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United Van Lines is one of the best moving companies we reviewed, outperforming several competitors on pricing policies, features and customer satisfaction. People who want a mover that offers additional services, such as help with packing or car transportation, might find a good fit with United.
The moving company offers binding quotes, which means no surprises. Also, it doesn't charge upfront deposits or fees to pay with a credit card.
Call a moving coordinator at United Van Lines
on moveBuddha's website
Full-service carriers with features to simplify your move
Offers local, interstate and international moving services.
Has Snapmoves to save money for customers with smaller moves.
Doesn’t require an upfront deposit or prepayment.
Doesn’t charge a fee to pay with a credit card.
Offers virtual surveys for binding estimates.
Doesn’t offer tracking to know the exact location of your truck.
United Van Lines is owned by UniGroup, the same corporation that owns Mayflower Moving. Many of its offerings are similar to Mayflower’s.
United Van Lines is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri and has 300 agents. It is a full-service mover, meaning it does more than drive the truck. Here are some of the company’s major offerings and what we think you should know.
United Van Lines transports and unloads for cross-town, interstate and cross-country moves in all 50 states.
If you have a really small move – like a one-bedroom or studio, or maybe a dorm room or storage unit – you might save money by using United’s Snapmoves service instead of its regular service. United’s Snapmoves offers most of the same services as its traditional moving packages with a focus on smaller homes. There are two offerings here:
Snapmoves Standard guarantees that United will deliver your stuff within a three-day window, saving your money because of the flexibility.
Snapmoves Priority guarantees delivery on a specific day but costs more.
United Van Lines does international moves to over 150 countries, though you’ll also likely work with one or more other companies for a move outside of the United States or Canada. You do get a single point of contact at United Van Lines, which we think is helpful.
United’s international moving services include packing services to ensure your stuff is properly packed for customs clearance and the company also helps with customs documentation and figuring out if any of your items might be restricted.
United can store shipments around the country, which we like because many people who move may need extra time to find or prepare their new homes. Storage costs extra, though, so be sure to tell the mover what you need so you get an accurate quote.
You can also request a quote for long-term storage from a United Van Lines agent outside of your move if you’re preparing for the big day but not ready to load the truck yet.
United Van Lines offers full packing services to box up all of your possessions or partial packing for those items or rooms that you don’t want to pack on your own. You can pair either option with unpacking services as well so you won’t have to pack or unpack anything. United also has its DIY Packing Plan — you pack the boxes, and the company wraps your furniture.
United can pack antiques, fragile items and similar stuff in custom-made crates for protection if you’re worried about getting them to your new home. The company also moves pianos, which require special care for moving.
United ships vehicles for shorter moves just out of state as well as coast to coast. The company says that domestic auto shipments usually take between eight and 10 days, but it depends on the distance.
To ship a car or truck, United loads it onto a car carrier. The company uses open-sided and enclosed car carriers. Open-sided is usually cheaper; enclosed is mostly for high-value or antique vehicles.
Example of open car carrier. Courtesy Getty Images.
If your vehicle is any of the following, it may need an enclosed carrier or special treatment:
Over 25 years old.
Has a lift kit, dually wheels, cab lights, a camper shell or oversize tires.
Is over 75 inches high or over 220 inches long.
Weighs more than 5,000 pounds.
Doesn’t work.
Is worth more than $60,000.
United Van Lines also moves golf carts, lawnmowers and boats, which might require special preparation or permits for transportation.
Car carriers are considered oversize vehicles. If your neighborhood doesn’t allow or can’t fit oversized vehicles, you may need to arrange to have the mover pick up or drop off your vehicle somewhere else.
To evaluate customer satisfaction, we consider Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings, which is based on customer reviews, and the number of complaints customers have filed with the BBB in an effort to resolve an issue with a company.
We found that United Van Lines's customer satisfaction rating with the BBB is similar to many of its competitors' ratings, giving it a middle-of-the-road standing. It also has a higher number of customer complaints filed with the BBB per 100 vehicles than many of its competitors, which can be a sign of issues with customer service or in-house issue resolution.
Like most moving companies, United Van Lines doesn’t provide price quotes online because a quote 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.
The U.S. Department of Transportation also 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 if you want, but you have to do it in writing before the mover loads your shipment.
The company does not require an upfront deposit or prepayment, and there is no fee to pay with a credit card.
» MORE: How much does it cost to move?
United Van Lines provides two kinds of price quotes.
Nonbinding estimates give you an approximate cost. The downside is that they can change by a lot, and the final cost comes when the mover weighs the shipment.
Binding quotes guarantee you won’t be changed more than the estimate — so you'll know exactly how much you'll have to pay. But the downside is that the quote process might take longer and the mover can charge for a binding quote.
Getting a quote from United Van Lines 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. United can do this part virtually if you want.
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.
If you need help, you can contact customer service via phone, online form or the company’s moving portal. There’s also a chat function on the website, but we didn’t find it very useful.
Like most moving companies, United Van Lines won’t move everything.
Batteries powering personal mobility devices.
Cordless power tools.
Scuba tanks.
Firearms (unloaded).
Clean gas cans and other fuel storage.
Alcoholic beverages.
Batteries, including car batteries.
Household cleaning products.
Corrosive chemicals or poisons.
Lawn and garden chemicals.
Flammables and explosives.
Live animals or plants.
Gas and oil products.
Compressed gas cylinders.
Candles.
Illegal items or substances.
Ammunition, including gunpowder.
United Van Lines lets you track your shipment with an order number and last name. However, you can’t find the exact location of your shipment; you have to talk to the move coordinator to get that information.
The United Van Lines shipment tracking screen.
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 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.
United Van Lines lets customers pay to increase their protection. Depending on the package, customers can pay for additional coverage and services, such as debris removal and protection of pairs and sets of items. United doesn’t offer deductible-based protection plans.
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.
Liability coverage isn’t the same thing as insurance, so state insurance laws don’t apply to the coverage movers provide.
Company | NerdWallet rating | Other services offered | Deposit required? | Customer ratings | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlas Van Lines on moveBuddha's website | Packing, car shipping, unpacking, storage and debris removal. | No | Better than most Based on Better Business Bureau rating and number of complaints per 100 vehicles to the BBB and Department of Transportation. | on moveBuddha's website | |
on moveBuddha's website | |||||
Mayflower Moving Call a moving coordinator at Mayflower Moving on moveBuddha's website | Packing, car shipping, unpacking, storage and debris removal. | No | Worse than most Based on Better Business Bureau rating and number of complaints per 100 vehicles to the BBB and Department of Transportation. | Call a moving coordinator at Mayflower Moving on moveBuddha's website | |
Call a moving coordinator at Mayflower Moving on moveBuddha's website | |||||
Allied Van Lines Call a moving coordinator at Allied Van Lines on moveBuddha's website | Packing, car shipping, unpacking, storage and debris removal. | No | Average Based on Better Business Bureau rating and number of complaints per 100 vehicles to the BBB and Department of Transportation. | Call a moving coordinator at Allied Van Lines on moveBuddha's website | |
Call a moving coordinator at Allied Van Lines on moveBuddha's website | |||||
Read more NerdWallet moving company reviews:
Methodology
NerdWallet's Home Services team evaluated full-service moving companies across several factors, including pricing and payment options, features and services offered, and customer service. Because costs can vary by move type and location, it's best to get quotes from multiple companies before making a decision. Read more about how NerdWallet rates moving companies.
