8 min read
Edited ByAllied Van Lines stands out from its competitors by not requiring a deposit and letting you do a virtual in-home estimate. The company’s virtual quotes enable you to get a ballpark estimate for your move, and its network of 400 local agents speeds things up no matter where you need to go. It also has some of the moving industry’s best storage options.
2025 Allied Van Lines Review
Our Allied Van Lines review compares Allied to other movers, dives into customer feedback, tests its services, and explores pricing and policies firsthand.
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With 20+ years in-home services and tech, Alina shares insights from her 15+ moves. She writes for CBSNews, MSN, and more while renovating her country house.
Pros
Virtual quotes
Wide availability
Excellent storage options
Shipment tracking
Shuttle service
No deposit
94+ years of experience
Online claim forms 
Cons
Poor moving reviews
No weekend customer service
No cancellation policy See where Allied Van Lines ranks on our list of the best moving companies.
In our Allied Van Lines review
Image: Allied Van Lines
Are Allied Van Lines and North American Van Lines the same?
Though Sirva, Inc. owns both companies, they are separate entities with very few differences. North American Van Lines is celebrating 90 years in business, while Allied has 94+ years of experience.2, 3 Both offer binding and non-binding estimates, make long-distance moves, and have the same deposit policy.
About Allied Van Lines
Allied Van Lines provides both local and long-distance moving services and offers GPS tracking for shipments. Allied is a hybrid moving company with 95 years of experience. Hybrid means the company can operate as both a carrier (they own the trucks and employ all the movers and drivers) and a broker (they work with third-party agents to service moves in some areas). It operates under MC #15735 and USDOT #76235.
Information provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
How much does Allied Van Lines cost?
In 2023, we were able to get some ballpark estimates from Allied. However, your exact cost could be higher or lower depending on the size of your home, the distance, and your moving date. We didn't receive any specific quotes from Allied when we requested updated estimates in October, 2024. The numbers provided below are based on those previous quotes and may be outdated.
Quote estimates are current as of 2023. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
We obtained quotes from Allied for a 3-bedroom cross-country move and a 3-bedroom regional move. The cross-country move came to $4,500 to $7,000, while the regional move came to $3,500 to $6,500. Although we didn't get any ballpark estimates in October 2024, Allied did tell us that local moves are usually charged by the hour, rather than by weight and distance.
Generally, we found that Allied Van Lines’ prices were on par or cheaper than its competitors for long-distance moves; however, these rates may be lower because they're outdated. What sets Allied apart when it comes to spending your hard-earned cash is its flat-rate pricing that's fairly all-inclusive and the fact that there isn’t a deposit. Very few long-distance moving companies don’t make you pay a deposit. That means you have more time to come up with the funds, which is nice if you’re putting together a last-minute move.
The downside is that Allied Van Lines doesn’t offer common discounts, like senior or military—unlike other long distance moving companies. Allied representatives told us the only discounts offered are membership discounts like AAA, AARP, and Costco.
What services does Allied Van Lines offer?
Allied Van Lines offers all of the services you’d expect from a top moving company, including:
- Assembly and disassembly of things like beds and desks
- Auto shipment (open and enclosed carriers)
- Boat transport
- Crating
- Full-service packing
- Insurance coverage
- Loading
- Moving containers
- Moving supplies
- Relocation assistant
- Shuttle service
- Storage services
- Third-party services (like disconnection and cleaning services)
- Transparent pricing
- Unloading
- Unpacking
- Virtual survey
- Online shipping tracking
- 24 hours notification prior to load day and delivery
Allied’s movers offer household moving and corporate moving services across the United States and the world:
- Local moves
- Long-distance moves
- Interstate moves
- Cross-country moves
- International moves
What is shuttle service?
Moving trucks often can’t get into big cities because they’re too big for road bridges. In those cases, a moving company will load your belongings from the big truck into smaller vehicles (or shuttles) and then deliver them to your home.
Virtual moving in-home estimate
A big feature that makes Allied Van Lines stand out from some of its competitors is its Virtual Moving In-Home estimate service. Typically, you’d need to set an appointment with the professional movers and wait for them to come to your home for an estimate. If you don’t like the idea of a stranger coming into your home, getting a Virtual Moving In-Home estimate is a good option.
