American Van Lines Review | 2025 Guide
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American Van Lines is among the highest-rated movers in our comprehensive evaluation of the best moving companies due to its reputation and overall value. The company outshines several competitors with its binding estimates, price-matching guarantee, and optional third-party insurance for increased protection. Its specialty packing for antiques and pianos makes it a promising pick for moving priceless belongings.
Our team crafted a thorough methodology to review moving companies, evaluating each one based on its services, reliability, cost and value, and flexibility. We also assessed thousands of online reviews to gauge a moving provider’s customer experience. Use our guide to evaluate American Van Lines and determine if it might suit your moving needs.
388 movers requested and received a free no-obligation quote from one of the above companies in the last 30 days.
Our Summary and Review of American Van Lines
- Year Founded: 1995
- State Availability: 48 (Not Alaska or Hawaii)
- Deposit Required: Up to 50% of Cost
- USDOT: #614506
- ✔ Local Moves ✔ Long-Distance Moves ✗ International Moves
American Van Lines is a full-service moving company that offers local and long-distance moves throughout the contiguous United States. It stands out for providing post-move cleanup services, which competitors such as Safeway Moving Inc., International Van Lines (IVL), and BLVD Moving don’t. This convenient service eliminates the hassle of picking up debris and leftover packing materials.
The company shines for offering binding estimates that lock in your initial quote—IVL, Interstate Moving & Relocation (IMRG), and Moving APT fail to provide this perk. It’s also one of a select few companies that offers price matching, which reduces your moving quote to match better offers from competitors for long-distance moves.
When we contacted an American Van Lines representative to get a range of ballpark estimates during our secret shopping process, we were informed that the company could only provide quotes with a detailed inventory. Meanwhile, competitors such as IVL could promptly offer ballpark quotes using fewer details, which is worth considering if you’re looking for quick estimates as a starting point.
The most significant drawbacks we discovered were the company’s lack of international moving services and vehicle shipping, which companies such as Allied Van Lines, North American Van Lines (NAVL), and IVL offer. While its other moving services are on par with the competition, American Van Lines isn’t equipped to handle any international moves or to transport your car for a lengthy relocation.
Pros & Cons of American Van Lines
Pros
- Has a carrier license, signifying more reliable service and expertise
- Offers free cancellations if your moving needs change
- Trains its movers to expertly handle pianos and antiques
- Provides post-moving cleanup services
- Extends third-party insurance for added protection
- Lowers rates to match competitors’ offers
Cons
- Doesn’t provide international moving services
- Has no vehicle shipping options
- Only offers local moving services in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas
Our Detailed Rating of American Van Lines
Based on our methodology, American Van Lines earned 4.3 out of 5 stars. Here’s an overview of the metrics we used to score each moving company.
- Services and features: Our team evaluated each company based on its essential services, moving materials, and bonus features such as vehicle shipping and custom crating.
- Reliability: We assessed each company’s reputation, years of experience, state and international availability, and moving expertise.
- Cost and value: This category evaluated each company based on pricing, discounts, and insurance plans.
- Flexibility: Our team considered the company’s cancellation policy, the quote process, and customer support.
Continuing reading for a look at how American Van Lines did in each category.
Services and Features
To assess a company’s services and features, we looked at its essential services, packing materials, and additional features.
American Van Lines earned 4.4 out of 5 stars for its services and features.
According to our 2024 survey of 1,000 recent moving customers, between 60% and 75% opted for loading and unloading services, and more than half of individuals surveyed paid for packing services. While American Van Lines lacks the do-it-yourself (DIY) options that Allied Van Lines and NAVL provide, it offers the full-service moves most consumers want.
In addition to standard services such as loading and packing, American Van Lines can disassemble and reassemble furniture and offers specialized electronics and appliance handling, ensuring your delicate items and pieces of furniture are handled with care throughout the move.
Another benefit we discovered was its post-move cleanup services, which allow you to focus on settling into your new home rather than picking up rubbish. IVL, Safeway, BLVD Moving, Moving APT, and JK Moving Services fail to offer this service.
We appreciate that American Van Lines offers moving boxes but found that it lacks materials such as blankets, pads, stretch wrap, and bubble rolls, which you can purchase from a competitor such as IVL, leaving you responsible for tracking down these materials.
The company’s most significant drawback is its lack of vehicle shipping, which leaves you to transport your car when you make a cross-country move. Other long-distance moving companies, such as IVL and JK Moving, provide vehicle relocation services.
Reliability
To rate a company’s reliability, we evaluated its overall reputation, years in business, nationwide and international availability, and level of expertise.
American Van Lines scored 4.8 out of 5 stars for reliability. Initially opening its doors in 1995, it has a far longer track record than competitors such as IMRG and Safeway.
Like all of the top moving companies we reviewed, American Van Lines is insured and bonded and only uses background-checked movers, which can provide peace of mind that your belongings are in good hands.
