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Rebecca Walter is a senior writer for USA Today Homefront specializing in moving. She has won multiple awards for her writing, including recognition from the North Carolina Press Association for reporting on housing market trends. Her half-dozen moves in the last decade have perfected her packing skills, making her the go-to packer amongst her friends and family. Rebecca studied journalism and political science at Murray State University. She is located in Asheville, North Carolina, where she enjoys hiking, yoga, and reading.
United Van Lines (United) is a well-established moving company with a vast network of agents in the United States and headquarters around the world. United’s extensive reach allows the mover to offer a range of services, including local, long-distance and international moves. Its highly customizable service options make it a top contender in the best moving companies conversation.
UniGroup owns United. The St. Louis-based parent company’s portfolio also includes moving services Mayflower Transit and Allegiant Move Management. While United locations all run independently, falling under the UniGroup network umbrella gives the company a broader reach to operate in cities and small towns across the country and around the globe.
However, customer feedback varies based on location, so we encourage you to research your local United branch to learn more about its specific customer service ratings. United can also have a lengthy quote process based on our calls with United representatives, so it might not be ideal if your move date looms in the near future.
Using our rating system, we gave United Van Lines 4.5 out of 5 stars. The mover excelled in our availability, service range, services, storage and cost categories. However, we docked points for factors like the company’s FMCSA vehicle out-of-service percentage, which sits at 24.1%, slightly higher than the national average of 22.3%. We also considered United’s lower score on the review website Trustpilot, where it has a customer rating of 2.6 out of 5 stars.
United’s extensive partner network and hundreds of locations make it best for those living in small, rural areas that don’t typically have access to its services. United also provides several add-on coverage options, which make it easy to customize your relocation. These additional services are best for those needing to tailor and thoroughly cover their move.
We like United Van Lines’s range of add-on moving services and additional coverage options. This customization makes it easier to recommend the company’s services to a broader range of customers, whether you’re moving long-distance, across state lines or just down the road.
United’s military relocation services stood out during my research. The company provides customized relocation services for military families, whether it’s for temporary duty elsewhere or a Permanent Change of Station move. Not many competitors specifically mention military moves online. According to United, over 260,000 military members have used the company’s moving services in the past decade.
We also like that United Van Lines doesn’t require a deposit. United could be a good fit if you don’t want to put a big chunk of money down before your move.
United Van Line’s inconsistent customer reviews make it more difficult to recommend the mover broadly. We recommend researching local branches and any third-party movers United might pair you with.
In our experience, obtaining a quote with United can be more time-consuming than with other moving companies. While this thoroughness can be a plus for complicated moves, it isn’t ideal if you need to relocate in a shorter amount of time. Based on quotes we’ve collected for 16 top national movers, your final quote with United may be higher than you’d find with other providers.
United Van Lines doesn’t require a deposit, while some competitors — such as American Van Lines, Safeway Moving Inc. and JK Moving Services — do require you to put money down. Moving deposits vary but can be a significant amount — up to 50% of the total move cost in some cases.
The table below compares our top moving picks using several key factors.
United Van Lines’ network of over 300 agents facilitates a range of full-service moves with local, long-distance and international moving packages.
United’s core services for local and long-distance moves include loading, unloading and transportation. United’s tracking feature lets you keep tabs on your shipment as it makes its way to your new address.
The company defines a local move as any relocation that’s a short distance in a metro area within the same state. Long-distance moves include cross-country, state-to-state or interstate moves.
United offers international relocation services in over 150 countries. To get started, you’ll have a moving consultation with a relocation specialist who will recommend services that may benefit your unique move. The specialist will guide you through navigating customs and identifying any restricted items to keep out of your belongings.
Your move with United’s international relocation package includes packing services. The company also offers global move protection as an added layer of protection.
United also provides international corporate relocation services. Headquarters in North America, Asia and Europe help facilitate these large, complicated moves. With corporate relocations, a move manager is assigned to each employee to offer consultations during the transition.
