7 Best Interstate Moving Companies (2022)

Whether you’re going from California to South Carolina or New York to New Jersey, interstate moves can be a challenging and stressful time. Do you have an inventory of your belongings? Do you have enough time to pack? How will you transport your vehicle to your new location?

Luckily, there are moving companies that offer assistance with interstate moves to help ease the burden, but choosing one can be challenging. The This Old House Reviews Team has researched 31 of the nation’s top moving companies, analyzed thousands of customer reviews, and ranked them for the best interstate moving companies on the market today.

7 Best Interstate Moving Companies

Based on our rigorous methodology and research, we named the following companies as the best interstate moving companies:

• International Van Lines: Best Overall Full-Service Mover
• Interstate Moving & Relocation Group: Most Efficient
• American Van Lines: Most Experienced Moving Labor
• JK Moving Services: Most Customizable Full-Service Mover
• Allied Van Lines: Best for Vehicle Relocation
• North American Van Lines: Best for Claims
• 1-800-PACK-RAT: Best Overall Self-Service Mover

International Van Lines

• Our Take: Best Overall Full-Service Mover
• State Availability: 50 States

International Van Lines is our top pick for best interstate movers. The company is a full-service mover that helps with packing, loading, delivery, unpacking, and unloading. International Van Lines can add a variety of other services and protection plans to these full-service options.

This company is ideal for someone who wants an all-inclusive moving experience in which the company handles every part of the interstate move. The company is available nationwide, provides flexibility in its services, and it is well-equipped for an interstate move of any size. You can also rest assured your items will be well taken care of, as they specialize in moving fragile items. Read more about IVL services.

Pros & Cons

✔ Offers a moving calculator and checklist
✔ Provides multiple protection plan options
✔ Speciality services offered – including services for pianos and vehicle transportation

✘ Different locations feature a mixture of customer reviews
✘ Does not provide sample pricing on website

Cost: We received an estimate for moving a two-bedroom home from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco for $2,015–$3,445. This includes having workers from the company load and drive the moving truck for you. Get your free quote now.

Learn More: International Van Lines Review

Interstate Moving & Relocation Group

• Our Take: Most Efficient
• State Availability: 50 States

Interstate Moving & Relocation Group (IMRG) can handle all residential interstate moves. As a moving broker, IMRG does not provide moving services but instead uses its network of independent local movers to connect you with the provider that best suits your needs. IMRG ensures all network partners are licensed and fully insured and will match you to the right mover using the extensive online inventory and checklist of services you fill out when you request a quote through the company’s website.

We find the company is also excellent for military families. IMRG specializes in relocating Armed Forces members, which may provide some added assurance that your Permanent Change of Station (PCS) is properly and efficiently handled. IMRG will only connect you to companies with General Services Administration (GSA) authorization. This means the company that contacts you has previously received Armed Forces approval to handle Personally Procured Moves (PPMs). Therefore, you won’t have to second-guess whether you will receive your PPM reimbursement.

Pros & Cons

✔ Provides military discounts
✔ Offers in-house financing options
✔ Can negotiate lower prices with movers in its network

✘ Does not have Better Business Bureau (BBB) accreditation
✘ Is not available for customer support on Saturdays or Sundays

Cost: According to IMRG’s online moving calculator, it would cost approximately $4,450 to move a three-bedroom home from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon, in mid-April. Get your free quote now.

American Van Lines

• Our Take: Most Experienced Moving Labor
• State Availability: 48 States (not available in Alaska or Hawaii)

American Van Lines offers full-service residential, military and corporate relocations with employees who hold, on average, 10 years of moving experience. If you are concerned with receiving reliable service from long-distance moving companies, then American Van Lines might be the right choice for you.

American Van Lines furthers its long distance movers’ knowledge and reliability by hiring them on full-time, as opposed to the popular choice of contractual workers, which helps make your entire moving process less stressful. This approach allows the company’s movers to be ready for any difficult, challenging, or odd items you need relocated. Read more about American Van Lines services.

Pros & Cons

✔ Full-time movers hold averages of 10 years of experience
✔ Offers price-matching
✔ Provides fixed-rate estimates rather than online quotes which are more accurate

✘ Includes an up-front deposit that can range from 10%–50% of total cost
✘ Prices tend to be higher than some competitors

Cost: Because American Van Lines uses binding estimates, it does not provide detailed estimates, but you can obtain estimated pricing on its moving cost page. This up-front, flat-rate model means there will be no surprise expenses on moving day. The company estimates that moving from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon would cost around $3,910 for a two-bedroom apartment (or 6,000 pounds). Get your personalized quote.

