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Compared to the other moving companies we’ve reviewed, we don’t recommend American Van Lines. The company ranks near the bottom on our scoring system, largely due to its payment options, relatively limited service offerings and customer service.
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Headquartered in Pompano Beach, FL, American Van Lines started in 1967 and “reopened” in 1995. The company’s fleet size is 81, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Here are some of the company’s major offerings and what we think you should know.
American Van Lines loads, transports and unloads for interstate and cross-country moves in all 50 states. However, it only offers local moving services in Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
We don’t like some of American Van Lines’ payment policies. The company requires a deposit, which is unusual compared to other competitors we reviewed. Also, deposits are refundable only if you cancel the move in writing during the three-day window immediately after the Bill of Lading is signed. The company did not respond to our question about whether it charges a fee to pay with a credit card.
You can contact customer service via phone, online form and email, which will probably work in most situations, though some competitors also offer customer service via app and chat.
American Van Lines did not respond to our questions about international moves and does not advertise international moves on its website.
Many people who move need extra time to find or prepare new homes, which is why movers that offer storage can be life-savers. 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.
You might only have the first option available to you, because American Van Lines only has storage facilities in Florida, Texas and North Carolina. For those lucky few, the storage facilities have 24-hour cameras and your items are stored in wooden vaults that measure 8-feet-by-8-feet-by-7-feet.
For an extra fee, American Van Lines sends people to your house to build boxes, disassemble items (if needed), wrap items, seal boxes and label boxes. If you want, you can have the company only pack or unpack certain rooms or certain things. This can reduce the cost.
American Van Lines can pack antiques, pianos, fragile items and similar things that need special protection.
American Van Lines did not respond to our questions about international moves and does not advertise car shipping on its website.
American Van Lines scored low in the customer service 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 very high complaint ratio relative to other companies we reviewed.
Like most moving companies, American Van Lines doesn’t provide reliable price quotes online. But you can request a binding quote, which guarantees your costs won't exceed the estimate. The quote takes several factors into account, including how far you're moving and how much stuff you have.
Getting a reliable quote from a moving company typically starts with making an appointment for a walkthrough in your home so the company can see what you’re moving and how hard it is to get those things out of the house and onto the truck.
Beware of websites that claim to tell you exactly how much your move is going to cost. None of the full-service moving companies we reviewed provide reliable price quotes online. Virtually every moving company requires contact with a salesperson and a visual survey of your belongings to provide a reliable cost estimate.
» MORE: How much does it cost to move?
American Van Lines will pack and ship fragile items such as pianos, but it won’t pack and ship some items, including:
Aerosol cans.
Ammonia.
Ammunition.
Batteries.
Bleach.
Car batteries.
Charcoal/lighter fluid.
Chemistry sets.
Cleaning solvents.
Darkroom chemicals.
Fertilizer.
Firearms.
Fire extinguishers.
Fireworks.
Fuels/Oils.
Kerosene.
Matches.
Nail polish.
Paint/varnishes.
Paint thinner.
Pesticides.
Poisons.
Pool chemicals.
Propane tanks.
Sterno fuel.
Scuba tanks.
Weed killer.
Food that hasn’t been properly preserved.
Frozen foods.
Open containers of food.
Plants.
Produce.
Refrigerated food.
Address books.
Airline tickets.
Car titles.
Cash.
Cell phones.
Checkbooks.
Computer data or backup files.
Family photographs.
Financial documents.
Furs.
Home videos.
Insurance policy documents.
Jewelry.
Keys.
Laptops.
Medical/dental records.
Medicine.
School records.
Work files.
American Van Lines did not respond to our questions about whether customers can track their items, and the company does not advertise shipment trackability on its website. Lack of trackability can be a major drawback for customers that need some certainty about where the truck is or when their stuff will arrive.
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 you 60 cents per pound for damage. So if the movers ruin your 300-pound couch, you only get $180.
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.
Another option is to get third-party insurance for your move. Sometimes movers will sell you a policy. Your homeowners insurance might also provide some coverage.
"Liability coverage" isn’t the same thing as insurance, so state insurance laws don’t apply to the coverage.
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