The 10 Best Moving Services For Seniors

1. International Van Lines

Best Overall Moving Service for Seniors.

International Van Lines (IVL) is our top pick for the best overall moving company for seniors. It’s a full-service moving company, but it also offers partial or self-service options for local and interstate moves. As a full-service company, IVL will take care of all the backbreaking work, including packing, furniture disassembly/assembly, and moving heavy and specialty objects (i.e., a grand piano and antiques).

Also, IVL is one of the few companies that published how its pricing works, which is a significant trust signal. If you want more accurate pricing, you can request a free quote straight from IVL’s website. Aside from having a long history of serving seniors, IVL offers a 15% discount for senior customers, as explicitly stated on the website.

Pros and Cons of International Van Lines

2. North American Van Lines

Best Customer Service.

North American Van Lines (NAVL) is our pick for the best customer support. It stands out as one of the few companies that offer 24/7 customer care. Once you book your move with NAVL, it will assign a dedicated personal moving assistant to your account. The assistant will help customize your moving plan, provide a quote, and answer all questions you may have.

As a full-service company, NAVL provides many household moving services, including packing, fragile-only packing, loading and unloading, storage, and furniture assembly. Best of all, members of the Senior Citizens League can receive discounts of up to 40 to 65 percent.

Pros and Cons of North American Van Lines

3. Solomon & Sons Relocation Services

Best Moving Staff.

Solomon & Sons Relocation Services is an independent, family-owned business that has rapidly grown since 2014. This company is our pick for the best moving service that employs in-house staff rather than contractors. Besides its extensive experience helping senior movers, Solomon & Sons separates itself from the competition by employing an in-house staff of screened, trained, and licensed movers instead of hiring contractors for most of its operations. Plus, its service team is composed of movers that can speak Spanish, French, Hebrew, Russian, and more.

Solomon & Sons is a full-service company that offers a wide range of relocation services such as packing/unpacking, custom crating, vehicle shipping, furniture assembly/disassembly, and more – everything you need to relocate to a new home or facility.

Pros and Cons of Solomon & Sons Relocation Services

4. Allied Van Lines

Best for Vehicle Shipping.

Allied Van Lines is one of the biggest moving services in the country and our top pick for vehicle relocation services. Unlike other companies that use third-party auto shipping services, Allied provides this service directly using its own moving staff and trucks with GPS tracking. If you own many classic/antique cars, boats, and recreational vehicles (RVs), Allied Van Lines is a great choice to ship them safely. Bundling vehicle shipping with your moving package can save you a lot of money.

Allied handles local, interstate, cross-country, and international moves. It also offers full-service options, including packing/unpacking, loading/unloading, assembly/disassembly, and free 90-day storage for in-transit items.

Pros and Cons of Allied Van Lines

5. Moves for Seniors

Best Senior-Specific Moving Service.

Pros and Cons of Moves for Seniors

6. JK Moving Services

Best for Long-Distance Moves.

JK Moving Services is an award-winning company that offers local, long-distance, and international moving services. Although JK Moving accommodates local moves, it’s only available for Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C residents. The main selling point of JK Moving is its long-distance residential moves. JK Moving Services boasts a fleet of GPS-equipped trucks and a nationwide network of carriers to ensure a stress-free long-distance move. Plus, it offers climate-controlled storage facilities with 24/7 video surveillance if you require a temporary storage solution.

In addition, JK Moving lets you customize a moving package that best fits your needs and budget, whether partial or full-service. While it’s not the cheapest moving service out there, the available 0% financing should help offset the higher rates.

Pros and Cons of JK Moving Services

7. Safeway Moving Systems

Best Pricing Policy.

Safeway Moving Systems is a veteran-owned and well-established broker focusing on long-distance moves. Although it doesn’t have local and international service packages, Safeway’s long-distance moves are customizable with available add-ons like full packing, loading/unloading, piano transport, and furniture assembly/disassembly. However, what makes Safeway different is its heavily promoted binding quotes with no hidden or extra fees. But you have to keep in mind that it could take days and numerous back-and-forth with an agent to receive the final estimate.

Safeway also has a price match or beat policy. If you can get a written, binding quote from a reputable competitor (at least five years in the business) of Safeway, it will match or even beat the competitor’s price. Furthermore, Safeway has a Retirement Advocate program where seniors receive a 5% discount on their moves.

Pros and Cons of Safeway Moving Systems

8. United Van Lines

Best Full-Service Package.

United Van Lines is one of the nation’s largest moving companies with a full-service package that will ensure a stress-free relocation for seniors. Among the companies we reviewed, United Van Lines offers the most comprehensive full-service plans, including packing (full and partial), storage, debris cleanup, auto transport, tech installations, specialty items, and furniture placement. It also assigns a personal move coordinator to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

Technology installations are convenient for seniors who may not be tech-savvy enough to set up a home computer or mount and configure a TV. United Van Lines handles local, long-distance, and international moves and has over 500 locations all over the country.

