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What To Do if Your Movers Don’t Show Up

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It’s moving day, and the movers you hired are on the way… you hope?

If you’re ready to go, in between all the scrambling, you’re likely peeking out the window every ten seconds hoping to see your crew’s truck cresting over the horizon.

But ready to go or not, you’re at the mercy of your movers’ arrival time window. (All movers or move shipments typically arrive within a block of time that’s known as your “arrival window.”)

Yet what if your arrival window comes and goes and fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, forty-five minutes pass, and your movers still haven’t shown up?

First, call your movers directly!

calling movers

If you hired your local movers directly…

You have their number, right? You should call them and check if your crew is on the way, or if they are simply tied up. (If they aren’t answering, keep reading.)

If you hired your movers through HireAHelper…

You still have the option of calling them directly, which if you’ve already been in contact with them leading up to moving day, will seem natural. (And even if you hadn’t been, go for it!) 

However, if they aren’t answering or you don’t have their number, just call HireAHelper (1-800-995-5003). They will attempt to contact your movers for however long it takes to get you an updated ETA. And if your movers don’t show up or anything else is wrong, they’ll automatically go through the process of fixing it for you (more on that later).

If you hired your movers through a managed moving service…

If you hired a crew through a full-service moving service like MovingStaffers, MovingPlace, or if you’re using a vintage van line company, there typically is a ton of communication leading up to moving day. Even still, if something isn’t going right, these companies generally have a traditional customer service line that you should use right about now.

 

MovingStaffers

(800) 658-7292

 

MovingPlace

(800) 876-6839

 

Allied (Domestic)

(800) 689-8684

 

North American Vanlines (Domestic)

(800) 348-2111

 

Mayflower

(877) 720-4066

 

Pretty simple, right? Except this is where things can get… interesting.

If your movers STILL don’t arrive within an arrival window…

In my experience as a professional crew leader, there are generally three outcomes that happen if you can’t get ahold of your local moving crew.

  1. Your crew is on their way! If they’re nice, they’ll apologize for being late. They may also offer any of a range of excuses – traffic, truck problems, someone late to work – but, as long as they’re on the way, that’s better than the next outcome.
  2. Your crew “misscheduled” you! They’ll tell you (if they’re honest) that they forgot to put you on their schedule or they misplaced your request. Since their crews are all out on other jobs now, there’s nothing they can do except suggest you call someone else (or refer you back to HireAHelper to automatically begin the process of finding replacements). This is almost as inconvenient as the next outcome. 
  3. Your crew ghosted you! They never answer. No-show. Or maybe they do, but they say they don’t know who you are, never heard of you, and you must have called some other moving company. No idea what you’re talking about, sorry! Good luck  — “click.”

Now it’s your move (pun intended).

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What to do if your movers are simply running late…

moversYou may or may not believe the movers’ reasons as to why they’re late, but if they say they are on the way, ask them for a specific ETA. And if they don’t have one, make the person on the other end of the line explain in clear terms what they do know is going to happen and when.

As a former mover and operations manager, I can attest that unforeseen things do happen sometimes. We’re all imperfect human beings, and what we should want as a result is for everyone to know what’s going on. 

If a crew really is on the way, whoever you’re speaking to won’t want to lose you, and by extension, lose a job for their workers. Plus, if they have a public-facing profile somewhere, they definitely don’t want a bad review, let alone a “no-show” permanently stamped onto their HireAHelper profile page! 

What if I’m coordinating between two or more services?

If you are trying to coordinate your move between your movers and a service such as a moving container company, you need to call the other company’s customer service number ASAP.

 

PODS

(877) 770-7637

 

1-800-PACK-RAT

(800) 722-5728

 

Protip: A mover may negotiate a discount with you if things get out of hand, schedule-wise. (Trust me, the nicer you are, the more likely this is.) If you hired your movers through HireAHelper, they may automatically refund you a portion of your bill for the inconvenience, though typically this is a case-by-case scenario. 

What to do if your movers are not going to show up…

If you find yourself in a worst-case scenario, it will be tough to put both of your functioning neurons together to come up with a plan. But last-minute mover possibilities do exist.

Call a mover marketplace ASAP!

An interconnected network of local movers is your most time-efficient next step.

Companies like HireAHelper maintain a living list of vetted professional movers, and they know all of their schedules.

