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Atlas Van Lines Moving Company Review 2025
Atlas Van Lines is one of the largest moving companies in the U.S. and lets you track your moving truck.
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Whitney Vandiver writes for NerdWallet, currently focusing on home services, and has been published in the The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Seattle Times and The Independent. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading with a hot latte and spending time with her family. She is based in Houston.
Tina Orem is an editor and content strategist at NerdWallet. Prior to becoming an editor and content strategist, she covered small business and taxes at NerdWallet. She has been a financial writer and editor for over 15 years, and she has a degree in finance, as well as a master's degree in journalism and a Master of Business Administration. Previously, she was a financial analyst and director of finance for several public and private companies. Tina's work has appeared in a variety of local and national media outlets.
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Atlas Van Lines is one of the top moving companies we’ve reviewed, earning high marks for its pricing policies, tracking features and services. With its online move portal, virtual walkthroughs for estimates and ability to track shipments online, Atlas offers more modern, digital capabilities than many moving companies. It also doesn't charge upfront deposits or fees to pay with a credit card (though you’ll get a discount if you pay via e-check).
Packing, car shipping, unpacking, storage
and debris removal.
Deposit required?
No
Customer ratings
Based on Better Business Bureau rating and number of complaints per 100 vehicles to the BBB and Department of Transportation.
Better than most
Based on Better Business Bureau rating and number of complaints per 100 vehicles to the BBB and Department of Transportation.
Pros
Does virtual walkthroughs for quotes.
Has online move portal.
GPS tracker monitors location of your belongings during transit.
Cons
No chat function for customer service; phone, online form and email only.
Services offered
Packing, car shipping, unpacking, storage
and debris removal.
Deposit required?
No
Customer ratings
Based on Better Business Bureau rating and number of complaints per 100 vehicles to the BBB and Department of Transportation.
Better than most
Based on Better Business Bureau rating and number of complaints per 100 vehicles to the BBB and Department of Transportation.
Pros
Does virtual walkthroughs for quotes.
Has online move portal.
GPS tracker monitors location of your belongings during transit.
Cons
No chat function for customer service; phone, online form and email only.
Our take on Atlas Van Lines
What we like about Atlas Van Lines
Doesn’t require an upfront deposit or prepayment.
Lets customers track location of shipments.
Will move large items such as pianos and pool tables.
Offers day-specific delivery.
Virtual property survey available.
What we don’t like about Atlas Van Lines
Customers give it a low satisfaction rating on BBB even though the company has relatively few formal complaints filed with the BBB and Department of Transportation.
NerdWallet's Best Moving Companies
Full-service carriers with features to simplify your move
Atlas Van Lines is one of the largest moving companies in the U.S., with more than 430 Atlas agents that own and operate the company’s equipment and warehouses. Atlas is a full-service mover, meaning it does more than drive the truck from point A to point B. Here are some of the company’s major offerings and what we think you should know.
Local and interstate moves
Atlas loads, transports and unloads for cross-town, interstate and cross-country moves in all 50 states. For an extra fee, it will also pack and unpack, ship vehicles and provide storage.
International moves
Atlas does international moves, though you have to work with one of the firm’s sister companies, as well as third-party movers it may partner with.
Atlas Van Lines (Canada) handles moves in Canada.
Atlas International Movers is a freight forwarder, meaning that it partners with other international moving companies to move your goods. Atlas says it partners with 1,500 other companies around the globe.
Champion International Moving, Ltd. is also a freight forwarder, meaning that it also handles international moves of household goods, vehicles and pets.
If your employer is arranging your move abroad, Cornerstone Relocation Group may handle the move.
In an international move, Atlas loads your packed items into special shipping containers that it then places into one or more steel shipping containers (if shipping by sea) or other transport containers (if shipping by air) and transports to the departure point. Once your things get to the international destination, customs processes the shipment and clears it for transfer to an international moving crew that Atlas selects. That crew then delivers and unpacks your items.
Storage
Many people who move may need some extra time to find or prepare their new homes, which is why movers often offer storage options. Storage costs extra, though, so be sure to tell the mover what you need so you get an accurate quote.
Atlas can store shipments in the 300+ warehouses it uses around the country. The company can store cars, boats, motorcycles and RVs, and you can choose secure outdoor storage, climate-controlled storage or self-storage.
Packing and unpacking
This can be one of the worst parts of the moving process, so if you can afford to pay extra for some help here, it’s worth considering.
When you have the movers pack, they’ll show up with everything they need, wrap and pack your items and label the boxes. When they unpack your stuff, they’ll open boxes, remove the packing materials, arrange your things according to your instructions and take away the packing materials and empty boxes.
The company sends over a team of people trained in packing. If you want, you can have them only pack or unpack some rooms or some things (which can cut costs).