Pros and Cons of United Van Lines

9. U-Pack

Best Budget-Friendly Option.

Unlike most moving companies we evaluated, U-Pack is the only self-service company in this guide. Self-service means you’re responsible for loading/unloading your items to a trailer or container or paying a third party to get the job done. After receiving a quote and deciding on a delivery date, you can either get a space on a trailer or the more economical metal containers known as ReloCubes. You’ll have up to three days to load the trailer or container. Then, a driver will come to pick up your trailer or ReloCube and deliver it to your destination. Upon arrival, you’ll have another three days to unload your belongings.

U-Pack is a much less expensive alternative to full-service moving companies. It is especially ideal if you only have a few things to move or family members to help out with packing and loading/unloading. Furthermore, U-Pack charges by space occupied, so you only pay for the space you actually use within the container.

Pros and Cons of U-Pack

10. American Van Lines

Pros and Cons of American Van Lines

How to Choose the Best Moving Service for Seniors

The most common complaints against moving companies include lost/stolen/damaged items, substandard service, and unexpected charges. To avoid these issues, you’ll want to vet your potential movers. To ensure you’re hiring a reliable moving service for seniors, consider these tips:

1. Check for Credentials

One of the best ways to avoid scam moving companies is to verify their credentials. You must ensure they have the proper license and certification to provide service. For starters, a moving company must have a number issued by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). This number acts as a license for commercial vehicles that haul cargo in interstate moves.

The USDOT number of a company should be published on its website and in advertisements. For example, International Van Lines has a USDOT# of 2293832, which is easily looked up on its website. In addition, also consider hiring movers registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and American Moving & Storage Association’s ProMover program.

We highly recommend using the FMCSA website to check the registration status of the company to the agency. It’s also an excellent resource for researching a moving company since it contains vital information such as USDOT number, principal office address, fleet size, complaint history, and more.

2. Get Several Pricing Quotes

Comparing quotes from multiple different companies can help you establish what a fair market price is for your move. A good rule of thumb is to request price estimates from at least three different companies, either online, over the phone, or in person. Most companies will survey your inventory of belongings to provide an accurate appraisal. Some will even visit your location for an in-person survey and provide on-site estimates.

Be wary of unusually low estimates or companies offering quotes without sending a representative to scope your inventory. Furthermore, look for companies that offer binding or guaranteed estimates to ensure you’re only paying for the initially quoted amount and not a dollar more.

3. Read Lots of Customer Reviews

Customer reviews are a great way to kickstart your research process. After all, if many customers have a positive experience with a particular company, there’s a good chance you’ll have a similar experience as well. See what people have to say about the company by searching the company name with terms like “reviews” and “complaints.” Trusted websites like Google, Yelp, and Better Business Bureau (BBB) are excellent places to read reviews by actual customers.

Like all businesses, you’ll likely encounter negative reviews of the company. Don’t let that immediately dissuade you because it matters how the company responds to unfavorable feedback. The best companies will respond to negative reviews because they know it’s an excellent way to learn from the customers and establish goodwill. Also, note if the company has taken action to resolve the issue.

4. Consider the Customer Service Quality

A company’s customer service quality can make or break your moving experience. You’ll want to hire a senior moving company with customer support that you can quickly get in touch with. When choosing a prospective mover, ask how they will reach out, how often they will call, and what information they will provide with each update. It’s also vital that they maintain open lines of communication with movers, drivers, and other people involved with the move.

Some companies will make this easy for you by providing a dedicated moving agent or facilitator. This makes communication a lot more accessible since you’ll only have to deal with one person rather than a different call center agent each time.

5. Be Wary of These Red Flags

One of the worst things that can happen to a senior customer is to fall for scam movers or just downright dishonest companies. Scam companies will take your money without completing the move or hold your belongings hostage for double or triple the initial price. This highlights the importance of hiring a well-known and reputable moving company instead of a random listing on Craigslist.

Avoid companies that require cash payment or a large deposit upfront. In cases like high-volume areas or peak moving seasons, some larger companies will require a deposit to save the move date. However, cash payments and large deposits are one of the most significant telltale signs of a scam.

Another red flag to keep an eye on is if the company provides an unusually low quote. This is a common tactic to get you into a bait-and-switch moving scam where they’ll give you a seemingly attractive low initial quote but demand an excessive amount upon delivery.

Lastly, be very cautious of signing a blank or incomplete contract (sometimes called “order for service”). The contract should have clear language and contains essential information like agreed-upon costs, fees, liability coverages, etc. If some contract sections are left blank, don’t sign them!

Next week, we'll be sharing what you need to know about senior moving scams in part 2 of Caring.com's research.