When evaluating cross country moving companies, there is no single “best” cross-country mover for everyone in 2025, but the same few brands show up at the top of nearly every nationwide ranking. Allied Van Lines, North American Van Lines, Mayflower, United Van Lines, American Van Lines, Safeway Moving and Colonial Van Lines are the most consistently recommended for interstate and cross-country moves. Some lists focus on price and deposits, others on customer reviews, licensing, or extra services like storage and car shipping. Below you will find the nationwide movers that consistently rank near the top in 2025, how different sources score them, and practical ways to compare options for a long-distance or coast-to-coast move.
Key Points (2025)
- Most frequently recommended nationwide movers: independent 2025 reviews repeatedly highlight Allied Van Lines, North American Van Lines, Mayflower, United Van Lines, American Van Lines, Colonial Van Lines, Safeway Moving, and International Van Lines among the best options for interstate and cross-country moves.
- Different “best” lists, same core names: Move.org, moveBuddha, Forbes, Moving.com, and other review sites all publish their own rankings, but the same handful of carriers usually appear in the top tier even if the exact ordering changes from one list to another.
- What really matters: for a cross-country move, the most important factors tend to be licensing and safety records, experience with interstate routes, clear estimates, and service options such as packing, storage, and vehicle transport, rather than just the lowest advertised base price.
Best Cross Country Moving Companies (2025)
Most 2025 rankings draw from similar data: federal licenses and complaint records, quote tests for the same sample moves, and aggregated customer reviews. The table below pulls together the companies that show up again and again as strong full-service choices for coast-to-coast or long-haul interstate moves.
| Rank | Company | Why It Stands Out For Cross-Country Moves |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allied Van Lines | Allied appears at or near the top of many “best interstate” and “best long-distance” lists, with one of the largest agent networks in North America and decades of experience on multi-day routes. Reviewers like that Allied offers full-service packing, custom crating, storage, and vehicle shipping, yet typically does not require a large upfront deposit to reserve long-distance moves. |
| 2 | North American Van Lines | North American Van Lines has been handling interstate and cross-border moves for more than 90 years, with over 500 locations in the United States and Canada. Many 2025 rankings highlight NAVL’s driver training, shipment tracking tools, and the ability to handle specialty items and large household moves with predictable schedules on long-haul routes. |
| 3 | Mayflower | Mayflower, a UniGroup brand, is often recommended for interstate and cross-country relocations where coordination matters as much as price. It is known for in-depth in-home or virtual surveys, clearly explained estimates, and move coordinators who stay with the shipment from origin to destination, which can be reassuring on cross-country journeys with multi-day delivery windows. |
| 4 | United Van Lines | United Van Lines shows up on many “best long-distance mover” lists, particularly where corporate relocations and large family moves are involved. Its national fleet and agent network cover all 50 states, and United’s online tools for shipment tracking and move planning are frequently mentioned as helpful during coast-to-coast moves that span a week or more. |
| 5 | American Van Lines | American Van Lines is regularly recommended for long-distance and cross-country moves where careful handling is a priority. Independent reviews often call out its experienced crews with training in packing antiques, artwork, and pianos, and its use of flat-rate pricing for many interstate jobs, which can make budgeting easier for a move that crosses several states. |
| 6 | Colonial Van Lines | Colonial Van Lines appears high on 2025 lists that balance price with speed and communication. It focuses heavily on state-to-state and cross-country work, provides quick online ballpark estimates, and offers packages that bundle packing, loading, transport, and basic reassembly. Many reviewers describe Colonial as a solid option when you want professional service without top-tier pricing. |
| 7 | Safeway Moving | Safeway, a veteran-owned carrier, often shows up in “best value” categories for interstate moving. It is known for binding, flat-rate quotes that do not change after booking when the inventory stays the same, and commonly includes a limited period of free storage with long-distance moves. That combination can be helpful when closing dates or move-in dates shift during a cross-country relocation. |
| 8 | International Van Lines | International Van Lines is frequently ranked among the top long-distance movers and also handles international shipments. For U.S. cross-country moves, it offers full packing, partial packing, storage, and vehicle transport, and earns positive marks in 2025 for responsiveness and the variety of service levels, from budget-friendly to white-glove. |
| 9 | JK Moving Services | JK Moving tends to appear in rankings that emphasize customer service and custom plans more than raw price. It is often recommended for long-distance moves involving higher-value homes, corporate relocations, or situations where you want very detailed packing, labeling, and on-site supervision throughout loading and delivery. |
| 10 | Atlas Van Lines | Atlas Van Lines rounds out many top 10 lists with a long history in interstate moving, a wide agent network, and solid options for storage-in-transit and supplemental valuation coverage. It is often mentioned as a dependable, middle-of-the-road choice that can match many different cross-country move profiles rather than specializing in just one niche. |
Sources: Move.org best long-distance and cross-country movers 2025; moveBuddha best interstate movers 2025; Forbes and Moving.com long-distance mover rankings; North American Van Lines and Allied Van Lines comparison guides.
