What are the best moving companies in America?
Moving to a new home can be tricky without a reputable moving company to take all of your belongings from point A to point B.
However, not all moving companies are created equal and today we’re looking at the top ones in the nation.
The Best Moving Companies In America
All of the moving companies that made our list were chosen for their high ratings and the variety of services they provide.
Here’s our list of the 10 best moving companies in America:
10. Bellhop
Best For: Local Efficiency
If you’re moving locally and need things done as quickly as possible, Bellhop is one of the best moving companies you can choose.
Bellhop is one of the highest-rated local moving companies and they’re perfect for moving across town and need things done in as little time as possible.
This company is also nice enough to waive rescheduling fees if you need to put your plans on hold due to COVID-19.
Customer reviews praise this moving company for its organization, efficiency, and speed.
In some cases, services can be scheduled the day of if you only need things moved a short distance, while longer distances should be scheduled at least a week in advance.
Bellhop has hourly moving rates with a 1 to 2-hour minimum, and a 5% deposit is required when you schedule your move.
Pros:
- Flexible reservation times
- Quick, efficient local moves
- Straight forward pricing
Cons:
- Not available in all cities
- Better for local instead of long-distance moves
Bottom Line:
Bellhop could be a great choice if you’re moving but staying in the same city or town.
However, they aren’t available nationwide, so you’ll want to check out their website to make sure they operate in your area if you want to use them for your next move.
That said, if you are able to take advantage of their services, you can expect a quick move where all of your belongings are handled with care.
9. Atlas Van Lines
Best For: Fragile Items
If you’re moving with a lot of fragile items, Atlas Van Lines is going to be a moving company to seriously consider.
Started in 1948, today this company consists of 430 independent agencies located all across the globe.
Atlas Van Lines has maintained an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a high customer satisfaction rate for local, interstate, cross-country, and international moving.
Their website is easy to navigate and they have upfront pricing options so that you know how much your move will cost, without needing to worry about any hidden fees.
They also offer storage services and vehicle relocation, in addition to full-service options and the ability to order moving supplies.
When it comes to moving fragile items, Atlas Van Lines provides thorough information on how you can best pack and protect your items, but you can also opt to have them pack, transport, and unpack your belongings if you don’t want to manage them yourself.
Even if you don’t have a huge amount of fragile items to move, you can expect Atlas to treat all of your belongings as if they were a collection of the most expensive wines in the world.
Each truck also has special decking inside to help further protect items, and this moving company can even transport pets, plants, and even aquariums!
Furthermore, this moving company doesn’t require a deposit, though free cancellation is only available if done within three days of having signed the contract.
Pros:
- Meticulous transport of fragile items
- High customer satisfaction
- Useful online estimate tools
Cons:
- They cannot move containers
- The three-day cancellation period may feel restrictive for some people
Bottom Line:
This full-service moving company prides itself on taking care of its customer’s belongings, and whether you’re moving locally or long distance, their great track record speaks for itself.
If you have a lot of fragile items that need to be moved, you should definitely consider these professional movers.
8. PODS
Best For: Convenience and Flexibility
PODS is a portable storage container moving company that offers both self-service and partial-service options.
What makes PODS so convenient is the fact that they allow you up to 30 days to load up your containers and then another 30 days to unload them at your new location.
This makes the moving process a lot more flexible, since you aren’t limited to one single day for loading and unloading everything you own.
With PODS, you can work at your own pace while also having the option to take advantage of optional storage and protection services.
Additionally, customers don’t have to worry about making a deposit ahead of time and can instead pay overtime for your container depending on how long you need it for.
For example, because you rent the containers by the month, you won’t have to worry about being surprised by late fees or hidden costs.
PODS features upfront pricing on their website and the average cost of local moves can range between $350 and $550, with long-distance moves starting at around $1000.
Pros:
- Lots of time for loading and unloading
- Price transparency
- Options in all 50 states
Cons:
- Not many short-term options
- The quote process can take time
Bottom Line:
If you’re moving and want to be able to take your time, PODS is a moving company that you should definitely consider.
While it can take a while to get a quote, meaning that PODS isn’t great for short notice, having the 30-day window to load and unload your container can certainly make moving a lot less hectic.
