About the Company
International Van Lines is a United States-based moving company that offers domestic and international relocation services. From logistics services to moving solutions, International Van Lines supports residential, commercial, and military moves.
Whether you’re planning a local, long-distance, or international move, International Van Lines has you covered, as they are both a broker and a carrier. Everything from packing and crane lifting to auto transport and storage is included in their services.
| Pros | Cons |
| Full refund up to 48 hours before pick up | 25% deposit required |
| 24/7 customer service | Credit card payments not allowed on full balance |
| Discounts available | Not all items are insured and/or allowed |
| Short- and long-term storage options | Some services are outsourced to contractors |
Best option for:
- Customizable moving solutions with affordable pricing
- International relocations with ocean freight and air freight shipping options
- Specialty shipments, such as auto, motorcycle, boat, and piano transport
Benefits of Choosing International Van Lines
Why is International Van Lines a leading long-distance moving company? This moving company works with more than 3,000 global partners to service the United States and over 180 countries. Professional packing, loading, shipping, and unloading is all available for civilians, military members, or businesses.
While International Van Lines does outsource some local services, they handle all long-distance and international moves in-house. When you book, you get assigned a relocation coordinator who assists with scheduling, changes in your inventory list, and more. Pricing depends on services and customized needs, but a 25% deposit is required. If you need to cancel, you get a full refund up to 48 hours before your scheduled pick up.
Delivery Services and Equipment
Whether you’re moving just a few containers or an entire house, International Van Lines handles shrink wrapping, paperwork for clearing customs, storage options, and more. The majority of the company’s international moves are conducted by ocean freight, making them more affordable than the traditional air freight.
You can find a breakdown of basic service offerings below.
| Local Moving | Long Distance Domestic Moving | Ocean Freight | Air Freight | Auto Shipping | |
| Customer Service | 24/7 customer service | 24/7 customer service | 24/7 customer service | 24/7 customer service | 24/7 customer service |
| Assembly | Assembly and disassembly of furniture | Assembly and disassembly of furniture | Assembly and disassembly of furniture | Assembly and disassembly of furniture | Cars, light trucks, vans, SUVs, motorcycle shipping, oversized vehicles, boats, cargo, and more |
| Packing Materials | Furniture protection, including pads, blankets, ties, and straps | Furniture protection, including pads, blankets, ties, and straps | Furniture protection, including pads, blankets, ties, and straps | Items shrink-wrapped and placed on pallets | Closed carrier options available |
| Service Level | Door-to-door service | Door-to-door service | Door-to-door, port-to-door, or port-to-port service | Door-to-door, door-to-terminal, terminal-to-door, or terminal-to-terminal service | Door-to-door or roll-on/roll-off service |
| Tolls, Fuel and Taxes | Optional temporary storage, including pods | Toll, mileage, fuel fees, and taxes, unless noted | Less than container load options vs. full container load options | Less than container load options vs. full container load options | All risk insurance or total loss insurance |
| Liability Coverage | Basic Liability Coverage ($0.60 per pound) up to $10,000 | Basic Liability Coverage ($0.60 per pound) up to $10,000 | All Risk Marine Insurance or Total Loss Marine Insurance | Customs clearance paperwork handled | Dealer trades available |
| Availability | Available in all 50 states | Available in all 50 states | Available in 180+ countries | Available in 180+ countries | Available in the U.S., U.K., China, and Australia |
| Storage | Optional short-term or long-term storage | Optional short-term or long-term storage | Optional short-term or long-term storage | Optional short-term or long-term storage | Optional short-term or long-term storage |
| Moving Forms | Customs clearance paperwork handled | Customs clearance paperwork handled | Customs clearance paperwork handled |
- Local Moving: If you’re making a short-distance move for two-bedroom homes or larger, International Van Lines can help. If they don’t provide services in your area, they will provide a list of vetted companies. Local moves are charged on an hourly basis.
- Long-Distance Moving: For out-of-state moves, you can save on combined services with International Van Lines, but transit times will vary depending on the size of the shipment. The company covers everything from mileage and gas to loading and unloading. You can pay extra to move pianos, motorcycles, and other bulky items.