Even if you didn’t book your movers through HireAHelper, call them (800-995-5003). They have a process in place for cancellations, mover replacements, and no-shows, and they may be able to find you last-minute movers. (This process is free with or without an order, but there may be different costs and/or policies associated with your new movers, so you may have to weigh the value.)

Otherwise, your best bet is to find a mover the same way you probably did the first time: Google “movers near me” and call every number you can find. Good luck.

Think you might have been scammed? 

Unfortunately, scams are a relatively common thing in the wild world of unmoderated moves. Especially if you pre-paid any amount of money, this might be a possibility. If you’re beginning to worry you might have been scammed, here’s what you can do to fight back. 

Here’s how to avoid mover issues in the future

It may not be of any use right now, but there are a few key things to make sure of in order to avoid a difficult moving day scenario in the future.

  1.  Look up your moving company online ahead of moving day. Especially make sure to look up where their office is physically located, and ideally, find out what their previous customers have said about them through their online reviews.
  2.  Create a rapport. In your pre-move interactions, be interested in your movers, both as professionals and as people. Nothing goes further than genuine investment and appreciation of their process, and it definitely will keep your moving day closer to the top of their minds.
  3.  Be willing to ask very specific questions. What type of equipment would they be supplying? Is there something you have that you’re worried they might not be able to move? Tell them about it. Make sure you understand the limits of their coverage against damage. The answers you get will tell you a lot, not just about their service but also about them as a company.
  4.  After you’ve booked your move, call to confirm a day or two ahead of time. Many, if not all, movers will actually do this themselves; but if something slips through the cracks, that call isn’t going to come, and neither will your movers. Making the call yourself is a good way to double-check everyone is on the same page.
  5.  Don’t book movers who aren’t vetted. You can actually look up a mover’s business license if they are driving a vehicle. But simply getting movers who want to uphold their reputation on a network of professional movers like those listed on HireAHelper is a great way to lower the chance of something going wrong. 

What To Do When Your Stuff Gets Lost or Damaged While Moving

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After all the stress, money spent, and late nights packing, you’re finally at your new home and ready to unpack and settle in for the last leg of your move. Only, you discover your pricey, one-of-a-kind glass coffee table has been shattered. Or the box filled with family heirlooms is missing. Or while pulling in, the moving truck dings the fence and knocks over your mailbox.

These can be nightmare scenarios, depending on how precious the item is and how expensive it could be to replace. But there are some things you can do once you discover any damage — as well as some things you should try before you move. 

If my stuff was broken during a move, what do I do?

Did you hire movers who you suspect damaged or outright broke something? Know that even if money can’t wholly replace the item you lost, there are usually steps you can take to get compensation, both before and immediately after anything gets damaged.

1. Document the damage

For broken or damaged items, the first step is to get plenty of photos.

Those pictures will be very helpful when you file a claim, either with the moving company or with insurance (if you have it). Right after you discover the damage is the best time to do this, but even if some time has passed, any documentation is better than none.

If you’re lucky enough to have any photos of your belongings before the move (which is highly recommended), include those too for a before-and-after. Photos are mandatory for showing exactly what type of damage occurred and the potential cost to repair or replace the item.

My stuff is missing!

But what if after taking stock of everything in your new home, you realize the lamp that’s at the perfect angle for a reading light isn’t there? You’re absolutely sure you packed it, but it’s simply gone.

Obviously, you can’t take photos of something missing. Ideally, if you have one, you should go through your entire moving inventory thoroughly when your movers are finished and still there. Rushing through the process and confirming that everything made it to your destination when that’s not the case will make it much harder to locate a missing item or file a claim. 

 

“…it’s much tougher to deal with moving problems after the fact. Which is why it’s so important to work with a company that’s been pre-vetted.”

 

If it turns out something truly is missing, your only true recourse is to ask the moving company to track it down. It could have been left behind or delivered to the wrong address. (Ask your old property manager/check your old place too, of course.) Alerting the moving company ASAP is key, since the more time that passes, the higher the chance of it getting lost for good. 

(If this isn’t an accident and you think there’s been a crime, read about what to do.)

2. File a claim

Once you’ve taken stock of what’s damaged or missing, it’s time to inform the moving company of what happened.

Below is the contact information for a number of national moving companies and where you should file a claim for your lost or broken items.