Learn More: American Van Lines Review

JK Moving Services

• Our Take: Most Customizable Full-Service Mover
• State Availability: 50 States

JK Moving is a full-service mover with a special perk. The company not only customizes each moving package in accordance to each customer’s moving needs and budget, but it can provide financing for interstate moves. This is a rare option in the moving market. JK Moving can even provide rates as low as 0% same-as-cash. This means you can receive a full-service moving experience while not having to worry about expensive, up-front payments. Read more about JK Moving services offered.

Pros & Cons

✔ Provides financing options through Enhancify
✔ Offers GPS shipment tracking
✔ Features 24/7 customer service

✘ Some reviews mention difficult communication at times
✘ Sample pricing is not available online

Cost: We received a ballpark estimate from JK Moving for a two-bedroom home (or 10,400 pounds) going from Atlanta to Chicago for $7,521. This includes furniture disassembly, wrapping and padding, loading, unloading, and full-value protection. Because JK Moving tailors each of its moving packages for each customer’s needs, the company does not feature sample pricing on its website. Get your personalized quote.

Learn More: JK Moving Review

Allied Van Lines

• Our Take: Best for Vehicle Relocation
• State Availability: 50 States, as well as 130 countries

Allied Van Lines is a full-service mover with a with more than 90 years of experience in the moving industry. The company provides a majority of its services in-house, including packing services, loading, transportation, unloading, and unpacking. This also includes providing in-house vehicle relocation services, which is a rare perk in the moving industry.

We recently conducted a survey of 1,000 consumers who have moved within the last five years. We found that 47% of them needed assistance to move a personal vehicle, and 64% of those respondents were trying to move their personal car. If you are looking to transport an additional vehicle with your interstate move, Allied Van Lines is an excellent choice. Learn more about Allied Van Lines services.

Pros & Cons

✔ Offers in-house vehicle relocation services
✔ Provides GPS tracking on all shipments
✔ Partners with the Salvation Army to help donate unwanted items

✘ Customer reviews mention that the claims department is hard to reach
✘ Prices may be higher than some competitors

Cost: Allied quoted us to move a two-bedroom home from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco with an average amount of belongings for a total of $5,091–$5,798. Get your personalized quote.

Learn More: Allied Van Lines Review

North American Van Lines

• Our Take: Best for Claims
• State Availability: 50 States plus helps with international moves in 130 countries

North American Van Lines is a full-service mover that provides comprehensive insurance coverage for your belongings in transit and an easy claims process if something goes wrong. This makes the company a great choice for those looking to transport expensive belongings during interstate or cross-country moves.

In our survey, we found that a majority of movers opted for an add-on contents protection plan above what is required by law. Unfortunately, more than 65% of these movers needed to file a claim for damaged belongings. NAVL helps movers who find themselves in this situation by providing custom contents protection plans that cover the actual value of your belongings. In addition, the company has an easy and transparent claims process with separate claims forms for domestic and international moves across its website. Read more about NAVL services.

Pros & Cons

✔ Detailed and transparent damage claims process
✔ More than 500 agents locations in all 50 states
✔ Wide assortment of online tools and resources

✘ Available agents may be limited based on your location
✘ Storage options may be limited based on your location

Cost: North American Van Lines quoted us to move a two-bedroom home from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco for a total of $5,067–$5,770. This is for a medium sized load. Get your personalized quote.

Learn More: North American Van Lines Review

1-800-PACK-RAT

• Our Take: Best Overall Self-Service Mover
• State Availability: 30 States and Washington D.C.

1-800-PACK-RAT is a great option if you prefer a more DIY approach to an interstate move. You handle all the packing and loading, and 1-800-PACK-RAT can handle all the transportation and delivery for you. The company also uses a partnership with Hire-A-Helper, so customers can customize their move with a variety of moving labor options. Read more about PACK-RAT services.