Why Cross Country Moving Companies Rankings Disagree
Different review sites answer slightly different questions when they rank interstate movers, which is why the same company can be number one in one place and number four in another. Some focus heavily on price per mile, others on customer satisfaction, complaint rates, or available services. Under the surface, they often use similar ingredients but stir them in different proportions.
Most 2025 lists start by checking that movers are properly licensed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for interstate work, then screen for safety and complaint patterns. From there, reviewers usually request sample quotes for a few common routes such as a three-bedroom home moving from New York to Florida or from California to Texas, and compare not only prices but how clear and detailed those estimates are. They also read through hundreds of customer reviews to see how companies handle delays, damaged items, and schedule changes, since that is where quality tends to show during long-haul moves.
This variety in weighting explains why you might see one list favoring a budget-friendly mover with fewer bells and whistles, while another gives top billing to a company that charges a little more but offers very consistent service, better communication, or more robust packing and storage options. For a moving-company blog, it helps to be transparent about this and explain that “best” depends on what a family values most: the lowest possible quote, the most predictable experience, or the widest menu of services.
What Top Cross-Country Movers Have In Common
Despite their differences, the best-rated cross-country movers in 2025 tend to share a common set of operational strengths. Those strengths matter more on a coast-to-coast move than on a short hop across town, because there is more time, distance, and coordination involved.
Most of the top carriers maintain large national networks or agent systems rather than a single central office. That network structure allows them to handle origin services, long-haul transport, and destination delivery under one umbrella, which reduces handoffs and confusion. They also typically offer several levels of service, from basic loading and transport when the customer handles their own packing, up through full-service packages with packing, unpacking, furniture disassembly and reassembly, and optional storage if a home is not ready on the first day.
Another shared trait is the use of clear written estimates and predictable pricing structures. Some brands favor binding estimates based on detailed inventories, others lean toward flat-rate pricing for certain routes, but the top movers generally try to eliminate surprises by documenting what is included and what counts as an extra. For long-distance shipments that may cross weigh stations and multiple states, that up-front clarity tends to matter more than saving a small amount per mile on paper.
How To Compare Cross Country Moving Companies
When people compare cross country moving companies for their moves, they usually end up looking at more than just the bottom line number on a quote. Several practical checkpoints help families sort through similar-looking estimates and decide which company fits their move best.
Licensing and safety records provide a baseline. Any mover handling your state-to-state shipment should have a U.S. Department of Transportation number and an MC number you can look up in the FMCSA database. Those records show whether the company is authorized for interstate transport and summarize inspections, crashes, and complaint histories over recent years. Large van lines often have long histories but relatively few serious issues in proportion to their size.
The estimate itself is another revealing piece. For a cross-country move, reputable companies usually insist on a virtual or in-home survey of belongings before issuing a binding estimate or a not-to-exceed price. That process gives them a more accurate weight and cube-foot estimate, which helps with truck planning and pricing. When a mover only offers a quick phone estimate for a large long-distance job, that can be a sign to look more closely at the terms.
Service options and flexibility round out the comparison. It helps to note whether each mover offers packing services, crating for fragile items, short-term storage in case of a gap between closing dates, and vehicle shipping if you need to move a car along with household goods. Some brands can bundle these extras in a single quote, while others may refer you to partner companies. The best fit for a given family or business tends to be the mover that can match the actual mix of services needed, not just the one with the lowest line-item rate for basic transport.
Planning Checklist For Cross-Country Moves
Research Phase
- Look up three to five national movers that consistently appear in independent 2025 rankings for interstate and cross-country service, then confirm that each one is licensed for interstate work and carries appropriate insurance.