How To File a Claim With National Moving Companies:

  • Allied Van Lines: Fill out their online claim form. You can also e-mail claimstrace@alliedvan.com or call (800) 470-2851 to discuss a missing item or coverage prior to filing a claim
  • Arpin Van Lines: If you need information or help filing a claim, call (855) 405-9293 and dial option 3 to speak to a claims representative or email claims@wvlcorp.com. You can also file a claim online
  • Atlas: You can file a claim directly through the Atlas® Customer Portal. If you need help, call (800) 638-9797 (ext. 2846# or 2850#)
  • Bekins Van Lines: Claims can be filed online. For assistance, call (833) 425-4982 and dial option “3”, or email claims@wvlcorp.com
  • HireAHelper: You can fill out their online claim form. There’s also the option of calling (800) 995-5003 or emailing customer-support@hireahelper.com  
  • Mayflower: Most claims can be submitted online. However, if your move took place within the state of Texas, call (800) 325-9970 to get the appropriate form
  • Moving Help (U-Haul): You can contact them or fill out an Issue Resolution request online. You’re also able to file a claim directly under the subcategory “Safeload”  
  • North American Van Lines: File a claim online, or call (800) 348-3746 or email claims@navl.com for help. Note that intra-Texas moves use a separate claims form and it must be filed within 90 days of delivery
  • U-Pack: Email moving@upack.com with your name and reference number, and they’ll send you a claim form to complete and submit
  • United Van Lines: Most claims can be filed online. For intra-Texas moves, call (800) 325-9970 for assistance
  • Wheaton World Wide Moving: Claims can be filed online. For help, call (855) 284-4011 and dial option 3, or email claims@wvlcorp.com

How To File a Claim With Local Moving Companies:

Unfortunately, there is no formal process for damages caused by a local moving company that you hire directly. That said, many local moving companies will offer to help or partially pay for damages, but it’s entirely up to them to work with their customers on a case-by-case basis.

However, if you hire a local moving company through an online mover marketplace like HireAHelper, you will be covered in all instances of damages. HireAHelper automatically steps in to mediate and get your money back.

3. File a third-party complaint (maybe)

If you submitted a claim but the moving company is not responding, or you feel that they’re not taking enough responsibility, you should file a complaint with a third-party organization.

The first organization to contact is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This is a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). You can file a complaint online for issues such as lost or damaged items, issues with the company’s license or insurance, overcharges and more.

Once you file a complaint, the movers have 30 days to acknowledge it, plus another 120 days to dispute or resolve it. (Not ideal, but it’s something.)

See prices for movers by the hour – instantly.

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You can also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. After filing your complaint, the BBB processes it within two business days. The business then has 14 days to respond from the date you filed. Complaints are usually closed within 30 days. However, if the business fails to respond, it can negatively impact its BBB rating.

If you think something was actually stolen or intentionally damaged, you should contact your local police department and file a report. 

4. You can also seek arbitration from the government

Another option you have if a claim isn’t being handled properly is arbitration. It’s a form of dispute resolution that allows everyone to avoid going to court. Interstate movers are required to participate in an arbitration program, such as the one offered by the FMCSA. (Click here to get started.)

What about moving insurance?

If you’re worried about any possessions being damaged, but you haven’t even hired movers yet, insurance is a possibility. Unfortunately, for reasons all too familiar, you probably won’t be able to rely on your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance for items lost or damaged while moving. But you’re not necessarily out of luck. 

Hired movers are generally responsible for the items they’re transporting. However, if you move across state lines, all moving companies are federally required (that means in every single state) to offer two insurance options:

  • Full value protection: This means the moving company is responsible for covering the total replacement value of any possessions that are lost or damaged. They can opt to repair or replace the damaged item, or give you cash. This is the most comprehensive coverage, which means it’s also the most expensive.
  • Released value protection: It’s free… but you get what you pay for. It provides up to $0.60 per pound of an item that’s lost or damaged. So if your 40 lb. flat-screen TV worth $1,000 gets cracked, the most you would be compensated is about $24.
  • Third-party liability insurance: Some movers may offer this separately. It costs extra but will cover any damages beyond the released value coverage, up to the policy’s limits.

Hiring movers directly means you’re responsible for most of this research and decision-making. But companies such as HireAHelper that curate and help you find the best movers also help you with all the moving insurance stuff.

