So, you’re moving! Congratulations on starting a new chapter! Are you hiring a moving company? Comparing quotes is the first of many dreaded tasks.
Researching moving companies and finding van lines, local movers, and brokers can be confusing. They all look similar, but their service quality and reliability can be completely different.
We understand moving "estimate overwhelm" – you need to find a reputable AND affordable company that cares about delivering a life's worth of possessions safely to your new destination.
How do you find a company that:
- Fits your budget with minimal additional expenses at the end
- Doesn't break or lose anything or keeps damage to a minimum (it's a move - breaking happens)
- Arrives on time, loads and unloads quickly, and delivers your belongings without delays
You don’t trust just anyone with all or most of what you own in this world. Moving companies look so similar, lulling you into picking the lowest quote and regretting it later.
Van lines, local movers, and brokers are different in ways that matter most:
- Service: How careful are they with your things?
- Reliability: Do they show up to move you on time?
- Accountability: Does someone answer the phone to help fix or replace something that’s broken?
We’ve learned from 50 years of moving people and watching the moving world go from heavily regulated van lines to today’s fragmented mix of national brands, independents, and online brokers.
We’re sharing our insider knowledge on moving company differences to make that first decision a little easier. In this article, we’ll walk through how the moving industry changed, why van lines emerged, what deregulation did to the market, and how companies like Bailey’s Moving & Storage—an agent for Allied Van Lines—fit today’s picture.
Why Did Van Lines Start? The Familiar Problem Van Lines Originally Solved
The moving and storage industry is rooted in massive social changes. Millions of Americans left mostly rural farms and small towns for urbanizing industrial cities after the American Civil War. That shift created huge demand for moving household belongings into and between cities. Read about the urban shift in Khan Academy’s article on America’s move to the city.
A patchwork of local wagon firms and railroads met moving demand. Families loaded their possessions into freight cars for the long-distance portion, then hired local haulers for the "last mile" on either end. Multiple handoffs worked at first, but inconsistent packing standards and more opportunities for damage or loss were inefficient.
Motor vehicles spread in the early 1900s, and forward-thinking movers started using trucks instead of trains. Over time, they realized they needed to coordinate long-distance moves across multiple cities and states.
Early van lines emerged and built networks of local agents, connecting through a central "command" system to coordinate interstate moves, standardize the experience, and reduce damage and delay.
A concise overview of that evolution is captured in this history of moving companies from Freedom Moving.
Earlier Operations: How an Agent System Built United and Allied Van Lines
The industry shifted in the early 20th century from warehouses and rail-based transport to dedicated motor carriers. Companies like Red Ball and early versions of what became United and Allied used heavy trucks and purpose-built vans to move household goods directly between homes. These developments are outlined in several industry histories, including this overview of the modern moving service.
Trucks and a new agent system innovated the industry. Van lines partnered with local moving companies, who became "agents" rather than having one company operate everywhere. Those local agents:
- Followed national standards for packing, loading, and paperwork.
- Used shared branding, equipment specs, and claim processes.
- Coordinated with a central dispatch system to match loads and routes.
This model created trust for customers because they:
- Dealt with a coordinated network rather than disconnected local firms.
- Saw a familiar brand.
- Received similar paperwork
- Had a clear place to turn if anything went wrong.
That agent-and-van-line structure is still the backbone of how major brands operate today—and it’s the same structure we’re part of as an Allied Van Lines agent.
What Changed After World War II? Baby Boomers & Reliability to Protect Customers
Several forces came together after World War II, creating the moving industry’s “golden age” and set moving company standards for pricing and service quality.
- The baby boom and rapid growth of suburban neighborhoods.
- The expansion of the interstate highway system, making long-distance trucking cheaper and faster.
- Strong demand from corporate relocations and military moves.
Federal regulation created reliability in the level of service. The Motor Carrier Act of 1935 placed interstate movers under the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), requiring them to secure operating authority and to follow strict rules on service and pricing. A good high-level explanation of this law and its impact is in this Motor Carrier Act entry on Encyclopedia.com.
