🚚 Editor’s Picks · Movers Sorted by How You’re Actually Moving
Best Moving Companiesof 2026
Nearly 12% of Americans changed addresses in 2024, and two of the biggest “competing” full-service movers you’ll see quoted side by side — Allied Van Lines and North American Van Lines, United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit — are each actually run in pairs by the same parent corporation. This guide sorts 20 real movers, container services, truck rentals, and labor marketplaces by how you’d actually shop for one: full crew, self-pack container, DIY rental, or help loading what you’ve already booked.
Not Sure Where to Start?
For a full-service interstate move, start with Allied Van Lines — no deposit required to book, and licensed across all 50 states plus 130+ countries. Packing and loading yourself instead? PODS and U-Pack below are the strongest self-service options for cutting the bill without losing professional transport.
7 Picks · Century-Old Brands With Nationwide Agent Networks
These movers pack, load, transport, unload, and optionally unpack your entire household — the highest service level and the highest price point on this page.
Allied Van Lines
Good to Know: No deposit required to book, and Allied is licensed in all 50 states plus 130+ countries — one of only a few movers with genuine global reach.
Heads Up: Allied is owned by SIRVA, the same parent company as North American Van Lines below — crew quality varies by local agent, not by brand.
United Van Lines
Good to Know: The MyUnited Portal centralizes your documents, scheduling, and coordinator messages in one place, with tracking available throughout an interstate move.
Heads Up: United is owned by UniGroup, the same parent as Mayflower Transit below — some long-distance quotes require an in-home estimate rather than instant online pricing.
North American Van Lines
Good to Know: Build a menu-style package — full pack-and-move or transport-only — instead of paying for a fixed bundle, with binding estimates available on interstate moves.
Heads Up: Like Allied above, North American is owned by SIRVA; pricing runs at the premium end of the legacy van-line tier.
Mayflower Transit
Good to Know: Mayflower has handled government-contracted PCS moves for decades and shares United Van Lines’ agent network and move-management portal under parent company UniGroup.
Heads Up: As a legacy full-service brand, pricing sits at a premium tier, and local agent quality still varies by market.
American Van Lines
Good to Know: This family-owned mover built its reputation on pianos, fine art, antiques, and safes — items some full-service crews decline to handle.
Heads Up: Its agent network is smaller than the legacy van lines above, and reviews are mixed enough that reading branch-specific feedback is worth the extra step.
Atlas Van Lines
Good to Know: A 350+ agent network plus a mobile and desktop tracking app give genuine shipment visibility throughout a long-distance move.
Heads Up: Atlas also specializes in electronics and fine-art transport, but it’s priced as a premium full-service option, not a budget one.
Wheaton World Wide Moving
Good to Know: Unlike most names above, Wheaton isn’t owned by SIRVA or UniGroup — it was the first carrier to hold complete 50-state moving authority, back in 1973.
Heads Up: Wheaton operates through 250+ independent agents rather than company-owned branches, so local service quality depends heavily on which agent handles your move.
3 Picks · Built for Moves Within (or Near) Your Metro Area
Hourly crews and modern booking tools built for shorter moves, not cross-country relocations.
Two Men and a Truck
Good to Know: The largest franchised mover in the U.S., with a 96% referral rate and hourly crews built for moves within a metro area rather than cross-country.
Heads Up: It’s a franchise model — read reviews for your specific local location, not just the national brand.
Bellhop
Good to Know: Bellhop’s online dashboard shows transparent hourly pricing upfront and lets you book in minutes, skipping the traditional call-and-wait quote process.
Heads Up: Best suited to local and mid-distance moves — it isn’t positioned as a legacy long-haul van line the way Allied or United are.
JK Moving Services
Good to Know: JK offers financing on moves — a rare feature among major movers — plus dedicated coordinators and an online quote process that skips the in-home estimate for most jobs.
Heads Up: This is a premium-tier mover; if you’re price-shopping a budget move, compare against National Van Lines or a self-service option below first.
3 Picks · You Pack, They Drive
A middle ground between full-service and pure DIY: you load on your own schedule, they handle transport and delivery.
PODS
Good to Know: PODS invented the portable container category in 1998 — you load at your own pace, and the container can be stored at a PODS facility if your move dates don’t line up.
Heads Up: No loading crew is included; pair it with HireAHelper below if you want professional muscle without a full-service mover’s price tag.
U-Pack
Good to Know: You pack and load, U-Pack drives — pricing is pay-for-the-space-you-use, and it holds a 4.9-star Trustpilot rating, among the highest in the moving industry.
Heads Up: Not available in Hawaii, Alaska, or very rural areas, and you’re still responsible for all packing and loading labor.
1-800-PACK-RAT
Good to Know: Now merged with Zippy Shell, 1-800-PACK-RAT delivers weatherproof steel containers with flexible pickup and delivery scheduling.
