College HUNKS review: How to tell if this top national mover is right for you

In business for 20 years and counting, College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving is one of the highest-rated moving companies in the U.S. In fact, it ranks among the top five movers in Yahoo Local’s guide to the best national moving companies for its strong reviews and wide range of services. This company doesn’t stop at basic moving services, though. College HUNKS handles everything from junk hauling (as the name suggests) to storage, packing and unpacking, donation pickups, home staging and more.

College HUNKS has more than 200 locations across 39 U.S. states, as well as one location in Alberta, Canada, making it a great choice for long-distance moves. As a franchise company, its services and reviews vary by location, but the company as a whole maintains a strong reputation with customers. Most College HUNKS locations are concentrated in the eastern half of the U.S., but the company also maintains dozens of offices throughout the West Coast, the Southwest and the Rocky Mountain states.

Some College HUNKS locations are accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) , but most are not. It’s up to each location whether to pay for accreditation. You can find a full list of this company’s accredited locations through the BBB website. Each location also has unique Google and Yelp ratings, so it's best to check the ratings for the College HUNKS location in your area.

College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving has become one of the most recognizable moving companies in the country. In this review, we look at what they do well (and what could use improvement) to help you decide if they’re the right choice for your next move. Co-founder Nick Friedman also shared his insights on what makes the brand unique.

Why College HUNKS might be the right moving company for you

It offers a wide range of moving-related services

One of the best reasons to choose College HUNKS is its comprehensive range of services, which includes moving and hauling, packing and unpacking, storage, labor-only services, home staging, junk removal and donation pickups. If you choose this mover, you’ll most likely get all your moving needs met in one place.

Another bonus: College HUNKS is one of Yahoo Local’s independent picks in our guide to the best U.S. junk removers . Due to its focus on junk removal and donations, College HUNKS may be an especially good choice for those who are downsizing or decluttering before a move .

The pricing is transparent and competitive among national movers

For our national movers guide, we sourced quotes from five national moving providers, and College HUNKS offered one of the most competitive quotes. The estimates featured in that guide range from $6,000 to $7,000 for the same type of move, and College HUNKS came in at the bottom end of that spectrum.

When Yahoo Local requested a sample quote for a 500-mile move in the Midwest, College HUNKS quoted us at about $6,000. Additional hourly rates apply for loading and unloading time, and the company typically requires a 10% deposit for booking. That said, service costs vary by franchise location, especially for local services.

Long-distance moves with College HUNKS are typically charged via flat-rate truck and travel fees. For local moves, pricing and services vary depending on the policies and rates of each franchise. For example, at the Little Rock location, we were quoted $199 per hour for three movers, with a $99 deposit fee. For a local West Palm Beach move, a representative quoted us hourly rates ranging from $179 to $219 for a three-person crew, plus a truck and travel fee.

Whether you're moving locally or nationally, College HUNKS is upfront about its pricing, which helps you understand what to expect before booking.

All moves are handled in-house by background-checked crews

“College HUNKS Hauling Junk” isn’t just a clever name. HUNKS stands for “honest, uniformed, nice, knowledgeable service,” said Friedman, “which is our brand promise.”

“Every team member you meet has been trained to treat your home and your belongings with care and respect, like they’re moving their grandma’s house,” Friedman told Yahoo Local. We also independently confirmed that all College HUNKS crew members are employed in-house and background checked prior to hiring. Due to the risk of moving scams , working with a background-checked moving crew can help customers feel a sense of safety and trust.

Another benefit of working with College HUNKS is that it handles all moves in-house and does not hand off shipments to third-party agents or subcontractors. This means that your belongings will be shipped using a dedicated College HUNKS truck and crew. It also means your shipment will be driven straight from point A to point B, rather than being shuffled around with other moving loads, as with some larger van lines. This dedicated shipment method helps expedite timelines, increase security and reduce damage risk during long-distance moves.

Commitment to social and environmental values

One of the most unique things about College HUNKS is its dedication to supporting social and environmental causes. For some customers, this may be a motivating factor for choosing this company over its competitors.

