United Van Lines was founded in 1933 and has been providing premium full-service moving experiences to customers across the United States ever since.
As a flagship member of the UniGroup corporation, United and Mayflower Moving combine to form one of the largest single-moving networks in the industry.
If you book a move with United, you’ll be afforded an easy booking process through their online tools and customer care throughout your move.
Read on to learn more about the benefits of a move with United, including:
- The services United Van Lines offers
- The cost factors for a UVL move
- What past clients think of their UVL moving experiences
3.5
Our Rating
Our Preferred Moving Companies
Today’s Homeowner recommends several movers to our readers. Below you’ll see our latest suggestions and their unique superlatives.
You can also explore our review of some top-notch moving companies to find your top choice.
4.5
One month of free storage included with your move
Provides moves in all 50 states
Offers air & ocean freighting
4.0
Flat rate pricing for all moves
Offers price matching
Expedited moves between big cities
4.2
Top-notch packing services
Nationwide partner network
Comprehensive moving calculator
Our United Van Lines Review
United Van Lines is a leading option for a range of moving needs.
From the time when you get a quote through the end of the booking process and beyond, positive moving experiences feature excellent customer service. UVL offers 24/7 satellite tracking for all moves, and service lines are open during typical business hours, with limited availability on Saturdays.
United provides everything from local and long-distance moves to car shipping, debris pickup, and cleaning services. This is designed to ensure an easy transition into your new home. Some past clients have run into issues when booking with this mover.
Negative experiences report a lack of communication during the later stages of the moving process, which is the most stressful point of any move.
However, any full-service moving company with as expansive a reach as United will have reports of this. Your exact experience will hinge on the quality of the exact United local agent that you book with. Be sure to look into reviews of your local UVL affiliate and be up-front during the quote process. If you do these things, then your move should go well.
Pros & Cons of United
How Much Does United Van Lines Cost?
United’s nationwide reach makes it difficult to nail down exact costs. Average pricing will vary from region to region, but you should keep a few factors in mind when you move anywhere.
These include:
- Shipping weight and move distance: These two factors are used in tandem to calculate your long-distance moving cost. It would be best to ask about the weigh-in process for moving trucks during any moving quote you get.
- Add-on services: Add-ons, such as packing, custom crating, car shipping, debris removal, and other such services, will substantially increase your costs. Full-service packing for a two-bedroom home can sometimes double moving costs, so you would do well to handle such tasks on your own.
Here, we’ve included some average pricing figures for moves. These have been taken from moving companies across the country for moves of all sizes. Use these averages to calculate your own pricing.
| 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | |
| Local | $1,200 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $2,750 |
| 250 mi | $2,750 | $3,800 | $5,100 | $6,000 |
| 500 mi | $3,100 | $4,100 | $6,000 | $6,700 |
| 1000 mi | $3,500 | $4,500 | $6,400 | $8,400 |
| 2000 mi | $4,300 | $4,900 | $6,800 | $9,000 |
| 2500 mi | $4,800 | $5,100 | $7,100 | $10,000 |
| 3000 mi | $5,100 | $6,000 | $8,750 | $11,250 |
Other Fees
Many people confuse added fees and “hidden fees.”
You should note that any estimate given with shipment weight in mind is subject to change after your moving truck has been weighed following loading.
4.5
One month of free storage included with your move
Provides moves in all 50 states
Offers air & ocean freighting
4.0
Flat rate pricing for all moves
Offers price matching
Expedited moves between big cities
4.2
Top-notch packing services
Nationwide partner network
Comprehensive moving calculator
What Services Does United Van Lines Offer?
United Van Lines provides a suite of moving services, including the following:
Local Moving
UVL affiliates are able to provide excellent assistance on moves of 50 miles or less from each of their 500 locations across the U.S. Such moves are billed at hourly rates, with potential minimum charges built into any estimate.
Long-Distance and International Moves
United’s long-distance and international moving services include moves to 46 states. As a part of this, UVL will work with all clients who require this to ensure that federal and international regulations are followed.
This will include any associated paperwork and customs compliance and licensing.
Auto Transport
If your move involves transporting a family vehicle across the country, then United is able to help. Depending on where your move may take you, United may contract this out to another shipper.
Either way, your move coordinator will be there to help with all of the details.
Military Moves
Whether you’re employed by the military or the U.S. government, United carries the licensing with the GSA to assist with all of your relocation needs.
Commercial Moves
United Van Lines offers full-service corporate move packages, which include specialized packing, moving, short and long-term storage, and more.
If you’re looking to move your business or office to another location, then United should be high on your list of preferred movers.
Small Move Service
UVL’s SnapMoves program is tailored to assist clients with smaller residences. Whether you’re moving a one to three-bedroom apartment or shipping family heirlooms to relatives across the country, this could be the right fit.
All SnapMoves include full value coverage, any add-ons you may need, and the option to schedule priority pickup and delivery.