7. U-Pack
Best For: Affordability
Moving can be an expensive ordeal, especially if you already live in one of the most expensive cities in the USA.
Thankfully, U-Pack can help make things more affordable at the cost of needing to do most of the work yourself.
If you live by yourself and are unable to have anyone help you, this may not be the best option, but if you’re able to pack, load, and unload everything on your own, U-Pack can definitely save you some money.
Like PODS, U-Pack gives you a container to fill up, after which they will pick it up and move it to your new location so you can unpack it.
There is no deposit needed to schedule a drop-off date and no charge if you end up canceling seven days before it arrives.
For most moves, more than one container will be needed, since one isn’t usually large enough to fit everything from one room.
Though this varies depending on the size of your home and how many belongings you have.
Still, for long-distance moves, U-Pack is going to be the most affordable self-service mover option you can find.
Pros:
- Containers you can load and unload at your own pace
- High customer satisfaction rates
- No deposit
Cons:
- No local shipping options
- Limited container sizes
Bottom Line:
If you want to save money on long-distance moves, U-Pack is going to be one of your best options, so long as you don’t mind doing a majority of the work yourself.
Though you should take note of the pros and cons of self-moving before making a decision.
While container sizes are limited, resulting in most people needing multiple ones, ultimately it comes down to how large your home is and how much you need to move.
For a large household, you would probably be better off going through one of the other moving companies on our list, but for smaller homes, U-Pack should be something to consider.
6. Colonial Van Lines
Best For: Storage Services
Colonial Van Lines has a lot of great customer reviews, and they handle upwards of 12,000 moves per year.
With this moving company, you have the option to choose different packing options for bulky or fragile items and they even offer last-minute scheduling if you need a moving company fast.
There is also a mobile app that you can use to help estimate the total cost of your move, though you will have to try and be as accurate as possible for the estimate to be precise.
Even then, it’s a good idea to leave some leeway just in case the entire process does end up costing slightly more.
That being said, we chose Colonial Van Lines mainly for their great climate-controlled storage services.
While you may not need to store one of the most expensive paintings in the world, having access to secure, climate-controlled storage can definitely give you peace of mind if you can’t bring all of your belongings over to your new home right away.
Pros:
- Perfect for long-distance moves
- Climate-controlled storage service
- High customer satisfaction ratings
Cons:
- Deposit required
- No local moving options
Bottom Line:
If you need moving services for a long-distance move, Colonial Van Lines is a company to keep in mind, especially if you know you’re going to need storage as well.
While they do require a deposit beforehand and estimates can vary slightly to be more or less than calculated, the pricing is in line with the average that most long-distance moving companies charge.
5. North American Van Lines
Best For: All-in-One Moving
North American Van Lines can do a little bit of everything and that is why we chose it as the best all-in-one moving company.
Since being founded in 1933, North American Van Lines has been accredited with an A+ rating from the BBB and a 4.0 in customer satisfaction by Consumer Affairs.
Specializing in local and long-distance moves, as well as corporate relocation services, this moving company is well experienced at moving things quickly, safely, and efficiently.
They also offer container moving through Blue Express, which makes them stand out even more from the competition.
In addition to this, they are one of the best full-service moving companies and they are more than capable of taking care of all your moving needs, without you needing to exert yourself.
This company also has some of the most comprehensive protection plans and transparent claims processes in the business.
Because of this, if something is damaged, customers can expect to receive the true value of the item and not some predetermined amount.
Although this often isn’t needed, knowing about this policy can provide some peace of mind.
Pros:
- Full service moving
- Covers local and long-distance moves
- Transparent claims processes
Cons:
- Storage solutions can be limited by location
- Personal agents can be limited by location
Bottom Line:
North American Van Lines is an all-around solid moving company that offers almost everything that residential and commercial customers could want.
While agents and storage options can be limited depending on your location, ultimately this ends up being more of a minor inconvenience that doesn’t really impede the overall moving process.
4. United Van Lines
Best For: Full-Service
While North American Van Lines has a full-service option, United Van Lines specializes in this hands-off approach and it is perfect for those who want to make the moving process as easy on themselves as possible.
These full-service movers will take care of everything whether you are moving locally, long-distance, or internationally.