Pros & Cons

✔ Provides $10,000 of protection on interstate moves
✔ Offers three different-sized weather-proof containers
✔ Some moving supplies are free for interstate moves

✘ No online option to complete bookings
✘ Only available in 30 states

State Availability: 1-800-PACK-RAT has locations in Washington, D.C., and the following states:

Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

Learn More: 1-800-PACK-RAT Review

Summary of the Top Interstate Moving Companies

Here are the most reputable interstate moving companies on the market today:

• International Van Lines: Best Overall Full-Service Mover
• Interstate Moving & Relocation Group: Most Efficient
• American Van Lines: Most Experienced Moving Labor
• JK Moving Services: Most Customizable Full-Service Mover
• Allied Van Lines: Best for Vehicle Relocation
• North American Van Lines: Best for Claims
• 1-800-PACK-RAT: Best Overall Self-Service Mover

What Impacts an Interstate Moves Cost?

There are a variety of factors that affect your overall cost on an interstate move. The average cost of Interstate movers varies slightly from in-state or local movers due to regulations that moving companies are subject to in order to receive proper licenses to conduct interstate moves. Because of these regulations, some moving companies may require a fee for crossing state lines, even if the move is less than 100 miles.

Some of these regulations include:

• Safety regulations from national and state agencies
• Mover’s tariffs
• Vehicle insurance regulations
• Required released-value protection of .60 cents per pound per item
• Required full-value replacement coverage with different deductible options

There are other factors that impact your cost. Many of these factors are shared by most moving companies, but some will vary according to the services offered by a company.

These common factors impact the overall cost of your moving package:

• Location of your original residence
• Move date and time of your move
• Overall distance of the move
• Truck parking access
• Truck size used
• Truck driver’s hours
• Hours worked by moving labor
• Fuel costs
• Number of portable storage containers used
• Size/weight of your move
• Additional protection plans you purchase
• Additional services you purchase

How To Prepare for an Interstate Move

An interstate moving company helps with certain aspects of your move, but there are some steps that might slip past their moving checklists and processes. Read over some of the major steps and precautions you may want to take in order to make your interstate move occur with plenty of ease:

1. Determine Which Type of Move You Need

Before you schedule with an interstate moving company, you want to figure out if you want a full-service move or a self-service move. If you are looking to have a professional moving company handle practically every part of your move, then we recommend a full-service moving company like International Van Lines.

If you want to save money and do not mind dealing with steps like packing and loading, then we suggest you look more into self-service moving company such as PODS.

2. Condense Your Belongings

Moving is a great time to cut down on any unwanted or underused belongings you have taking up space. We recommend you make two piles as you prepare for moving day. One of your piles should be dedicated to items you can donate, and the other pile should be dedicated to items you want to throw away. A few days before your movers arrive, you should spend some time taking each pile to its respective drop-off location.

3. Gather Packing Supplies

Begin gathering packing supplies such as boxes, bubble wrap and packing tape several weeks before your upcoming move.

4. Notify Important People

You will most likely be telling all your close friends and family about your move, but there are some other individuals and institutions that you need to notify as well. Some significant ones to keep in mind are your internet provider, your electricity and water companies, insurance companies, tax agencies, utility companies, the post office, and the Social Security Administration.

5. Check that Your Moving Company is Properly Licensed

If you choose a company from this list, then you do not have to worry about this. All of our recommended professional movers are licensed, bonded, and insured. If you decide to use another moving company, you want to make sure they are properly licensed, insured, and bonded. To do so, you obtain the company’s USDOT number and visit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s website to search for them.

6. Create an Inventory

An important step to take when making your inventory is to make note of the condition of your items and take pictures of them. These photos and notes will come in handy if you have to file a damage claim for reimbursement.

Learn More: Moving Checklist – Your Guide to Moving

FAQs About Interstate Moving Companies

Other Resources when Moving

• Best Homeowners Insurance
• Best Home Warranty
• Best Home Security Systems
• Best Solar Companies

Our Rating Methodology

The This Old House Reviews team is committed to providing comprehensive and unbiased reviews to our readers. This means earning your trust through transparent reviews and having the data to back up our ratings and recommendations.

Our rating system for moving service providers is on a 100-point scale based on 7 factors:

• Moving Services (30): Does the company offer its services for local moving, long-distance, and or international moves?
• Additional Services (29): What additional services does the company provide, such as packing and unpacking or loading and unloading?
• Coverage (10): Does the company offer any additional insurance plans, such as full-value coverage?
• Scheduling (7): Are customers able to schedule online, over the phone, or on both platforms?
• Trailers/containers (7): How many trailer or container sizes does the company offer?
• Additional Benefits (12): What additional benefits does the company provide, such as short-term and long-term storage services, moving truck rentals, and financing?
• Reputation (5): What rating does the company feature on popular review sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB)?

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.