Best Moving Companies of 2025

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Joe Supan is a senior writer for CNET covering home technology, broadband, and moving. Prior to joining CNET, Joe led MyMove’s moving coverage and reported on broadband policy, the digital divide, and privacy issues for the broadband marketplace Allconnect. He has been featured as a guest columnist on Broadband Breakfast, and his work has been referenced by the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, National Geographic, Yahoo! Finance and more.

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

Moving is always stressful and without the right help, it can easily become overwhelming. Getting a truck and loading it up yourself is always an option, however, hiring a moving company will make the process a lot easier. When you pick from the best moving companies, they will pack, unpack and even drive long distances to help you with your move. These are the companies you can trust will handle all your belongings with care.

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Professional movers cost more than DIY options, but they offer efficiency and expertise. They’ll handle the heavy lifting, complex logistics and proper packing techniques that come from daily experience (compared to the average of 12 times most people move in their lifetime). To make your moving process simple, we’ve rounded up the best moving companies operating in 2025 below.

Best moving companiesThis best list draws on government sources like the General Services Administration’s moving services score and the Department of Transportation’s safety ratings, as well as online customer reviews and firsthand experience getting estimates for a variety of moves. A good rule of thumb is to compare at least three moving quotes before picking a moving company. Each one should ask for a detailed inventory of your home before offering an estimate — this is a great way to judge their moving process.

National Van Lines checks every box I looked for. It has a stellar 103 rating from the GSA, an excellent safety track record with the DOT and impressively positive customer reviews. But more than that, it felt like a company I’d trust with all my belongings. 

It only took about 90 seconds to navigate its phone tree and get a human on the line. Right off the bat, the operator felt more like an advisor than a talking sales pitch. She was ready to set up a virtual home walkthrough immediately and she answered all of my questions with ease.

JK Moving Services specializes in corporate, long-distance and international moves, and it has a history of handling complicated moves safely and on-time. It received a 104 score from the GSA and a 3.58/5 in customer reviews with the Better Business Bureau. JK also has the lowest rate I saw of trucks and drivers being delayed because of failed inspections. 

So what kept JK out of the top spot? The quotes I got for long-distance moves were as much as $5,000 higher than other companies. It’s still worth going through the quote process, but if you want to keep costs low, you might find that JK isn’t your best option.

While you can also use North American Van Lines for long-distance moves, it’s one of the few moving companies that had everything I was looking for — a history of safety, high marks from customers, industry certifications — plus the ability to handle local moves. Most interstate moving companies pass local moves onto local movers, but with more than 500 locations around the country, North American Van Lines can handle them in-house.

The quote process took a little longer than some of the other moving companies we evaluated, but once I got someone on the phone, I was able to book an in-home estimate in about eight minutes. With more than 1,400 drivers in the US, North American Van Lines also had more flexibility with the moving date than other companies.

Moving to another country can be incredibly stressful, and it helps to have a company on your side that knows the paperwork inside and out. Interstate International received a 110 score from the GSA. That means that when the US government sends people overseas, this is the company it trusts to handle the details. Interstate also has both certifications we looked for in an international moving company: FAIM Quality Certification by the FIDI and membership in the International Association of Movers. 

There’s a reason PODS has become the household name for moving containers. It offers the most affordable (and transparent) pricing of any moving container company, and you can choose from three sizes. You can also purchase add-ons like packing services, vehicle shipping, and short- and long-term storage. 

One of the benefits of using a moving container like PODS is that you can go at your own pace. It’ll drop it off in your driveway, and you pay monthly for as long as you need it. You’re limited to four free hours to load the container in places without driveway space.

If you want to go full DIY, renting a box truck and bribing some friends with pizza is by far the most affordable way to move. It was close, but Penske got the edge over U-Haul and Budget for its affordable pricing and numerous rental locations. 

You can choose from three truck sizes and one cargo van, and pricing is $30 plus $1.19 per mile (the largest truck increases to $56 plus $1.19 per mile). For similar sizes, U-Haul charges $40 plus $0.99 per mile, while Budget charges $30 plus 89 cents. 

Moving companies are tricky to review. Since I couldn’t realistically grade every mover’s hauling skills myself, I relied on other customers’ experiences. The most reliable source is the Form GSA3080, which government employees fill out to evaluate movers after they relocate for work. That data is compiled into an all-in-one score for movers. From my original list of more than 50 interstate movers, I cut any that had a below-average score. 

From there, I looked into each company’s record with the Department of Transportation. Did it employ enough drivers to handle timely cross-country moves? How is its safety record? I eliminated any companies with below-average vehicle or driver inspection scores. 

Then I tested out what I could: the quote process. I filled out online quote forms from 22 movers and waited for my phone to blow up. It should only take about 10 minutes to get a quote over the phone. I dinged any companies that put their sales pitches ahead of my questions or asked for a large deposit immediately. The best moving companies will request a detailed inventory of items you’re moving before they provide a quote, and they’ll be able to explain their policies in clear, simple language.

Finally, I dug into reviews and complaints with the Better Business Bureau. This was less about an overall number — moving is the kind of industry where people typically only leave reviews when there’s a problem — and more about finding a pattern of complaints. I also gave preference to companies that were certified as ProMover by the American Trucking Association. This means they’ve passed an annual review of their business practices, including their complaint history. 

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All interstate moving companies have a US Department of Transportation number, which is usually displayed at the bottom of its website. You can search this number on the DOT website to see information about the company’s safety record. Red flags for moving scams include offering a quote without a detailed inventory, unusually low prices or asking for a deposit in cash, money order or wire transfer. 

An average tip for movers is around $5 per person for each hour of work. It’s also a nice gesture to have water or snacks on hand for movers while they’re loading or unloading items in your home. 

Local moves average around $500, while interstate moves can cost as much as $10,000. Among the 22 companies I received quotes from, here is the average to move: