Best Long-Distance Moving Companies 2024

For the past eight years, we've thoroughly evaluated long-distance moving companies to help you find the best option for your move. Our research includes examining pricing transparency, ensuring proper accreditation, and analyzing customer reviews. We even conducted mystery shopping sessions, posing as customers, and interviewed real people about their experiences. 

International Van Lines, Safeway Moving, and Mayzlin Relocation are our top three picks for the best out-of-state moving companies, but we included several reputable companies with different strengths so you can find the best one to fit your moving needs. We looked at customer service, quote transparency and accuracy, and perks like free storage to find movers to make your upcoming cross-country move less of a headache.

1. Cost. You need to balance reasonable prices with the services offered. Costs for a professional mover can vary from $1,200 up to $29,000, depending on how many miles you're moving and the size of your home. To some extent, you want your full-service move to be "expensive." Maybe not Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous expensive. But pricey enough to feel confident your movers didn’t skip steps that could lead to late delivery or damaged items. Check out our Moving Cost guide to see average prices by distance and type of move.
2. Binding estimates. Pay special attention to nationwide companies like American Van Lines that offer binding quotes. The guarantee means your price won’t change after signing on the dotted line—as long as you don’t add any more items to the home inventory you and the movers agreed on during the quote process.
3. Affordable deposit. Some moving companies charge a deposit, which can by from 10% up to 50% of the total cost. Make sure to choose a company that matches your budget.
4. Customer Service.  Pay attention to how the company communicates with you when getting a quote. Ask what kind of communication to expect and when before you book. If you are moving on the weekend, consider a company that offers 24/7 customer support. 
5. Perks. Look for companies like International Van Lines that go the extra mile by giving you 30 days of free storage. Other worthwhile perks include real-time GPS tracking, supplemental insurance, and special discounts.
6. Timelines. Depending on the company, moving timelines can vary based on the logistics of your move. If you need to have your move completed by a specific date, you may need to pay an extra cost for a guaranteed delivery date, so be sure to ask about that when you get quotes from different companies to compare. Also know that getting a guaranteed delivery date is not always an option, depending on your location.
7. Carriers vs Brokers. Simply put, carriers have their own their own moving van fleets and in-house moving staff while brokers coordinate with other companies. You should always check a company’s licensing status and reputation before you sign a contract or pay a deposit. For more details, check out our article on the difference between moving carriers and brokers.

Once you've narrowed down your top choices for moving companies, you'll most likely need to talk to a representative on the phone to get a final quote, or estimated cost. 

Here is roughly what you can expect during the moving quote process:

1. Submit a form requesting a quote and get an email from the movers you selected with more information about their company to compare and see who will meet your needs.
2. Talk on the phone with a representative. You will most likley get a phone call after you complete the form. They will work with you on getting an inventory of your belongings, confirm dates, ask if you want moving coverage or additional services (like packing, storage, etc) and give you your final quote.  Remember to ask them about delivery date (and if they offer a guaranteed delivery date option), when and how to expect communication with them before, during and after the moving date, and customer service availability during the move.

For more information about moving quotes, check out What Goes Into a Moving Estimate? and How to Do a Home Inventory.

International Van Lines is our pick for the #1 long-distance moving company. It offers nationwide moving services, gives multiple types of discounts, and even throws in 30 days of free storage. International Van Lines can also trim hundreds of bucks off car shipping services if you can be flexible about timing. On the downside, the company gets lower-than-average customer reviews and has a lot of distracting online pop-up ads that can take away from the online experience.

International Van Lines doesn’t try to hide its prices. The company’s website is filled with sample moving quotes for nationwide moving routes. Plus, IVL is transparent with us about how its pricing works, a rare quality in cross-country movers.

Pricing for a long-distance, full-service move doesn’t work the same way as services like moving container companies or truck rentals. Instead of looking for the lowest price, spending more buys you more protection for your belongings across state lines. 

Avoid national moving companies that refuse to break down services and prices for you. International Van Lines will tell you anything you want to know about costs. That gives you the power to make an informed decision.