We also love that American Van Lines is a licensed carrier, meaning it relies on an in-house team and uses its own moving trucks rather than outsourcing your move to subcontractors. Moving companies that operate as carriers typically provide more streamlined communication throughout the moving process and often bring a higher level of expertise to the table.
American Van Lines lost points in this category for its lack of widespread availability. The company, headquartered in Pompano Beach, Flordia, is only equipped to handle local moves in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.
Likewise, the company doesn’t offer moving services in Alaska, Hawaii, or any international destinations. Meanwhile, you can schedule an international move with top competitors such as IVL, Allied Van Lines, NAVL, or United Van Lines.
Cost and Value
We explored a company’s pricing policies, promotions, and insurance options to assess its cost and value.
In our assessment of its cost and value, American Van Lines earned 3.3 out of 4 stars. We appreciate that it defaults to binding estimates, which is referred to as flat-rate pricing on the company website. This ensures the cost of your move won’t increase on your moving date—a guarantee you don’t get with IVL, IMRG, or Moving APT.
Additionally, the company received more points than competitors such as Allied Van Lines, NAVL, United Van Lines, and Mayflower for offering price matching on its long-distance moves. With this feature, American Van Lines will reduce your rates if a competitor offers you a lower moving quote with the same services, which helps lower your move’s overall cost.
We also like that American Van Lines offers third-party insurance to increase the coverage on your household goods while they’re in transit, providing an added layer of peace of mind.
The company recommends Baker International for moving insurance and notes that you must provide your moving company’s ID number and the weight of your move to purchase coverage. Safeway, BLVD Moving, and Moving APT don’t offer this option.
American Van Lines fell short by requiring a steeper deposit than its key competitors, charging up to 50% of the total moving cost upfront. Safeway is the only other competitor we reviewed that charges higher than a 30% deposit. While the deposit is refundable, paying such a high fee upfront can be inconvenient amid the stress of planning a move in advance.
Flexibility
To gauge a company’s flexibility, we assessed its cancellation policy, the process for getting a quote, and customer support.
American Van Lines earned 4.5 out of 5 stars for its flexibility, one of the highest scores of the companies we reviewed. Like all of its key competitors but Moving APT, its deposit is refundable.
Along those lines, the company shines for offering free cancellations, unlike Safeway, Allied Van Lines, NAVL, and IMRG. Both of these features ensure that you won’t be penalized financially if your moving needs change or you choose another company before moving day.
We were disappointed that American Van Lines doesn’t offer online scheduling, which competitors such as IVL, United Van Lines, and JK Moving do. That means you have to make a phone call during designated business hours to schedule your move, which can be a hassle at an already busy time.
The company’s biggest shortcoming in this area is its lack of a designated moving coordinator. While major competitors such as IVL, NAVL, and Allied Van Lines provide you with a singular point of contact who guides you through the moving process, you could speak to a different representative every time you contact American Van Lines, which can increase the complexity of the moving process and result in miscommunications.
American Van Lines Moving Services and Pricing
American Van Lines offers a range of customizable services you can tailor to fit your moving needs.
The cost of your move is based on which services you select, the overall weight of your belongings, and how far you’re moving. Read on for more insight into American Van Lines’ costs and services.
Moving Services Offered
Move Distance Availability
- Long-distance
- Local
- Interstate
Basic Moving Services
- Loading and unloading
- Packing and unpacking
- Furniture disassembly and reassembly
- Fragile and antique packing
- Flexible storage solutions
Extra Features
- Appliance/electronics handling
- Climate-controlled storage
- Crating
- Post-move cleanup
Pricing Breakdown
The location of your move is a major cost factor, but it isn’t the only one. While some companies we contact provide us with estimates based on the distance of the move and the number of bedrooms in a home, American Van Lines’s process is more involved.
When calling the company to request estimates, we learned that it only offers them after you provide an inventory of all your belongings. This requires more upfront time and effort, while competitors such as IVL provide a quick range of quotes with fewer details.
Our 2024 survey of recent moving customers revealed that a lack of transparent pricing is one of the biggest pain points among customers. Therefore, this is both a good and a bad aspect of American Van Lines. Some may like seeing ballpark figures on its website or after speaking with a representative, but others may appreciate knowing they’ll receive an exact quote by providing their full inventory.
While gathering an inventory for an initial quote can seem tedious, it provides you with more accurate rates from day one.
American Van Lines Reviews
We read hundreds of the more than 2,000 reviews published across sites such as Google Reviews, Trustpilot, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to get a sense of American Van Lines’s customer experience.
Our team discovered that several reviewers praised American Van Lines for its professionalism, efficiency, and care for their items during the move. Meanwhile, a handful of reviews cited issues with communication and price increases despite American Van Lines’s claim to use binding estimates.
We chose to feature these reviews because they demonstrate common issues American Van Lines customers face and common praises they have for the company.
