The Best Long-Distance Moving Companies (2019)
Hire the right professionals for your long-haul move
4 Min Read
4 Min ReadPlanning a long-distance move? Getting your things to a new apartment in the same city can be challenging enough. When you throw in distance across state lines – or even further, international borders – there are even more complications involved. In most cases, it’s best to hire a professional to make sure your belongings get there safely. In this list, we’ll cover the top-rated long-distance movers currently available for hire.
Should you hire long-distance movers?
Before committing to hiring long-distance movers, you need to make sure it makes financial sense. Assess the total value of your belongings: furniture, kitchenware, and anything else that can’t be packed in a suitcase. Then, ask for a quote from a moving company. If it will cost more to ship your stuff than its current market value, you’re better off just selling or donating everything and starting over. 
You can also opt to rent a furnished apartment in your new city instead of purchasing everything all over again. This is especially true if you don’t plan to stay for at least two or three years. Furnished rental company Blueground offers apartments in many cities across the U.S. and around the world. Their units all come stocked with everything you need, from dishes to an ironing board. Renting furnished not only lightens your load for the move-in but simplifies your move-out as well.
When you’re ready to get moving, draft your own checklist by a deadline (i.e. three weeks out, the day before, etc.) or take inspiration from a ready-made one.
Long-distance movers for moves within the U.S.
Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant’s mission is to keep long-distance moves stress-free. All movers are direct employees of the company, which is surprisingly uncommon among moving companies. They also own all their moving trucks. This means you’ll always know exactly where your stuff is and never be left to wonder whether it’s in good hands.
Services offered:
- Door-to-door moves
- Packing and unpacking
- Furniture assembly
- Logistics
PODS
While PODS is better known as a storage company, they also offer long-distance moving services. This is a more hands-off approach to moving; they drop off a shipping container, you fill it, and then they send it to your new place. If you need a little more assistance with packing and loading the container, they’ll offer referrals to professionals in your area.
Services offered:
- Container drop-off and pickup
- Option to store your belongings between moves
- Unlimited packing time
Two Men and a Truck
Two Men and a Truck began 30 years ago as a pocket money gig for two high school boys. Today, it operates franchises all over the US. However, the company still retains the same friendly small-business attitude. They even claim that most of the time, the same movers will pack and unpack your things – even for long-distance moves.
Services offered:
- Door-to-door moves
- Packing and unpacking
- Expedited service
Allied
With more than 90 years of experience, Allied is the largest moving network in the world. These professional long-distance movers win plenty of awards in safety and customer service, so you’ll know your belongings are in good hands. They specialize in a totally hands-off moving service.
Services offered:
- Door-to-door moves
- Packing and unpacking
- Storage options available
Mayflower
Another long-distance moving company that has stood the test of time, Mayflower offers specialized relocation services for everything from offices to vehicles. You can also choose varying levels of service depending on how involved you want to be with the moving process. Just let the company rep know during the in-home estimate that is scheduled for all long-distance moves.
Services offered:
- Door-to-door moves
- Packing and unpacking
- Cleaning
- Storage options available
Long-distance movers for moves abroad
United Van Lines
United Van Lines is a US-based company that offers long-distance moving services not only between states but internationally as well. These professionals can move your belongings to more than 180 countries around the world, making them one of the more extensive networks available. They also offer assistance navigating the complexities that accompany moving to a new country.
Services offered:
- Move management
- Visa and immigration assistance
- Temporary housing reservations
- Cultural acclimation
Suddath
As a unique long-distance moving company, Suddath controls every step of the moving process, unlike most other major international movers. This helps keep costs down on what can often become an incredibly expensive process. It also gives them the ability to safely move non-traditional belongings: pets, boats, and wine collections, just to name a few.
Services offered:
- Personal move counselor
- Door-to-door moves
- Packing and unpacking
- Cleaning
- Customs clearance assistance
MiniMOVES
As its name suggests, MiniMOVES is a long-distance mover that specializes in small moves. This is perfect for singles, couples, and small families who are relocating their belongings internationally. Note that their international relocation services are currently limited to North America, although keep checking back to see if they expand to additional countries in the future.
Services offered:
- Door-to-door moves
- Packing and unpacking
- Storage options available
ACE Relocation
ACE Relocation is trusted by companies, government agencies, and even hospitals to conduct moves, so you can bet they’ll be trustworthy with your personal relocation. A free in-home consultation is included with each move to give a more accurate estimate. You can also opt to store some of your belongings instead of moving them.
Services offered:
- Door-to-door moves
- Packing and unpacking
- Expedited air shipping
- Storage options available
- Vehicle shipping