International Van Lines can also ship vehicles to your new home. This long-distance mover offers two types of vehicle transport services and can often trim hundreds of dollars off the going rate:

1. Open transport. Your car ships on an open-air truck across state lines. It picks up dust along the way but is so affordable that 90% of customers opt for this service. IVL also offers insurance to protect against driver negligence.
2. Enclosed transport. Your car ships inside of an enclosed semi-truck. This typically costs about $400 more than open transport, so it’s primarily recommended for high-value automobiles like custom cars, antique cars, and luxury vehicles.

IVL can save you 15%–20%, depending on your flexibility. That means if you can hang tight until it can load a full truck along your route, you could save hundreds of dollars on average car shipping costs.

Want to save up to 20% on car shipping?

International Van Lines offers a free month of storage in the city you're departing, a huge great perk if your new home across the country isn't ready.

So, if you're leaving Washington D.C. for Chicago, you can keep your things in D.C. for up to 30 days for free. 

Storage services are still available in your new city. IVL charges 50 cents per cubic foot. So, if you have a 1,200-cubic foot home, your storage costs would be $600 per month ($0.50 x 1,200 cubic feet).

IVL is our #1 rated company

Safeway Moving gets some of the most positive customer review scores in the long-distance moving industry. In addition to 4-star reviews, price-matching, and 30 days of free storage, Safeway donates a portion of moving costs to St. Jude's to fight childhood cancer. Our only complaint is that moving quotes for out of state aren't always clear.

Safeway Moving says that long-distance moves come with “up to 30 days of free storage.” You’ll want to check with the company for more details, but we’ve found that moving storage is helpful in a many situations:

• Home staging
• Remodel
• Late closing date
• Emergency relocation
• Corporate relocation
• Downsizing

If you're wondering which moving company on this list has the best reviews, it's Safeway Moving. Safeway gets the best reviews of any long-distance mover we’ve seen. Although it comes with caveats (for example, most of Safeway’s reviews come from a single site), the company’s resulting score is nearly one full star higher than the best companies in the business.

Safeway Moving was founded by a military veteran who believes in giving back to the community. The company boasts a partnership with St. Jude’s hospital and says it donates “a portion of your total move cost to St. Jude upon completion of your move.”

Looking for a company with some of the best customer reviews?

Colonial Van Lines offers a range of services and options from highly trained movers to get everything in the right place, even if that place is across the country. 

Like many of the brands on this list, Colonial Van Lines offers full-service cross-country and regional services, but what sets it apart is the extensive training every one of its employees gets. 

Colonial Van Lines has established itself as a trusted choice for both residential and corporate long-distance moves. Along with highly trained moving staff and drivers, every client gets the help of a dedicated Account Manager to help them through the moving process. 

Colonial specializes in out-of-state moves, only working with customers crossing state lines. Moving deposits usually land around 40%, but with the more services you add, the more that deposit covers. 

Relocating families and businesses nationwide requires careful planning, skilled hands, and strategic thinking, which is why Colonial Van Lines invests in comprehensive training through its own institution, Colonial Van Lines University (CVLU).

Every new team member undergoes an immersive training program lasting two to four weeks at CVLU. This training equips them with the most effective techniques for packing, lifting, and handling a wide range of items—from everyday belongings to specialty goods.

Moreover, Colonial extends the benefits of CVLU to its customers. Quick courses are available for preparing valuable items like dressers, chairs, appliances, books, fine china, and clothing, ensuring that customers can also take advantage of expert knowledge when preparing their possessions for relocation.

Binding estimates are something we highly recommend in a moving company because they prevent the price from changing after you sign the agreement. Although the quote is guaranteed, you can adjust your estimate with Colonial’s Quality Assurance team up until the date of your move. For example, if you end up doing more (or less) packing than you expected, you can either lower your overall cost or add that service.

We spoke with Colonial Van Lines to get an idea of its price ranges and got some simple estimates for a three-bedroom home. 

• Salt Lake City, UT to New York City, NY: around $9,000
• Minneapolis, MN to Des Moines, IA: around $5,500 

CVL considers various factors such as load weight, locations, and moving dates to provide a final binding quote, guaranteeing accuracy. They also offer a price match guarantee against qualified competitors' lower quotes.