See prices for movers by the hour—instantly.

Read real customer reviews.

Easily book your help online.

 

On top of full value protection, HireAHelper automatically offers a $1,000 Safety Guarantee with every order for free, with plenty of other options to upgrade. After curating thousands and thousands of moves, HireAHelper knows everything about what can go wrong and how to fix it. It’s much easier to work with a company that knows the ins and outs of claims and insurance and has a vested interest in your satisfaction, rather than muddling through things on your own.  

Again, if you have no insurance, you should still be able to receive some kind of compensation, as long as you’re working with a licensed and reputable moving company. (It’s important to check before hiring anyone!)

What happens after filing a claim with the insurance company?

In many cases, you have up to nine months to file a claim with the company. But again, the faster you file, the sooner you’ll resolve the issue. 

After you file the claim (usually this is done online but possibly over the phone):

  • The company will respond to acknowledge they received it (generally within 30 days)
  • They will investigate the situation and eventually either offer compensation or deny the claim

Keep in mind there are some situations when the insurance company isn’t responsible for covering your damages. For example, if you choose to pack your own items yourself and something breaks, that’s typically on you, not the movers. The same is true if you pack anything that’s perishable, hazardous, or highly valuable without notifying the movers. Damage from natural disasters is also usually not covered.

Hiring Reputable Movers Is Important

You might assume that if you hire a professional moving company, they have all the necessary processes in place to handle damages. But the truth is a lot of local moving companies don’t actually have insurance or customer service in a traditional sense. And scarily enough, in some cases, you could be dealing with a moving scam. (Click here to learn more if you think you’re being scammed.)

Of course, it’s much tougher to deal with moving problems after the fact. This is why it’s so important to work with a company that’s been pre-vetted. And that’s exactly why HireAHelper exists — we built a national database of reputable movers who not only pass our strict requirements to be listed, but also get publically rated by verfied customers to hold them accountable. 

2021 Long Distance Moving Review: Should I Move With northAmerican?

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North American Moving Services, also known as “northAmerican” or “North American Van Lines“, is a full-service moving company with experience and a breadth of services, but it also offers the personal touches and ability to negotiate, typical of a small business.

Like its competitors, Mayflower and Allied, it now provides a pick-and-choose menu of options to help you plan your long distance move. Yet overall, it remains known for its full-service package. The crew packs your stuff, dismantles furniture, puts it on the truck, takes it to your final destination, puts back together furniture, and unloads your boxes into the appropriate rooms in your new home. Phew! Not too shabby! (Have you read our picks for best moving companies?)

Does North American Van Lines operate during COVID?

North American Van Lines is not only operating during the coronavirus crisis, it is busy, even in the traditionally slower winter months. In fact, you’ll have to call as early as possible to get on the schedule for both your estimate and move. In the meantime, you can learn about the new safety precautions North American has put in place to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. For instance, at this time, you can only get an estimate through online, video, and virtual estimates to ensure proper social distancing.

PROS

  • Get a lower price with a little conversation and flexibility
  • 88 years of experience and a reputation of reliability
  • Widespread availability
  • Great customer service

CONS

  • You can still end up with empty pockets
  • Getting a base estimate is a hassle
  • Experience varies by location

Read on to learn more about the pros and cons of North American interstate moving services, based on my first-hand experience. 

What Types of Moves Does North American Van Lines Do?

    • Household Moving 
    • Corporate Relocation
    • International Moving
    • Moving Resources
    • Moving Services
    • Local Moves
    • Interstate Moves

Moving far away?

Do it cheaper.

HireAHelper.com can save you up to 40%, compared to traditional interstate van lines.

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What Other Services Besides Moving Does North American Van Lines Do? 

Here’s the whole menu, from their website:

  • Local, Interstate, and International Moving
  • Full-Service Packing
  • Fragile-Only Packing
  • Assistance with Self-Packing (such as determining quantity and type of boxes and supplies)
  • Boxes and Moving Supplies
  • Appliance Disconnection and Reconnection
  • Loading and Unloading
  • Storage
  • Auto Transport
  • Custom Crates
  • Crane Vans for Large Items
  • Transportation and Shipment Tracking

You can pick and choose from these options to fit your needs and budget. (You might not need services like appliance disconnection and reconnection.) But the company is best known for its full-service package, which also includes the packing, loading, unloading, and transportation. 

northamerican van lines

What Insurance Does North American Offer? 