Then, the Reed–Bulwinkle Act of 1948 allowed motor carriers to collectively set tariffs through centralized "rate bureaus," effectively exempting them from antitrust laws, so:
- New entrants struggled to get authority, protecting existing carriers.
- Most movers charged under the same tariff system (eventually known as Tariff 400N).
- Price competition almost disappeared among regulated movers.
The era cemented the traditional "van line" reputation as consistent quality. Van lines flourished under those conditions. Allied, United, North American, Mayflower, and Atlas built large agent networks and profitable businesses.
Why 1970s Deregulation Matters Now - More Options in Lower Prices vs. Quality
Critics argued in the late 1970s that trucking and moving were too expensive and inefficient under ICC regulation. Economists and policymakers noted that regulated freight often moved at higher rates than comparable unregulated traffic, and more competition could lower costs. The Library of Economics and Liberty summarizes those arguments in this article.
In 1980, the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 dramatically deregulated the industry:
- New carriers could obtain operating authority far more easily.
- Many restrictions on routes and commodities were removed.
- Carriers gained flexibility to set their own rates within a broad “zone of reasonableness.”
- Collective rate-setting through bureaus was largely dismantled.
Deregulation gave customers more choices, lower prices, and options in quality and reliability. It allowed new competitors to flood the market with intense discounts, forcing many long-established carriers to go out of business or merge. Van lines with strong agent networks, disciplined operations, and service quality survived.
How Confusion Began: A Rise in the Number of Independent Movers & Brokers
After deregulation, two models grew especially fast: local independent movers and moving brokers.
Local movers found it easier than ever to enter the market. A company with a truck, a small team, and local knowledge could compete on local and regional moves, often at lower prices than van line agents that carried more overhead and compliance costs.
Moving brokers, on the other hand, don’t typically own trucks or employ moving crews. Instead, they:
- Advertise moves (especially online) and provide estimates to customers.
- Subcontract the work to other carriers—often the lowest bidder.
- Take a cut of the revenue and leave the actual move to someone else.
This structure introduced new risks:
- The company that sold you the move might not be the company that shows up.
- The carrier handling your goods might not follow the same quality standards.
- If something goes wrong, responsibility can become very hard to pin down.
Consumer guides like this breakdown of moving brokers vs. carriers from Move.org highlight many of these issues.
For customers, the early 2000s onward brought more choice—and more homework to understand whether you were hiring a van line agent, a local carrier, or a broker.
Van Lines & Moving Companies Today & Why it Matters When You Choose a Mover
Today, the moving industry is fragmented. Estimates suggest there are thousands of moving companies operating across roughly 14,000 locations in the United States, with nearly half of them small businesses with only a handful of employees. A snapshot of this landscape can be found in this moving industry statistics roundup.
Long Distance, State-to-State, Interstate, and International
At the top of the market, major van lines—like Allied, United, North American, Mayflower, Atlas, and Bekins—still handle a large share of long-distance moves, corporate relocations, and military shipments. They do this through:
- Nationwide networks of local agents
- Standardized training and operating procedures
- Centralized dispatch, billing, and claims systems
- Specialized equipment and storage facilities
Short Distance, local (up to 50 Miles), Intrastate (50+ miles same state)
Local movers and regional carriers play a big role in intrastate and short-distance moves. Brokers continue to operate in the middle, selling moves and passing them on to carriers. Van line agents remain the most structured option for complex, cross-country moves where coordination and accountability matter most.
Bailey's Moving & Storage has deep community roots as a local company. As an Allied Van Lines agent, we're backed by a national van line network that supports long-distance and international moves.
Read "How Do Bailey's Moving & Storage and Allied Van Lines Work Together?" for more about van lines.
Van lines vs. local movers: What’s the real difference in 2025?
From the outside, van lines and local movers can look similar: trucks, people in uniforms, and promises to treat your belongings with care. Under the hood, the models are very different.
