International Van Lines is our top choice for the best moving companies, scoring 4.6 stars out of a possible 5. It also currently holds an A score with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and its USDOT number is 2247789.
We calculated our score by examining the company’s moving services, customer reviews, availability, insurance and other factors. We even performed a few customer journeys to experience the process through the customer’s lens to help you know what to expect.
Pros
- A full-service company that handles the entire moving process
- Offers local, long-distance and international shipping options
- Extra insurance available for added coverage
Cons
- Frustrating quote process
Table of Contents
- About International Van Lines
- What Can You Expect From International Van Lines?
- What Moving Services Does International Van Lines Offer?
- Additional Services
- Planning a Move: We Put International Van Lines to the Test
- What We Think Sets International Van Lines Apart
- What We Think Lets International Van Lines Down
- How Much Does International Van Lines Cost
- Where Is International Van Lines Available?
- How International Van Lines Stacks Up
- International Van Lines Reviews and Experiences
- Bottom Line: Is International Van Lines Right For You?
- Methodology – How We Selected the Best Moving Companies
Moving can be exciting, but it’s almost always stressful to do it yourself. Rather than packing, driving and unpacking your entire life, you can hire the job out to a moving company like International Van Lines. A full-service mover like this one can handle nearly any move imaginable, making life easier for its customers during those hectic moves.
But is International Van Lines the best moving company for you? We dove deep into the company’s services, prices and customer feedback to learn more about IVL. Find out what we learned in this International Van Lines review.
Featured Partners
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International Van Lines
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American Van Lines
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Blvd Moving
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About International Van Lines
International Van Lines moving company is a full-service mover that can handle everything from short, local moves to long-distance relocations. The company has been in business since 2000, and its company headquarters are in Coral Springs, Florida.
International Van Lines (IVL) offers packing and shipping services covering all 50 US states. It can also handle international moves, with over 3,000 shipping and moving partners worldwide. The company’s main presence is on the East Coast, and although it offers 50-state availability, customers might work with one of IVL’s subcontract partners outside of the East Coast.
IVL is a full-service moving company, and it doesn’t offer van rentals or self-service options. The company will pack, transport and unload an apartment, house or even a single room. Domestic shipping options include packing, storage, transport, local moves, long-distance moves and even vehicle shipping. International moving services include air freight, ocean freight and door-to-door service.
Beyond availability and services, one of IVL’s bright spots is that it offers customers the ability to purchase additional services for their belongings. Customers can choose to insure specific items for a set amount per pound, per item. So rather than paying per pound for the whole shipment, customers can choose to insure their valuable art, clocks, electronics or other specific items only.
As far as pricing goes, prospective customers have two options:
- Submit information about their move for a quote
- Use the online shipping estimator
The quote process is, in our opinion, frustrating. We went through the process of filling out all of our moving information, personal information and even the inventory of items we’re moving only to land on a page stating someone would get in contact with us. No quote was provided.
However, the calculator is very easy to use. It requires less information (though it does require contact info) and it provides a price range immediately after submission. We priced a three-bedroom move from New York to Arizona and received a price range of $5,250 to $7,688. Keep in mind that this was for a March move, which is typically one of the cheapest times to move.
Some moving companies use third-party contractors to help with the relocation process. To avoid communication gaps and delays, ensure you have precise details of who is handling your property and paperwork during the move.
— Dawn M. Smith, moving expert, Advisory Board Member
What Can You Expect From International Van Lines?
As the company name suggests, IVL specializes in international relocations. It also handles long-distance domestic moves as well as smaller short-distance moves, so there’s truly no move that’s too big or too small. However, given that IVL has such a large reach worldwide, you can typically expect to deal with third-party contractors depending on the specifics and logistics of your move.
What Moving Services Does International Van Lines Offer?
IVL offers customers many different types of moving services, including local, long-distance and international.
Local Moves
International Van Lines offers local moves, which its site considers anything from moving from a community to a neighboring community or moving to a town 300 miles away. Pricing for these services is based on hourly rates, the number of workers required and any additional services required. For these moves, customers can self-pack, but IVL states the savings aren’t significant and suggests that customers leave that work to the professionals.
These moves include packing and unloading, disassembly, reassembly, storage and insurance. However, IVL restricts these moves to specific cities in Florida and Texas, so local moves performed outside those areas will be performed by subcontractors, and services and rates will vary.
Long-Distance Moves
When it comes to moving across the country, or just jumping a few states, International Van Lines might be a solid solution. IVL offers full-service, long-distance moves to and from all 50 U.S. states. Prices and services may vary significantly though, as IVL may subcontract the project to one of its domestic moving partners.
International Moves
One of International Van Lines’ big draws is its ability to ship internationally. IVL has over 3,000 moving partners worldwide, allowing the company to provide air freight, ocean freight and door-to-door shipping services throughout many parts of the world.
