate relocation services with custom packages laid out for each company and their packages explain their extensive insurance options.

As an established moving company, United Van Lines charges more than others because of its experience and expertise. If you are expecting help planning your move, be prepared to pay an additional fee as it is not included in their original pricing. 

Their website is easy to use and features how to track your shipment on the first page. The main reason we like United Van Lines is because of their free cancellation policy which is valid right up until services begin, and there is no deposit required.

american van lines

American Van Lines 

Most Reputable Name

  • Local Moving? Yes
  • Interstate Moving? Yes
  • International Moving? Yes

Pros: 

  • Great at moving delicate items and antiques
  • Honest customer reviews
  • Good for corporate moving.

Cons: 

  • Do not offer container moving
  • A deposit is necessary to schedule your move 
  • Restrictive cancellation policy.

Why We Chose Them

American Van Lines are known best for being corporate relocation experts. In addition to being great at corporate moving, American Van Lines is great for military moves as they understand the timelines can be strict and they will efficiently execute your military move in a short amount of time. They offer upfront pricing, full-service packing, the ability to receive an online quote, shipping of your vehicles, and moving supplies. 

To schedule your move, you will need to put a deposit down. Their cancelation policy is not the best, as you only have three days after you sign the contract to cancel for free. If you cancel after three days, it will not be free cancellation. 

allied van lines

Allied Van Lines 

Best for Moving Vehicles

  • Local Moving? Yes
  • Interstate Moving? Yes
  • International Moving? Yes

Pros:

  • Offers container moving service
  • Has a generous cancelation policy
  • Offers great insurance options

Cons:

  • The price of local moving can be expensive depending on your budget

Why We Chose Them

Allied Van Lines has a multitude of factors that makes them one of the best moving companies. We love that they have excellent customer reviews, and offers container moving services. Allied Van Lines has excellent insurance coverage options, is one of the most trusted interstate moving companies, and has a great cancellation policy. Their cancelation policy allows you to cancel free of charge as long as the movers have not started yet. 

You do not need to put down a deposit to reserve your move, and they offer full service packing, moving supplies, moving quotes, tracking of your belongings, and vehicle shipping. Allied Van Lines has experienced drivers to help with the moving of your vehicle, and will ensure it gets from point A to point B safely.

safeway

Safeway Moving Systems

Best Carrier

  • Local Moving? Yes
  • Interstate Moving? Yes
  • International Moving? Yes

Pros:

  • Great for those moving to a condo or HOA
  • Every move includes packing services
  • All moves include 30 days of free storage

Cons:

  • Communication can be difficult since you will not be able to contact your moving carrier until close to your move
  • There is no information about online pricing

Why We Chose Them

Safeway Moving Systems, a company based out of Chicago, is our favorite choice for best moving broker. Safeway connects you to the actual moving carriers that will perform your move, and gives you access to a large network of nationwide movers. Since Safeway just connects you to your actual movers, you will not be in direct contact with your movers until later in the moving process. 

Safeway is one of the best moving companies for those who are moving to a place with a HOA or condo. The moving companies that Safeway partners with have additional required licenses and insurance certificates. Many HOAs and condo associations require movers to hold $1,000,000 in liability insurance, as opposed to standard moving companies who usually carry $750,000 of liability insurance. 

Safeway is authorized by the United States government to broker both long distance and local moves in all 50 states. Safeway Moving Systems offers a variety of services, like packing and unpacking, storage solutions, and pad and shrink wrapping. You will have to pay a deposit to Safeway on the day of your move.

mayflower

Mayflower

Best for Large Moves

  • Local Moving? Yes
  • Interstate Moving? Yes
  • International Moving? Yes

Pros:

  • Offers digital checklists
  • No deposit is required
  • Great for large moves
  • Can do debris removal

Cons:

  • Can be expensive depending on your budget
  • No container moving service

Why We Chose Them

Mayflower has over 90 years of experience in the moving industry, and is one of the best moving companies used for large moves. We like that Mayflower does not require you to put down a deposit to book a move, and has a portal you can log in to help keep track of your moving process. 