Maria’s review suggested that American Van Lines can be trusted to move your belongings promptly and carefully, which was a commonality among most reviews. Meanwhile, Tim’s review echoed a common complaint surrounding the company’s lackluster communication.
Breakdown by Review Site
Here’s an overview of how American Van Lines reacts to customer reviews and complaints on the BBB, Trustpilot, and Google Reviews:
- BBB: While American Van Lines isn’t accredited, it has an A rating and an average of 4.21 out of 5 stars. We found that the company responds to customer complaints but doesn’t always reach a resolution.
- Trustpilot: The company is verified by Trustpilot and has 4.2 out of 5 stars. However, it doesn’t respond to complaints or positive reviews.
- Google Reviews: American Van Lines has an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews and appears to only consistently respond to positive reviews, ignoring most complaints.
Our evaluation of American Van Lines’s customer reviews and the company’s responses revealed a few trends. First, we noticed that the company’s ratings are similar to those of competitors such as Safeway across all the sites we reviewed and higher than most competitors, suggesting the company has a solid customer experience overall.
While American Van Lines is quick to respond to customer complaints on the BBB, its responses don’t always offer a genuine resolution. Moreover, it completely falls short with its lack of responses to negative posts on Google Reviews and Trustpilot.
*All review scores were accurate when published.
Compare American Van Lines to Other Moving Companies
American Van Lines provides full-service local and cross-country moving services. Compared to its competitors, it stands out for offering specialized antiques and piano packing and binding quotes but lacks international moving and vehicle shipping.
| Company | Star Rating | Best For | Service Model | BBB Rating | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Moving | Carrier and broker | B | GET ESTIMATE | ||
| High-Value Goods | Carrier and broker | A | GET ESTIMATE | ||
| Major Cities | Broker | B | GET ESTIMATE | ||
| Coordinated Moves | Broker | B | GET ESTIMATE | ||
| Condos and HOAs | Carrier | A+ | GET ESTIMATE | ||
| Appliance Moving | Carrier | A+ | GET ESTIMATE | ||
| Customer Experience | Carrier | A+ | GET ESTIMATE | ||
| Self-Service Moves | Container service | A | GET ESTIMATE | ||
| Small Moves | Container service | A+ | GET ESTIMATE |
Is American Van Lines Worth It?
American Van Lines can be worth the investment if you’re seeking a reliable, full-service mover with expertise in handling delicate items. The company excels by offering binding estimates and price matching, ensuring you have transparency into the cost of your move at every step. Remember that you’ll need to gather a detailed inventory to get an accurate quote upfront.
While the lack of international moving and vehicle shipping might be a drawback if you have more complex moving needs, American Van Lines’s expertise in local and interstate moves makes it a strong contender for most moving situations. Additionally, its post-move cleanup services can save you time and the hassle of picking up after your move.
American Van Lines FAQ
What items can American Van Lines not move?
Similar to other moving companies, American Van Lines can’t move several prohibited items, including perishables and hazardous materials such as car batteries, pool chemicals, or aerosol cans. The company also dissuades customers from packing items with sentimental or personal value, including family photos, financial documents, and keys.
If you’re unsure which items to pack or leave out, American Van Lines encourages you to contact a representative for guidance.
What storage options does American Van Lines offer?
American Van Lines has full-service storage facilities in Florida, North Carolina, and Texas, with temporary, short-term, and long-term storage options at their wooden vaults.
If you’re moving elsewhere and need to store your belongings, American Van Lines can help you find a reputable storage provider in your area.
Does American Van Lines charge extra to move heavy items?
No. The weight of your belongings determines the cost of your move, but there isn’t an upcharge for heavy items.
According to its terms and conditions, American Van Lines will charge you for the extra weight of your belongings only if it’s higher than estimated at the time of your move, at a rate of 10% more than the binding estimate you were given.
Is American Van Lines better than International Van Lines?
No. Our comparison of American Van Lines and International Van Lines found that IVL is a better moving company overall due to its offering of vehicle shipping, international moves, flexible payment options, and an array of discounts. However, American Van Lines beats IVL in a few categories because it provides binding estimates and offers post-move cleanup services.
How We Chose the Top Moving Providers
We researched and analyzed dozens of full- and self-service moving companies and formulated a moving review methodology based on a number of factors, including package options, pricing, and reputation. We also identified customer pain points based on customer-review analysis, proprietary consumer surveys, and interviews with former and current moving professionals.
Speaking directly to a representative at each company, we determined the number of package options available, the coverage provided, the types of moves available (long-distance, local, and international), and any extra perks offered, such as mobile apps, moving checklists, and 24/7 customer service.
We also gathered pricing data from each of the companies and determined whether they provide ballpark estimates or binding quotes. To determine reputation, we evaluated companies based on their rating with the Better Business Bureau as well as their overall score on Yelp.
