Cheap Moving Companies of May 2024

Though originally founded in 2000 as an international moving and logistics company, International Van Lines (IVL) now offers full-service residential moves in all 50 states. Depending on your criteria, the company acts as a carrier for many moves, but it may act as a broker. IVL customers mix and match full-service options, such as packing and loading, in custom moving packages that fit their needs and budget.

International Van Lines is a great choice for moves that will include high-value items, such as artwork or antiques. IVL provides some of the most comprehensive moving insurance options on this list. Its full-value protection plan offers either a $500 and $1,000 deductible. You then pick a coverage cap that covers the actual value of your belongings. Customers who do not wish to pay for extra content coverage can enroll in free limited-liability coverage, protecting items at $0.60 per pound per article. You may also purchase a third-party moving insurance plan.

International Van Lines provides industry-standard full-service and partial-service options, such as packing, loading, transportation, unloading, unpacking and more. IVL is also a licensed, bonded and insured interstate broker. But note that if IVL cannot provide workers and moving trucks in certain locations, one of its partners may perform your move.

Types of Moves Serviced

• Door-to-door international moves
• Port-to-port international moves
• Local moving (full-service and partial)
• Long-distance domestic moves (full-service and partial)
• Auto shipping and transportation (including international shipping)
• Short-term and long-term storage services

International Van Lines bases the cost of your move on factors such as the total weight of your belongings and the overall distance of your move. On average, IVL moving services cost $2,500–$4,300.

IVL accepts checks, credit cards and cash for payment. It requires an up-front deposit of 25% of your total cost. However, the deposit is fully refundable for cancellations outside 48 hours from the pickup date.

American Van Lines (AVL) is a full-service moving company with more than 50 years of specializing in interstate and long-distance moving. Operating its own fleet of moving trucks coast to coast, AVL’s experienced crews assist with residential moves, military moves and corporate relocation. In 2019, and again in 2021, Newsweek recognized American Van Lines as one of its ‘Best Customer Service’ Award recipients.

AVL hires full-time employees and trains them in-house, separating itself from the common industry practice of contract labor. A customer service representative told us that each AVL employee holds an average of 10 years of moving experience and continues to receive biannual training.

The company also stands out for its straightforward cost structure, using flat-rate pricing that appeals to many customers. You can expect your bottom-line price to stay in line with the details of the binding estimate, given that no services are added after booking.

American Van Lines offers both full-service and partial-service options. Customers can choose full-service moves, allowing the company to pack, crate, unpack, load and transport their belongings. Customers who pick partial-service packs and unpack their belongings themselves still receive white-glove delivery. The company has various truck sizes, packing services and storage options.

Types of Moves Serviced

• Local moving (full-service and partial)
• Long-distance domestic moves (full-service and partial)
• Corporate relocation
• Military relocation
• Commercial moves
• Antique and piano moving
• Short-term and long-term storage services

American Van Lines provides only binding estimates based on either a virtual or in-home estimate. To help with moving costs, American Van Lines offers a price-matching policy, so obtain a few different moving quotes to help you negotiate the price. $3,200–$3,500 is American Van Line’s average service cost.

The company requires a deposit that may range anywhere from 10% to 50% of your total cost. You are able to pay for American Van Lines’ services with cash, check or credit.

Safeway Moving Inc. is a veteran-owned moving broker that claims to bring military precision and communication to cross-country moves. Safeway trains its staff on a weekly basis to offer a quality customer service experience, and you can direct questions and concerns to the support team seven days a week. Moving services are available through a large partner network, meaning you can receive reliable full-service moving options anywhere in the U.S.

A notable quality of Safeway’s business model is its dedication to senior customers. Moving coordinators work closely with retirement-age individuals to ensure that no aspect of a move causes undue stress or financial hardship. You can request a not-to-exceed estimate for the cost of your move, taking a video survey of your home’s inventory to help Safeway build an accurate quote. The company also offers professional packing and unpacking services for your peace of mind.

When booking an interstate move with Safeway, you can request full-service or partial-service assistance for packing and unpacking your belongings. The movers will label your shipment before packing to help save time when placing items in your new home. For fragile items, specialty wrapping and cushioning supplies are available.

Safeway has experience coordinating moves for condominiums and large homes, and it offers affordable storage solutions.

Types of Moves Serviced

• Long-distance domestic moves (full-service and partial)
• Single-item moves
• Commercial and corporate relocations
• International moves
• Senior moves
• Short-term and long-term storage services

Safeway costs $6,300–$7,500 on average.

Safeway provides binding estimates with flat-fee pricing. Because Safeway has authority as a broker, its overall cost may include a broker fee that is adjusted according to your overall cost. Customers get one month of storage for free and will pay monthly for additional storage time. Contents coverage is available and will require you to talk to a company representative for more details.

Headquartered in South Florida, Interstate Moving & Relocation Group (IMRG) serves all 50 states as a broker for professional moving services. IMRG partners with large van lines and smaller moving companies to book the services you need, often with greater scheduling flexibility than many competitors thanks to its wide network of providers. In addition to assisting with moves across state lines, IMRG coordinates local and international moving services. 

IMRG has a wealth of resources on its website, including brief rundowns of several partnered moving companies. It features articles detailing nearly a dozen cities, ranking its top movers in each respective location and sharing insights about go-to neighborhoods. IMRG also has a moving cost calculator and a detailed summary for how moving companies estimate costs.