Heads Up: Its footprint is smaller than PODS in some markets — check availability at your specific zip code before assuming coverage.
2 Picks · You Handle Every Step
The lowest-cost option on this page for buyers willing to drive, load, and unload themselves.
U-Haul
Good to Know: The largest rental fleet in North America, with truck sizes from a 10-foot van to a 26-foot box truck and one-way rentals available between most locations.
Heads Up: You handle every step — driving, loading, unloading, and return — and reviews are mixed on vehicle condition by location.
Penske Truck Rental
Good to Know: Penske’s rental fleet skews newer on average than U-Haul’s, and one-way long-distance pricing is often competitive or lower.
Heads Up: Fewer pickup locations than U-Haul in some smaller towns — confirm availability at your exact origin and destination first.
2 Picks · Cross-Border and Employer-Sponsored Moves
Customs documentation, door-to-door ocean or air freight, and corporate relocation programs for moves leaving the country.
International Van Lines
Good to Know: FMCSA-licensed under USDOT No. 2293832, IVL runs an eco-friendly domestic fleet and handles customs clearance for moves to 180+ countries.
Heads Up: IVL acts as a broker for some international routes — ask directly which carrier will actually handle your shipment.
Suddath
Good to Know: Operating since 1919, Suddath runs household, commercial, and employer-sponsored relocation programs into more than 180 countries.
Heads Up: Suddath leans corporate and premium-relocation in its positioning — get a direct household-move quote rather than assuming consumer pricing matches its corporate programs.
1 Pick · Muscle Without a Truck
For buyers who already have a container or rental truck booked and just need loading or unloading help.
HireAHelper
Good to Know: Books vetted, insured local crews for loading and unloading only — pairs naturally with a PODS container, a U-Pack trailer, or a U-Haul truck.
Heads Up: HireAHelper doesn’t provide the truck or container itself — you still need to book transportation separately.
2 Picks · Lower-Cost Full-Service Options
Full-service moving at a lower price point than the legacy van lines above, with some trade-offs in service polish or carrier transparency.
National Van Lines
Good to Know: Operating since 1929, National is consistently cited as one of the lower-cost full-service van lines for interstate moves.
Heads Up: Real-time shipment tracking is available but costs extra — ask upfront if that visibility matters to you.
Colonial Van Lines
Good to Know: Colonial emphasizes crew training and frequent status updates through a dedicated move coordinator throughout the move.
Heads Up: Colonial operates as a broker network coordinating with licensed carrier partners rather than running its own trucks — the carrier that shows up may carry a different name than the one you booked.
💡 Pro Tips for Choosing a Moving Company
🚚 Match the Method to Your Move
Full-service movers pack, load, transport, and unpack everything — the most expensive option and the least effort on your part. Self-service containers split the difference: you load on your schedule, they drive. DIY truck rental is the cheapest option, but you handle every step yourself.
📍 Local and Long-Distance Are Priced Differently
Local moves are usually billed by the hour. Long-distance interstate moves are priced by weight, distance, and service level, and must legally be handled by an FMCSA-licensed carrier — a local-only mover isn’t permitted to cross state lines.
🔍 Always Verify FMCSA Licensing Before You Sign
Any mover crossing state lines must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Verify a USDOT number at fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move before signing anything — an unregistered mover gives you no federal recourse if your belongings are held hostage for extra payment, a known scam in the industry.
📝 Insist on a Binding Estimate for Interstate Moves
A binding estimate locks in your price regardless of final shipment weight or how long loading takes. A non-binding estimate can climb sharply on moving day — a tactic some less reputable movers use to win the booking with a low quote, then inflate the bill at delivery.
🛡️ Valuation Coverage Isn’t Insurance
Movers don’t sell insurance — they sell valuation coverage, which limits their liability if items are lost or damaged. Released value protection is free but pays only $0.60 per pound per article; full-value protection costs more but is the only option worth having for anything genuinely valuable.
🏢 Some “Different” Van Lines Share the Same Parent Company
Allied Van Lines and North American Van Lines are both owned by SIRVA. United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit are both owned by UniGroup. Comparing quotes across either pair isn’t always comparing genuinely independent companies — Wheaton World Wide Moving is one of the few major van lines still outside both parent groups.
What’s the difference between a moving carrier and a broker?
How do I check if a moving company is licensed?
What is valuation coverage and how is it different from moving insurance?
How far in advance should I book a moving company?
What should I do if my belongings are damaged during a move?
What red flags should I watch for when hiring a mover?
How does NME rank and select moving companies?
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Best Home Security Systems of 2026
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Ready to Book Your Move?
Start with Allied Van Lines for a full-service interstate move, PODS or U-Pack if you’d rather pack yourself and save, or U-Haul if you’re handling the whole move on your own.