- Read several recent reviews that specifically mention long-distance or cross-country moves, paying attention to timing, communication, and how the company handled any problems that came up during transit.
Quote Phase
- Schedule virtual or in-home surveys with at least three movers so each company sees the same furniture and boxes, which makes their estimates easier to compare.
- Ask each mover to spell out what is included in the quote, such as packing, materials, stairs, long carries, storage, and valuation coverage, and what would count as an extra charge if circumstances change on move day.
Decision and Booking
- Compare not only the total cost but also the delivery window, the type of estimate (binding, not-to-exceed, or non-binding), and the level of service each company is offering for that price.
- Once you choose a mover, review the order for service and bill of lading carefully so that pickup dates, delivery time frames, and coverage levels match what you discussed with the representative.
Why Choose Coastal Moving Services To Plan Your Cross-Country Move
Most national rankings are built around the idea that there is a single “best” mover, but real life rarely works that way. Every long-distance move has its own route, dates, access challenges, inventory mix, and budget limits, and the company that is perfect for one family can be a poor fit for another. Advertised strengths do not always translate into the outcome you experience on your specific move.
Coastal Moving Services approaches this differently by acting as your moving planner rather than just another carrier. Our job is to understand your situation in detail, then match you with the mover and service configuration that will make your relocation as easy, efficient, and budget friendly as possible. That includes looking at your origin and destination, how flexible your dates are, what you are shipping, what kind of packing help you want, and where you are comfortable trading money for convenience.
Because we work with trusted long-distance partners and see how they perform across many different routes, we know which carriers tend to do better with certain move types, price structures, or timing windows. Instead of asking you to guess which brand is right based on marketing, we do the comparison work behind the scenes, build a plan around your priorities, and stay involved so that the move follows that plan.
For you, that means one point of contact who speaks your language and handles the details with the mover, from quote and paperwork to scheduling and problem solving on move day. Rather than hoping that a generic “top 10” pick will be the right answer, you get a curated solution designed specifically for your home, your route, and your budget, with Coastal Moving Services in your corner from the first inventory list to final delivery.
Call +1-334-659-1878 for a free quote today.
FAQ
What is the single best Cross Country Moving Companies in 2025?
Most expert roundups avoid naming one universal winner because the best fit depends on your priorities. Allied Van Lines, North American Van Lines, Mayflower, United Van Lines, American Van Lines, Colonial Van Lines, Safeway Moving, and International Van Lines all rank near the top across multiple 2025 lists, but the right choice for you may come down to which one offers the combination of price, timing, and services that matches your move.
Which movers are best for tight budgets on long-distance moves?
Consumer-facing reviews often point to Colonial Van Lines, Safeway Moving, and some agent-based van lines when they highlight value-focused packages for interstate moves. These companies tend to offer competitive flat-rate or binding estimates, along with options to save money by doing your own packing or being flexible with dates.
Are van-line agents different from independent moving companies?
Van-line brands like Allied, North American, Mayflower, United, and Atlas operate through local or regional agents that share common standards, training, and systems under the parent name. Independent carriers run everything under one company name. Both models can work well for cross-country moves; the main difference is that van lines typically have more built-in backup options if a truck breaks down or a schedule needs adjusting.
Do I always need a full-service mover for cross-country moves?
Not necessarily. Some families choose hybrid options that combine container-style shipping or freight-based services with their own packing and loading, while others prefer full-service movers that handle everything from packing to assembly at the new home. The companies in this list specialize in full-service interstate moves, but many also support partial packing or labor-only add-ons you can tailor to your budget.
How far in advance should I book a cross-country mover?
In most 2025 guides, moving experts suggest booking six to eight weeks in advance for long-distance moves when possible, and even earlier for peak summer dates. Early booking usually gives you more choice of pickup days and sometimes better pricing than last-minute arrangements, especially on popular coast-to-coast lanes like California to Texas or New York to Florida.
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References
- Move.org – Best Long-Distance and Cross-Country Movers 2025
- moveBuddha – Best Interstate Movers of 2025
- Moving.com – Best Cross-Country Moving Companies 2025
- Forbes – Best Long-Distance Moving Companies 2025
- This Old House – Best Long-Distance Moving Companies in 2025
- ConsumerAffairs – Best Moving Companies of 2025
