American Van Lines
Founded in 1995, American Van Lines (AVL) is a family-owned and -operated moving company. Today, it employs over 80 trucks and three warehouses. American Van Lines provides residential and commercial clients with local and long-distance relocation services, as well as full-service and a la carte moving options.
Our rating: 3.8 out of 5
Best for: Storage solutions
USDOT #: 614506
American Van Lines at a glance
With full-service packing, international moving, an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and the option to add item storage, American Van Lines has earned a reputation as one of the top moving companies in America.
Fast facts
- American Van Lines started in southern Florida and has grown from a two-truck business to a moving company that facilitates over 10,000 long-distance moves annually.
- The family-owned company is a one-stop shop for moving, storage and even auto shipping.
- Storage options include private fireproof and stormproof buildings, 24-hour camera surveillance, climate or temperature control and private vaults for high-value items such as artwork or pianos.
What we like
American Van Lines hires all of its own employees and manages its own equipment, so you can trust that it is a one-stop shop. Additionally, the company offers delivery daily, and consumers are afforded the option of low-budget pickups and deliveries or more involved full-service moving options that will handle all the work.
What we don’t like
While American Van Lines excels in many areas, it doesn’t operate in Hawaii or Alaska. Also, it excludes Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. Additionally, it doesn’t provide junk removal.
American Van Lines pros and cons
What separates American Van Lines from other movers are its fair and reasonable practices, such as a free first month of storage. On the downside, it’s limited compared to other companies in the territories that it serves.
Pros
- Hires all of its own employees and manages its own equipment
- Delivery is offered every day.
- Private storage with 24-hour surveillance is offered.
Cons
- Junk removal isn’t offered, meaning that you’ll have to either hire a separate company or eliminate junk on your own.
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) complaints include issues with estimates and final charges.
- Does not service Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico
How much does American Van Lines cost?
To determine the cost of your move, American Van Lines factors in three main elements:
- Distance: Due to the cost of gas and allowing for extra issues that can arise on a longer drive, greater distances will cost more money.
- Weight: Heavier loads cost more to move due to labor needs, vehicle requirements and the higher fuel costs.
- Additional moving services: Add-ons like storage, shuttles, packing and unpacking will drive up the cost of your move.
Most moving companies are tight-lipped about prices, but American Van Lines offers several quote examples. American Van Lines provides a few examples of what a move could cost on its website.
A long-distance move from New York to Austin would cost the following:
New York to Austin
|
Type of home
|
Total weight (in lbs.)
|
Cost
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| One-bedroom | Apartment |
4,000 |
$4,096 |
| Two-bedrooms | Apartment |
6,000 |
$5,678 |
| Three-bedrooms | House |
10,000 |
$8,764 |
| Four-bedrooms | House |
14,000 |
$11,716 |
A shorter-distance move, for example, from New York to Washington, D.C., is estimated to cost the following:
New York to Washington, D.C.
|
Type of home
|
Total weight (in lbs.)
|
Cost
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| One-bedroom | Apartment |
4,000 |
$2,882 |
| Two-bedroom | Apartment |
6,000 |
$3,873 |
| Three-bedrooms | House |
10,000 |
$5,689 |
| Four-bedrooms | House |
14,000 |
$7,395 |
Savings and discounts
American Van Lines doesn’t offer additional discounts, and the representative we spoke to on the phone noted that the only way to get a price reduction is to move at a less busy time of year.
What services does American Van Lines offer?
American Van Lines offers local, long-distance and interstate moving services, including antique-specific moving, 24-hour protected personal storage, commercial moving, packing and unpacking.
American Van Lines services
|
Offered?
|
|
|---|---|
| Antiques, art and collectibles, pianos | ? |
| Appliance disconnection/hookup | - |
| Furniture disassembly and assembly | ? |
| Online shipment tracking for long distances | ??(coming soon) |
| Junk removal/haul away | - |
| Loading and unloading | ? |
| Packing/unpacking | ? |
| Storage | ? |
| Vehicle shipping** | ? |
**indicates a third-party provider or partner conducts this service.
American Van Lines add-ons and optional features
American Van Lines offers a slew of add-ons to make moving easier. Notably, the costs for these services are not available on the website, so mention whether you need any of these during the quoting process.