Articles like this comparison of van lines vs. moving companies from Alliance Moving highlight the same themes: for complex interstate moves, a van line agent usually offers more structure, oversight, and protection than a strictly local operation or a broker.
How do pricing, service quality, and reliability compare now?
Today’s pricing differences are driven more by business model than by how hard crews work. Here’s what we typically see:
Van line agents (like Bailey’s as an Allied agent) Often price long-distance moves based on weight and distance, using a tariff structure that's been developed and refined over decades. Many movers still build their pricing around the dismantled old, unified Tariff 400N for similar reasons: principles, consistency, and compliance.
View Supermove as a resource for a technical look at tariff evolution.
Local movers tend to charge hourly or flat-rate pricing in a limited radius. They can be a great fit for short, straightforward moves where logistics are simpler and interstate regulations don’t apply.
Brokers often start with extremely low quotes—then pass the job to a carrier that may raise the price later, especially if the inventory list or access changes. Because brokers don’t control the actual crews or trucks, service quality and reliability can swing dramatically.
Smaller businesses often have a handful of employees. You might get a few estimates to compare when planning a move, and significant price differences make choosing a company more difficult. Moving quote extremes come from different business models with very different risk and accountability profiles.
Read "Understanding the Written Estimate: Binding vs. Non-Binding Estimates" for more about moving costs.
Why Bailey’s Moving & Storage operates as part of a true van line — and why that matters
Bailey’s Moving & Storage operates as an agent of Allied Van Lines, one of the oldest and most recognized van lines in the country. We’re not borrowing the name—we’re part of an integrated system that coordinates long-distance moves across a nationwide network of agents and haulers.
That means our customers benefit from:
- Standardized packing, loading, and inventory procedures
- Access to Allied’s nationwide fleet and agent network
- Centralized claims support and quality oversight
- Proven processes for interstate and international moves
We’re your local guide, backed by a national van-line system that exists for a reason. Analyses like this Daily Iowan piece on why van lines outperform ordinary movers for long-distance moves reinforce what we see every day: when you’re moving far, structure and systems matter.
We blend big-system reliability with local care and personal attention—so your move feels human, not corporate.
How and Why You Should Avoid Fly-by-Night Movers
Customers want to protect their belongings and wallets from unlicensed or unethical mover scams. Here are practical things to check for based on what we've seen in the field.
- Confirm DOT and MC numbers. Use the FMCSA’s online tools to verify that the mover is properly registered and insured.
- Make sure there’s a real, physical address. Be wary of companies that only list a PO Box or no address.
- Request an in-person or virtual survey. Phone-only quotes are a red flag for surprise charges later.
- Review detailed written estimates. Look for line items and clear terms, not just a single number.
- Avoid large up-front deposits. Reputable movers generally don’t require a big cash payment before they show up.
- Understand whether you’re hiring a carrier or a broker. Read Truckstop's guide for more information on rules, risks, and consumer protection for household goods.
- Check reviews across multiple platforms. Look for consistent themes in how the mover communicates and handles issues.
These small steps help avoid or reduce lost items, unexpected bills, or crews that don’t show up when you're counting on them.
Choose a Mover with History, Integrity, and Proven Systems
Choose a van line agent for a real local presence. Buy the planning expertise, coordination, trained crews, and accountability at every step.
The moving industry has changed dramatically—from wagons and railcars in the 1800s to GPS-tracked trucks and virtual surveys today. Deregulation, new business models, technology shifts, and economic cycles have all reshaped how companies operate.
One thing hasn’t changed: the mover you choose matters more than the truck they drive.
Our job at Bailey's Moving & Storage is to guide you through the process, so your next move feels less like a stressful chore and more like the beginning of a new chapter.
Ready to plan your move with confidence? Schedule a quick consultation with us, and we’ll walk you through your options so you can choose a move that fits your timeline, your budget, and your peace of mind.
