American Van Lines Review - 2023 Pricing and Services

Oh, the excitement of moving. Or is it the nerves? Are you already planning how your new home will look and the things you will do when you move? Or are you the type to keep it real and are already in a sweat worrying about it? Fear not. We’re here to give you a review and a complete lowdown on one of the most popular moving companies in the US– American Van Lines.

Overview

American Van Lines or AVL are experts in all kinds of moving and are reputed to be a highly professional service. Family-owned, AVL is a full-service personalized moving company that has an experienced team operating with state of the art equipment. They are renowned for their exceptional customer service as well. In fact, they won the American Newsweek Magazine’s 2021 Award for ‘America’s Best Customer Service.’

American Van Lines is a popular choice for many people. They have upfront pricing, incomparable customer service and a plethora of services that other movers do not provide. They provide typical offerings like packing, loading and unloading furniture, etc., but they also top it up with storage services, auto shipping and transportation for specialty items like pianos and antiques.

AVL also has pricing which is honest and upfront with no hidden costs so you know precisely what you are paying before moving day comes along.

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American Van Lines’ Services

American Van Lines offers a range of services that covers almost all aspects of moving. They have been licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for these moving services. They do long distance moves, military moves, local moves, out of state moves and corporate relocation.

The services offered include moving and storage options, packing and unpacking services, over the phone and virtual estimates, piano and antique transport for moves, boxing and unboxing supplies, furniture handling, disassembly and reassembly, custom crating and full valuation coverage. With flat rate pricing and competitive rates, they take utmost care to ensure that their service is of the best quality. We’ve expanded on each of AVL’s moves and services below.

Wide Range Of Moves

Throughout its years in the industry, AVL has become extremely diverse in the services they offer. Handling all types of moves, they are equipped to meet the requirements of all sections of society, from individuals to families, from military moves to corporate relocations.

1. Long Distance Moves: AVL provides long distance services across state lines, with weekly shuttles to all major cities. They operate one of the largest moving fleets,with over 100 trucks and trailers. They have certain weight limitations for long distance moves.

2. Local Moves: Big or small, a stone’s throw away or a few miles away, AVL is experienced with navigating local moves.

See also: Top-rated Local Moving Companies

3. Military Moves: It’s not easy moving your family to a new post, restricted by budgets, timings and very busy schedules. For such moves, AVL provides free in-house estimates, valuation insurance options, full service packing and transportation, US military approved storage facilities and online shipment tracking.

Must read: Best Moving Companies for Military Moves

4. Corporate Relocation: Great for people who are being transferred or moving for a new job, AVL handles the tight schedules and office-set budget limitations of corporate relocations.

Storage Facilities

When moving, you should ideally have your storage options coming from the same company that is doing your move. Luckily, AVL understands that storage is an integral part of moving, offering varied kinds of storage options. They offer personal storage vaults that are available for short term as well as long term usage. The facility is climate-controlled to ensure the protection of your belongings, and is fireproof and storm proof for those sudden mishaps or weather changes.

They also provide high-value security units for antiques, fine art, and pianos as well. Their security facilities have 24-hour surveillance, and their vaults are locked for absolute privacy and security. Their storage facilities are known for their cleanliness and sterilization, so you can rest assured.

Flat Rate Pricing

One of the most convenient and noteworthy things about American Van Lines is that they offer a flat rate pricing system. All you have to do is submit your inventory and the exact list of things you want to move. They will then review it, calculate the final cost of your move and send you the estimate. The estimate will factor in everything, right up to the distance to be covered, gas prices and the shipment weight. Once you have reviewed and agreed to this estimate, their price will not change. This applies as long as your inventory remains the same, and you don’t suddenly add more items to be moved.

Flat rate pricing works out well for the customers because you know exactly what you are paying for without any hidden or additional costs. Upfront rates motivate the movers to work quickly and efficiently in order to turn a profit and avoid any delays, which means you may even get your things delivered before schedule.

American Van Lines does have some weight limitations and also requires deposits, but with professional services and a state-of-the-art fleet of trucks, you won’t mind shelling that extra bit to get the best service provided. The one pain point is that you can’t bargain later, even if the moving gets done faster. But every penny spent on AVL is worth every bit for their professionalism. Flat rate Pricing is not what many companies give its customers, making it one of the key points associated with AVL.

See also: Cost of Moving

Estimates

AVL doesn’t give final quotes over the phone, but they do offer estimates. AVL is known to be precise with their estimates and does not give only approximations, making everything so much easier and professional for the customer. Whether they do it over the phone or in person, they will always ask you the right kind of questions that detail out the entire move and help them give you the right estimate. Their over-the-phone estimates are preferred by customers since moving can get really stressful on-site visits just to get a rough estimate can be tedious and time-consuming.

