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We couldn’t review moving companies without having Allied Van Lines in the mix – it’s a major competitor in the industry, and its full-service offerings make it an option for people who might need more than just loading, driving and unloading the truck. However, even though the company doesn’t charge upfront deposits, it does charge a fee to pay with the credit card, and its customer complaint record with the Better Business Bureau and the Department of Transportation is just so-so compared to other companies we reviewed.
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Allied is one of the most well-known moving companies in the U.S. and is headquartered in Chicago. It has more than 300 agents in North America and 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.
Allied Van Lines is owned by Chicago-based Sirva Worldwide, Inc., which is the same corporation that owns North American Van Lines. Many of its offerings are similar to North American’s.
Allied Van Lines loads, transports and unloads for people doing cross-town, interstate and cross-country moves.
We like that the company doesn’t require an upfront deposit or prepayment.
We don’t like that the company charges a fee to pay with a credit card.
Customer service is available via phone and email only.
Allied does international moves and has corporate-owned and franchised offices in more than 40 countries. You get a dedicated moving coordinator to help you through the process, which we think is helpful.
For international moves, movers typically load your packed items and take them to the departure point (where that is depends on whether you’re sending your things via land, sea or air). Once your things get to the international destination, customs processes the shipment and clears it for transfer to a moving crew that delivers and unloads your items.
Shipping a vehicle overseas can add up to $4,000 in extra taxes and import charges, according to Allied. Extra moving insurance could cost another $100 to $1,000. Some countries assess customs duties on vehicles and anything that “might appear to be for sale.” These duties average 1.8%. Most countries also require $150 to $3,000 in visa fees, according to Allied.
Allied can store shipments, which can be really helpful if you need extra time to find or prepare a new home. Storage costs extra, though, so be sure to tell the mover what you need so you get an accurate quote.
Usually, there are two ways to go about managing storage with a mover:
Have the mover take some or all of your stuff to a storage unit that you’ve rented.
Have the mover store some or all of your stuff at one of its own warehouses.
Allied provides 90 days of storage-in-transit storage, which means that it will hold your stuff for up to three months in its monitored and climate-controlled facilities. If you want to store things for longer, Allied says it can help find a place.
This can be one of the worst parts of the moving process, so if you can afford to pay extra for some help here, it’s worth considering.
When you have the movers pack, they show up with the boxes and packing materials, wrap and pack everything and then label the boxes.
Unpacking involves opening the boxes, removing the packing materials, arranging your things according to your instructions and then taking away the packing materials and empty boxes.
If you want, you can have Allied only pack or unpack some rooms or some things (which can cut costs). Allied can also build custom crates for antiques and things that are fragile.
Allied can ship cars and trucks, as well as boats. Allied says it can load them into the trucks if they fit; if they don’t, the company uses open-sided and enclosed car carriers.
It usually takes three to seven business days to ship a car.
Allied will give you a free rental car if it’s late delivering your vehicle.
Your vehicle will be covered up to $100,000 valuation with a zero deductible per vehicle.
Using an enclosed carrier can cost up to 80% more than using an open carrier.
Example of open car carrier. Courtesy Getty Images.
Allied scored average in the customer ratings portion of our rubric. We evaluate customer service based on Better Business Bureau rating for the company and the number of complaints per 100 vehicles to the BBB and Department of Transportation. This company had a middle-of-the-road complaint ratio relative to other companies we reviewed.
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.
Allied says the average cost of a cross country move for an average-sized household is between $2,400 and $5,000. Like most moving companies, Allied doesn’t provide price quotes online. And like most moving companies, the reason is that the quote depends on several specific-to-you 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.
Another reason is the law. The U.S. Department of Transportation 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.
Allied provides two kinds of price quotes.
Nonbinding estimates give you an approximate cost. They can be great for getting a quick, ballpark sense of cost, but the downside is that they can change by a lot. The final cost comes when the mover weighs the shipment.
Binding quotes guarantee you won’t be changed more than the estimate. They can be great for giving you certainty and peace of mind, but the downside is that the quote process might take longer and the mover can charge for a binding quote.
Getting a quote from Allied typically 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. Allied 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.
Allied will pack and ship most things, but not:
Gasoline
Oxygen bottles
Lighter fluid
Matches
Propane cylinders
Nail polish remover
Paints and paint thinners
Fireworks
Not all moving companies give customers a way to track their shipments while they’re in transit, which is why we think Allied stands out here. You can check the load date, present location and delivery date online anytime, which can provide peace of mind and help you plan. The tracking also applies to international moves, where you’ll also want to know about port arrival and customs clearance.
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.
Allied calls its full value protection “Extra Care Protection.” You can buy $10,000 of protection or more, and the price depends on whether you choose a zero, $250 or $500 deductible (the amount you would pay out of pocket before the coverage kicks in).
Replacement value is the full replacement cost, not a depreciated value.
You can’t get Extra Care Protection for jewelry, coins, other negotiable paper (e.g.,
stock certificates, bonds, etc.,) personal documents (e.g., deeds, titles, tax papers, birth
certificates, etc.) or collections (e.g., stamps, baseball cards etc.).
You can only get Extra Care Protection on shipments within the U.S. (except Hawaii) and shipments to/from Canada.
Here's a sample of some of the prices we found:
Protection Level | $0 Deductible | $250 Deductible | $500 Deductible |
|---|---|---|---|
$10,000 | $21 | $0 | $0 |
$25,000 | $138 | $50 | $30 |
$100,000 | $689 | $486 | $383 |
$150,000 | $998 | $822 | $715 |
$200,000 | $1,743 | $1,393 | $1,223 |
Another option is to get third-party insurance for your move. Your homeowners insurance might (or might not) provide some coverage.
Liability coverage isn’t the same thing as insurance, so state insurance laws don’t apply to the coverage movers provide.
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