You schedule an appointment with Allied, and then they send you an email with a link to a video chat. Then, at your appointment time, a moving coordinator will guide you through showing them your home using your phone’s camera. They use what they see during your appointment to create your moving estimate.
You’ll still need Allied movers to come to the house for a binding quote that doesn’t change, but at least the in-home estimate gives you a price idea, and it saves time if you decide you don’t want to go with Allied.
Allied Van Lines storage options
Allied Van Lines provides access to climate-controlled storage units, ideal for belongings that might be damaged by extreme temperatures (like furniture and electronics). The company will also do the heavy lifting and move things in and out of storage for you. Storage options are available to store your stuff for a few months if that’s all you need. Or, Allied can store them long-term.
Should I store my belongings with my moving company?
Allied Van Lines provides 24/7 surveillance and individual alarms to protect your household goods against theft.
Insurance coverage
Allied Van Lines offers two options to protect your belongings during a move. Their “Extra Care Protection” plan is designed to cover the cost to repair or replace items that might get lost, damaged, or destroyed.1 The coverage amount is based on the value you assign to your things, so you can customize it to fit your needs.
If you’re looking for a more basic option, Allied also includes Basic Liability Protection with every move at no extra cost. This covers your items up to $0.60 per pound per item. This is pretty standard across the industry. This means that if your 200-pound couch is destroyed during the move, Allied Van Lines would pay you $100.
Is my stuff safe?
Allied Van Lines goes the extra mile to minimize the chance of lost or damaged items. For example, it uses special moving vans, inventory tracking, and experts who perform special packing techniques to keep your stuff safe.
Service areas
Allied Van Lines moving company is both a broker and a carrier. That means the moving company has a broad reach and the ability to act quickly in most locations across the United States. It can move you to any state (including Alaska and Hawaii). And thanks to its 400 nationwide agents, you don’t wait in line as long as you might with other companies.
What’s the difference between a broker and a carrier?
Allied is a broker and a carrier. Understanding the differences between brokers and carriers is important since you’ll probably get quotes from both. Moving brokers are like travel agents in that they coordinate your move with other companies, and carriers are professional movers with their own in-house staff and moving fleets.
Allied Van Lines international services
Allied’s virtual quotes are also a highlight of its international moving services. You can trim time off your move by arranging a real-time virtual quote for your relocation to any one of more than 130 countries worldwide. The company’s 95-year history also ensures that you work with a company that has overseas moving experience. Put it all together, and you’ll see Allied Van Lines on our Best International Moving Companies list.
Allied Van Lines customer service
Our biggest gripe with Allied Van Lines is their customer service hours. Allied’s is only open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. We think that moving companies should have a 24-hour, 7 days a week customer service line.
What if your stuff is supposed to be delivered on a Friday afternoon and it doesn’t arrive by the evening? You’d want to call customer service, but it would be closed until Monday. That’s a nerve-racking couple of days. They do have online claim forms, but they are hard to find.
Need to cancel?
We know that things happen, and sometimes, you need to cancel your move. Allied doesn't have an explicit cancellation policy, but without a deposit you don't have anything at risk if you need to make changes.
Real customer experience
Now that you know the ins and outs of using Allied Van Lines, you may wonder what customers think. We researched online customer reviews and even tried out Allied ourselves to get the answer.
I tried to get a personal quote to gauge for myself the level of customer service Allied offers. I was quite surprised that I didn’t get a call or email from an Allied agent. Usually, when you give a company your information for a quote, you’re called and emailed multiple times in the first 24 hours. It’s nice to know the company isn’t aggressive, but it feels like bad customer service that they didn’t even contact me once.
Allied's moving crew picking up boxes and furniture during our moving experience with them.
Image: Move.org
We also helped a couple with their long-distance move with Allied. Overall, the move went pretty smoothly. For the most part, all of Allied’s employees were very pleasant and helpful. One item was broken in the move, but Allied helped the couple fill out the claims paperwork and got the situation handled right away.
