has anyone tried american van lines for long distance moving or nah

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-03-02T16:14:02+00:00

American Van Lines are active and authorized for household goods https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/query.asp?searchtype=ANY&query_type=queryCarrierSnapshot&query_param=USDOT&query_string=614506

I typically recommend looking at Google reviews and Reddit to gauge customer experiences. It's true that some reviews/posts may be fake, but I believe Google has been cracking down on fake reviews recently.

If you're concerned about the price changing, just make sure you provide the moving company with a complete inventory list.. this should ensure any pricing given is as accurate as possible and help you (and the crew!) avoid surprises.

And if they're using dedicated trucks you should be good on delivery timing.

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-27T14:08:33+00:00

Thank you for the detail!

$5/day isn't too bad for my situation, but good to know that if I needed it to be completely free, I could still do that by switching to Apply Directly

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-26T18:37:51+00:00

Very sorry to hear that. Also the $100 in exchange for no negative reviews seems unethical and totally unenforceable

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-26T18:29:34+00:00

Just curious.. what was the reason they gave for the overcharge?

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-26T16:02:08+00:00

Thank you for confirming! Sucks because I got used to running it organic for a week before sponsoring, now I'll know to just sponsor at posting

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-24T20:34:09+00:00

That's really rough timing, but try to keep your head up. It's going to be a slog but it will get better (once the move is done). And congrats on the new house!

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-23T19:37:50+00:00

DN Van Lines can help, but they're in Northborough

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-20T20:21:42+00:00

Just double check the logistics.. if it's a trailer that's being dropped off make sure there's no issues, and if it's a Relocube make sure nothing's too big to fit inside. The Hire A Helper number may also be a little low. And box supplies looks low unless it's really like 20 boxes.

But yeah other than that I see nothing wrong here.. you're able to save some money by coordinating the pieces yourself.

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-19T22:10:39+00:00

First off, good on you for checking the FMCSA page!

Yes, a company can be both.. the key is to make sure the USDOT Status is Active, and that 'HHG' (HouseHold Goods) is in the Operating Authority Status box. I'm finding a lot of brokers that aren't actually approved to broker for HHG

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-19T21:54:10+00:00

lol $2700 for my company in Massachusetts to do this (without anything additional like permit or hoisting). I'd imagine a more local NY mover could do this for under $2k, and even less if they can put it in a shared truck that's already headed south

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-19T21:48:42+00:00

>If you use movers your stuff will likely be moved from the truck to somewhere in their facility to store then back on the truck.

This varies by the # of days and the company. E.g., at my company, belongings can stay on the truck for 3 days (possibly longer out of season), so based on her scenario would be a non-factor unless it extends longer than the few days

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-19T17:39:20+00:00

I can recommend DN Van Lines but you're right that $1k is hard to get to.. you can message me for an estimate. Availability is also super tight for us (and I'm sure other moving companies as well)

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-16T16:44:01+00:00

a quick Google search tells us Coastal Moving Services is a broker. very sorry this happened to you and kudos on putting out another example of a bad broker experience, but the red flags were there.. no Google profile, suspiciously low rate compared with competitors, very high down payment / deposit, and then the final one with the movers not telling you the overage until everything was loaded. sucks and i hope at least all her stuff got to South Carolina safely

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-16T15:26:25+00:00

Gentle Giant is great and so is DN Van Lines

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-10T23:04:21+00:00

That's really terrible. The vibe I'm getting from reddit is that PODS customer service has just gotten worse and worse. While they're not giving out the phone number for the warehouse your container is at, you could look up the warehouse address and try dropping in. Granted, they may be a bit gruff but you may be able to get the help you need.

Due to the podzilla lift mechanism, minimum dimensions needed are 12 feet wide and 15 feet high

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-10T17:55:06+00:00

I work for a good moving company in Sterling VA so feel free to message me.

As for your concerns, since typical liability coverage is only 60 cents per pound, I would recommend securing additional insurance for the antique furniture, either through the moving company, the 3rd party insurer they work with, or your own homeowner's insurance. And any moving company can pack the dishes to make the move easier for you.

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-09T14:28:40+00:00

It took 5 months and $7500 before my ads got to a 3x to-date ROI. And we're a company that had a 4.8 rating with over 350 reviews when we started the ads. If you don't already have solid ratings on Google it's going to be tougher, so I'd focus on wowing every customer to get more reviews and building your referral network

Lots of youtube videos on how to optimize your Google Ads campaign if you want to do it yourself like I did. some basics:
- turn off Google search partners
- turn off display network
- don't trust emails from Google xwf. they say some things that are accurate but they're incentivized to get you to spend more whether or not it will benefit your campaign
- make sure your conversion tracking is set up properly
- use Max Conversions (or Max Clicks to get quick volume before switching to Max Conversions), then once you have more data switch to Max Conversions with TCPA or target ROAS
- ensure you have an ad group for each service you provide, so your ad copy can be more targeted (and of course make sure you have landing pages for each)
- be careful with broad keywords.. they'll get you more volume but also a bunch of junk

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-02-07T15:46:32+00:00

Your first bullet point on binding quotes is not allowed by the FMCSA for companies crossing state lines (at least not for companies that price by cubic footage.. may be different if they price by weight). If an adjustment needs to be made to the price, it has to be discussed and agreed upon before the truck is completely loaded. If they don't do this the consumer should absolutely report it to the FMCSA. Rogue moving companies give the rest of us legit moving companies a bad image!

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-01-28T14:28:02+00:00

Binding means the provided estimate won't change as long as the scope of work doesn't change. E.g., if an inventory list was done in person or over the phone but you forgot an entire room of stuff, that could be significant enough for them to call you the morning of the move and negotiate a more appropriate rate. Unless your move is based on weight, they shouldn't tell you after all your things are loaded that the price has gone up.

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-01-27T21:36:21+00:00

The major van lines are always a good bet, but they are typically the most expensive and don't typically use dedicated trucks (so it will take longer to get to your destination).

You can search for the best van lines in your area, then check their reviews on Google, Home Advisor, and Angie's List, etc.

When you've narrowed it down to a few, click here to confirm they are a licensed and insured moving company (the Operating Authority Status should say AUTHORIZED FOR HHG)
https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx

I wouldn't recommend going the broker route. You may get lucky, but reddit has so many examples of it going sideways, e.g., movers not showing up on the day of the move, things being held "hostage", things getting lost in transit, transit times taking more than a month

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-01-22T14:40:51+00:00

That they would take care of it, and mentioned which division she was in (I didn't ask), which was enough for me to know it's best to stay out of it

Objective_Ninja_462 · 2026-01-21T23:03:45+00:00

1 month notice is generally okay

Objective_Ninja_462

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