Atlas can pack antiques, fragile items and similar stuff in special wooden crates for protection. The company won’t pack chemicals (which might include household cleaners) or hazardous materials.
Atlas ships cars and vehicles, which is useful if you can’t or don’t want to drive your car to your new home.
This company ships:
Cars.
Motorcycles.
ATVs.
Antique, collector, custom or hot-rod vehicles.
Campers and RVs.
Jet skis.
Snowmobiles.
To ship a car or truck, Atlas uses an open or enclosed trailer, depending on your preference and budget. It loads the car on a trailer with split ramps and secures it to the trailer. It disconnects the battery and requires that the vehicle have a low fuel level during transport.
Atlas can put your vehicle in secure indoor or outdoor storage until you’re ready for delivery.
Example of open car carrier. Courtesy Getty Images.
Customer satisfaction
To evaluate customer satisfaction, we consider the Better Business Bureau (BBB) customer rating, which is based on customer reviews, and the number of formal complaints customers have filed with the BBB. We also consider complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
We found that Atlas's customer satisfaction rating with the BBB is worse than many of its competitors' ratings, giving it a poor standing. However, per 100 vehicles, it has a lower number of customer complaints filed with the BBB and the Department of Transportation than many of its competitors, which could indicate helpful in-house issue resolution.
Customer service
Customers can contact Atlas by phone, email and through the company’s portal.
Cost
Like most moving companies, Atlas doesn’t provide price quotes online. And like most moving companies, the reason is that the quote depends on several custom 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.
Additionally, 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. Atlas lets you do the survey in person or virtually.
The company does not require an upfront deposit or prepayment, and there is no fee to pay with a credit card. Atlas also offers a 1% discount if you pay by e-check through the customer portal.
Types of quotes
Atlas provides two kinds of price quotes, both of which are common with reputable movers.
Nonbinding estimates give you an approximate cost so you have an idea of how much it might cost.,But the actual cost can change by a lot. The final price comes when the mover weighs the shipment. However, the company can't charge more than 110% of the nonbinding estimate at the time of delivery.
Binding quotes guarantees the price the company gives you. They can be great for budgeting, but the quote process might take longer and the mover can charge for a binding quote
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Estimating Charges (Subpart D). Accessed Jun 17, 2025.
Beware of websites that claim to tell you how much your move is going to cost. None of the full-service moving companies we reviewed provide price quotes online. Virtually every moving company requires contact with a salesperson and a visual survey of your belongings in order to provide a reliable cost estimate.
Atlas will pack and ship unusual things such as pianos, pool tables and swing sets. This is called “special-item” service. But it won’t pack and ship everything.
Atlas will ship grandfather clocks and hot tubs, but it will hire a third-party company to prepare them for shipping. This might add to the cost of your move.
The company won’t ship the following items:
Handguns and ammunition.
Medications.
Perishable food.
Propane tanks.
Flammable or combustible items.
Tracking your shipment
Atlas has a customer portal that you can log into to see all of your move information, including the location of your shipment and the delivery date. Atlas told us it can provide date-specific delivery days depending on availability.
Atlas customer portal, courtesy Atlas.
Nerdy Perspective
Day-specific delivery can simplify your move-in day.
Being able to track the truck and know the day your stuff is being delivered to your new place can simplify the move-in process. You have a firm date and can schedule other services, such as internet installation, in advance instead of waiting for the truck to pull up to call other providers.
Whitney Vandiver
Writer
What if Atlas 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, both of which are available with Atlas:
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.
Full Value Protection. Under this option, the mover is liable for the replacement value of items that it loses, damages or destroys. You have to pay extra for this option, but unless you explicitly choose the Released Value option, movers must automatically move your stuff under the Full Value Protection level of liability. 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.
Another option is to get third-party insurance for your move. Sometimes movers will sell you a policy. Your homeowners insurance might also provide some coverage.
🤓Nerdy Tip
Liability coverage isn’t the same thing as insurance, so state insurance laws don’t apply to the coverage.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
Other services offered
Deposit required?
Customer ratings
Based on Better Business Bureau rating and number of complaints per 100 vehicles to the BBB and Department of Transportation.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
NerdWallet's Home Services team evaluated full-service moving companies across several factors, including availability of online quotes, upfront payment or deposit requirements, fees to pay with a credit card, availability of binding and/or not-to-exceed quotes, availability of additional services, geographical breadth, availability of full-value protection, truck trackability, availability of day-certain delivery, Better Business Bureau (BBB) customer rating, number of BBB complaints over the last three years per 100 vehicles, number of U.S. Department of Transportation complaints over the last four years per 100 vehicles and customer service contact options. Because costs can vary with the circumstances of each move, it's best to get quotes from multiple companies before making a decision. Read more about how NerdWallet rates full-service moving companies.
