The Best Long-Distance Moving Companies in 2026

How We Evaluated These Movers

A long-distance move is one of the few purchases most people make once every several years, so we leaned on federal licensing data, Better Business Bureau complaint histories, and independent reviews rather than star ratings alone. We looked at six movers spanning full-service van lines and DIY container services, and checked each one's USDOT registration, deposit terms, and how they handle valuation and damage claims. Every mover named here holds an active USDOT number you can verify yourself at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov before you book.

International Van Lines

International Van Lines has operated since 2000 and completes roughly 20,000 moves a year, with the added ability to handle international ocean shipments through its Federal Maritime Commission license, useful if part of your move is leaving the country. It offers a 100 percent money-back guarantee if you cancel, one free month of storage, and waived redelivery fees, and it holds an A+ BBB rating alongside strong review scores, including 4.5 stars on Google from over 1,600 reviews. The catch for domestic moves is payment: International Van Lines does not accept credit cards for US moves, only checks, cashier's checks, or ACH transfers, and cancelling within 48 hours of your move date forfeits your deposit. It is best for households that need both a domestic and an international leg handled by one company.

Allied Van Lines

Allied operates through roughly 400 local agents nationwide under parent company Sirva, and Move.org rated it their top pick for interstate moves in 2026 for combining no-deposit booking with nationwide coverage. You get an instant online quote tool for a rough estimate, though a binding price still requires a phone, in-home, or virtual survey, and services extend to car shipping, debris removal, and international moves to more than 130 countries. Allied charges a fee if you pay by credit card, and Move.org notes there is no weekend customer service, which matters if a problem comes up on a Saturday delivery. It is a solid default for anyone who wants a well-known national carrier without tying up cash in a deposit before the move even starts.

United Van Lines

United, part of the same UniGroup family that owns Mayflower, is built for full-service moves with strong valuation protection, no upfront deposit, and coverage across all 50 states plus international moves to more than 150 countries. It also runs Snapmoves, a smaller container-based option for people moving far but on a tighter budget, and it explicitly offers military relocation services. Move.org places United in its premium pricing tier and flags inconsistent customer service reports as the main drawback, along with the absence of the discounts some competitors advertise. Choose United if full-value protection and a long international network matter more to you than finding the cheapest quote.

JK Moving Services

JK Moving was ranked the number one moving company in U.S. News and World Report's 2026 rankings, and it uses its own employed crews rather than subcontractors for most of its moves. Its deposit structure is simple and unusually low: a flat $250 regardless of the size of your move, with no credit card surcharge and no fee for a late delivery. The tradeoffs are real, though: JK does not offer binding quotes, so your final price can move, tracking is by phone rather than an app, and NerdWallet's independent scoring model rated it far lower than U.S. News did, a reminder that "best" depends heavily on which criteria a reviewer weights. It suits movers who want price certainty on the deposit itself and don't mind a phone call for a status update.

PODS

PODS is not a traditional mover at all: it delivers a steel-framed container to your home, you load it yourself, and PODS drives it to your new address or a storage facility. Containers come in 8-foot and 16-foot sizes that work for long-distance moves (a 12-foot size is local only), and Move.org's cited pricing ranges from about $848 for a short-distance single-room move up to roughly $13,040 for a large, multi-container cross-country move. PODS is BBB-accredited with an A+ rating, but Move.org's top complaint is confusing pricing, since PODS does not publish a rate card and quotes vary by location and season. It is best suited to moves under about 500 miles where you are comfortable handling your own loading and unloading in exchange for a lower price than a full-service crew.

U-Pack

U-Pack, operated by ArcBest, the parent of ABF Freight, gives you a choice between a smaller ReloCube container or a marked-off section of a full freight trailer, and Move.org cites strong reliability with a 4.6-star BBB profile, notably higher than PODS. Move.org's sample pricing runs from about $1,004 for a one-bedroom move of 100 miles up to roughly $11,177 for a five-bedroom move of 2,000 miles, with fuel included in the quoted price and free catastrophic-liability coverage as standard. There is no local-move option under 50 miles, no at-home storage, and U-Pack no longer guarantees a specific delivery date, so build in flexibility on the receiving end. It is a strong pick for anyone moving a real distance who wants DIY pricing without giving up a reliable, long-established carrier network.

Comparison Table

Mover	Type	Deposit	Notable strength	Notable limitation
International Van Lines	Full-service	Non-refundable within 48 hrs of move	Handles international legs; money-back guarantee	No credit cards accepted for domestic moves
Allied Van Lines	Full-service	None required	No-deposit booking, wide network	No weekend customer service
United Van Lines	Full-service	None required	Full-value protection, 150+ countries	Premium pricing tier
JK Moving Services	Full-service	Flat $250	Simple low deposit, no card surcharge	No binding quotes, phone-only tracking
PODS	DIY container	Varies	Flexible container sizes, storage option	No published rate card, confusing pricing
U-Pack	DIY container/trailer	Varies	Strong BBB reliability, fuel included	No moves under 50 miles, no delivery-date guarantee

How to Choose

If your move includes an international leg, International Van Lines is the only one on this list built specifically for that. If you want a big, established carrier without tying up cash in a deposit, Allied or United are the safer full-service defaults, with United edging ahead if you want stronger valuation protection or are moving as part of a military relocation. If your top priority is knowing your deposit amount up front and you're comfortable with a non-binding estimate, JK Moving's flat $250 deposit is hard to match. If you're moving on a budget and can do your own packing and loading, PODS or U-Pack will typically cost less than any full-service option, with U-Pack the better fit for distances over 50 miles and a stronger reliability track record, and PODS better for shorter moves or when you also need flexible storage.

Red Flags and Questions to Ask Before You Book

Before you sign anything, verify the mover's USDOT number yourself at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov and confirm its operating status shows authorized, not revoked or inactive. Be wary of an estimate that seems unrealistically low, a demand for a large upfront cash deposit, or a quote given over the phone with no in-home or virtual survey of your belongings, since federal regulators have specifically flagged hostage-load scams where movers demand more money once your goods are already on the truck. Ask every mover whether they use their own employees or subcontract to a third party, what valuation or insurance options cost, whether the estimate is binding or non-binding, and what their claims process looks like if something is damaged. A legitimate mover will answer all of this in writing without hesitation.

Verdict

For most cross-country moves, Allied or United are the safest full-service choices because neither requires a deposit and both come from well-established, heavily reviewed national networks. If cost matters more than having someone else load the truck, U-Pack's pricing and reliability record make it our pick over PODS for anything over 50 miles. Whichever you choose, verify the USDOT number and get the estimate in writing before you commit.