American Van Lines Review 2025: Pricing & Services
Written by Marian White
Published on February 2, 2023
In a nutshell: With one of the largest mover networks in the world, it should be easy to find an Allied Van Lines agent near you. The company’s first-rate customer service and many years of experience make it an excellent choice for anyone in need of movers.
About the Company
Founded in 1928, Allied Van Lines has over 90 years of experience moving household goods. Today, the moving company features 400 agents nationwide and a slew of franchises and owned operations in 45 countries around the world. Allied also offers one of the largest fleets in the business, with more than 3,500 long-haul and regional vehicles and over 4,200 trained drivers who undergo a specialized qualification and certification process. Allied Van Lines’ parent company is SIRVA, Inc., the world’s largest global relocation and moving company. This enables Allied to provide a wide range of moving services to customers worldwide. Allied Van Lines may be an excellent fit for your next move with its many locations and first-rate customer service.
Pros
- Large network of movers nationwide and worldwide
- Available for local, long-distance and international moves
- Many moving, packing and add-on services available
- Comprehensive protection options
- Offers virtual surveys
- Online shipment tracking
- Storage services available
Cons
- No instant online moving quotes available
- Service may vary depending on location
- No information about discounts
Allied Moving Services
Allied moving services include:
- Local and long-distance moving — Allied has a wide network of movers and offers local, long-distance and interstate moving services.
- Cross-country moving — Moving across the country is no easy feat, but an Allied moving company can handle the job. The mover offers cross-country and coast-to-coast relocation services.
- Corporate moving — Whether a business is moving across the country or worldwide, Allied provides seamless corporate moving services from beginning to end.
- International moving — According to Allied Van Lines, the moving company has over 1,000 representatives in 130 countries worldwide. This worldwide network includes several international moving resources, including help with customs clearance, tracking shipments and international storage options.
- Military moving — Allied Van Lines can help move service members of the United States armed forces and their families to new assignments throughout the U.S. and the world.
Additional Allied moving services
- Storage services — Need storage when moving to a new home? Allied offers storage-in-transit services and can store your belongings for up to 90 days during a move. If you need storage longer than 90 days, Allied will move your items to permanent storage.
- Full-service packing and unpacking services — Not everyone has the time and energy to pack for a move. Fortunately, Allied can pack and unpack your entire home for an added cost. According to Allied, cross-country moving plans include unpacking services.
- Crating and fragile packing services — Moving particularly fragile or valuable items? Allied offers customized crates to protect everything from electronic equipment to large items that cannot fit inside the typical moving box.
- Moving supplies — Allied Van Lines offers moving and packing supplies for purchase.
- Assembly and disassembly — Allied states that the company’s moving packages include assembly and disassembly of furniture and other household items.
- Car and boat transportation — The moving company provides both car and boat transportation services.
- Shuttle services — If your home is located in a remote area, the moving company can provide shuttle services to move your belongings from your home to a moving truck.
Allied Moving Costs
According to Allied, here’s what influences your moving cost:
- Moving dates and seasonality — Allied points out that moving costs tend to be higher during the summer months due to increased demand. Additionally, the weather during certain periods (think: hurricane season in the Southeast or blizzards and snow in the Northeast) might hike up moving prices depending on where you live.
- Distance — Distance is one of the most significant cost factors influencing moving costs. The farther the distance between points A and B, the higher the moving costs.
- Size of the home — In general, the larger the home, the more expensive the move.
- Weight of your belongings — Long-distance and interstate moving costs are based largely on the weight of your belongings. The heavier the shipment, the higher the cost.
- Labor and add-on services — Need packing assistance, upgraded valuation coverage or storage-in-transit? This will cost extra. Additionally, moving quotes are affected by labor costs. Local moves are particularly affected by labor costs, as local movers charge an hourly rate.
How much does Allied Van Lines cost?
Allied Van Lines states that the average cost of a long-distance move is $3,500, based on an average of 7,000 lbs. (equivalent to seven rooms) and a distance of 1,000 miles.
When we requested an instant online moving quote from Allied’s website, we were connected to an Allied representative via phone. The representative was not able to give us a ballpark estimate. An Allied representative told us that we’d need to set up either an in-home survey or a virtual survey with an estimator to receive a moving estimate.
Allied Van Lines Reviews and Customer Service Highlights
- Easy online shipment tracking available 24/7
- A wide range of moving services, including packing services, storage services and car shipping
- Has one of the largest moving fleets in the world
- An easy-to-use website with an abundance of helpful information
- Offers customers the convenient option to conduct a virtual survey instead of an in-home survey
- Customer service available by phone and email, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST
- Price transparency with guaranteed rates
- Provides personal moving coordinators to help coordinate your relocation
- Strong core company values and an Allied Quality Mover Award Program
Step-by-Step Moving Process with Allied Van Lines
Step 1: Request a quote online or by phone — With Allied, you can request a quote online by entering your origin, destination, move date, the size of your home and contact information. Allied will then contact you to give you a quote and set up a time to survey your belongings.