United Van Lines offers a variety of optional services that you can add to your basic moving package for an additional cost. These include full and partial packing options, unpacking, organization and more.
The company’s custom crating service is a good choice if you have fragile belongings like mirrors, artwork and antiques. United also offers short-term and long-term storage services for both residential and commercial customers.
You can customize United’s storage options to fit your needs and schedule. Adding debris removal services to your move means United’s team can return within 30 days after delivery to pick up any empty boxes, packing-related materials and waste.
You can also transport your vehicle using United’s auto transport services, although the company does not allow personal items inside the vehicle during transportation. United determines your vehicle’s delivery date according to distance. Most domestic auto shipments take about eight to 10 business days.
Let a United representative know if your vehicle falls into any of the following categories:
United Van Lines’ online quote feature makes it easy to begin the estimate process. A representative will then contact you to discuss your moving needs in more detail. For a three-bedroom, 2,880-mile sample move, we got a cost range of $11,300–$12,500 without packing and $14,200–$15,700 with packing.
In our experience, United is very thorough in collecting and confirming information before scheduling a virtual or in-home appointment with a representative. You’ll need to complete one of these home walkthrough options to get the most accurate quote. The virtual option should provide the same accuracy as an in-person appointment.
Your final cost will depend on the date and distance of your move, the weight of your belongings and any add-on services you buy. We recommend making a detailed list of your belongings beforehand and checking out our moving checklist guide for streamlining your move.
Go online to United’s website to start the quote process. There is a separate feature to get a quote for corporate moves.
United Van Lines serves all 50 states and over 150 countries. The company offers packages for small, international and long-distance moves. In addition to residential moves, United can also assist in corporate relocations.
The most basic and most affordable plan is the minimum-liability valuation option. Under federal law, companies like United Van Lines must offer this type of coverage. Minimum-liability valuation covers your goods at 60 cents per pound per item. However, this coverage typically doesn’t come anywhere near the actual value of your belongings.
Take a flatscreen TV, for example, which typically weighs 25–75 pounds depending on size. You may have purchased it for hundreds of dollars or more, but it would be valued at only $15–$45 under minimal-liability coverage.
United calculates its full-value protection option by multiplying the estimated weight of your shipment by $6 per pound. So, if your shipment weighs 4,800 pounds, the total valuation would be $28,800. For an additional fee, you can declare a higher value than the basic amount included in United’s full-value protection option.
Under the full-value protection plan, you must complete a high-value inventory form listing items valued at $100 or more per pound on your shipment. The full-value protection plan is automatically included in your initial moving quote unless you specify that you want the minimum-liability option.
United offers a range of other add-on services to protect your belongings. These can be tacked on to your move for an extra charge.
United Van Lines currently sits at 2.6 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. The most common complaints include confusion with the quote process, damaged items, unprofessional moves and subpar customer service. Several negative reviews mentioned United outsourcing the move to its partner agencies.
However, the mover has also received recent praise on Trustpilot. In February 2024, Kassandra from California described United Van Lines’s service as transparent and effective. This reviewer noted that United was the most transparent with its prices of all the companies they contacted.
United has an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau but is not accredited. Customer reviews on United’s BBB page direct you to feedback for its parent company, UniGroup.
United Van Lines’ vast partner network and myriad services make it one of the best moving companies for full-service moving. Be prepared to go through an in-depth quote process to get your estimate.
We advise receiving quotes from at least three companies before booking with any professional moving company. If United sounds like it might be right for you, do thorough research on local branches and partner agencies by reading customer reviews.
Our moving recommendations are all backed by our detailed rating methodology. To fairly assess both interstate and local movers, we have tailored two sets of review standards for long-distance and intrastate movers.
Both sets of review standards assess factors including reputation and customer satisfaction, availability and range, services offered, pricing and quote practices and customer service. We rate each moving company out of 100 possible points. We then divide the final score by 20 to obtain the 5-star rating we feature in our reviews.
BBB and Trustpilot ratings accurate as of March 2024.
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