Choosing a reliable moving company for your military move is more important than you think. Your movers can make or break your move, and doing your research is extremely essential. From transit delays, to lost and damaged belongings to unexplained added costs that double your final bill, there’s a load of things that can go wrong. But if you have the right movers, you can push everything aside and just focus on your next assignment. Read our list of the best moving companies for military moves to begin.
Compare Top 3 Military Moving Companies in the U.S.
| Moving Company | Safeway Moving System | U-Pack | Stevens Worldwide Van Lines |
| Logo |  |  |  |
| DoT Number | 3166589 | 2632086 | 70719 |
| MC Number | 11982 | 914011 | 87113 |
| Pros | Competitive Rates No Hidden Fees | Informative Website Instant Online Estimate Transit Time Averages 2-5 Business Days | Instant Ballpark Estimate Credit Services |
| Cons | Uninformative Website Deposit to Book | No Moving Services for Move under 150 Miles | Coverage is not Nationwide |
| Phone | 844-728-6899 | 544-362-5303 | 855-997-6953 |
3 Top-Rated Companies for Military Moves
1. Safeway Moving System
Chicago-based Safeway Moving System has been in the business for 56 years, offering military precision relocation. And the only reason they can do that is because it is owned by a US Army Veteran. Rad Freeman founded the company, and over its years in business has developed a vast network of moving companies and trucks across the United States.
Safeway operates as a broker, getting you in touch with capable companies to do your move for you. With great customer reviews to wash away the doubts of going with a broker instead of a carrier, they have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. They service every state in America except for Hawaii and Alaska.
Reasons To Choose Safeway Moving System:
Price Matching: For anyone planning a DITY move, this ought to be like music to their ears. Any moving company that offers price matching will lower their cost to match or beat the cost given by a competitor. Of course, this is only if certain conditions are met. Firstly, it has to be a written, binding estimate that the other moving company has offered you. Secondly, ensure that this comes from an established, reliable company that isn’t known to scam people. It should have been in the business for at least 5 years. Lastly, the inventory you supply to the company for the estimate should be exactly the same as the inventory you give to Safeway Moving, down to every last box.
Of course, you have to know every item you’re moving and number each box for an accurate inventory. This comes alongside doing the (always recommended) homework of contacting three to four moving companies to give you a binding estimate. The rates between them all are bound to differ a bit; simply pick the lowest and watch Safeway Moving kick their price matching policy into action. This can also be seen when booking a move through moveBuddha: when you’re done answering a few basic questions (what kind of home/how much do you have to move), you can invite other movers to bid on your move. There’s not much of a list, but the options we had were American Van Lines and Always Moving Inc., both moving companies of great repute.
As added precaution, we emailed Safeway Moving to confirm their policy. They haven’t yet responded, but their BBB A+ rating and positive reviews online have gotten us ‘at ease’.
Green Flags: There’s a lot of things about Safeway Moving that give us a good vibe, something we’re translating to green flags. For one, the fact that it is run by a US Veteran. Rad Freeman has imbibed his company with the values taught and respected by the US Army, and thus far, this is reflected by way of their positive customer reviews. Secondly, anyone in need of storage needn’t worry as Safeway Moving offers up to 1 month of free storage for interstate moves. Almost all other movers have storage services, almost none offer a month free.
Plus, Safeway Moving supports the St. Jude’s Charity. You can choose to donate a certain percentage of your cost to the charity upto $100. Do note, this isn’t additional money you pay, but simply how much of your total cost you’d like the company to donate. Mention St. Jude’s to them, and you could receive a $100 packing voucher for necessary packing materials like boxes, tape, crates and packing paper. They also offer full service packaging and transporting of special items like pianos. Finally, the biggest green flag is that they offer binding estimates, while actively avoiding any add-ons and surprise extra fees or charges.
Also Read: Safeway Moving System Review
Can moving companies help with an overseas move? There are several moving companies that help with moving overseas. While most can help with moves to Canada, there are also a range of companies that have partners in several locations internationally.
2. U-Pack
The perfect service for anyone looking to save some money on their move, U-Pack has been in the business for 23 years. Rent a moving trailer or portable container, pack it over 3 days and watch as U-Pack takes care of the rest. U-Pack is available in all 50 states of America, and with their professionalism, they make it to our list of the best moving companies for military moves.
Reasons To Choose U-Pack:
The Perfect Partners: Moving can be chaotic, especially when you’re in the military and you have to move often. U-Pack makes for the perfect moving partner to help you through your move. That’s not just because of the services they offer, but also because they have taken the effort to familiarize themselves with the rigmarole of a military move.
They know that you need weight tickets to get your reimbursements, and one of their military move specialists will get in touch with you post your move. They will email you certified weight tickets, making sure you have it easy. They also offer all service members, past and present, a $50 discount with the discount code MIL50. This is inclusive of liability coverage, fuel, transportation and all those costs, so that you do actually get the full benefit of the discount. You can choose your own moving date according to what fits best with your schedule.
And lastly, their website has detailed information about all the paperwork you need for reimbursements according to whether you’re in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard. These aren’t details that pertain to your move with U-Pack, but are certainly important for you in terms of getting your reimbursements from the military. A moving company that goes beyond the necessary to help you out is one that cares, and one you can trust.
Making Moving Easy: U-Pack, as the name suggests, needs you to pack up all your stuff. However, they take care of everything else, from charging you for the exact space you’ll need to transport everything. This means you’ve already saved up a sizable chunk of your reimbursement fee. You can call for one of their trailers, and because they calculate costs by space and not weight, you only pay for the space you use.