IMRG works with professional movers who can cover a broad range of needs, and the majority offer full-service packing and unpacking. To help ease your mind while your shipment is in transit, you can ask your IMRG move coordinator to connect you with a company with GPS tracking. IMRG can also find long-distance movers that offer vehicle shipping to save you an extra step.

Types of Moves Serviced

• Long-distance domestic moves (full-service and partial)
• Automobile transportation
• Military moves
• Corporate and commercial moves

You can use IMRG’s moving cost calculator for a rough estimate of what your moving service could cost, but you should call to set up an inventory-based moving estimate. As a broker, IMRG can negotiate prices among its carriers to help you secure a better deal.  

IMRG charges a fee for booking services and will accept an electronic check or credit card to pay the deposit. Its fee is non-refundable unless cancellation occurs within 72 hours of the initial booking. In addition, you will need to pay a 4% cancellation fee. The accepted payment methods for the total cost of your moving services will vary among IMRG’s partners.

North American Van Lines (NAVL) operates out of Fort Wayne, Ind., bringing more than 85 years of experience to the moving industry. The company acts as a licensed and bonded moving broker and carrier for the entire U.S., with more than 500 moving agents working across the country.

NAVL provides customer support through personal moving agents for each customer and separate customer service lines for domestic and international moves. You can find easy-to-understand claims forms on the NAVL website and a dedicated phone number for claims support. The company also provides a wide range of online resources and tools, including a moving calculator, a space calculator, relocation guides, checklists and information on shipping wine collections.

North American Van Lines provides industry-standard full-service and partial-service moving options, such as packing, loading, transportation, unloading, unpacking and installing appliances. It also offers self-packing suggestions for customers looking to save money.

NAVL moving coverage is also noteworthy. Customers can customize moves to the exact value of their possessions with a content protection plan. If any of your items get lost or damaged during transit, NAVL’s transparent claims process makes filing a claim for repair or reimbursement easy.

Types of Moves Serviced

• International moves
• Long-distance domestic moves (full-service and partial)
• Corporate relocation
• Military relocation
• Commercial moves

North American Van Lines’ cost includes factors such as the overall distance of your move, your contents protection plan, services used and the total weight of your shipment. NAVL costs $4,700–$5,350 on average.

The company accepts payment in the form of certified checks, cash and credit card. North American Van Lines does not require an up-front deposit.

Allied Van Lines has provided full-service and partial-service moves across the U.S. for more than 90 years. The company is available across all 50 states and offers flexible payment options and comprehensive services. Allied also offers DIY services, such as its fragile-only packing option and a portable storage container moving service called Allied Express. The Allied Express service features professional moving assistance, an uncommon perk for container moving and storage.

Allied is a licensed and insured broker-carrier for interstate moves, conducting household moves and vehicle relocation using its own equipment and crew. However, Allied’s broker designation means that if your move is outside the company’s service area, it may outsource your move to a partnered company. While this allows the company to serve all 50 states, it may sometimes lead to difficulty in communication.

Allied Van Lines provides full- and partial-service moves, including furniture disassembly, packing, loading, transportation, unloading, unpacking and furniture reassembly. Allied also offers a cost-saving fragile-only packing service in which workers pack difficult and fragile items while you pack the rest. Specialty packing supplies are available for purchase.

Types of Moves Serviced

• International moves
• Local moves (full-service and partial)
• Long-distance domestic moves (full-service and partial)
• Corporate relocation
• Military relocation
• Commercial moves

Allied Van Lines creates its prices based on industry-standard factors such as the total weight of your shipment, the distance of your move, the services purchased, moving insurance, storage services and the time of the year. The average cost of Allied Van Lines is $4,730–$5,380.

Allied accepts payments in the form of cash, certified check and credit card. The company does not require a deposit for its services.

Chuck Kuhn founded JK Moving Services in 1982 at 16 years old and built it into a provider with full-service moving options and an emphasis on technology and customer service. Several organizations have recognized JK Moving for its commercial and residential relocation efforts, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and The Washington Business Journal.

A representative from JK Moving’s Human Resources department told us that the company background checks and drug tests its movers before they are hired and periodically throughout the year. These employees also receive annual training in the company’s dedicated training facility.

JK Moving stands out for offering financing for your move. Through a partnership with Enhancify, JK Moving connects customers with lenders that will allow you to pay for your move over time with varied payment terms and interest rates. Customers may be able to receive financing rates as low as 0%.** Keep in mind that you might save money by paying upfront if you receive higher interest rates.

*Local moves available only in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
**Subject to credit approval.

JK Moving is a full-service company that coordinates each step of the moving process. It offers door-to-door moves with services including packing, loading, transportation, unloading and unpacking. JK Moving also offers long-term and short-term storage solutions. For insurance options, you can add valuation coverage, a type of contents coverage based on the value of your belongings rather than a predetermined value. JK Moving is a carrier, but it is also a licensed and insured interstate moving broker. It may contract a partner company if it can’t provide moving trucks and services in your required locations.

Types of Moves Serviced

• International moves
• Local moving (limited to the Washington, D.C. area)
• Long-distance domestic moves (full-service and partial)
• Corporate relocation
• Military relocation
• Commercial moves
• Automobile moves
• IT and tech moves

JK Moving customizes each move based on a customer’s moving needs and budget and gives customers a binding estimate, which means you won’t be hit with surprise upcharges on moving day. JK Moving accepts cash, checks, credit cards and financing through Enhancify. It requires an up-front deposit of $250.

On average, JK Moving costs $7,550 per move.