Safeway Moving Inc. Review (2023)

Safeway Moving Inc. is a veteran-owned and operated company that acts as a licensed and insured interstate moving broker. They provide full-service options like packing and loading to local, long-distance, and cross-country moves across the United States.

The This Old House Reviews Team has researched and reviewed the best moving companies in the United States to help you find a mover that’s right for you and your upcoming move.

Keep reading this Safeway Moving review to learn if this full-service moving broker is the best choice to get you to your new home.

We scored Safeway Moving Inc. an 87 out of 100 and believe the company is the most customer-oriented moving company of those we’ve reviewed.

Safeway Moving connects you to its partner moving carriers that actually perform your move. This service model gives homeowners access to a large network of reputable movers nationwide. However, since you won’t be in direct contact with your actual moving carrier until late in the process, communication about the moving process may be more difficult.

Safeway Moving is a great option for those whose move involves a condo or homeowners association (HOA), as the company partners exclusively with moving carriers who hold the required additional licenses and certificates of insurance. Most condo associations and HOAs request that movers carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance. While many standard moving companies carry around a $750,000 liability insurance policy, all of Safeway Moving’s movers meet HOA requirements.

To see how Safeway Moving can help move your home or condo, complete this easy-to-use form or call 844-886-1118.

Here is a quick look at some of the advantages and drawbacks you may encounter with Safeway Moving:

✔ Requires all movers to hold a $1,000,000 insurance policy
✔ Partners with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®
✔ Every move comes with packing services and 30 days of free storage
✘ Communication may be difficult at times since you won’t be in contact with your moving carrier until late in the process
✘ Offers no online pricing information

The U.S. government authorizes Safeway Moving to broker local and long-distance moves in all 50 states.

Safeway Moving provides full-service options through partners in the moving industry across the United States. Safeway Moving told us that the number of partner companies ranges between 10 and 20. Most of its partners are major van lines like Adams Van Lines.

Service options include industry-standard services like packing, loading, transportation, unloading, and unpacking. We have listed some of Safeway Moving’s major service options below.

Packing and Unpacking

With this service, professional movers properly pack your belongings into boxes designed to carry the load. Movers can also unpack these belongings and place them in their proper rooms. If you are interested in these services, we recommend contacting Safeway Moving to let the company know, as not all of its partners offer these services.

Pad and Shrink Wrapping

Upon request, Safeway Moving can include pad- and shrink-wrapping for fragile items and furniture. Movers will wrap hardwood furniture, glass belongings, and antiques to avoid scratching, cracking, or breaking during transit.

Storage Solutions

Safeway Moving also partners with companies to provide storage solutions. Your items can be stored at a secure location in wooden vaults equipped with anti-theft security alarm systems until you are ready for them. The company’s moving packages automatically include up to 30 days of storage.

Insurance Coverage Options

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) require all moving carriers to offer at least a limited liability plan. This plan covers items at $0.60 per pound per item.

Safeway Moving’s partnered companies also create custom contents protection plans that provide an adjustable coverage cap. This approach helps you receive compensation for the actual value of your items rather than a predetermined amount by weight.

In accordance with its no-hidden-fee policy, Safeway Moving provides itemized binding estimates, an accurate price based on an in-home or virtual survey of your belongings that will have no additional charges unless your inventory changes significantly. It is important to be detailed and honest during the quote process to obtain a truly accurate binding estimate.

Sample Quote

We requested a moving quote from Safeway Moving Systems to move a three-bedroom home from Boston to Atlanta. Safeway Moving connected us with Interstate Van Lines, which quoted a moving cost of $3,195. This quote is for 2,100 pounds of items and includes disassembly and reassembly of all standard furniture, loading, unloading, wrapping of furniture, transportation, taxes, tolls, fuel surcharges, and a Release Value contents protection plan.

Deposit

A Safeway Moving customer service representative told us that we would pay the initial deposit (a percentage depending on the details of the move) to Safeway and pay the balance directly to the broker partner on the day of the move.

Get Your Binding Estimate

To get in touch with a Safeway Moving representative to determine your binding estimate, fill out this short survey or call the company at 844-886-1118.

To book a move with Safeway Moving, you must:

1. Get in touch with Safeway Moving on its website or over the phone. You will provide some brief information about your move, including your desired moving or delivery date.
2. Safeway Moving will either call to confirm your move’s information or send an email that confirms it has received your information. Shortly after this, you will be connected to one or multiple of the company’s moving partners that can fulfill your move’s criteria.
3. You will then provide a detailed inventory or schedule either an in-home or virtual estimate with the company that interests you.
4. The company will then respond to you with a moving quote.

Check out some reviews from previous Safeway Moving customers below:

“The guys were fantastic!! Arrived on time, packed all the furniture well, and moved everything without any damage. Everything I was looking for in a moving company and then some!! Their prices were highly competitive, as well. You will not be disappointed. Call Safeway Moving Systems.” -Daniel via BBB

“[Our rep] never told me they would use a separate carrier. I had Safeway pick up our items out of storage on our behalf. No one contacted us to tell us they were arriving within 30 minutes or that pick-up was complete. I had to follow up with Safeway multiple times for this confirmation and never had a driver or the other carrier call. So after pick up, when a separate carrier sent me paperwork and information, I thought it was a scam and spam. Finally, I put two and two together and reached out and asked my sales rep if it was in fact the moving company that had my things and he said no.” -Kate K. via BBB

There are many other moving companies that provide full-service options. Many of these companies act as both carriers and brokers. This means you can receive services directly from a single company rather than communicating with multiple companies.

Safeway Moving vs. International Van Lines

We gave International Van Lines (IVL) a score of 96 out of 100 in our review. IVL is an interstate moving company that offers full-service moving options at affordable rates. This includes specialty services, auto shipping, and providing moving supplies. IVL allows customers to mix and match service options to create partial-service and full-service moving packages that fit their needs and budget.

We created a quote with IVL for a three-bedroom home moving from Boston to Atlanta for $4,200–$6,150. This includes loading services and transportation. We encourage you to see what International Van Lines can bring to your move by completing this brief form.

Safeway Moving vs. Allied Van Lines

We gave Allied Van Lines a score of  94 out of 100. Allied is also a carrier and broker that offers a majority of its services, including vehicle relocation, in house. It also provides GPS tracking on all shipments.

Allied Van Lines provided us a quote to move a three-bedroom home from Boston to Atlanta with an average number of belongings for a total of $8,077–$8,927. We suggest you get an accurate idea of what Allied might cost you by filling out this short survey.

Given Safeway Moving’s large network of movers and its ability to guarantee unique licenses and large insurance policies for HOAs and condos, we find the company to be a great moving broker. Safeway Moving has high customer review scores, and it partners with reliable carriers to provide many full-service options to improve your moving experience.

However, Safeway Moving’s status as a broker may make communication more difficult between you and the company providing your moving trucks and labor. Working directly with a moving carrier may be the better option if this is a concern for you. You might also be able to avoid a broker fee (what Safeway calls a deposit) with a moving carrier.

If you want similar services and availability to Safeway Moving directly from a carrier, we recommend you look into International Van Lines. If you would also require vehicle shipping, we recommend Allied Van Lines.

The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our moving company ratings and recommendations with a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each company. We conduct research by reading through the company websites, analyzing customer reviews, conducting consumer surveys, requesting quotes, and speaking with customer representatives. We then score each moving company against our review standards for services, contents coverage, scheduling, trailer and container options, additional benefits, and reputation to arrive at a final score out of 100.

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