Want a better idea of how much your move could cost? Get an instant, free online estimate on their website. We ran an estimate for a move covering miles, with door-to-door delivery using a trailer. Our cost came to $5,664 inclusive of taxes, fuel and a free loading ramp, with 13 feet of trailer space and an estimated transit time of 5 to 7 days. We could also opt to see how much our cost would increase if we opted for loading services (2 helpers, 3 hours, %511) and unloading services (2 helpers, 2 hours, $412).
Another alternative is to call for one of their weatherproof portable containers called ReloCubes. ReloCubes can hold upto 305 cubic feet, large enough to fit the contents of one large room yet small enough to fit into a single parking space. One ReloCube costs $1,443 for door-to-door delivery (not factoring in several things that impact your cost), and while you can always order for as many as you think you’ll need, you only pay for as many as you use. Simply reserving for them online gives you a 25% discount. Lastly, U-Pack services all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. They can deliver your shipment on-base, off-base or even to temporary housing.
Good To Know: You don’t have to pay any cancellation fees if you cancel your move more than 7 days from the reserved move date. Cancellations within 7 days cost $50, while cancelling on the same day makes you incur a $150 cancellation fee.
See also: U-Pack Review
3. Stevens Worldwide Van Lines
First established in 1905 in Michigan, Stevens Van Lines has come a long way from horse and buggy transportation. Today, alongside sister company Bekins Van Lines, it combines operational efficiencies with Wheaton Van Lines. Together, this gives them a reach across the United States.
Stevens offers services for national and international moves, household moves, corporate moves, government moves and of course, military moves. They also have add-ons like packing supplies, packing services and storage services.
Reasons To Choose Stevens Worldwide Van Lines:
Certified Movers: Anyone moving houses would want to put their faith (and all their household items!) in the hands of a reliable and trustworthy moving company. But with so many rogue companies expertly posing as established movers, it can be hard to not worry about getting scammed. This is why the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) came up with their own accreditation and certifications.
If you see an A+ accreditation from the BBB, you know you can trust the company that sports it. The BBB has strict standards that a company seeking accreditation must fulfill, including ethical advertising and sales, positive customer interaction and experiences and a lawful business practice. Your track record must be consistent to be deemed worthy of an accreditation. A similar certification with stringent processes is the recognition of being a ProMover by the AMSA. Beginning as a program to help consumers distinguish between reputable and rogue moving companies, being a ProMover is a mark of excellent service and an honest, ethical business practice. Stevens Worldwide bears not one but both these ‘medals’ with honor, cementing our trust in them as a moving company.
Qualified Military Movers & Service Providers: Apart from its qualifications from the AMSA and BBB, Stevens is also recognized as a top service provider for the General Services Administration (GSA). It is also qualified under the General Services Administration Centralized Household Goods Traffic Management Program (CHAMP). Stevens supports this program that provides federal civilian agencies with a framework to help them with their employees‘ efficient and economical military transportation. Like U-Pack, they can help you coordinate different aspects of your move, and can help with packing protocol as well. The government sure trusts Stevens Worldwide Van Lines, as do we, so hop on board and ask them for a free quote today.
Good to know: It is always good to ask your moving company about military discounts or any other discounts they have to offer. Many may not list them out in detail on their website, so it does no harm to ask them about it.
Is It Cheaper To Move Yourself Or Hire A Moving Company?
The reason that moving yourself gets the hype it does is because of how much cheaper they are. However, moving yourself only works out to be financially better when it has been planned and organized well. When moving yourself, you’re in charge of everything, from getting moving supplies to packing everything to loading and transporting it. These don’t come for free, and you should ideally spend enough time researching each of these so you get hold of the best deals. Based on average estimates, a local move can cost from $300 to $1,500, an interstate move will cost $1,000 – $5,000 and a cross country move will cost anywhere between $2,500 and $6,500. If you don’t have the time to commit to a DITY move, we definitely recommend hiring a moving company.
See also: How Much Does it Cost to Move
Does USAA Help With Moving?
The United Services Automobile Association (USAA) is a financial services group of companies. They have teamed up with military affiliated groups since 2009 to promote their financial products and services, and assist programs that benefit military members, veterans and their families. They have insurance options that you can look into for your military move, along with financial tools to maintain financial stability, and a personalized moving checklist to cover all your bases.
What Is The Best Moving Company To Use?
The reason that Moving Astute provides the services it does is because it is impossible to pick out one singular moving company. There are several factors that determine whether a moving company is good or not, and furthermore whether it can meet the needs of your move in particular. However, always look out for green flags like clarity and transparency, online reviews, responsiveness and accreditation from the BBB and AMSA.
How much does the military pay moving companies?
The military pays benefit-eligible service members one monetary allowance for their move to include the cost of shipment, travel, and lodging. The exact amount varies based on several factors, including where they are moving from and whether or not their family will be accompanying them, the date of the move, etc. The average value is around $4,000.00 per person.
Will the military pay to move my stuff?
The Department of Defense typically pays for these family relocation and belongings from base to base as part of their priority deployment programs; this includes transportation costs! A Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move will likely be required if you’re in the armed forces.
Will the military move a hot tub?
Yes, if the hot tub is clean.
What does a PCS move pay for?
A PCS move pays for all military family members’ transportation, household goods (including towing vehicles), and personal property.
Conclusion
Try to keep a moving checklist on hand to be as organized as possible along with a moving timeline that starts at least 8 weeks before moving day. Contact us for more recommendations on the best moving companies for military moves to widen your pool of options.
See also: Best Military POV Car Shipping Companies | Moving Companies offering Military Discounts
