I recently hired Colonial Van Lines for a long-distance move, and I’m very impressed with their professionalism and efficiency from start to finish. From the first phone call, their customer service team was clear, friendly, and transparent about pricing and scheduling. They explained every step of the process so there were no surprises along the way. On moving day, the crew arrived right on time and handled all my belongings with great care. They were well-organized, polite, and clearly experienced — wrapping furniture, labeling boxes, and loading the truck quickly but carefully. Everything arrived at my new home in perfect condition and right on schedule. What I appreciated most was their consistent communication throughout the move. They kept me updated during transport and confirmed delivery details in advance, which made the entire experience stress-free. Overall, Colonial Van Lines lived up to their reputation as professional, reliable movers who truly care about customer satisfaction. I would confidently recommend them to anyone planning a move — whether across the state or across the country.

Why they stand out

Colonial Van Lines is a trusted national mover due to its large fleet and network of independent agents that service the contiguous U.S. You can get virtual estimates using its app, and it offers vehicle shipping services. Note, however, that it doesn't provide local or international moving services.

Pros

Virtual estimates via app
Long-distance moves
Vehicle shipping
Fleet of more than 90 trucks

Cons

No local moves
No GPS tracking
Mixed Yelp ratings

The right mover can help relieve a lot of the moving stress and anxiety that comes with such a life-altering event. However, choosing one is easier said than done. Yahoo Local ranked and scored the top national moving companies in the U.S. , with Colonial Van Lines claiming a spot on our list as one of the best long-distance movers in the country.

In this story

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Pompano Beach, Fla., Colonial Van Lines is a long-distance mover with a mission to be "the best moving company in the nation." While that's a lofty goal, the company is already well on its way to becoming one of the largest national movers in the U.S., with a fleet of more than 90 trucks and claiming to handle more than 12,000 moves per year.

Colonial Van Lines's main area of expertise is in long-distance moving, including residential, commercial and corporate relocations. Its service area is substantial, covering nearly every U.S. state, with the exceptions of Alaska and Hawaii. Along with expanding its service area, the company is also working on incorporating more eco-friendly moving processes. It plans to have a fully electric fleet of trucks by 2028.

This review dives into both the pros and cons of moving with Colonial Van Lines, how much you can expect to pay and what customers have to say about their experience. Here's what you need to know.

Why Colonial Van Lines might be right for you

The Colonial Van Lines team stands together for a group photo in front of a company truck

Wide range of services available

Long-distance moves are what Colonial does best, but the company can also assist with a plethora of other moving-related services. You can hire them to help you pack up your belongings at your current home and unpack at your new home. If you opt for packing services, Colonial Van Lines will supply packing supplies like boxes, bubble wrap and packing paper. Just know that these materials aren't free and come at an extra cost. The movers will also disassemble and reassemble any furniture as needed.

Along with packing, the company also offers both long-term and short-term storage solutions. You have the option of renting a climate-controlled storage unit , a spot in one of its warehouses or a portable storage container. The company promises that each storage unit is free of dirt, pests and mold. Each storage facility is also monitored with in-person security and via video surveillance.

Colonial Van Lines performs commercial and corporate relocations as well. Need a vehicle shipped to your new location? The company can do that too. Just be aware that car shipping services don't come cheap .

Virtual estimates are an option

Colonial Van Lines offers three ways to get a quote. Your first option is to fill out the lead form on its website, which will then get you connected with a sales representative to start the quote process. You can also skip that part altogether and call the customer service number directly. Your final option (and one of the things that sets Colonial apart) is to fill out all the quote information virtually from the company's app.

Getting a quote from movers can sometimes be a pretty lengthy process, especially when they ask you to provide a full inventory list of all the furniture and boxes you need moved. Filling out the quote forms on the app lets you set your own pace. You'll be asked questions about your home's size, how many flights of stairs it has, the pick-up and drop-off addresses, the distance from your driveway to your house and more. You'll also be asked to list out all the furniture you plan to move, as well as the estimated number of moving boxes.

If you have any heavy or specialty items that need to be moved, like pianos, safes or large appliances, you'll be asked to provide images of those items. These images can be uploaded directly from your phone to the app. This helps the movers know exactly what to expect on moving day. Most movers will charge a little extra to move these types of items .

Keep in mind that even if you opt to get a quote via the app, you'll still be contacted by a sales representative from the company to get an actual estimate. However, the app makes things a little more convenient, since you won't have to stay on the phone for a long period of time, and you'll be able to upload images of specific items.

Highly-trained movers

Everyone has to start somewhere, but you never want your movers' first time on the job to be handling your personal belongings. That's why Colonial Van Lines University (CVLU) exists. This is a company training facility that is located at its headquarters in Florida. The facility is built to resemble an average three-bedroom house, fully stocked with furniture, glassware and other belongings needed to simulate a real moving job.