For the protection of your stuff, North American has four options: 

  • Maximum Value Protection (MVP) with $0 deductible 
  • MVP with $250 deductible 
  • MVP with $500 deductible 
  • Basic Coverage

Your homeowner’s or rental insurance may cover your move, but if not, you can turn to one of the options offered by North American. The basic coverage is only for $0.60 per pound per article if something is lost or damaged while moving. This means you could get a bad deal if say, something expensive like a personal computer gets broken in transit. With full MVP, anything lost or destroyed would be repaired or replaced. 

“For an interstate move of a 3-bedroom home in early December with all (my) stuff, my cost was $8,700…”

If that’s not possible – like if Grandma’s serving platter is no longer for sale anywhere – you’d get a cash settlement for the current market replacement value. “The cost of full value may be subject to various deductible levels of liability that may reduce your cost,” according to the website. You can ask your moving coordinator for more specifics. 

How Much Does North American Cost? 

“northAmerican Moving Services” encompasses all their different offerings

Interstate or long-distance moves tend to cost between $2,000 and $5,000 per move, according to HomeAdvisor.com, and that’s roughly what you can expect to pay. North American’s prices are on par with competitors, which means its full-service package can be break-the-bank expensive. 

Here’s what is taken into consideration when you are given an estimate: 

  • Distance of your move – How far does the driver have to go to get your stuff to the final destination? 
  • Amount of packing – How much stuff will the staff have to box for you? How much loading and unloading will staff have to do at both destinations? 
  • Weight of your stuff – How much will the entire load weigh? 
  • Miscellaneous – Will you need add-ons like auto transport? Will you need van transport because a big truck can’t be parked on your street? 
  • Insurance coverage – Additional coverage will cost you more.
  • When you are moving – A move in the summer, which is peak season, is going to cost more than a move in the winter, which is usually slow for those in the moving industry.  

Quotes will be different based on the pricing set by your local agent, and the size (weight) and distance of your move. Full-package estimates from northAmerican will always include:

  • Labor and Transportation
  • Packing
  • Valuation
  • Miscellaneous

What’s “miscellaneous”? It refers to a lot of things, including upsells and fees. You can control what kinds of miscellaneous services or overcharges fall into that category if you plan well. 

Ultimately, flexibility regarding when you move and a willingness to take on some of the chores yourself could significantly bring down the price. In addition, should your stuff weigh less than the estimate, northAmerican van line will go with the lowest cost.

How My North American Van Lines Estimate Went

To minimize the spread of the coronavirus, I signed up for a virtual home tour with my local North American agent, which is called Beltmann Relocation Group and is the company’s largest location. 

Their pledge is to “Be the customer by striving to understand customer expectations and meeting them consistently.” I definitely got the sense that the rep with whom I spoke was trying to fulfill the promise. He was courteous, provided a detailed explanation of the estimate, and tried to help me get a lower price. 

“Ultimately, flexibility regarding when you move and a willingness to take on some of the chores yourself could significantly bring down the price.”

We conducted the tour over What’sApp Duo, but we could have done it on Zoom (It’ll be up to you). I could have also provided a video if a live online call was not possible. 

Quickly, we got into the weeds…literally. I brought my phone outside to my front yard to show him the entrance and parking area. Knowing that my town is very much a city, he was simply confirming that parking would be a problem. He’s right, but he had solutions for getting around it (a smaller truck that would make more trips) and had experience with this kind of situation. He also took note of the size of the home. I was able to get a price – and less sticker shock – by the call’s end. 

My own northAmerican estimates for full-service packages included: 

  • Weight of the load
  • Packing and unpacking
  • Assembly and disassembly of furniture
  • Loading and unloading
  • Transportation
  • Liability coverage (MVP with $0 deductible) with maximum protection of $50,000 
  • Miscellaneous

For an interstate move of a 3-bedroom home in early December with all that stuff, my cost was $8,700, which is more or less in line with their competitor’s prices.

The rep brought the cost down by $400 by offering me a limited-time discount. If I was willing to move in January instead, I could bring down the cost another $300, so my grand total would be about $8,000. If I opted for the basic coverage instead of the MVP with $0 deductible that the rep automatically includes in the estimate, then I would bring down the cost to about $7,960. This was all based on transporting 8,000 pounds of stuff. 

