What are Van Lines and How Do They Work?
Van lines are large, multi-state networks of moving companies that operate in conjunction with each other under well-known brand names. Here, we’re laying out everything you need to know about moving van lines.
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If you’re thinking of using van lines for an interstate move, be sure to check out our list of the best interstate movers. You’ll also want to use our moving cost calculator as a way to estimate the cost of your move, so you can prepare your budget for moving day to your new home!
Having an estimated cost of your move, along with a free moving quote from long-distance moving companies (always get a quote!), will help you create an accurate picture of moving day expenses.
Your moving experience is always enhanced by prior preparation, so help make the moving process easier on yourself by preparing and researching.
First up for research? Van lines.
Do we recommend hiring van lines?
Before we get into any of the details on how the van lines model works, the question you’re probably most curious about is:
Should I hire a van line?
The big van lines companies have a lot of experience in the industry. They’ve made a name for themselves over the years. However, because these companies are so big, there is a lot of overhead involved. These elevated costs inevitably fall onto the consumer, and can be a hassle if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly or DIY-style move.
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Therefore, for most people relocating out of state, we recommend hiring one of the top independent moving companies. These companies are also reputable, but your individual service means more to them, so their commitment to you may be higher.
Large moving van lines companies have so much infrastructure around the United States and they’re equipped for specialty moves to very remote areas and across the world. If you’re doing a standard move across the country, you don’t want to pay for these extra options. They won’t charge you for a move to London if you’re just moving from New York to Florida.
You have a lot of choice when it comes to service options in the moving industry; figure out what makes the most sense for you and your situation.
When do we recommend van lines?
Because of their vast network, years of experience in the moving industry, and infrastructure, we recommend using moving van lines for international moves — like one of these countries that pay you to move there! — or if you are moving to or from a remote location (whether or not you’re crossing state lines).
Van lines will ALWAYS be better than online brokers that promote the cheapest moving prices, but end up providing a less than desirable service.
The big players for van lines
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Many big van lines enjoy impressive brand recognition, and some have been around for nearly a century.
You’ve probably seen their trucks on the highway, or maybe even used them for past moves.
Here we’re talking about the industry’s heavy hitters, which include the following:
- United Van Lines
- Mayflower
- Atlas Van Lines
- Allied Van Lines
- North American Van Lines
- National Van Lines
These companies have thousands of moving trucks of all shapes and sizes on the country’s roads on any given day. They offer a wide range of service options, like custom crating, pick up and disassembly, commercial moving, corporate moving, military moving, moving packages, and more.
These moving van lines have staff that are well-trained and hardworking, and specialize in everything from packing and crating, to moving and driving commercial vehicles.
The largest van lines have hundreds of authorized agents in big cities and rural areas working together to provide the services their customers need. Nearly all van line agents are independently-owned and operated businesses, but the standards to which they’re held are much higher than what you’ll find at most small moving companies.
There are also plenty of high-quality, independently owned, and operated moving companies out there too.
How do van lines operate?
To illustrate how the van line agency system works, let’s look at a fictitious move.
One from New York City, New York to Los Angeles, California.
We’ll assume that after careful consideration you’ve decided to use Atlas Van Lines. Since they sent a local representative to assess your moving needs and give you an in-home estimate (a free quote), you’ll book your relocation through them.
They’re called the booking agent.
Let’s call them A-Plus Movers.
After you’ve signed the paperwork and set a move date, the move coordinators at A-Plus will register your move in the Atlas computer system.
In most cases, A-Plus will provide origin services like packing and crating if you need them, but they may not handle the transportation part of your move.
But don’t worry. You’ll still have an Atlas driver, but he or she may be from any one of the company’s other nationwide agents.
Before assigning a driver to your move, load planners at the corporate office will look at a number of factors, including:
- Your origin city (in this case, New York).
- The estimated weight of your shipment.
- Load date.
- Delivery window.
- Destination city (Los Angeles).
They’ll see which drivers will be in the area on your move date, have enough space on their trucks to accommodate your shipment, are going to California (or other western states along the way), and if their other customers’ delivery dates coincide with yours.
In some instances (like during the non-peak season between September and April) there may be many available drivers who meet the above requirements.
In such cases, the van line may assign the load to the driver with the lowest claims.
In the peak moving season from about May to August, however, there may only be one driver available.
Insider’s Insight: Differences between drivers are common, but most moving van lines have strict quality assurance guidelines, so their van operators generally perform at very high levels compared to the rest of the industry.
Thinking about moving with Atlas? Check out our Atlas Review on what to expect and find out why people choose this van line.
Learn MoreNow, let’s pretend that Atlas’ load planners have assigned you a van operator named Jimmy who works for an agent in Nebraska called Prime Time Movers.
As luck would have it, he’ll be in the New York area on your move date. He’s going to sunny Southern California, and he also has plenty of available space on his truck.
In this case, Prime Time Movers is the hauling agent.
Fast forward.
A-Plus movers has now booked your move and packed your items, and Jimmy and his crew have loaded everything onto the truck.
And abracadabra, a week later his shiny rig is pulling into LA.
But there’s a problem.
Your new home isn’t ready.
You need last-minute storage. Maybe for a month; possibly longer –maybe you’ll need long-term storage.