- Ocean Freight: The company makes it easy to customize your international moving plan with four options. You can self-pack, pay for a professional, or arrange your own transportation from port to home or home to port. However, port-to-door is only available for smaller shipments.
- Air Freight: If you’re in a hurry, air freight is the best time-sensitive option. It’s more expensive than ocean freight, but transit can take less than a week. The company handles both air freight (typically for larger shipments) and express shipping (typically for smaller shipments).
- Auto shipping: International Van Lines can move autos across the country or overseas. For domestic transports, they offer open or closed carriers, door-to-door service, and insurance coverage. For international transports, they include container shipping, consolidation service, roll on/roll off, and insurance.
Storage Services
Unlike other moving companies, International Van Lines offers storage. Transit times vary depending on the shipment size and move type, so sometimes storage is a necessity for customers.
International Van Lines offers long-term, short-term, and temporary storage. Their Storage in Transit (SIT) ensures that items are held securely and safely in an International Van Lines warehouse ahead of a big move. Costs vary, but you can expect to pay in/out fees and re-delivery costs. Long-term storage, used for long-distance and/or international moves, is available for an additional cost as well. Items are held in a secure temperature-controlled space.
Specialty Services
As a licensed broker and carrier, International Van Lines offers many services that other moving companies don’t, such as boat transport, home cleaning, and auto shipping.
Here are some of their additional specialty services:
- Corporation relocation: Businesses can hire International Van Lines for their corporate moves, as they specialize in freight forwarding, container shipping, and logistics. They also work with the business and its employees to build a customized relocation plan.
- Government and military relocation: International Van Lines works with active military members, military families, and government employees. They offer protection on hardware and equipment, and match you with a specialist for the moving process.
- Office moves: Packing, IT removal, crate hire, storage, disposal and recycling, and more services are covered in an International Van Lines office move.
While a 25% deposit is due on any long-distance or international trip, the final payment is due 50% on the day of pick up and 50% on delivery.
Insurance Options
International Van Lines protects your possessions during transit with insurance. Basic limited liability coverage of $0.60 per pound (up to $10,000) is required, but you can purchase more comprehensive insurance.
Insurance options will depend on the following:
- Self-packing: For international moves, you get the option of Total Loss Insurance, which costs 3% of your declared value. For ocean freight, you have the option of Total Loss Marine Insurance. Most insurance companies don’t offer any insurance on self-packed moves.
- Full professional packing: All Risk Insurance covers any loss or damage, so long as your items are professionally packed by International Van Lines. The customer cost is 4% of the total value. All Risk Marine Insurance is also available, which covers the total loss or damage of the entire shipment.
No matter if you’re moving home furniture, office furniture, or a car, International Van Lines insurance is available. You’ll receive a detailed inventory list from International Van Lines upon deposit and you’ll have up to one week before pickup to declare your values.
Customer Service and Support
You can contact customer service by calling 877-647-1336 or use the live chat feature on their website for a real-time interaction. Customer service is available 24/7.
International Van Lines is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau, but they hold a B rating from the organization. Reviews are mixed with a rating of 3.38 out of 5 from customers. Although complaints concerning customer service during transits are mentioned, International Van Lines takes a detailed approach to resolving issues.
Here are some International Van Lines reviews from past customers:
Charley via BBB said:
The staff worked hard the entire time and was very friendly. They also cared for my fragile boxes with close attention. The process also took less time than I expected, which was a nice bonus. The price was fair. I felt they were worth every penny. Would highly recommend their services, to anyone needing to move!! Thanks, so much International Van Lines guys.
Jake via BBB said:
They worked tirelessly to get us into our new place and didn’t break or damage any of our belongings, something I’d never experienced after 6-7 moves in as many years. I highly recommend International Van Lines Company to all.
Our Conclusion
International Van Lines is a great option for anyone relocating to another state or country, whether for personal, military, or work-related reasons. While the company does offer all-distance moves, they outsource most of their local moving services.
International Van Lines is highly praised for their long-distance and international services and for good reason. They have affordable, customizable moving options for any occasion, including auto shipping.