Allied reviews and complaints
In 2023, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) received only 14 complaints about Allied Van Lines. Unfortunately, that number went up slightly in 2024, with 18 complaints on file as of November 2024. It's important to note that fewer than 20 complaints for a company that does tens of thousands of moves each year, is pretty impressive. Allied also has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which considers things like the number of complaints filed with BBB, how the company responds to and resolves complaints, and if the business is transparent about its practices.
While researching online customer reviews, our research team at Move.org noticed some recurring themes. Many of the poor ratings were from people who admitted they didn’t understand the agreement with Allied before they signed the paperwork, or they signed off on the delivery before they checked to make sure all of their items were actually delivered.
Of course, in either case, the customers should have done their part to understand the terms and help the situation go smoothly. As we always recommend, read those documents and never sign any paperwork before you understand everything in the document. Also, never sign a delivery acceptance document until you make sure everything was delivered in good condition.
Another common complaint that popped up was problems with the companies Allied brokered to help with moves. From what we've gathered, it's best to get your move directly from Allied and avoid any brokered arrangements.
Watch out for these warning signs
Allied Van Lines avoids many of the troubling signs of a moving scam. For example, it won’t ask you to sign a contract before providing an estimate—and it doesn’t hide Allied Van Lines customer reviews.
How does Allied Van Lines compare with other companies?
Allied Van Lines is one of the only moving companies that doesn’t charge a deposit. It scores highly enough to earn a spot on our list of the best long-distance moving companies while providing flat-rate quotes that include most common moving services, like packing and unpacking.
Company | Least expensive quote* | Service locations | Learn more |
| $9,000 | 50 states | Get a Quote | |
| $9,000 | Varies depending on move type | Get a Quote | |
| $9,000 | Continental US | Get a Quote | |
| $7,500 | Continental US | Get a Quote | |
| $6,214 | Continental US | Get a Quote |
Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Pricing data collected by requesting estimates from top moving container companies for four home sizes across six distances.
*Based on a 3-bedroom across-country move.
**Based on a 3-bedroom across-country move.
Allied Van Lines long-distance moving FAQ
Yes, Allied Van Lines is a broker, sometimes. They are a moving company that owns its own truck, employs its own movers, and communicates directly with its customers. They work with customers a broker, though, in certain situations.
As with all moving companies, you’ll want to get a quote for your specific move size and distance. On average, a 500-mile move will cost $3,500.
Allied Van Lines has a good reputation, and we had a good experience with them when we used them to help a couple move from Tennessee to Texas. We love it for its virtual quotes, wide service areas, and quality security measures.
Allied Van Lines is owned by Sirva, Inc., which is a global relocation and moving company.
Allied defines a long-distance move as more than 400 miles. It defines local moves as going less than 50 miles and cross-country moves as those that cross state lines.
Allied has two packing service features. The company’s full-service packing option takes care of all your belongings, and its fragile packing service focuses only on specific items like dishes, artwork, and mirrors.
Yes, Allied Van Lines can do a local move in South Carolina — and every other state. Allied Van Lines has local agents in two dozen South Carolina cities and has completed nearly 15,000 in-state moves in the last five years.
Allied Van Lines has shorter customer service hours and lower customer reviews than some other moving companies. However, Allied has a long company history and provides GPS shipment tracking for all customers.
Yes, Allied Van Lines is a moving company that has been in business for more than 95 years (founded in 1928), owns more than 250 moving trucks, and employs almost 2,000 drivers in the United States.
Why we recommend Allied Van Lines
Allied Van Lines is an all-star in our books because you don’t need to make a deposit, unlike most other moving companies. Plus, the company’s virtual quotes let you know what you may spend before dealing with potential in-person appointments. It lets you know if Allied is right for you without a lot of fuss and time-wasting.
How we reviewed Allied Van Lines
For our Allied Van Lines review, we not only researched Allied, but dozens of other moving companies to see how they compare. In addition to deep-diving into online customer reviews, we went the extra mile and tried out the company ourselves to get hand-on experience. Finally, we talked one-on-one with the company to learn about their pricing and policies.
Related articles on Move.org
Sources
- Allied. “Moving Coverage.” Accessed December 18, 2024.
- Allied, “About Allied Van Lines.” Accessed December 18, 2024.
- North American, “Celebrating 90 Years of Moving You Forward.” Accessed December 18, 2024.
