Atlas Van Lines Review

Atlas Van Lines is a large professional moving company with more than 430 local agents across the US and Canada. These local agents operate as independent businesses while still working under Atlas as a whole. Because of this, Atlas Van Lines scores points for having the trust of a local business while still working under the well-known Atlas name.

Customer service quality often varies greatly from one moving broker to another.Atlas attempts to overcome this challenge with its Atlas Academy — a program that trains all Atlas moving employees in customer service, estimations, claims, and more. Atlas Van Lines is also ProMover certified, meaning it has undergone a meticulous background check to ensure its reliability and legitimacy in the industry.

Find out why we give Atlas Van Lines such high praise in our review of its special services, discounts, and more.

From small moves, international moves, and everything in between, Atlas has a variety of services. Here are a few that stood out.

• Customizable packing services
• Flexible storage options
• Ability to move hard-to-move items like cars, motorcycles, swing sets, pianos, and more
• AAA member discounts

If you’re not sure where to start, Atlas has you covered: on its website, there’s a blog full of moving tips on how to help you navigate common moving stressors.

Because of Atlas’s years of experience, it’s especially good at navigating the logistics and mechanics of long-distance moves with large loads. So if you’re  long-distance moving or headed out-of-state, you can focus on what matters most—like grabbing your favorite road trip snack or picking which movie you’ll watch on the plane.

Services Atlas Van Lines offers:

• Local moves
• Long-distance moves
• Small (apartment) moves
• International moves
• Corporate relocations
• Military moves
• Government moves
• Special items moves
• Full value protection or minimal protection
• Storage in transit
• Professional packing

Here’s what’s included in a standard move, and what costs extra:

Choosing to move with Atlas moving company has its perks—especially if you’re a AAA member. Atlas includes full-value protection on household goods for every AAA member’s move at no additional cost (which we’ll get into later). Because of this, AAA members save an average of $600 per move  with Atlas.

These savings allow AAA members to fit add-on services or perks into their budget when they might not have been able to before.That can mean the difference between chaos and calm if, say, you’re moving in the middle of the summer and trying to pack the house up while doing your best to keep the kids entertained.

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of packing your in-laws’ glass heirlooms, Atlas offers an array of packing services—like full packing and partial packing—to ease your stress.

With full packing, movers will pack everything that’s going with you. If you opt for full packing, here are some things you should know:

• The packing crew comes the day before the move to start packing.
• All packers and movers undergo background checks as part of Atlas' No Stranger in Your Home initiative.
• Atlas packers will hand-wrap fragile items, as well as bulky, fragile items that don’t fit into containers (like mirrors or headboards).
• Packers will hang up your clothes in wardrobe cartons to prevent wrinkling, staining, or water damage.
• If necessary, Atlas packers will customize wooden crates for breakables such as antiques.
• Anything the Atlas crew packs goes into an inventory, which is assessed and analyzed both before and after the move.

Partial packing—the more common option of the two—entails having movers pack only the things you don’t want to handle by yourself (like the in-laws’ heirloom).

If you want to take the matter into your own hands (literally), Atlas also offers packing materials. So if you want to do it yourself but don’t have a box for your TV, for example, Atlas has your back.

If your new home isn’t ready to move into yet, or if you need to temporarily lock up something like a motorcycle, Atlas provides two methods of storage depending on your location: secure short-term storage and long-term storage.

Let’s say your new custom kitchen isn’t quite done by move-in day, but everywhere else in your new place is liveable. In that case, storage-in-transit allows you to temporarily place your belongings into secure containers in warehouses.

So if it’s going to be at least a few more days until your new house is good to go, Atlas’s storage lets you protect brand new appliances while construction wraps up.

If you need to crash at a hotel until your new place is ready, long-term storage gives you the option of stowing any of your belongings in an Atlas warehouse for as long as you’d like—the price is determined simply by weight. Your local agent can help you find the best location for storage in your area.

Depending on your location, Atlas storage options can include 24/7 storage, climate-controlled storage, or secure outdoor storage.

Atlas prides itself on moving furniture or items that are large, unwieldy, or would otherwise have been practically immovable. While working with your local agent, Atlas will provide the equipment, tools, and expertise to move any of the following items, and more:

• Cars
• Motorcycles
• Boats
• Pianos
• Pool tables
• Playsets
• Swing sets

If you’re planning on moving any of these items, an Atlas agent can provide you with an estimate.

Like all moving companies, Atlas is prohibited by law from transporting fireworks, guns, live animals, and most household cleaning chemicals. Also, know that if you’re transporting your car, you can’t pack it full of all this stuff either—it’s too much of a liability. Sorry, Clark Griswold.

Moving with Atlas is pretty straightforward—the company even has a video that takes you step-by-step through the entire process.

Because moving is stressful enough on its own, you shouldn’t have to worry about missing an important step—and Atlas gets that. Throughout your move, an Atlas customer service representative will notify you of any updates or upcoming steps.

Atlas's Customer Portal allows movers to track your shipment and manage moving paperwork all online. Plus, you can download the AtlasNet app, which lets you keep tabs on your move from anywhere you are.

Since moving can be so unpredictable, Atlas offers valuation plans so you can rest easy about the well-being of your favorite Pottery Barn plates.

Unlike state insurance laws, which govern and regulate companies’ insurance options, moving company valuation plans (or estimations of an item’s worth) offer protection for your belongings. Atlas offers two coverage plans: minimal protection or full value protection.

Minimal coverage is based on an item’s weight multiplied by $0.60 per pound. So if you had a 100-pound TV that broke, you would receive $60 in compensation, regardless of its actual value.

Full-value protection is based on total item weight multiplied by $6, and the amount covered isn’t limited to a per-item basis. For example, a 5,000-pound move would need $30,000 in coverage (because 5,000 times $6 is $30,000).

That said, full-value protection ensures that Atlas will also repair or replace any lost or damaged items based on the total amount covered. For example, if you have full-value protection with $10,000 in coverage and your $200 TV broke during the move, Atlas would replace it at its current market value of $200.

Trying to decide between minimal coverage and full-value protection? This is where your local agent comes in. They can help you figure out which coverage option is best for you based on your inventory and budget.

Like most moving companies, Atlas calculates its moving costs based on the combined weight and distance of the move. If you’re moving locally, moving rates are done by the hour, whereas out-of-state moves are based on a combined weight and distance traveled in miles.

We say it all the time, but every move is different. Between overall distance, total shipment weight, time of year, and the addition of add-on services (like full-service packing) prices will vary even for similar moves, and definitely from  state to state.

That said, be warned: Atlas isn’t very transparent with even its ballpark numbers before an in-home estimate. If you want more info, you’ll have to either complete an online survey for a rough calculation or do an in-home estimate.

Between Atlas's special item moves, AAA member discounts, and trusted name, it’s hard not to give them a gold star. If you’re long-distance moving or  especially interested in a full-service move with add-on perks, we say go for it—Atlas Van Lines can handle the pain of moving for you.

Moved with Atlas before? Tell us about it in the comments section below! Not sure if Atlas Van Lines is the right long-distance mover for you? Check out our Best Long-Distance Moving Companies list for more recommendations.