They even offer vehicle relocation, and instant, upfront pricing on their website so that you can easily input everything you need and get a quote fast.
Like many of the other companies on our list, United Van Lines has an A+ rating from the BBB and they will never request a deposit or fee for canceling right up until service begins.
If you want to sit back and have someone else take care of the packing, moving, shipping, and unloading, this is one moving company that you definitely should look into, especially since they’ll even cover international moving, even to some of the most expensive countries in the world!
Pros:
- Local, long-distance, and international moving
- No hassle cancellation
- Full-service
Cons:
- Does not offer container moving
Bottom Line:
While they don’t offer container moving, they more than make up for this by doing literally everything else for you.
This full-service mover provides everything that you could ever want and even if you do end up needing to reschedule or cancel, you won’t pay a cent.
3. Allied Van Lines
Best For: Long Distance Moves
Allied Van Lines gets our pick as the best mover for long distances due to their high customer satisfaction rates and a solid reputation for moving things safely and quickly across the country.
This long-distance moving company has an A+ rating from the BBB and it serves as a full-service mover in addition to offering moving supplies, container transport, vehicle relocation, and tracking, all with no deposit required.
While they also offer local moving services, they are best used when moving long-distance or internationally, especially since quality local movers are easier to come by, but long-distance requires a lot more professionalism.
Furthermore, if you ever need to cancel, you can without any fees so long as they haven’t started moving things yet.
Pros:
- Fantastic long distance moving services
- Quality insurance coverage
- Full-service options
Cons:
- Local moving may cost more than other moving services
Bottom Line:
Allied Van Lines is going to be the best company to choose if you need to move across state lines or across the country and they can make planning a long-distance move just a little bit simpler.
While you can use them to move locally, this will usually cost more than other companies that specialize in local moves, so using this company only for long moves is going to give you the best value.
2. American Van Lines
Best For: Fine Art and Valuables
If you’re moving and own one of the most expensive TVs in the world, you sure as hell want to make sure that your TV is going to arrive at your new home without so much as a scratch.
While this is an extreme example, most of us have expensive items that definitely need to be handled with care and this is what American Van Lines excels at.
This moving company offers options for local, long-distance, and international moves, and they can also handle corporate moves to help you get your business up and running as quickly as possible.
However, their specialty services are what really set them apart, and when it comes to transporting valuables and fine art pieces, they are some of the best movers in the nation.
They can even take care of all packing and unpacking as full-service movers and they will even handle vehicle relocation.
Pros:
- Full-service moving options
- Experts in moving and handling valuables
- Corporate moving options
Cons:
- Deposit required
- No container moving
- The cancelation period can be restrictive
Bottom Line:
If you have valuable items that you’re going to be moving with, you’re going to want to trust a company with experience.
While they do require a deposit and you can’t cancel for free after three days of signing the contract, American Van Lines is still the best in the business when it comes to protecting your most expensive items.
1. International Van Lines
Best For: International Moving
As the name might suggest, International Van Lines is one of the best moving companies if you are moving to another country.
International moves can be tricky enough, so having a company that offers specialty services revolving around global moving can make the process a lot easier.
This moving company offers full-service packing and unpacking options, several types of insurance coverage packages, moving supplies, and more.
They even offer global vehicle transport that can cover even some of the most expensive cars in the world.
Their pricing is also straightforward and you can easily get an estimate on their website.
While you will need a 25% deposit to reserve your moving date, they do offer free cancellation up to 48 hours before the selected date.
Pros:
- Rated best for customer service in 2021
- Loads of full-service moving options
- Generous cancellation policy
Cons:
- No container transportation
- Requires a deposit
Bottom Line:
Moving to another country can be stressful and hectic, but International Van Lines makes everything just a little bit easier.
They are more than able of taking care of almost everything, so all you need to do is prepare for your move and get ready to enjoy your new home.
Summary
We hope that you found our list of the best moving companies in America helpful!
If you are planning to move soon, make sure to check out these companies to see which one can help you make the most of this otherwise stressful process!
Here’s a quick recap of the 10 best moving companies in America:
- International Van Lines
- American Van Lines
- Allied Van Lines
- United Van Lines
- North American Van Lines
- Colonial Van Lines
- U-Pack
- PODS
- Atlas Van Lines
- Bellhop