Every driver, mover and packer must complete the training program at CVLU before setting out on their first job. Employees learn moving safety best practices, furniture disassembly and reassembly, loading and unloading the moving truck and how to handle specialty items and family heirlooms. Movers are also taught (and required) to clean up after themselves. They'll remove any dirt, debris and loose packing material from your home before asking you to sign off.

Why you might want to consider another national moving company

A Colonial Van Lines truck parked in a parking lot with other trucks

Doesn't offer local or international moving services

Colonial Van Lines specializes in long-distance moves and does not offer local or international moving services. The company focuses on moving customers from coast to coast — not so much between neighborhoods or beyond U.S. borders.

If you're planning a local move, you may have better luck calling a smaller, locally-owned and operated mover versus hiring a large national provider. Some local movers also operate as agents for a specific national van line, meaning they're acting as a local representative for that national moving company while also operating as a separate moving business.

Colonial Van Lines has a network of 45 agents nationwide , but its services don't extend outside of the U.S. There are other national moving companies that are ready to assist with the complexities of moving outside of the country. A couple of examples of national movers that offer international moving services are International Van Lines and United Van Lines .

No GPS tracking available

Some long-distance movers offer a way to keep up with where your belongings are in real time. Using GPS tracking, you can see exactly where your moving truck is and whether or not things are still running according to schedule. Unfortunately, Colonial Van Lines doesn't provide customer access to GPS tracking of shipments.

You'll still receive updates on the status and location of your shipment, but you won't be able to view the location of your belongings in real time. The status of your shipment and its estimated time of arrival can be viewed via the tracking link attached to your order. Your truck's driver should also provide you with updates and communication along the way.

Your move could be handled by contractors

While Colonial Van Lines has its own full-time staff (nearly 250 employees nationwide) and operates its own fleet of trucks, the company still relies on some third-party assistance to get the job done , mainly in areas outside of its office and warehouse locations, and in areas where there's lower demand.

This doesn't mean your move will be handled by just any random contractor. Instead, your move will be passed on to a local moving company operating within Colonial's partner network, also known as an "agent." It's also not uncommon for larger long-distance moving companies to transport multiple customer shipments inside the same truck. If you don't have enough belongings to fill up an entire truck, there's a good chance that your items will be shipped with another customer's order that's heading in the same direction. All your belongings are clearly marked and categorized. However, there's always the slight possibility of a mix-up.

How much does it cost to move with Colonial Van Lines?

To move a three-bedroom house, at about a 500-mile distance, you can expect to pay around $6,300. This price is comparable to other long-distance movers we've looked into. However, if you need packing services, expect costs to increase by an additional $1,000 to $2,000.

Keep in mind that your estimate is calculated based on the weight and volume of items that need to be moved. This means you'll need to provide an inventory of your belongings, complete with all the furniture and moving boxes that will be included in your shipment. With Colonial Van Lines, you'll pay 25% to 30% of the total cost of your move upfront to secure your move date. The deposit is fully refundable so long as you cancel up to five days before your scheduled move date.

Colonial Van Lines are pros at long-distance moving

A Colonial Van Lines truck is parked in front of a residence

Due to the larger size of many national moving companies, it's not uncommon for these movers to get mixed feedback, and Colonial Van Lines is the perfect example of this. Many of the reviews seem to follow a similar pattern: you either had a great experience or a terrible one.

The company's reviews are mixed. It has a 3.8-star rating on Google (3,319 reviews) and a 2.3-star rating on Yelp (1,356 reviews). Many of the positive reviews say the company maintained a solid line of communication while their belongings were being shipped, and that the movers were professional and efficient. On the other hand, there are plenty of negative reviews sharing common themes of being overcharged for moving services , as well as receiving tons of email and phone communications to the point of it feeling like spam. Since calling the main customer service number, we have also received multiple calls per day from the company.

Colonial Van Lines is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) , but it does have an A+ rating. The company has 160 filed complaints on its BBB profile. There isn't any specific pattern of issues reported — most of the complaints cite a wide variety of problems like late deliveries, broken items, inaccurate quotes and more. However, the company is responsive, and most complaints are resolved or answered.

Colonial Van Lines is our top alternative pick for the best long-distance mover for its service variety, fleet size and multiple ways to obtain a quote, but it's not perfect. The company requires you to put down quite a bit of money to lock in your move date, and it doesn't offer real-time GPS tracking of your shipment. Plus, even if you opt to get a quote via the app, you'll still need to be contacted by a member of staff to actually talk about pricing.

The Colonial Van Lines main office is located at 1441 SW 29th Avenue, Pompano Beach, Fla., 33069. It's open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and is closed on Sundays. The company does not offer 24/7 customer support. To get a quote started, you can call 800-356-1855, fill out the lead form online , or download the Colonial Moving app to start the process virtually.