Antiques, art and collectibles/pianos
American Van Lines offers specialty moving services for? fine artworks, antiques and pianos.
Furniture assembly/disassembly
If the tools and parts are provided, furniture (except cribs) will be reassembled at no extra cost. American Van Lines doesn’t set up or install appliances, however.
Shipment updates for long distances
American Van Lines doesn’t currently offer GPS tracking, but a phone call with their customer service representatives revealed that the company is launching a GPS service. For now, consumers are provided with the driver’s contact information, or they can call customer service if they want to know the exact location of their items.
Loading/unloading and packing/unpacking
American Van Lines offers loading and unloading, packing, and unpacking. When booking, you must determine whether you want the items simply delivered to your new home or also unloaded and unpacked for you.
Storage
Temporary, short- and long-term storage is available. All items are placed into climate-controlled (or temperature-controlled) vaults under 24-hour surveillance.
Vehicle shipping
American Van Lines doesn’t provide auto shipping itself but can connect customers with a third-party company.
American Van Lines customer service and experience
You can contact American Van Lines through its website’s customer support number or email. It doesn’t offer a live chat feature, but it is highly responsive by phone, with a hold time of approximately three minutes, according to our experience. Hours of operation for the phone are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST on Saturdays. Once connected, customer service representatives were very accommodating, polite and able to answer specific questions.
Here are some examples of what real customers say about American Van Lines.
American Van Lines liability coverage
There are three different options for liability coverage with American Van Lines:
- Full value protection is the default coverage offered, and American Van Lines requires a minimum coverage of $6 per pound.
- Released value protection is free, but American Van Lines assumes no more than 60 cents per pound per article moved. Even though it’s free, homeowners still have to sign a statement on the bill of lading or the contract for it to be effective.
- Third-party insurance can also be used and is recommended.
How does American Van Lines vs. competitors
American Van Lines is a good choice for people looking for a high-quality moving company that takes employee training seriously. However, other options may be better for you if you’re looking to move internationally or are interested in military-specific movers.
American Van Lines vs. Mayflower Transit
While both companies have many years of service under their belts, Mayflower Transit is geared more toward larger moves, offering both short- and long-term storage, while American Van Lines is designed for temporary storage. Additionally, Mayflower serves 150 countries, while American Van Lines works only in the United States. However, American Van Lines covers more of the United States than Mayflower does.
American Van Lines vs. Suddath Relocation Systems
Another major mover, Suddath Relocation Systems, is more focused on military moves than American Van Lines is. It moves over 38,000 military families per year and offers military-specific resources. Meanwhile, American Van Lines is more equipped to haul large and oversized items, while Suddath isn’t.
American Van Lines vs. competitors
|
Our score (out of 5)
|
Best for
|
State availability
|
Country availability
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Van Lines | 3.8 |
Storage?solutions |
48 |
1 (USA) |
| Atlas Van Lines | 4.5 |
Overall |
50 |
17 |
| North American Van Lines | 4.5 |
Flexible pricing |
50 |
130+ |
| Mayflower | 4.4 |
Large moves |
46 |
150+ |
| United Van Lines | 4.2 |
Liability coverage |
46 |
150+ |
| Suddath Relocation Systems | 4.2 |
Military moves |
48 |
180+ |
| Solomon & Sons Relocation Group | 4.1 |
East Coast moves |
43 |
Not listed |
| Allied Van Lines | 4.1 |
Full-service moves |
50 |
175 |
| Good Greek Moving & Storage | 4.0 |
Junk removal |
50 |
Not listed |
| JK Moving Services | 4.0 |
Premium moves |
50 |
170+ |
Methodology
The CNN Underscored editorial staff evaluated American Van Lines on weighted criteria. Specifically, we based our ranking on how many different moving options American Van Lines offers (30%) and the quality of the services and customization options available (30%). We also accounted for the number of insurance options available (15%), North American Van Lines’ reputation (15%), and the number of states that it services (5%). Finally, we determined its ranking based on the presence of online features (4%) and our own editorial judgment (1%).
Bottom line
While other options may be better suited to larger moves or more flexible pricing, American Van Lines is an excellent choice for those looking for storage options and full-service moving.
