Allied Van Lines is a long-established mover known for fixed pricing, custom crating, and portable storage—ideal for long-distance and international moves, open to residental and corportate clients. They almost exclusively use in-house crews and earn high marks for communication and reliability.
Colonial Van Lines
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Safeway Moving
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American Van Lines
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Key Takeaways
- Fixed pricing and binding estimates help eliminate surprise costs
- Offers custom crating and fragile-only packing for high-value items
- Full-service international moves with GPS tracking and customs help
- Portable storage options (Allied Express) include labor assistance
- Strong nationwide network with in-house movers
In Our Review
Allied Van Lines: Pros & Cons
Allied earns praise for their full-service offerings and transparency, though it's not without limitations. Here's how it stacks up:
Pros
- In-house moving crews and drivers
- Dedicated moving coordinators for personalized support
- Comprehensive contents protection plans, including full-value coverage
- Moving containers with loading and unloading help
- 24/7 online shipment tracking
Cons
- No ballpark estimates
- Limited discounts
How Much Does Allied Van Lines Cost?
Allied’s pricing varies based on distance, weight, and chosen services. For local moves, rates generally range between $50 and $200 per hour. Long-distance moves depend on distance and volume.
- A two-bedroom move from Michigan to Florida cost $8,798
- A one-bedroom antique shipment from Texas to California cost $4,000
Customers report that Allied’s binding estimates are usually accurate or slightly overestimated, which can result in favorable final pricing. The company’s fixed-rate approach helps minimize surprises.
Allied Van Lines Services
Allied provides a full suite of services that cater to individuals, families, businesses, and military members across the country and internationally:
- Household moving services: Includes loading, unloading, furniture disassembly and reassembly, and basic protection coverage, with optional full-service or fragile-only packing and custom crating.
- International moving: Covers moves in more than 135 countries with GPS tracking and streamlined customs clearance.
- Long-distance and cross-country moving: Operates in all 50 states with in-house staff and affiliated agents.
- Military relocation services: Offers PPM-compliant plans, secure storage, and time-sensitive transport for service members.
- Corporate relocation: Employee moves, office relocations, and temporary storage with minimal downtime.
- Portable storage with Allied Express: Combines containers with movers for hybrid DIY moves.
- Storage services: Short-term trailer storage (up to 90 days) and long-term climate-controlled options.
- Vehicle shipping: Cars, motorcycles, and boats shipped separately or with household moves.
- Packing and moving supplies: Offers specialty boxes and protective wraps for DIY or full-service packing.
- Insurance and protection plans: Includes basic liability; full-value coverage available for added security.
Allied Van Lines vs. the Competition
Allied Van Lines is regarded as a premium mover, but how does it compare to other top names in the industry? Here’s a side-by-side look at Allied and two top-tier competitors.
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Colonial Van Lines
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Safeway Moving
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American Van Lines
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Allied Van Lines vs. Colonial Van Lines
- Service delivery: Allied uses in-house crews and agents for quality control; Colonial often brokers moves to third parties.
- Specialization: Allied supports international and high-value shipments with GPS tracking; Colonial focuses more on domestic, military, and corporate relocations.
- Pricing and availability: Allied offers binding, fixed-rate quotes; Colonial has more flexible but potentially variable pricing.
Best for: Choose Allied for consistency and international expertise; Colonial Van Lines for flexibility and budget-sensitive moves.
Allied Van Lines vs. Safeway Moving
- Pricing: Safeway offers price-match guarantees and lower-cost fixed rates; Allied tends to be more expensive.
- Services: Allied handles international, military, and containerized moves; Safeway is domestic-only with limited extras.
- Tracking and transparency: Allied provides real-time international shipment tracking; Safeway does not.
Best for: Allied is best for international and military moves or high-value items; Safeway Moving fits tighter budgets and domestic relocations.
FAQs
Does Allied Van Lines offer binding estimates?
Yes. Allied provides binding estimates to help ensure the quoted price reflects the final cost — as long as the scope of the move remains the same. Quotes are provided via in-person or virtual walkthroughs.
Is Allied good for international moves?
Absolutely. Allied has an international reach covering 135 countries and offers support with customs paperwork, international freight logistics, and shipment tracking.
Are portable containers available?
Yes, Allied offers their own brand of portable storage — Allied Express — that is similar to PODS and other DIY moving services. Unlike PODS and other container companies, however, Allied provides two to four professional movers to load and unload your Allied Express container.
What insurance is included?
Allied includes basic liability coverage at no extra cost ($0.60 per pound per item). For more protection, customers can opt for full-value coverage, which reimburses based on the actual item value.