What to do? What are your storage options in this instance?
Atlas has a number of agents in LA, all of which have warehouses where you can store your household goods.
Sure, they’ll charge you extra for the service, but you’ll have peace of mind knowing you’re dealing with another agent in the Atlas system—as opposed to a local company you know little about.
In the end, we’ll assume you stored your items at the warehouse of West Coast Relocation Systems… another fictional Atlas agent. They’re the destination agent, and can provide storage options and storage facilities in an event like this.
Now they’re your point of contact for additional services like delivery from storage to your new home when it’s ready, as well as unpacking and uncrating.
This example shows how, by working together, agencies from all over the country can pull off tricky moves with relative ease.
Van lines or independent movers—which are better?
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Many factors should be taken into account when determining which is better in your particular situation, but it’s usually based on whether you’re moving locally or out of state.
Either way, first consider the following…
Moving van lines have interstate operating authority ONLY. Even though you can book local moves with van line agents, the van line itself won’t be involved, because they’re only legally allowed to engage in interstate commerce.
Though many customer reviews indicate positive experiences moving from one state to another with independent moving companies, there’s definitely added risk when going this route if you end up with the wrong company.
If something goes wrong and you need help rectifying the situation, there are limited avenues of recourse with these independent companies.
If you’re lucky, you may get the operations manager or owner on the phone, but if they’re not willing to help, you’ll have few options.
If, on the other hand, you have a problem with a national van line, their corporate headquarters is never more than a call away—and they take customer complaints very seriously.
Independent movers may be good options if you’re moving directly from one residence to another, but like in the previous example, what if you need last-minute storage facilities in a distant state?
If you booked your move through an independent mover in rural Arkansas or Maryland, chances are high that they have no connections in Los Angeles.
They may tell you otherwise, but can you trust them?
And do you know anything about the company they’re recommending?
Probably not—on both counts.
Quality is another issue that separates van line agents from their independent moving counterparts.
Van lines usually have comprehensive nationwide programs that continually train drivers, packers, movers, and office staff to ensure that they maintain the levels of quality customers expect.
Some of the best independent movers have similar programs, but many don’t.
Van Lines vs. Brokers
Brokers and moving van lines are different beasts.
Van lines are large, close-knit affiliations of quality-driven companies that own trucks, employ trained professionals, and operate warehouse facilities across the country.
Fly-by-night brokers, on the other hand, may just be a couple of sweaty guys (and gals) in a musty office passing themselves off as a van line to unsuspecting consumers.
Though they get a bad rap, it’s not fair to paint all brokers with the same brush.
There are good ones out there, too, but –as the old adage goes – it’s usually a few rotten apples that spoil the whole bunch. Some brokers claim to be part of a large network of movers that rival the big van lines, but this is rarely the case.
Sure, they may deal with independent movers from various parts of the country on a regular basis, but unlike van lines, there’s almost never any formal affiliation.
That means you’ll probably end up dealing with multiple business entities, with each one looking out for its own best interest.
Many independent moving companies align themselves with brokers because they don’t have what it takes to become agents for big national van lines like United, Atlas, and others.
Nefarious brokers use lots of sneaky tactics to pass themselves off as something they’re not, and they can be hard to spot for the uninitiated.
One of the most common methods is using names similar to those of well-known moving van lines.
For example…
United Van Systems IS NOT the same as United Van Lines.
A-Atlas Van Lines IS NOT the same as Atlas Van Lines.
For a more detailed analysis of how this looks in the real world, check out United Nation Van Lines.
Vetting companies thoroughly and choosing one you can trust is imperative.
If it all seems overwhelming, fear not—we can help.
Moving Services Provided by Major Van Lines
Here are some of the moving services typically available by these companies:
- Full-service moving
- Cross country/long distance moving
- International moving
- Auto transport
- Storage services
- Packing supplies
- In-person or remote moving estimates (you should get a free quote with this process)
- Corporate relocation services
- Local moving through agents
Last thoughts on van lines</b
Consolidations…
In the not too distant past, there were a number of large shakeups in the moving industry and storage business.
Big companies that previously operated as independent van lines began merging with competitors.
Here, we’re primarily talking about United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit, and Allied Van Lines and North American Van Lines.
Now, United and Mayflower are owned by a holding company called UniGroup, North American and Allied by another called SIRVA.
Though these affiliations tend to make companies stronger, it also means that if you book a move with United for example, you may end up having a Mayflower truck, driver and crew handle your move.
For most customers, it isn’t a big deal.
But if you’ve had a negative experience with Mayflower in the past, it could be.
Right to haul…
If you book an interstate move with a national van line agent, they generally have the option of hauling your shipment.
Some large agents haul much of what they book.
It’s a big selling point because limiting customer’s exposure to other agencies’ drivers and move coordinators generally makes for a more seamless moving experience.
When screening movers, ask if this is something they can do.
Do your homework…
In some instances, opting to work with a van line is a wise choice, but all agents aren’t created equally.
In addition to vetting the van line, look into the background of the particular agent you’re considering booking.
Good options include the websites of the American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA) and your local Better Business Bureau, and as always, recommendations from friends, family members, and coworkers. Seek out recommendations, do your research, and no doubt your stress-free moving experience will thank you for it!
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