Why a Long-Distance Move Takes Extra Planning

A long-distance move is a bigger job than a local one, and a little upfront planning keeps costs, your timeline and your nerves in check. Your belongings may spend days on the road, and once you cross a state line, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) applies to your mover.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to prepare, what to do on moving day, a quick dos-and-don’ts table, and why the company you hire matters so much. We also answer a question we hear often: should you hire a mover near your current home or near your new home?

How to Prepare for a Long-Distance Move

Start prepping about two months out, with the biggest decisions first. Here are a few tips for a long-distance move, and the order we suggest.

1. Get at least three written estimates: The FMCSA says an estimate should be based on an actual or virtual inspection of your household goods, and that a quick “rate quote” is not an estimate. Compare the full written offers side by side, not just the bottom line.
2. Learn the difference between binding and non-binding: A binding estimate guarantees the price for the items and services listed. With a non-binding estimate, the mover can charge up to 110 percent of the estimate at delivery, but the final bill can still exceed your first number.
3. Declutter before your move: Non-binding prices are based on weight, so donating or selling boxes beforehand will lower your costs. Our decluttering services can help if the list feels huge.
4. Decide who packs: Pack it yourself with our packing tips for moving, or let a professional crew handle it. Long trips are rough on boxes, so if you are handling the packing, make sure you source some sturdy packing supplies.
5. Ask about protection for your belongings: Ask each company what coverage levels it offers and what they cost, then decide how much you want to protect.
6. Lock in your dates in writing: Ask for your pickup and delivery windows in writing, and book early if you are moving in summer, when many families move.
7. Set aside your essentials: Keep important papers, medications, jewelry and a few days’ worth of clothes with you. Experts also suggest you keep your moving paperwork with you instead of packing it on the truck.
8. The details: Forward your mail, transfer utilities, update your address with your bank and your doctor, and, if you have kids, make sure their records go to their new school.

How to Handle Moving Day and Delivery

If you can, be on-site while the movers are working, and have copies of your documents at the ready. A few habits make a difference.

• Be at pickup: Walk through the home with the crew leader, point out fragile or valuable items, and check the inventory list before you sign. A legitimate moving company will not ask you to sign a blank contract or form, a classic scam warning sign.
• Keep signed copies with you: Hold on to your estimate, inventory and bill of lading from start to finish.
• Stay reachable: Give the company a phone number that will work during the trip, and ask how you can check in on your shipment.
• Check everything at delivery: Compare each item to the inventory, and write down any damage on the paperwork before the crew leaves.
• Know what you owe: You pay 100 percent of a binding estimate or up to 110 percent of a non-binding estimate at delivery, plus any charges for items or services you added.
• Unpack in order: Set up beds, the kitchen and the bathroom first, so the first night feels like home.

Long Distance Moving Dos and Don’ts

This table covers the habits that will protect your money and your belongings.

Topic	Do	Don’t
Choosing a moving company	Check the mover’s USDOT number and license in the FMCSA database	Hire a company that cannot show a USDOT number or license
Estimates	Get several written estimates after an in-home or virtual walkthrough	Accept a price over the phone or by email without anyone seeing your belongings
Contract	Read the full contract and make sure the estimate says binding or non-binding	Sign blank or incomplete paperwork
Deposits	Ask what is due and when, and get it in writing	Pay a large deposit or the full amount up front
Your belongings	Declutter early and label every box by room	Wait until the last week to start packing
Valuables	Carry papers, medications, jewelry and keepsakes with you	Pack important documents on the truck
Protection	Ask what coverage the mover offers and what it costs	Assume your belongings are fully covered
Delivery	Check items against the inventory and note damage before you sign	Sign off on delivery before you have looked things over

Hiring the Right Moving Company Matters

You are trusting a professional moving company with most of your belongings for days, or even weeks. So it matters who you choose to hire. Moving fraud is also a very real risk. Reports of moving fraud rose 35 percent in 2025, and the Federal Trade Commission says victims lost nearly $2,800 on average.

