Best Moving Companies

The importance of hiring a responsible, professional mover with good customer reviews cannot be overstated. Unfortunately, there are plenty of shady companies out there that specialize in scamming people, bilking them for extra dollars at the end of a move or doing a poor job. And no one needs any extra challenges when they’re already facing the stress and logistics that come with moving.

» PROTECT YOURSELF: How to avoid moving scams

Key insights

• All legit movers in the U.S. must be registered with the FMCSA or their state, and all interstate movers must have a USDOT number.
• For a smaller local move, you can expect to pay a few hundred dollars for professional moving services. For larger moves, you might be looking at several thousand dollars.
• If you decide to hire movers and have the budget for it, you can also pay for them to pack and unpack your belongings.
• Make sure to get several different moving quotes if possible, and opt for a company with good customer reviews and transparent terms.

Whether you’re moving out of your parents' house, to another state or to a new country, here’s a quick step-by-step guide to hiring the right movers for you. You can either hire a moving company directly or work with a moving broker.

1. Get multiple estimates and walk-throughs: Have the company come to your home to do a walk-through. If a moving company doesn’t offer this service free, take it as a giant red flag. After the walk-through, a representative will provide a cost estimate based on your things. Keep in mind that estimated quotes can change — how much stuff you have and the total move time will determine your final cost.
2. Read customer reviews and ask for references: As you research movers, be sure to ask friends and family if they’ve worked with a company they’d recommend. And be sure to read online moving reviews, even after you get a good review from someone you know.

   What past customers think of a moving company is one of the best indicators of what your overall experience will be. While one or two negative reviews shouldn’t sink a company, a bunch of bad reviews that mention the same negatives (overcharging, slow moves, broken items) should give you pause.

3. Watch out for red flags: If you find a moving company with nothing but 5-star reviews, it might seem like a perfect match, but it could be a serious warning sign. As a general rule, no matter how great a company is, there are always a few customers who aren’t completely satisfied. Not everyone will have the same experience, so if no reviewers are unhappy, they’re likely fake reviews.

   Another thing to look out for: relatively new moving companies with no address, no phone number or several different business names. It can be fairly easy for a company that doesn’t actually exist to set up a website, give you a quote via email or text and ask for a down payment you’ll never see again. If a mover asks for a significant down payment, it’s probably not legit.

Moving company regulations

All interstate moving companies must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). To find out if a company is legitimate or not, search the FMCSA registry. If the company only operates within a state, check with the state’s moving regulatory agency.

Also, any interstate moving company must have a current U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT number). You can use this number to look up a company’s safety rating, crash history and certification status.

» MORE: What is a USDOT number?

You have a few different transport options when you move: You can hire a full-service moving company or just rent a truck or moving container, depending on your budget and preferences. Start by evaluating your resources in terms of money, time and physical ability.

Moving yourself is bound to be the least expensive option, but it can take a lot of time and energy. If you need to move in a hurry, have the funds and don’t want to risk physical strain, hiring a moving company is likely your best bet.

Professional movers

Hiring professional movers might be ideal if you’re moving a long distance, have a lot of possessions or live in a home that’s tricky to get to, like a walk-up apartment or a house with a lot of stairs.

The biggest perk to hiring movers: It can save you lots of time and effort — lifting heavy boxes yourself can tire you out pretty quickly. And if you have any bulky or delicate items, movers will know how to transport them safely.

One downside to hiring movers is the number of bad actors out there who may try to scam you. And, of course, it comes with higher overall costs than moving yourself.

Moving truck rental companies

If you’re looking to save a few dollars and don’t have too big a move ahead of you, renting a moving truck might make sense. Just keep in mind that while renting a truck can save you money, it may end up costing you in other ways. Moving can be hectic, and when you add the travel to rent and return a truck, your already long day might come with one more potential headache.

If you go the do-it-yourself route, you’ll probably have to hire a moving crew or enlist friends and family to help. And if the truck doesn’t come with dollies or straps for loading your things and securing them in the truck, you may have to rent them for an extra cost.

Moving container rental companies

With this option, a moving container company delivers the unit to you, and you can pack it according to your own schedule (container rentals usually start at seven days and go up to a month or more).

Once you pack a box, you can place it in the container and get it out of your way. When you’re finished, the rental company will pick up the unit and deliver it to your new home — then you can unpack at your own pace.

This convenience does come at a cost; it’s unlikely to be as affordable as renting a truck. Also, note that some locations — like busy city streets or homes without driveways — make placing a container impossible.

» MORE: 5 types of moving companies

If you’re hiring movers, you can expect to pay between $80 and $100 per hour for two laborers to complete a local move, while a long-distance move (about 1,000 miles or more) might cost anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000, depending on what you’re moving and where.

Moving cost factors

The price of your move generally hinges on a few major factors: whether you move yourself, how much your belongings weigh (heavy or large items, like pianos and hot tubs, usually mean extra fees), the distance between your old and new home and how much time the move takes.

» CALCULATE: How much does it cost to move?

There are several smaller fees and charges to factor in — and they can add up. You’ll also have to add in costs like gas and tolls. Ultimately, the bigger the move, the greater the final bill.

For instance, if you don’t have the time, energy or ability to pack all your things yourself, you can hire a mover to pack for you. Packing yourself is significantly cheaper, but you still have to pay for packing materials, like tape and cushioning materials. It’s a good idea to try to find free moving boxes around town. If you hire professional packers, you’ll pay a premium for the service.

Also, consider whether you’ll need temporary storage after you leave your current home. If it’ll be weeks or months before you can actually move into your new place, you’ll likely need to rent a storage unit or pay the moving company more to store your things.

Moving insurance is another line item to consider when you’re working out a moving budget. Movers are required to provide liability insurance, which means if anything is lost or broken in transit, the company will pay for it — but usually just up to 60 cents per pound per item. If you have costly or precious items, you might consider taking out full-value protection insurance to cover the entire cost of your items.

» MORE: 8 cheap ways to move across the country

Moving company discounts

Make sure to inquire about any deals or promotions you might qualify for — many movers offer discounts on their services.

For instance, Colonial Van Lines and JK Moving Services advertise seasonal discounts; North American Van Lines has discounts for those affiliated with the military; Allied Van Lines offers senior discounts; and Mayflower has deals for students. Some companies also advertise storage container discounts for small moves.

Is it worth it to hire movers?

One of the biggest challenges of hiring movers is the cost, which can vary widely. You might find yourself wondering whether the help is really worth it.

Ultimately, if you can afford to hire professional movers, this option can save you a ton of time and energy. If money is tight, though, moving yourself can be significantly cheaper — and it means you have control and access to your belongings at all times.

» COMPARE: Moving yourself vs. hiring movers

Try to start your research and planning about two months before your move so you can set up an appropriate budget and stay organized along the way.

Moving week

In the final days before your move, make sure your space is ready for movers if you’ve hired help. Also, make sure you know how to track the driver’s progress — many companies have a tracking feature online, but if not, make sure you have their contact info.

If you’re DIYing it, pack your moving truck properly to avoid shuffling during transit (and to make unpacking easier). Also, ensure easy access to a bag of essentials (e.g., toiletries, a few changes of clothes, medications).

» MORE DETAILS: Moving checklist

We analyzed the past three years of consumer reviews of moving companies on our site and discovered that the overall satisfaction rating was 4.2 stars. Companies that we pick for inclusion in this guide all have ratings of 3.6 stars or higher as of publishing.

Other key takeaways from our review analysis of moving companies on ConsumerAffairs:

• Punctuality makes the biggest positive difference to those who’ve hired movers. Reviewers who mention speed of service rate their companies higher than average.
• On the flip side, mentions of refunds and payouts are associated with a less favorable average rating (3.3 stars).
• Overall, customers who mention the price give their movers a positive average rating of 4.2 stars.
• Reviewers had the highest percentage of complaints about sales and marketing tactics: 88% of reviews that mention marketing are negative, and 12% are positive.

The ConsumerAffairs Research Team collects in-depth, verified reviews in order to offer you honest, real-world company feedback. To select our top picks from the 47 brokers and carriers listed on this guide, we first eliminated companies with an overall satisfaction rating below 3.5 stars on our site. We then analyzed reviews submitted over the last year (November 2021 through November 2022).

Availability of services and recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) data were also considered when making the final selections. Moving scams run rampant throughout the country, so we’ve ensured all companies recommended here are legit and have a proven track record of on-time, completed deliveries and no shoddy tactics.

From there, we compared several key features to ensure that all seven met our standards. That analysis informed the highlighted headline for each brand. Included in these features were the following:

• Availability: We made sure our top picks operate in the majority of the U.S. states and are available to most of our readers.
• Additional services: We prioritized movers who offer full-service moving options, like fragile item packing, furniture assembly and debris removal.
• Quote process: We went through the quote process with each considered company and ensured our top picks have a quick, easy-to-understand and transparent quote process.
• Cost: Moving prices can vary significantly depending on the distance, the weight of your belongings and chosen services, but our top picks fall within the normal range of costs for the moving industry.
• Licensing: Moving companies must follow state and federal regulations. We checked each company’s licensing and made certain there were no alerts.