Add-Ons
UVL also provides excellent add-on services. Again, these can inflate your price but will offer far more convenience. They include:
- Packing and unpacking
- Debris removal
- Home cleaning services
- Tech or media center installation/ breakdown
- Short and long-term storage
Service Area & Availability
United Van Lines operates throughout 46 U.S. states. Its home base in Missouri is just one of more than 500 nationwide locations. From there, it provides local and long-distance moving services. If you’re located in any of the following states, a United location may be easy to access:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
How To Schedule With United Van Lines?
You should contact your local United Van Lines representative in order to schedule a quote. This mover does provide instant quotes online, but they are not legally binding. You should aim for an in-person or visual estimate.
You can do this by filling out a form on United’s homepage with your contact information, and a representative will contact you to shore up details. Aim to have these estimates scheduled for about six weeks ahead of your moving date.
Booking with and vetting different moving companies can be a nerve-wracking process.
All movers must carry certain licensing and insurance policies, which you should double-check before signing any moving contract. These include:
- FMCSA Registration: Federal registration is needed for any interstate moving. This will include USDOT and MC numbers, which must be displayed on all moving trucks and written estimates. You can look up a mover’s registration status through this link.
- State Registration: Most states will have their own independent regulating bodies for movers. If you end up booking a move with a local moving company based in a single state, it may be worth looking into this. Such requirements could include anything from registration with a governing body to a simple business license.
- Proper Insurance: Movers have to carry multiple forms of insurance to operate. Aside from workers’ compensation coverage, you’ll be provided with released liability coverage. This reimburses you at a rate of $0.60 per pound per item in the event of loss or damage to your goods.
All of the best moving companies also provide options for full valuation coverage. This will cost you a certain extra amount per $100 of coverage but may be worth the higher price tag if your move includes shipping options for antiques or valuables.
4.5
One month of free storage included with your move
Provides moves in all 50 states
Offers air & ocean freighting
4.0
Flat rate pricing for all moves
Offers price matching
Expedited moves between big cities
4.2
Top-notch packing services
Nationwide partner network
Comprehensive moving calculator
United Van Lines Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are a vital resource that you’ll need to consult before booking with any mover. Like many movers with a national presence, United Van Lines brokers out moves to different local movers in each state.
Along with this broker ability, the local agents this mover employs for many of its moves will each have reviews that are independent of the company as a whole.
When going over reviews, you should look into the following:
- Customer service
- Service offerings
- Worker quality and conduct
- Pricing Accuracy
The Good
United Van Lines provides much of the quality that you’d expect from a top nationwide mover. You’ll be afforded access to shipment tracking, full-value protection options, and premium services when you book with them.
You will not be required to pay a deposit to book all of this.
A high overall rating with Better Business Bureau and strong customer reviews in many locations make them a great choice for most moving needs.
The Bad
United Van Lines operates through local agents and partner carriers.
Many of these are independently owned and operated. As such, they will each have their own independent sets of customer reviews.
Many negative reviews report subpar customer service, which includes a lack of communication after booking, poor estimates on price, and similar complaints.
4.5
One month of free storage included with your move
Provides moves in all 50 states
Offers air & ocean freighting
4.0
Flat rate pricing for all moves
Offers price matching
Expedited moves between big cities
4.2
Top-notch packing services
Nationwide partner network
Comprehensive moving calculator
Today’s Homeowner Rating Methodology
At Today’s Homeowner, our primary goals are to be a reliable source of information and to be totally transparent to our readers.
With that in mind, we’ve developed the following formula to render objective ratings – on a scale of 10 points – for the moving companies we review.
- Transparency (3.0): Communication and being fully straightforward regarding company policies and licensing are incredibly important. A given mover’s willingness to display these, to supply quick quotes, and to provide clearly-worded moving contracts all factor into the three points within this single rating criteria.
- Cost (2.5): A mover’s cost relative to industry averages, as well as accessibility to cost data play a role in the customer experience as much as anything else. We know that being sure of what you’re paying – and being confident that you’re not overpaying – will ultimately make for a positive move. We’ve weighted cost factors accordingly in our ratings.
- Customer Service (2.0): Establishing an easy line of contact with your movers during the booking process or during the move itself is a huge asset for any moving client. The stress of moving, in general, can be greatly eased by knowing you can talk to a licensed professional whenever you need to, which is why we’ve listed this as a key rating category. This is where customer reviews come into play; since the majority of complaints stem from poor customer service, feedback from BBB, Yelp, Google, and other review platforms factor into this criteria.
- Services Offered (1.5): This rates lower on our priority list than many would think, simply due to the fact that many movers provide a similar line of services. However, breadth of service offerings does still vary to a degree.
- Customization Options (1.0): Having the autonomy to fully customize your move should rate highly on any moving checklist. Here, we’ve taken moving package customization ability, as well as pricing for more involved add-ons. Steep pricing for such services can provide something of a soft barrier for clients looking to add to their move, and we’ve taken this into consideration.
