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North American Van Lines is a well-known name in the moving business, but its customer service record, fee policies and scheduling put it toward the back of the pack.
North American Van Lines has been in business for a long time, and the breadth of its offerings may make it attractive for people who need more from a mover than just loading, driving and unloading the truck. However, its customer complaint record with the Better Business Bureau and the Department of Transportation and uncertainty about its payment policies and day-certain delivery made several of the other companies we reviewed seem like better options.
on Money.com and North American Van Lines's website
North American Van Lines is a popular moving company in the U.S. and is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It has more than 250 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.
North American Van Lines is owned by Chicago-based Sirva, Inc., which is the same corporation that owns Allied Van Lines. Many of its offerings are similar to Allied’s offerings.
North American Van Lines loads, transports and unloads moves people doing cross-town, interstate and cross-country moves.
The company did not respond to our questions about whether it charges a fee to pay with a credit card. Sister company Allied Van Lines does charge customers a fee to pay with a credit card.
The company did not respond to multiple requests for information about whether it provides day-certain delivery and what the fee for that is.
Customer service availability is limited to phone and email.
North American Van Lines does international moves. They will load your packed items and take them to the departure point. 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. When you arrive at your international destination, you call your contact at your international moving company. That moving crew is a third party that is part of North American’s “comprehensive network of corporate overseas agents based on their quality of service and experience.”
An international move can involve up to $5,000 or more in extra costs, according to North American. This can include expenses for custom crating ($100 to $4,000), duties on some personal items in some countries or visa fees ($100 to $3,000).
North American Van Lines offers storage, 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.
North American Van Lines 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, the company says it can do that too, though the details are thin.
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.
North American says its packing charges are fixed and don’t vary by zip code. Wrapping and protecting furniture is free. Special crates (for art, pianos, antiques or similar fragile items) cost extra.
North American packing costs, including labor and supplies:
Size | Price |
|---|---|
1000-1150 cubic feet. | $1,500 to $1,800. |
1200-1400 cubic feet. | $1,150 to $2,000. |
1500-1800 cubic feet. | $1,650 to $2,200. |
If you want, you can have North American only pack or unpack some rooms or some things (which can cut costs). It can also build custom crates for antiques and things that are fragile.
North American can ship cars and trucks on open-sided and enclosed car carriers.
It usually takes three to seven business days for the company to ship a vehicle.
The company 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.
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.
North American says the cost to move a three-bedroom house ranges from $4,000 to $10,500.
For five-bedroom houses, the cost may be:
Cross-country moves | $5,000-$6,000 summer/$4,000-$5,000 off-peak. |
Long-distance moves (across state lines but not coast-to-coast) | $4,000-$5,000 summer/$3,200-$4,000 off-peak. |
Intrastate (same state or state next door) | $3,000-$4,000 summer/$2,500-$3,500 off-peak. |
Like most moving companies, however, North American 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.
North American Van Lines 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 North American 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. North American 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.
North American will pack and ship most things, but not:
Nail polish remover.
Paints and paint thinners.
Propane cylinders.
Automotive repair and maintenance chemicals.
Radio-pharmaceuticals.
Matches.
Gasoline.
Fireworks.
Oxygen bottles.
Lithium batteries.
Not all moving companies give customers a way to track their shipments while they’re in transit, which is why we think North American adds value 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.
If you want to buy full value protection, North American charges 5% to 6% of the weight of your shipment. This means if your stuff weighs 5,000 pounds, you’ll pay $250 to $300.
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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