Allied Van Lines Moving Review 2025

Our take on Allied Van Lines

What we like about Allied Van Lines

• Doesn’t require an upfront deposit or prepayment.

• Dedicated moving coordinator for international moves.

• GPS-guided shipment tracking.

• Virtual property survey available.

• Liability options for higher coverage limits.

What we don’t like about Allied Van Lines

• Some of the company’s locations charge a fee to pay with a credit card (around 3%). 

• Customer service is available via phone and email only.

• Only a window for delivery instead of day-certain delivery.

• Middle-of-the-road customer satisfaction ratings.

Allied Van Lines services

Allied is a well-known moving company in the U.S., with more than 300 agents in North America. It’s a full-service mover, meaning it does more than just drive the truck. Here are some of the company’s major offerings and what we think you should know.

Local and interstate moves

Allied Van Lines loads, transports and unloads for people doing cross-town, interstate and cross-country moves.

International moves

Allied does international moves and has corporate-owned and franchised offices in more than 40 countries. You get a dedicated moving coordinator to help you through the process, which we think is helpful when dealing with customs.

Shipping a vehicle overseas can add up to $4,000 in extra taxes and import charges, according to Allied, and extra moving insurance could cost another $100 to $1,000. Some countries assess customs duties on vehicles, which average 1.8% of an item’s purchase value.

Storage

Allied can store shipments, which can be really helpful if you need extra time to find or prepare a new home. Storage costs extra, though, so be sure to tell the mover what you need so you get an accurate quote.

Allied offers 90 days of storage-in-transit storage, which means that it will hold your stuff for up to three months in its monitored and climate-controlled facilities. The company also offers longer storage options.

Packing and unpacking

This can be one of the most time-consuming parts of moving, so if you can afford to pay extra for some help here, it’s worth considering.

• When you have Allied pack your home, movers show up with the boxes and packing materials and wrap and pack everything.

• Unpacking includes movers opening the boxes, removing the packing materials, arranging your furniture and taking away the packing materials and empty boxes.

Allied can also pack or unpack certain rooms or some belongings, which can cut costs. The company can also build custom crates for antiques, fragile items and belongings that don’t fit in standard boxes.

Car and vehicle shipping

Allied can ship cars and trucks, as well as boats and can load them into the same moving trucks as your other items if they fit; if your vehicle doesn’t fit, the company uses open-sided and enclosed car carriers.

• It usually takes three to seven business days to ship a car. 

• Allied will give you a free rental car if it’s late delivering your vehicle.

• Your vehicle will be covered up to $100,000 valuation with a zero deductible per vehicle.

• Using an enclosed carrier can cost up to 80% more than using an open carrier.

Customer service

Allied scored average in the customer ratings portion of our rubric. We evaluate customer service based on Better Business Bureau rating for the company and the number of complaints per 100 vehicles to the BBB and Department of Transportation. This company had a middle-of-the-road complaint ratio relative to other companies we reviewed.

Allied Van Lines cost

Allied says the average cost of a cross-country relocation with hired movers is $7,780 but can cost customers as much as $16,900. However, the actual cost depends on several factors, such as:

• How much stuff you have.

• What kind of stuff you have.

• Where your stuff is going.

• How accessible the locations are. 

• When you want to move.

Like most moving companies, Allied doesn’t provide price quotes online because the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requires movers to do a “physical survey of your goods” if the mover has a place of business within 50 miles of your house. You can waive this requirement, but you have to do it in writing before the mover loads your shipment^[0]

Types of quotes

Allied provides two kinds of price quotes.

• Nonbinding estimates give you an approximate cost. They can be great for getting a quick, ballpark sense of cost, but the downside is that they can change by a lot. The final cost comes when the mover weighs the shipment.

• Binding quotes guarantee you won’t be changed more than the estimate. They can be great for giving you certainty and peace of mind, but the downside is that the quote process might take longer and the mover can charge for a binding quote^[0]

  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How must my mover estimate charges under the regulations?. Accessed May 27, 2025.

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The quote process

Getting a quote from Allied typically starts with setting up an appointment for a walkthrough in your home so the company can see what you’re moving and how hard it will be to get out. Allied can do this part virtually if you want.

Things Allied won’t move

Allied will pack and ship most things, but not:

• Gasoline

• Oxygen bottles

• Lighter fluid

• Matches

• Propane cylinders

• Nail polish remover

• Paints and paint thinners

• Fireworks

Tracking your shipment

Allied’s tracking system stands out among its competitors. You can check the load date, present location and delivery date of your moving truck online anytime. The tracking also applies to international moves, where you’ll also want to know about port arrival and customs clearance.

Once a truck pulls away with your belongings, Allied begins tracking your shipment with GPS. To see live updates, you can go online and enter the six-digit registration number associated with your move.

What if Allied damages my stuff?

Moving companies are liable for loss or damage to your stuff during transportation. But the extent of that liability depends on which kind of liability coverage you choose. Federal law requires movers to offer you two liability options:

• Released Value. This protection is free but only pays 60 cents per pound. So if the movers ruin your 300-pound couch, you only get $180, even if the couch was expensive. 

• Full Value Protection. Under this option, the mover pays the cost of repairing or replacing items that it loses, damages or destroys. This option costs extra, but it automatically applies unless you explicitly choose the Released Value option. In this scenario, if the movers ruin your 300-pound couch, they have to repair the couch or pay the replacement value of the couch. 

Allied calls its full value protection “Extra Care Protection.” You can buy $10,000 of protection or more, and the price depends on whether you choose a zero, $250 or $500 deductible (the amount you would pay out of pocket before the coverage kicks in).

• Replacement value is the full replacement cost, not a depreciated value.

• You can’t get Extra Care Protection for jewelry, collections (e.g., stamps, baseball cards), other negotiable paper such as stock certificates, and personal documents (e.g., deeds, titles, tax papers, birth certificates).

• You can only get Extra Care Protection on shipments within the U.S. (except for Hawaii) and on shipments to or from Canada.

Another option is to get third-party insurance for your move. Your homeowners insurance might (or might not) cover your items, but policies that do cover moving mishaps are limited to certain situations.

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