Friedman told Yahoo Local that the company helps feed families through its partnership with U.S. Hunger and donates two meals for every completed moving job. He also said College HUNKS supports survivors of domestic violence by helping them move to safety, free of charge.

“What makes College HUNKS special is that we’ve managed to grow nationally as a brand without losing the personalized attention that our independently owned and operated moving and junk removal franchises deliver through local heart and commitment to the local communities we serve.”

College HUNKS is also committed to reducing unnecessary waste during the moving process: “The items we haul away get a second life whenever possible by donating or recycling instead of sending them to a landfill,” Friedman told Yahoo Local.

Choosing an environmentally conscious mover can have a positive impact, as conventional moving practices contribute billions of pounds of household waste to landfills each year, according to research conducted for our guide to eco-friendly moving . You can also refer to our guide about “green” moving companies for more insight.

Why you may want to consider a different mover

No real-time tracking option for long-distance moves

Despite handling thousands of cross-country moves each year, College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving does not offer a standardized method for tracking shipments in real time.

This means that if you’re waiting for your belongings during a long-distance move, you won’t be able to immediately check on the progress or location of your moving truck. Since many long-distance movers offer this service via tracking apps, the lack of this option when working with College HUNKS is a notable downside.

Customers who value real-time updates and easy access to information may want to choose a different mover. International Van Lines , another one of our top national movers, offers GPS tracking for all shipments, for example.

Service may not be available in your area

College HUNKS maintains franchise locations in most — but not all — U.S. states. If you live in Montana, North Dakota or South Dakota, for example, you may have trouble accessing service through this company. There are 11 U.S. states without College HUNKS franchise locations, though some of those states may qualify for service from offices in neighboring states. You can find a full list and map of locations on the College HUNKS website for more information.

For a national moving company with wider coverage, you may want to consider Colonial Van Lines instead, which is also featured on our list of the best national movers. Colonial Van Lines offers services in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Reviews and service quality may vary by franchise location

As with any franchise company, services will vary from office to office, more so than you might find with a non-franchise moving company. The downside of this is that some offices may be able to provide better service, prices and policies than others. We recommend checking the reviews for the College HUNKS office nearest you for more insight into what to expect from this company.

That said, College HUNKS being a franchise isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As Friedman pointed out, customers may actually benefit from this business model.

“All of our franchises are locally owned and operated,” said Friedman, “so by hiring College HUNKS to move or haul, you are getting the benefits and trust of a national brand with the local care and attention of a smaller local business.”

Friedman knows the value of small business, and he wants that ethos to live at the core of his company. “We understand the passion and purpose of small business, because we started as a local company with just a cargo van and a dream,” he said. “Today we support over 200 small business owners who operate our moving franchises.”

Yahoo Local verified that College HUNKS locations have consistently positive reviews across the country, with most locations holding 4.8- and 4.9-star average ratings on Google.

Is College HUNKS right for your move?

Choosing the right moving company comes down to the services, prices and availability you’re looking for. If you live in an area where College HUNKS provides service, and the price you’re offered fits within your budget, working with this moving company could be a great choice. College HUNKS is also an excellent pick for those who plan to do a lot of downsizing during a move or who value working with companies that support social and environmental causes.

On the other hand, College HUNKS may not be the best option if you live far from a franchise location or would prefer to work with a company that can offer slightly lower prices. Also, if you value high-tech services, like real-time tracking updates for long-distance moves, College HUNKS may not be the right fit for your move. Regardless of who you hire, Yahoo Local recommends sourcing at least three moving company quotes before deciding who to work with. See our guide to sourcing accurate moving quotes for more help.

Overall, Yahoo Local recommends College HUNKS as one of the best national moving companies in the U.S. for its range of services and dedication to customer satisfaction.

“When someone is moving locally or moving long distance, emotions are high, boxes are everywhere, and times are stressful,” said Friedman. “But when you’ve got a team that brings positivity, optimism, and enthusiasm to the moving job, it changes the experience for the better. “

College HUNKS has locations all over the U.S., but its flagship office is located at 4411 West Tampa Bay Boulevard, Tampa, Fla., 33614. It’s open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, as well as 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET on Sundays. You can reach the company’s main office by calling 833-626-1326. You can also request an estimate online .

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