Allied Van Lines is a nationwide moving carrier with offices in all 50 states and a wide suite of premium services. The company’s 500-plus offices book local and long-distance moves in nearly all locations, including Alaska and Hawaii.
It also focuses on shipping vehicles without relying on third-party carriers, which improves an often complicated moving process. You’ll find Allied ideal if you want to ship large items or vehicles across the country or need help moving to the next neighborhood over. It’s actually what makes them among the best interstate moving companies.
One of Allied’s biggest potential drawbacks is its high prices compared to its competitors, such as Interstate Moving & Relocation Group and Safeway Moving. Based on more than 100 customer reviews I read, the quality of service you receive depends on which of its locations you book your move through.
Our thoughts on Allied Van Lines
Allied scored 4.6 out of 5 stars using our rating system. It earned points for its breadth of service offerings, nationwide availability and quote options. This mover’s lack of a mobile app and financing options for moves holds it back.
Allied is best for moves that include large or oversized items. We don’t recommend it for moves that include numerous fragile or antique items due to the negative reviews it has received for its claims process.
If you want to move precious or fragile goods, consider American Van Lines.
What we like
Allied provides one of the most comprehensive service ranges in the industry due to its qualified fleet and moving crews. It offers transparent pricing through its easy and free quote process, which includes a cost calculator and informed move coordinators to give comprehensive estimates.
The provider ships vehicles without assistance from third-party labor — unlike some companies that market themselves as vehicle shipping experts but actually work with individual truck owners and operators. This allows Allied to provide stricter pickup and delivery estimates and more defined price points than if they relied on third parties.
Allied also offers expedited services for small moves via its Allied Express move plans. It rents out a container with labor and valuation coverage included. This makes small apartment and dormitory moves far more accessible.
What we don’t like
Allied deals with common issues that plague most nationwide moving companies, such as service quality variation throughout its operating territory. This mover has many locations, often with multiple branches in the same state, county or urban center. Each one has its own set of customer reviews and independent management, leading to different customer experiences geographically.
For its quality, Allied charges what some companies and moving customers would consider a premium price. Its rates aren’t the highest you’ll see for long-distance moves, but they’re above average.
Finally, some customer reviews mention difficulties with claims for damaged or lost items. While this is a definite negative, it’s typical of most large moving companies.
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Allied doesn’t require deposits to secure bookings like some of its competitors.
Moving services Allied Van Lines offers
Allied provides customers with a standard service package for any local, long-distance or cross-country moving process.
Domestic
Allied facilitates local, long-distance and interstate moves within the U.S. This includes loading and unloading, transportation, released liability coverage and basic furniture protection. Some basic move packages may include assembly and disassembly of basic furniture items.
Long-distance and interstate moves may be eligible for storage in transit for up to 90 days after initial pickup. This is a convenient alternative to traditional long-term storage if you’re unsure of your move-in date at your new home. Long-distance moves are also eligible for shipment tracking to help ensure that your goods arrive on time.
All other services or insurance, such as Extra Care Protection (ECP) or unpacking, carry additional fees and will increase your final invoice.
International
Allied provides moving assistance to 130 countries via more than 1,000 affiliates. When you book international service with Allied, you’ll have access to its partnerships with air and sea shipping companies, car shipping services, customs clearance assistance and more. Allied also offers each international moving customer a single point of contact from the beginning of their move until they reach their destination.
Optional services
The company’s most prominent additional services include access to storage facilities at most of its locations nationwide. Many of the best moving companies offer short- and long-term storage services, and Allied’s network offers secure solutions if you need them. However, you’ll have to get a separate quote for this service, as rates vary among locations.
Other options include crating for antiques or fine arts, purchasing packing supplies, fragile-only packing, vehicle shipping and debris removal. We recommend looking into customer reviews for your local Allied branch before booking any specialized services.
Finally, Allied Express is an excellent moving package if you need assistance moving a small or medium-size home. It provides you with a mobile storage unit, labor and a guaranteed delivery date. If your Allied movers are late when delivering, you’ll be compensated $75 per day under this moving plan.
Pricing and quotes
Allied features a quick quote feature on its website’s homepage. Known as InstaQuote, this customer service option provides a cost range to account for different home types and sizes and add-on service requests.
Although InstaQuote is great for general context during your preliminary shopping, I recommend calling Allied for an accurate estimate. I called Allied for my own quote for a three-bedroom, 2,880-mile sample move and got an estimate in just over 15 minutes.