International services are available in four main methods: port-to-port, door-to-port, port-to-door and door-to-door. Port-to-port requires the customer to drop their items off at the outbound port and pick them up at the inbound terminal. Door-to-port means customers have their items packed and picked up at their homes, and they’ll pick them up at the inbound port.
Port-to-door means the opposite, with the customer dropping items off at the port and having those items delivered to the door of their new home. Finally, door-to-door is a full-service pickup and delivery service. Prices vary based on the selected service and the distance or country the customer is moving to.
International moves involve many moving pieces, including paperwork. Make sure you have a strong understanding of who handles your customs forms and other essential paper trails. You’ll also want to know who is responsible for filing the paperwork to ensure a problem-free pick-up and delivery.
— Dawn M. Smith, moving expert, Advisory Board Member
Additional Services
As mentioned, IVL is a full-service moving company. As such, it has many individual services to offer customers.
Packing and Storage
Many customers may choose to take advantage of packing and storage options. Customers who hire IVL to pack their items can sit back and let the pros do the tough work of safely packing all the items that they need to move. If the home won’t be ready for the items, IVL can put them in a storage unit and keep them until the customer is settled in.
Corporate Relocation
International Van Lines can also handle corporate relocation. IVL can pack and transport the company’s goods and employees’ items to the business’s new location.
Vehicle Shipping
Customers who need to take their vehicles with them or simply ship them somewhere else after purchasing or selling can rely on IVL. The company offers domestic and international vehicle shipping, including cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles and boats.
Additional Insurance
IVL offers its customers the ability to purchase additional insurance to cover their teams during shipping or transporting. However, rather than buying a policy that covers all of the items in a shipment, IVL offers insurance for a set price per pound, per item. So rather than paying insurance on a heavy box of clothes or exercise equipment, customers can choose to insure their electronics, artwork, expensive antiques and more.
GPS Availability
IVL offers GPS tracking with its shipments. Customers can track their belongings’ whereabouts at any time, helping provide some peace of mind and assurance during a typically stressful time. Most moving companies don’t offer GPS, so this feature truly helps it stand out from the crowd.
Planning a Move: We Put International Van Lines to the Test
We wanted to know as much as possible about IVL before we suggested the company. So, we submitted some mock requests to see what the International Van Lines price quote process is like, how expensive IVL is and what a customer will have to go through to receive this quote.
This is an area where IVL did not perform well. Here is what we found.
Move #1: New York, NY to Tucson, AZ
- Distance: 2,400 miles
- Home size: Three bedrooms
- Date: March 25, 2024
We went through the process of obtaining a quote from IVL for the above move. The first step was to enter our basic move information on the company website. We needed to enter our contact information including email address and phone number, the size of the home we’re moving, the move locations (to and from) and the date we planned to move. So far, this was straightforward.
Once we submitted, a message on the following page alerted us that a company rep would be in contact with us. We also received an email with a quote ID number. However, at this point, we still did not receive a dollar amount.
Through the quote ID, we were taken to an inventory page where we could enter all of the items that we planned to move. This was time-consuming but not uncommon for a moving company. We completed and submitted the worksheet in hopes of receiving a quote when the process was done. We did not.
Move #2: Baltimore, Maryland to Washington, D.C.
- Distance: Around 40 miles
- Home size: Three bedrooms
- Date: March 25, 2024
We repeated the process on the move mentioned above, but we received different results. In this case, we entered our move information and contact info and upon submitting the information, a pop-up stated that the company had a truck available and was willing to offer an additional 10% to 15% if we were flexible with our timeframe.
But that’s it. No quote.
There Are Estimates, Though
Ultimately, getting a quote from IVL is frustrating in our experience and does require speaking directly to a customer rep. However, you can receive an instant estimate if you use a moving calculator. In this case, you still need to enter your contact information and the moving cities, but you receive a price range as soon as you submit your info.
For the first move listed above, we received an estimate of $5,250 to $7,688. For our second move, we received the same quote. Because the moves were so different, that just reinforced our frustration with the quote process.
What We Think Sets International Van Lines Apart
Ultimately, what sets International Van Lines apart from its competition is its ability to ship to all 50 states and to ship internationally. Most customers will have no problem moving their items with IVL, as the company can set up almost any move through its 3,000 global partners.
We also think that the company’s GPS availability shouldn’t be overlooked. Not many companies offer GPS tracking, so customers cannot follow their belongings’ locations across the country. IVL does offer GPS, which provides some peace of mind for its customers.
What We Think Lets International Van Lines Down
The area where IVL doesn’t deliver is its online quoting. Most customers do not want to speak to a customer rep when obtaining a quote. They would prefer to receive their moving quote, compare it to other instant quotes and make their decision.
International Van Lines makes this very tough in our experience. You’ll need to speak to a customer rep to get a clear idea of the cost of hiring IVL for a move.