Ready to start your move with Colonial Van Lines?

Mayzlin Relocation is the best customer-reviewed company on our list. Their sales agents provide helpful tips, like how to avoid common moving scams, and they do what they can to pass along discounts to customers. If customer service is your priority, Mayzlin Relocation is tough to beat. Because you can't get an online quote with Mayzlin, you'll need to give them a call or fill out the new customer form on their website.

Mayzlin Relocation is a younger (and smaller) company than other long-distance movers on our list, but there's no denying customer feedback.

People who moved with Mayzlin told us the company had dependable movers, helpful sales agents, and solid discounts. While Mayzlin doesn't have the same volume of online reviews as companies like IVL or North American Van Lines, they're off to a strong start.

Many long-distance movers charge a hefty deposit up to 50% for out-of-state moves. But Mayzlin Relocation sticks to a more affordable 25%. 

Moving cross-country is already expensive, so a lower initial deposit makes a big difference. On top of that, you can get a full refund for your deposit up to seven days before your moving date.

Mayzlin Relocation sales agents do everything they can to make your long-distance move cheaper. Along with discounts for early booking, Mayzlin will price match with any reputable carrier with a Better Business Bureau grade of B+ or better.

You may also be in luck if another customer cancels their move and Mayzlin needs to fill that slot. Ask your sales agent about potential savings while you're getting your quote!

Discounts offered by Mayzlin include:

• Move.org reader discount
• Military
• Senior
• Membership discounts
• Student
• Teacher
• Law enforcement
• First responder
• Early reservation discount
• Tariff discounts

American Van Lines is our pick for its flat-rate pricing. These long-distance movers don’t skimp on the costs necessary to keep your belongings safe. American charges a flat rate and lets you use all of its many moving services (including piano moving). The company also background checks its workers (including drug tests and background screenings). The catch? American doesn’t have GPS tracking, and its customer service reps are available only on weekdays.

American Van Lines specializes in moving large and heavy instruments long distances. They know all the tricks of the trade to ensure that your piano arrives undamaged—and in tune.

For example, did you know that professional movers should disassemble pianos before moving them? It’s a lot different than mental images of workers loading a baby grand onto a moving truck. American Van Lines trains its staff to disassemble, load, transport, unload, and reassemble your piano in working condition.

You don’t pay extra thanks to AVL's flat-rate pricing.

American Van Lines’ flat-rate prices can save you time and money. Some state-to-state movers upsell you on services you don't need to make extra cash. 

Not so with American Van Lines. The company charges a single upfront rate based on the distance you're moving, weight of your belongings, and any extra services. 

For example, let’s say you get a quote from American Van Lines—and another company that doesn’t use flat-rate pricing:

It’s easy to see how your invoice looks cleaner (imagine a bill with two dozen extra line items). Plus, you can save money if you use enough high-end services.

AVL’s across state movers are top-of-the-line professionals. The company puts every potential long-distance mover through an intense pre-hire screening process, including background checks and drug testing. Those that make the cut arrive at your home wearing uniforms that identify them as AVL professionals.

Bottom line: American Van Lines goes the extra mile to ensure that you and your belongings are safe when moving across the United States.

Looking for premium quality?

Although Solomon & Sons is available across the country, it shines the brightest on the East Coast. Its sales team will expertly guide you through the quoting process leading to a guaranteed price based upon your unique moving needs across state lines.

The sales team at Solomon & Sons really stands out providing a superior quoting experience. Since it's based in South Florida, they can perform a detailed in-home estimate for a more accurate quote. 

But for folks in other areas, Solomon & Sons can set up a video call and run through a list of questions to start organizing your long-distance move.

Even more impressive, Solomon & Sons can provide their services in five different languages: Russian, Spanish, French, Hebrew, and English.

When hiring professional state-to-state movers there's little guarantee that your quote and final bill will match up.

Thankfully, this is not the case with Solomon & Sons. Its guaranteed pricing comes with in-home estimates and skips expensive surpises like hidden fees. 

Part of Solomon & Son’s transparency is the disclosure of additional services and fees. These are especially important to keep in mind if you’re moving long distance into or out of a high-rise in a big city.

• Long carry: The first 75 feet are included. Each additional 75 ft. is $75.
• Stairs: 14 steps are included in the basic estimate. Each additional flight (7 steps) is an additional $75 per flight.
• Packing and unpacking: Packing supplies and crate services, if not already listed within the proposal, are not included. These services are not included with a basic estimate either.
• Bulky items/special handling: There’s an additional charge for special handling of items like motorcycles, pianos, gun safes, Pelotons and similar speciality items.
• Storage: Storage costs are $40.00 per 100 cu.ft. per month + $39 monthly administrative fee, non-prorated ($189 minimum).
• Shuttle service: If a semi-trailer cannot get reasonably close to your residence for loading/unloading, a shuttle truck may be required to complete the relocation at a minimum charge of $300. The actual charge is subject to shipment size ($0.75 per cubic foot after 300 cu ft).

While Solomon & Sons are nationwide movers, it cannot help folks starting in Montana Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota or Wyoming. 

However, when it comes to moves originating from regions other than the East Coast, chances are your move will be brokered to one of its seven highly-vetted partners. This is a common practice for moving companies this size who are looking to take their capabilities nationwide but it does increase the risk of poor communication as your move changes hands.

Ready to start your East Coast move with Solomon & Sons?

North American Van Lines lets you pick and choose moving services. That’s a big deal because most companies charge you for everything whether you need it or not. It even has plans for supplemental insurance coverage. Not surprisingly, North American gets exceptionally high customer review scores.

However, North American's website is clunky, and it’s tough to nail down the cost of your deposit.

North American Van Lines lets you pick and choose which moving services you want. For example, do you want to save a couple of thousand dollars by packing your belongings yourself? North American is okay with that (most companies aren’t). The same thing goes for other cross-country moving services too. If you’re up to the task of unloading your items, the North American Van Lines crew is happy to let you do the work.

Put it all together, and you can choose which local or long-distance moving services want to pay for:

• Packing services
• Packing supplies
• Loading
• Unloading
• Climate-controlled storage
• Installation and assembly services
• Debris removal

North American Van Lines makes it easy to know where your household goods are even when you're states away. Once your move is in progress, the company will provide you with a six-digit registration number. Just plug that number into North American’s tracking website, and it will tell you where your belongings are.

A company bragging about 24/7 customer support sounds pretty standard in most industries, but it's almost unheard of in long-distance moving. And yet, that’s what North American Van Lines brings to the table.

In most cases, if your belongings arrive on a Saturday, you'll need to wait until Monday to sort out any issues. But North American always keeps someone on call, a feature that keeps its customers happy across the board.

Want to customize your move?

Mayflower has over 95 years of experience in the long-distance moving industry. Packing, crating, car shipping, even connecting and disconnecting electronics, Mayflower does it all. 

If you've got a daunting cross-country move ahead off you, it’s tough to find a more comprehensive moving experience than Mayflower can provide.

That is, if you have the budget.

While every company on this list can provide a full-service moving package, Mayflower just does it better than most. With one of their full-service moving packages, you can hire Mayflower to manage your move so you’re freed up to work on tackling other priorities.

Each full-service move includes the following:

• Assigned move coordinator
• Full-Value Protection (unless waived)
• Standard transport of appliances
• Qualified drivers and equipment
• Loading, transport, and unloading of household belongings
• Disassembly and reassembly of standard bed frames
• Standard furniture placement

These full-service moving packages are offered on top of an already comprehensive list of services, all carried out by Mayflower’s highly qualified agent networks.

• Packing
• Unpacking
• Trash and debris removal
• Storage
• Car shipping
• Speciality items
• Crating
• Electronics installation
• Move protection

A common frustration consumers face when moving across the country is not knowing exactly where their belongings are. Thankfully, Mayflower has you covered with its shipment tracking portal.

All you need is your order number and last name to get an update on where your household items are on their journey to your new home. 

Hand the keys to your move over to Mayflower today!