The most common trick is bait-and-switch. A company gives a very low phone estimate without seeing your belongings, then raises the price or holds your things until you pay more.

Here is how to protect yourself:

• Verify the license: Movers that work across state lines need a USDOT number and a Motor Carrier (MC) number from the FMCSA, and you can look them up in the FMCSA database before you book.
• Know who was hired: Ask if the company will bid the job out to a local mover or do it itself. There is nothing inherently wrong with using a moving broker, but if you do, find out before your move who they are giving the job to. Our guide to a moving broker vs. a moving company explains why that matters.
• Watch for red flags: The FBI lists low estimates based on cubic feet, cash only deals and high pressure sales tactics among the warning signs.
• Check that the business is real: Look up the address on a map, and make sure it is a business and not a residence.
• Keep everything in writing: Estimates, dates, services and prices all belong on paper.

That is why Preferred Movers Network lists only locally owned and operated movers who are fully licensed and insured and willing to give free estimates. We leave out brokers and franchises, so you know you are talking to the people who will actually show up at your door.

Should You Hire a Mover From Your Current City or Your New City?

Hiring a local or destination mover matters less than you might think. The company’s license, written estimate and track record count for more than which city it calls home. Where the mover is based does change a few practical things, though, so here are the pros and cons of the two options:

	Mover near your current home	Mover near your new home
Pros	Can walk through your home for an in-person estimate	Knows the streets, parking rules and building requirements where you are headed
	Easy to check the business address, reviews and local reputation	May offer storage or delivery help close to your new address
	Crew loads your belongings, which is when much of the handling happens	Can be a good fit for a short gap between homes, since storage is nearby
Cons	May not know your new neighborhood, building rules or access limits	Usually has to size up your move through a virtual survey
	Delivery may need extra coordination if the truck is coming from far away	Harder for you to vet from a distance, and harder to follow up if something goes wrong at pickup

The bottom line: hire the company you trust most to do the whole job well, and ask each one three questions:

• Who will load my belongings?
• Who will drive the truck?
• Who will unload at my new home?

A good mover will answer all three clearly and put the plan in writing.

If you are not sure where to start, browse our long-distance movers page, then check our city pages for vetted, locally owned movers at both ends of your move.

Van Line Agent or Independent Mover?

You do not need a van line agent for an interstate move, and an agent is not automatically the easier choice. The right answer depends on the company.

A van line agent is a local moving company that works under a national brand, such as Mayflower, Wheaton World Wide Moving or Allied. The van line is the licensed carrier on your paperwork, and the agent acts on its behalf. Here is what that means for you:

• Who is responsible? Federal law says a household goods carrier is responsible for its agents’ acts or omissions within their authority and must use care in choosing them. That means claims for lost or damaged items usually go through the van line.
• A wider network: Different agents can handle different parts of your move, so the crew that loads your things may not be the crew that unloads them. Some people like the extra reach and a central customer service line. Others prefer one company handling the job from start to finish.
• Price: For a long-distance move, cost depends mostly on your shipment’s weight, the distance, the season, and extras like packing, stairs, or whether you need to store your furnishings in a warehouse for a period of time. A company’s label matters less than those. Get written estimates from at least three companies, including both agents and independents, after each has seen your belongings in person or by video.

An independent mover that runs its own trucks and crews can serve you just as well as a van line agent, and an agent can fall short. So whichever way you lean, ask each company these questions:

1. Who is the carrier named on my paperwork, and what is its USDOT number?
2. Who will load, who will drive, and who will unload?
3. Who do I call, and who handles the claim if something goes wrong?

A few movers in our network, including A&E Relocation Services (Mayflower), Duryea Moving & Storage (Wheaton), and Welch Transfer & Storage (Wheaton), are van line agents. Many others, like Sagebrush Movers and Lincoln Moving & Storage, are independent. Either way, each one is locally owned, licensed, insured and ready to give you a free estimate.