With the MyMayflower portal, you can create a digital moving checklist, check the status of your move, and have your moving contacts saved. Mayflower handles a multitude of moving services, usually cross-country and international moves. However, they also can provide moving services within your state and do provide local moving services through independent agents. 

Mayflower can move your vehicle no matter what the distance, and is available through a network of 200 agencies affiliated with Mayflower across the country. Keep in mind that Mayflower can seem expensive, but this is because they typically do large moves which require a lot of effort on their part. 

If you are moving internationally, Mayflower can assist with your move in more than 150 countries and is one of the greatest long-distance moving companies.

atlas

Atlas Van Lines

Best for Custom Moving Services

  • Local Moving? Yes
  • Interstate Moving? Yes
  • International Moving? Yes

Pros:

  • Website is helpful
  • Great customer reviews
  • No deposit is required

Cons:

  • No container moving services
  • Restrictive cancellation policy

Why We Chose Them

Atlas Van Lines is great for custom moving services because they make your move simple, whether it is a local move, international move, or cross country move. Their website is helpful because it provides tools to help with organization, can provide information on tracking, and offers upfront quotes when requested. 

Atlas Van Lines offers storage, will move your vehicles, offers full service packing options, and good insurance options. You do not need to put down a deposit when scheduling your move, but they do have a restrictive cancellation policy. Atlas will allow you to cancel for free, but only within three days of signing your contract.

northamerican

North American Van Lines

Best for Warranty and Claims

  • Local Moving? Yes
  • Interstate Moving? Yes
  • International Moving? Yes

Pros:

  • Offers 24 hour customer service
  • Container moving is available
  • Great for commercial and corporate relocation
  • Great for warranty and claims

Cons:

  • Restrictive cancelation policy
  • Few insurance options
  • Can be expensive

Why We Chose Them

We chose North American Van Lines as one of the best moving companies because they have a few features that stand out. They have a container moving option, called Blue Express, that separates them from a lot of competitors since many do not offer container moving services. 

They have a 24-hour customer service line with over 500 agents that will happily take your call whenever you need assistance. Their customer service line is what makes the best for warranty and claims. 

North American Van Lines offers full packing services, online quotes, moving supplies, shipment of your vehicles, and shipment tracking. However, the cost of moving tends to be expensive for smaller moves. A short distance move for a one-bedroom home can cost you as much as $3,100, which is why we recommend them for commercial and corporate relocation.

How to Choose the Best Moving Company 

When searching for the best moving companies, you should take the extra time to look into their reviews. Customer reviews are helpful because they will give you some insight on what others have been through with the company and their personal experience. Search the moving company’s website for a free quote, so you have an understanding of how much your move will cost.

Do not settle for the first estimate you receive when choosing a moving company. Take your time and research it a bit just to be sure you are happy with the price. If you are planning to move a mobile home, be sure your moving company has a good insurance policy and that your movers are licensed and insured, and are willing to accommodate your needs. 

How Much Does a Moving Company Cost

The best moving companies can cost a variety of different prices depending on how large your move is and where you are moving to. For example, if you are a family of four moving from Florida to Texas, you can expect to pay between $2,000 and $4,000. 

On average, the cost of a moving company can range anywhere from $800 to $5,700 based on the size of your move. To find a moving company within your budget, check out the Agoyu moving app so you can compare the prices of different movers near you.

Final Tips for Moving

These tips for moving will help make your move more simple.

  • Have a set budget
  • Create a moving checklist
  • Start packing early
  • Invest in quality boxes for moving
  • Label your boxes
  • Pack your dishes and glasses using bubble wrap or packing paper
  • Know the pros and cons of hiring professional moving companies

Most importantly, make sure you hire only the most qualified and reputable moving company. If you’re planning a corporate or business move, ARC Relocation can help you relocate your business and your employees. 

Remember that you’re in the driver’s seat when you hire a moving company so study up and choose wisely! 

Bill Mulholland

Bill Mulholland is the owner of ARC Relocation, a company that relocates thousands of employees annually, to every state in the United States, and more than 90 foreign countries, for organizations like DHL, Overstock.com, GNC, and the U.S. Government. Bill also owns a real estate brokerage and title company in Virginia.