Allied Van Lines stands out for its convenience, offering virtual quotes and being one of the few moving companies that doesn’t require a deposit. Over the past 15 years, Allied has helped approximately 750,000 families move, earning a spot on our list of best long-distance moving companies every year through 2024.¹

Though it has fewer customer reviews than you might expect from a company nearly 100 years old, Allied excels in features that simplify the moving process, such as storage options, virtual quotes, and packing supplies. Its network of 400 local agents ensures efficient service across the country, and it offers some of the best storage solutions in the industry.

The only downside is Allied’s overall customer reviews, which tend to score lower than some competitors. However, certain carriers in its network receive near-perfect ratings, so we recommend checking reviews for the specific Allied Van Lines carrier you plan to use.

Allied Van Lines was put to the test with Wilder, who received a Move.org Moving Grant to help with his move from Nashville, Tennessee to Plano, Texas. Wilder's experience with Allied was just what he’d hoped for: “fast, easy, and cheap.” The company offered the lowest price, the move was quicker than expected, and customer service was overwhelmingly positive.

Even with a few minor hiccups, Wilder said he would definitely hire Allied again and recommend the company to others.

Ready to book a move with no deposit needed?

With full-value protection on every move, an extensive list of services, and the most transparent pricing in the industry, United Van Lines is a leading choice for your upcoming long-distance relocation.

United Van Lines provides a comprehensive range of services for long-distance moves, including auto transport, home cleaning, storage, and full-service packing. This makes United an excellent option for anyone seeking a convenient, one-stop shopping experience for their move.

Plus, with instant online quotes available, you can quickly determine if United fits your budget or if you need to explore other options.

We got to learn about United Van Lines firsthand with Kerry, one of the recipients of our Moving Grant. Overall, United met our expectations. Most of the staff were efficient and punctual, and every customer service representative was helpful throughout the process. On top of that, United exceeded its reputation for pricing transparency by lowering Kerry's estimate and sticking to that price.

See how competitive a quote from United Van Lines is!

Check out our reviews of some other companies that can we looked at during our evaluation and mystery shopping, but didn't make the final cut:

• • Atlas Van Lines
  • Bekins Van Lines, Inc.
  • Bellhop
  • First National Van Lines
  • Interstate Moving & Relocation Group
  • JK Moving Services
  • Moving APT
  • Two Men and a Truck

International Van Lines is our pick for the best long-distance moving service. It has a vast network of cross-country movers, provides one month of free storage, and offers military and senior discounts.

Want to move with Move.org’s #1 pick?

Move.org evaluates and identifies the moving industry’s best full-service movers using a fivefold research approach:

• Compare pricing transparency. We gather quotes, check for binding estimates, and read customer reviews about pricing to ensure each moving company’s prices are trustworthy. 

• Review accreditation. We check every company’s records in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s database to confirm companies are properly authorized to transport household goods.

• Mystery shopping. We review every company’s website, use first-hand experience to pose as customers in calls to companies, and read customer reviews to analyze every company’s moving services, transit protection, and customer service. We also interview actual customers to learn how their moves went from start to finish.

• Site visits.  We invite moving companies to our headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT, to share data and expertise. We verify the information they provide by comparing it to data gathered through independent research and interviews with other movers.
• Regular review. We routinely repeat this process to update our recommendations to reflect current data and trends. We also revise each review annually and make updates throughout the year.

Check out our Ultimate Moving Checklist for a more detailed timeline and tips. Here is a rough timeline:

Two months before your move

• Give yourself plenty of time. 
• Get moving supplies.
• Create a home inventory.
• Choose move type according to your budget.

Six weeks before your move

• Understand the difference between moving brokers and carriers.
• Get moving estimates and compare. 
• Watch for moving scams.
• Decide and book your mover.

One month before your move

• Declutter and donate unwanted items. 

Two weeks before your move

• Set up utilities. 
• Notify important parties of your change of address. 

Moving day

• Use our Moving Day Checklist so you don't miss anything.

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• Best Moving Containers Companies

• Is American Van Lines a Reputable Company?
• What’s the Cheapest Way to Move Cross Country?
• What’s the Cheapest Way to Ship My Car?
• Should I Hire a Commercial Mover?
• How Much Does it Cost to Move Internationally?

1. Allied Van Lines, "Home page," Accessed October 1, 2024.