The ability to bring down the cost that much was a huge relief. I know it’s still a lot of money, but it’s less than it could have been and less than some competitors. Also, I still would be doing little more than overseeing the move and labeling boxes. That’s not too shabby if you ask me. 

Pros of Moving with North American

Some northAmerican vans have doors on the back and the side. beltmann.com

They give you room to bring down the cost of your move. 

The representative who conducted the home tour was helpful and willing to work with me to reduce the price. He kept saying he wanted to help and win my business. Then, he actually unlocked a discount to decrease the price by $400! With added flexibility you can also save. Ask and ye shall receive, especially if you can move at a different time and there are deals available. 

With 500 locations (!), you can probably find an agent near both destinations. 

North American has widespread reach, so you should be able to find an agent near your starting and ending points. 

Great customer service.

Moving is not always pleasant. But when you can rely on the customer service representatives and the staff with whom you are working, it eases some of the tension. My rep helped me lower the cost and was willing to go the extra mile to win my business. He also answered all my questions and tried to address any concerns that I had. That is a great way to get an edge on the competition.

Cons of Moving with North American

You might break the bank. 

No matter how you look at it, full-service moving packages are expensive. Even the cheapest route offered by North American has me paying in the neighborhood of $8,000. That’s super expensive. If you have the money, however, it’s a worthy luxury. After all, you save your back and your heart by reducing stress levels. 

The timeline to get an estimate is a turn-off. 

You have to jump through hoops with scheduling a date for a home tour and then go through with it. Then, you sometimes even have to wait for the written estimate to be certain of the breakdown. In a world where we’ve become used to immediate, easy answers, this is a hard pill to swallow.  

Experience varies by location

You will have to do your homework. Each North American location is run by a different company. With agents all over the country, you will find the experience will vary from place to place. Check out reviews about your local agent to find out what your experience might be like.  

Should You Choose North American to Move?

A full-service move is a big investment. It’s worth it if you can afford it. After all, who wants to lose days of their lives packing and unpacking? And North American offers competitive prices for full-service packages. 

Are they better than other long distance movers? You have to consider the cost and the drive of the local North American agent working with you. In my case, the agent was the largest among North American’s roster, which made them skillful at dealing with multiple clients at a time. Your (literal) mileage may vary.

You also need to be about six weeks away from your move date to consider hiring North American right now because the company is super busy. You will need time both for getting an estimate and scheduling your actual move. 

Obviously, choosing one company over another is a personal decision. But if you can afford a full-service move and have a reputable North American agent to work with, they may be willing to undercut other van line quotes in your areas.

 For more info, check out Moving101 and our picks of long distance moving companies.

Every Major Moving Report of 2017 Analyzed: Where Is Everybody Going?

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Migration reports are out in full force, including the famous United Van Lines yearly report.

But while United handles more moves annually than any other mover network in the country, their numbers are not definitive across the industry board.

North American, Atlas and Allied all see slightly – and in some cases, wildly – different results in their migration study results. Not a surprise, because as a Full Service move provider, United handles a somewhat different clientele compared to companies like ABF, U-Haul and PODS – companies whose numbers might look a lot different. Then there’s that little thing called the Census.

Yep, the state-to-state migration numbers for 2017 are out – and folks, we have new inbound state champions! Here are the results:

United Van Lines

Vermont Takes United 2017 Inbound Crown

In 2015 they came in at third on the inbound rankings. In 2016 they inched their way up to number two. Now, this tiny state known mainly for skiing and maple syrup has captured the coveted top inbound spot on United’s 2017 National Movers Study.

Yes, the champagne is indeed flowing like syrup in Stowe, Killington and Montpelier as Vermont looks back on a year that saw a whopping 68% of their interstate moves coming in. 

Reasons

According to United’s survey, “family” was the most common reason respondents gave for relocating to the Green Mountain State. Retirement, lifestyle and job also figured fairly evenly into the equation.

On the other hand, a full 75% of people moving out of state gave employment as their reason. This helps explain why half of all outbounders fell into the Under-35 age category – and another 25% were between 35 and 45 – while 40% of those moving into the state were 65 or older.

Those mountains may be green, but with those unemployment numbers, it looks like the valleys are starting to turn gray.