The representative asked me basic questions about my start and end points, home size and major pieces of furniture. My quote was $12,175 for a basic move with no add-ons. Full-service packing would add approximately $2,500 for a three-bedroom home, and packers would arrive the day before pickup.
Ultimately, I had to request a ballpark quote for my sample move since I couldn’t conduct a video call or in-person survey. I assured the representative I wouldn’t hold this figure as a binding estimate. However, expect an accurate cost estimate when you follow the same process and agree to a video call or in-person survey.
I also got quotes from several competitors for a comparable 2,880-mile move with no packing or add-ons. While Allied’s quote was higher than most, I encountered a few higher price points.
| Moving Company | Quoted Rate |
|---|---|
| Allied Van Lines | $12,175 |
| Interstate Moving & Relocation Group | $11,400 |
| Safeway Moving Systems Inc. | $10,333 |
| International Van Lines | $14,600 |
| American Van Lines | $12,532 |
Allied Van Lines availability
Allied is a member of the worldwide moving conglomerate Sirva Worldwide Inc. This umbrella company also owns North American Van Lines, which is another premium North American carrier.
Through this partnership, Allied can offer a nearly unmatched reach. It’s available for interstate and local moves in all 50 states, including commercial or corporate moving services. As I mentioned above, it has more than 1,000 partners in 130 countries available for international moves.
Guarantees and insurance
Allied includes released liability coverage for all moves at the industry-mandated rate of 60 cents per pound per item. Beyond this, it offers ECP for the full value of most goods. If you have jewelry, valuable China or other such goods, you can also purchase extraordinary value protection for up to $100 in coverage per pound per item.
Customer thoughts
I read more than 100 unique customer reviews for Allied across trusted review platforms such as the Better Business Bureau and Google Reviews and found it to live up to its quality reputation.
Allied receives high praise in most areas for its intuitive quote process and sizable service profile. Its better-reputed branches provide quality moving experiences for relocations of all sizes. Many locations feature reviews describing excellent customer service teams and moving crews more than qualified to handle basic and complex moving tasks.
Negative reviews I read stem from Allied’s limited customer service hours via phone and reportedly slow claims process for damaged items. Some customers cited subpar insurance coverage coupled with slow claims, while others reported a lack of compensation for lost or damaged items even after contacting their local Allied office about the issue.
We recommend reading reviews on multiple platforms before forming an opinion about any moving company. This can help create a complete picture of any company you decide to get quotes from.
We also suggest looking at location-specific customer reviews, as each could yield a different customer experience. For example, the greater Washington, D.C., area has six different Allied affiliates. Company affiliate Bayshore Moving & Storage in Manassas, Virginia, has a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on Google Reviews from more than 100 reviews, while Allied’s branch in Alexandria, Virginia, has a 3.4 out of 5 star rating on the same platform with only five total reviews.
Final take: Allied is the best option for large-item shipping if you don’t mind its higher prices
Click here to get a free estimate from Allied, however, Allied’s nationwide network of more than 1,000 trucks enables it to offer unmatched service for vehicle shipping and large item shipping needs. This eliminates the need for you to go through third-party carriers and removes guesswork from an already stressful process. You’ll pay a premium price, but many customers who posted online reviews found the added convenience to be worth the cost.
We recommend getting at least three quotes before booking a local or long-distance move with any professional mover. Even if you get quotes from multiple Allied affiliates, getting multiple professional opinions on cost before you commit is worth it. Aside from cost, be sure to review service profiles and customer reviews.
Our rating methodology for movers
Our moving recommendations are all backed by our detailed rating methodology. To fairly assess both interstate and local movers, we have tailored two sets of review standards for long-distance and intrastate movers.
Both sets of review standards assess factors including reputation and customer satisfaction, availability and range, services offered, pricing and quote practices and customer service. We rate each moving company out of 100 possible points. We then divide the final score by 20 to obtain the 5-star rating we feature in our reviews.
Google Reviews ratings are accurate as of April 2024.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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Allied Van Lines is a nationwide moving carrier with offices in all 50 states and a wide suite of premium services. The company’s 500-plus offices book local and long-distance moves in nearly all locations, including Alaska and Hawaii. It also focuses on shipping vehicles without relying on third-party carriers, which improves an often complicated moving…
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