Moving Coverage

Why a personal decision on the type of coverage you wish to opt for, it is always recommended that you go for comprehensive coverage, also known as full value protection. Every moving company is required to provide basic coverage free of cost. However, if something gets damaged, you only get paid by the weight of it, which compensates you $0.60 per pound per article. It doesn’t matter how expensive or valuable the goods are. Hence, spending the extra money on full value protection insurance means that you will be fully compensated by either having the item repaired, or replaced or the full amount will be paid to you.

With AVL’s full value protection, you have to fulfill a minimum requirement of $6 per pound of full value protection. While it always looks lucrative to go for the easier and free option, it is always prudent to be insured and save yourself the hassle of anything getting damaged and then being left high and dry. Also look into third-part insurance as coverage is not the same as insurance.

Packing And Packing Supplies

Packing for a move can be daunting, boring, complicated and really mundane. But as mentioned at the beginning, AVL is a full service agency, taking care of everything. AVL helps people who aren’t excited about packing with packing and unpacking services at economical rates. They use nothing less than top-of-the-line crating supplies, along with custom boxes and packing equipment to ensure everything remains protected. They also handle packing up antiques and pianos.

Now just like it is ideal for a moving company to also provide storage solutions, isn’t it also prudent for a moving company to also provide packing supplies? Well, they got the hint! AVL offers a full range of packing supplies so you don’t have to rush around town looking for the right kind of packing materials. And since they are a moving company, their approximations for sizes are accurate. This helps you find the exact kind of containers, boxes and packing materials that you need, even for delicate items like mirrors and odd items like cribs.

Does American Van Lines Ship Cars?

If you’re someone who has the same question on your mind, you’re in luck. Not only do American Van Lines Ship cars, but they also do so for automotives in generals. In fact, this service also extends to boats, kayaks and even larger Vans or SUVs. Interestingly, they also have options such as open-car carriers that car manufacturers use to move cars to new dealers

Environmentally Friendly

Not many in the moving industry are able to be eco-friendly, what with the use of plastic, several cardboard boxes, tape, and of course, the fuel burnt on transportation. But AVL tries the hardest to ensure they are as environmentally-friendly as they possibly can be.

They update their fleet very often so as to reduce fuel consumption.
They source packing supplies from environment friendly vendors.
Their facilities are updated with energy-saving lighting.
They try to use as many recyclable products as possible.
Every year AVL ensures they introduce at least a minimum of 3 sustainability initiatives.

As of today, at least 75% of their vendors are also meeting the same kind of sustainability guidelines as AVL. A company that cares this much, not just for its clients but also for the environment around it, is a company that can be trusted.

How Much Does American Van Lines Cost?

AVL has a reputation of being slightly more expensive than the industry average. But with the efficiency and professionalism that AVL is famous for, you won’t regret paying the fees for their exceptional services. Prices vary depending on individual circumstances, making it best to contact them directly in order to know what it will cost. They have base quotes that include standard services and then there are more advanced quotes for moves that involve services such as packing and unpacking, heavy items such as pianos or if you require that storage solutions.

American Van Lines is not the cheapest, but it is definitely good to hire their services because of the expertise and professionalism they bring in to the move. If you were looking at moving a 2-bedroom house over 140 miles, with a shipment weight of 2,730 lbs., you could be paying anywhere up to $2,700. If you were, say, looking for a move of a 3-bedroom home with a shipment of about 5,550 lbs. and moving a distance of about 1200 miles, you would be set back by about $5,000. For a larger move of about a 5-bedroom home with a shipment weight of 14,500 lbs. for a distance of 1200 miles, you would be paying anywhere upwards of $9,000.

While AVL gives estimates over the phone, they don’t give quotes online or over the phone either. This is because every move is unique and it is always difficult and seldom accurate to give clients a final quote virtually. Hence they prefer to do in-house visits and give you the estimates in person, being accurate and fair. The only issue with AVL is that they do not do local moves in all the states of the USA. You can only move locally with AVL if you are located in North Carolina, Florida or Texas. But while locally they may not be available in all the states across the US, they can provide all services globally.

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Pros and Cons

Pros

They offer excellent rates and price matching.
They are one of the few moving companies to offer estimates over the phone and flat rate pricing.
They can move fragile and expensive items such as pianos, antiques and fine art.
They are known for their speed and efficiency, with deliveries scheduled 7 days a week.
They are very transparent in their transactions and knowledge – something you can gauge in the way they take their inventory.
They are renowned for their 100% dedication to customer support, communication and personalised care.

Cons

No online quotes
Some weight limits apply
Require a deposit when booking

Should You Choose American Van Lines?

American Van Lines are extremely professional and are a popular choice because of their state of the art equipment, professionalism and brilliant customer service. They are adept at every aspect of the moving business and can take care of all your moves, end to end and you can pretty much relax throughout the entire time.