How Much Does International Van Lines Cost
According to a recent Forbes Home survey, 23% of people moving said that the cost of moving is their biggest fear and concern. We punched a few different locations and home sizes into the IVL calculator to get some instant moving quotes to give you a sense of pricing. Here’s what we found:
| DISTANCE | SIZE | SERVICE | QUOTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 Miles | Two-Bedroom Apartment | Full-Service Packing | $2,519 - 4,306 |
| 1,000 Miles | Three-Bedroom Condo | Full-Service Packing | $5,250 - $7,688 |
| 1,500 Miles | Four-Bedroom House | Full-Service Packing | $7,500 - $10,875 |
Breakdown of costs
Ultimately, we’re not entirely sure what each of the quotes includes, but we do know that IVL specializes in full-service moves, including packing, transporting and unloading. However, we did notice that the price ranges above were more reflective of home size than the distance between locations, so customers will need to speak with a service rep to get an accurate quote.
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Where Is International Van Lines Available?
International Van Lines is available in all 50 U.S. states, including Alaska and Hawaii (something some other moving companies don’t provide). Thanks to its over 3,000 partners, International is also available in over 150 countries. When it comes to availability, IVL is one of the best.
How International Van Lines Stacks Up
International Van Lines vs. United Van Lines
United Van Lines and IVL are fairly similar in that they’re available both nationally and internationally. However, United Van Lines does make the quote process easier: You can choose to be contacted by text, phone or email. While there still isn’t an instant quote available, customers who don’t want to speak directly with a rep might prefer this route. However, United is not available in Hawaii, Rhode Island, Vermont or West Virginia.
Learn more: United Van Lines review
International Van Lines vs. Allied Van Lines
Allied Van Lines also offers international and nationwide moving services (all 50 states, in fact). However, Allied Van Lines’ online quoting process wouldn’t work for us at all, returning an error every time we submitted a move from New York, NY to Tucson, AZ for a three-bedroom home. The same occurred for a move from Baltimore to D.C.
Learn more: Allied Van Lines review
International Van Lines Reviews and Experiences
International Van Lines reviews are a bit mixed, though reviews generally lean towards the positive. The company currently holds a 3.04 out of 5 stars on the BBB with an A+ rating, though it is also not accredited. It fares a bit better on Trustpilot, with a 4.2 rating.
There are some glowing “everything went smoothly” reviews, while there are others that mention complaints, such as the discrepancies between the price quoted before the move and the price required to actually make the move happen.
IVL works with third-party companies for some moves, which may explain this review variation and difference in experiences. Be sure to ask about any specific concerns with the company when you reach out for a quote.
Moving Companies By State
Bottom Line: Is International Van Lines Right For You?
So, is International Van Lines right for you? Ultimately, if you can get past the quote frustration, there aren’t many areas where International Van Lines can let you down. It’s available in 50 states, offers a wide range of moving types and it can ship your items overseas. IVL can also handle corporate moves and vehicle shipping, which truly makes it a full-service moving company, and most IVL reviews are overwhelmingly positive.
We gave International Van Lines the top spot on our list of the best moving companies for all the reasons above and more. We truly believe it could be the best fit for your move.
Methodology – How We Selected the Best Moving Companies
We developed our list of the best moving companies by first identifying competitors that met basic criteria such as licensing, insurance and legal registration. We reviewed the 52 most widely available companies from that list and scored them all based on 78 different attributes. Each company’s rating is determined by evaluating a variety of metrics including years in business, pricing and insurance, move types, services and options, customer reviews and support and nationwide availability.
You can find out more about how Forbes Home rates moving companies on our detailed methodology page.
All figures and facts were accurate at the time of first publication.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to get an International Van Lines moving quote?
This is the aspect of IVL that frustrated us. You can start your quote online, but you need to speak with a customer service rep to get any numbers. There are calculators available online, but we don’t think they’re all that accurate.
Who owns International Van Lines?
International Van Lines is owned by Joshua Morales. He started the company in his early 20s, over 20 years ago, and still owns the company today.
How do I hire International Van Lines?
First, start an online quote request. A customer service rep will get a hold of you and provide a quote. IVL will then request that you pay a deposit fee to reserve your truck and moving crew.
Does International Van Lines offer insurance?
Yes, International Van Lines does offer insurance. In fact, IVL offers additional insurance beyond the minimum amount carried by many of its subcontractors, allowing customers to purchase insurance for specific items like electronics, antiques and other high-value items.
Does International Van Lines offer long-distance moving?
Yes, International Van Lines offers long-distance moving, local moving and international moving.
Does International Van Lines offer interstate moving services?
Yes, International Van Lines is available in all 50 states and can pick up or deliver shipments to and from any state.
How much does International Van Lines cost?
It depends on the move distance, the size of the home and other considerations. We were unable to get definitive quotes, but the calculator suggested these three ranges:
- Two-bedroom apartment: $2,519 to 4,306
- Three-bedroom condo: $5,250 to $7,688
- Four-bedroom house: $7,500 to $10,875
Is International Van Lines a broker or carrier?
International Van Lines is a carrier that also acts as a broker. IVL will partner with other carriers to serve the customer if it doesn’t service a specific area.