Step 2: Schedule an in-home estimate or virtual survey — An Allied representative will call to confirm your moving details and set up a time for a moving coordinator to survey your belongings. If customers prefer not to have anyone come to their homes, they can opt for a virtual survey of their belongings. A virtual survey is free and is similar to face-timing.
Step 3: An Allied Move Coordinator will help plan the move — Once you decide to move forward with an Allied mover, one of their move coordinators will assist you with the planning process. If you need any add-on services, your move coordinator should be able to assist you with this.
Step 4: Pack your belongings — It’s time to start packing those belongings. Make sure you have the right moving supplies at your disposal. Allied offers cardboard moving boxes, plastic wrap and packing tape. Here’s our list of must-have moving supplies. Now’s also the time to lighten your load by ditching old clothing and knick-knacks you don’t want to bring with you to the new home. Make sure all moving boxes are labeled with their corresponding rooms to make moving into your new home easier. If you need help packing your belongings, Allied’s movers can handle all the packing and unpacking for you.
Step 5: Allied movers load the truck — Your movers will arrive and load the truck. If there are any changes on moving day, such as parking issues or incomplete packing, you’ll need to contact your mover as soon as possible so they can troubleshoot the problem with you. Make sure to be present for the movers on moving day or have a representative there in your place. Once all items are loaded onto the truck, check and sign all paperwork.
Step 6: Track your shipment — To track your shipment while it’s in transit, go to the bottom of the homepage and click “Shipment Tracking” under the Customer Support tab. This link will take you to SIRVA’s shipment tracking page, where you enter your six-digit registration number and the first three letters of your last name. Additionally, once your move is set, the moving company will assign you a primary contact at the company to provide updates on when your household goods will arrive.
Step 7: The shipment arrives at its destination — Allied states that the driver will contact you 24 hours before delivery. Check all household goods as they’re unloaded off the truck for damage. Direct the movers where to place your boxes and belongings. Once the move is complete, make sure to save all your moving documents, including a signed copy of the Bill of Lading.
Allied Van Lines Protection Plans
Allied Van Lines offers basic liability coverage and a more comprehensive coverage option for an added cost. You also have the option to increase your liability coverage if moving items of high value. We should note that Allied’s valuation coverage is not the same as moving insurance. We recommend that everyone check their existing insurance policies to see what household belongings are and aren’t covered while in transit. Here are the two valuation options offered by Allied movers:
- Released Value — Released Value Protection is the most economical and basic liability coverage available for long-distance moves. It’s automatically included in the cost of an interstate move, and the federal mandate for the coverage is 60 cents per pound per item. Customers should be aware that this option provides minimal protection. No matter how valuable an item is, Allied will only reimburse you 60 cents per pound if the item is damaged or goes missing. Customers will need to opt for Full Extra Care Protection for more comprehensive coverage.
- Full Extra Care Protection — Also referred to as Full Value Protection, this protection option is much more comprehensive than the Basic Released Value coverage. With this type of coverage, items that “are lost, damaged or destroyed will be either repaired, replaced with like items or a cash settlement will be made for the current market replacement value, regardless of the age of the lost or damaged item,” according to Allied.
Need more protection?
Allied Van Lines Safety and Security
When it comes to safety and security, Allied Van Lines puts a lot of emphasis on working with “quality movers” to ensure customers have a good and safe experience. The moving company features the Allied Quality Mover Award program, which gives certificates to movers with high-quality service and certain credentials. According to Allied, agents must have a combined high score in several categories, including in-home estimates, packing, loading of goods and unloading of goods. The agent must also adhere to high ethical standards and have a proven track record of customer satisfaction. This certificate program gives customers peace of mind when booking a move with an Allied “Quality Mover.” Check out Allied’s list of Quality Award-winning movers.
In addition to their Quality Mover program, Allied offers several services and features to ensure the safety of your belongings. If you’re moving particularly valuable items, you can opt for Allied’s Extra Care Protection and fill out their High Value Inventory Form. This will ensure the comprehensive protection of your belongings while they are in the hands of movers. The moving company also states that their “expert packers, specialized packing techniques, inventory tracking and specially equipped moving vans” help ensure a safe move. When it comes to Allied’s storage facilities, the moving company points out that items are stored in special crates to ensure items aren’t damaged. The climate-controlled facilities are also outfitted with alarm systems and 24-hour security.