But before we start replacing all those ski lifts with wheelchair-friendly escalators, let’s take a step back and look a little closer at where the stats behind Vermont’s inbound crown come from. Keep in mind we don’t know how many moves Vermont actually saw by their report. (68% can be broken down to 17 inbound moves and 8 outbound moves – which hardly amounts to a mass migration to this land of wooden bridges and Bernie Sanders.)

Inbound:

1. Vermont
2. Oregon
3. Idaho
4. Nevada
5. South Dakota
6. Washington
7. South Carolina
8. North Carolina
9. Colorado
10. Alabama

This past year saw some familiar names on United’s Top Ten Inbound States list. Oregon, Nevada and North Carolina are all there, as they have been every year since 2011. Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, South Carolina and Arizona are also back after making 2016’s inbound list. Newcomers include Alabama and Colorado. Meanwhile, Florida has dropped off the inbound list after a strong three-year run.

This past year’s top inbound states are also fairly spread out around the country. The same cannot be said about United’s outbound states.

Outbound:

1. Illinois
2. New Jersey
3. New York
4. Connecticut
5. Kansas
6. Massachusetts
7. Ohio
8. Kentucky
9. Utah
10. Wisconsin

As with the previous few years, the major exodus seems to be coming out of the Northeast and the Midwest, with Utah adding a little “outbound yellow” to the otherwise blue western region on United’s interactive migration map.

Perennial outbound states New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Illinois have been the most unfortunate ones; we’d have to go back to 2010 to see any of them as balanced. (New York and Connecticut were both spared the shame that year).

North American Moving Services

northamerican.com

Arizona Takes North Americans 2017 Inbound Crown

North American’s inbound champ is Arizona, with 67% of their interstate moves coming into the Grand Canyon State. Other top inbounders not on United’s list include Tennessee, Florida, Georgia and Texas – all south and southeast states. (Those North American drivers must really love the south.)

Inbound:

  1. Arizona
  2. Idaho
  3. North Carolina
  4. South Carolina
  5. Tennessee

Outbound:

  1. Illinois
  2. Connecticut
  3. New Jersey
  4. California
  5. Michigan

Like United, North American has Illinois, New Jersey and Connecticut at the top of their outbound list (with New York a notable #8). But the rest of their top outbounders – California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Maryland (#4-8 on the map) aren’t even on United’s radar.

Interestingly, North American’s #10 outbounder is Washington, which ranks #6 on United’s inbound list.

In accounting for these discrepancies, it is worth noting what North American says of their report’s methodology:

“We define the top inbound and outbound states as those that have the highest proportion of moves where the absolute value difference of inbound and outbound moves is greater than or equal to 400. This weeds out states that had a small number of moves but would have a high ratio of inbound/outbound moves.”

This may explain why United’s 2017 champ Vermont and #5 South Dakota (United’s #1 in 2016 by the way) aren’t anywhere on North American’s Top Ten.

Atlas Van Lines

atlasvanlines.com

Washington Takes Atlas 2017 Inbound Crown

Atlas Van Lines offers some relative surprises too. Idaho, Washington and Nevada as their top three inbounders may not raise any eyebrows. But Alaska, Maine and New Hampshire at #5, #6 and #10? Oregon is a familiar name, but seeing them at #8 seems in contrast to their recent United Van Lines inbound championships.

Atlas’s top outbounder, meanwhile, is Illinois (same as both United and North American – those Fighting Illini have a real stranglehold on that top spot!). And their #2, West Virginia, was a strong outbounder for United for six years straight before balancing out in 2017.

But Nebraska at #3? Nebraska has been balanced for United since 2001! And #4 outbounder South Dakota has been an inbound darling for United the past three years.

Rounding out the Atlas top outbound list are Hawaii, Indiana, Delaware and Louisiana, all of them somewhat surprising since three of them have spent the last ten years on United’s “balanced” register. Only Indiana has managed to make a blip on United’s outbound radar in that time frame.

Inbound:

  1. Idaho
  2. Washington
  3. Nevada
  4. Tennessee
  5. Alaska
  6. Maine
  7. North Carolina
  8. Oregon
  9. Alabama
  10. New Hampshire

Outbound:

  1. Illinois
  2. West Virginia
  3. Nebraska
  4. South Dakota
  5. Hawaii
  6. Indiana
  7. Delaware
  8. New York
  9. Louisiana
  10. Kansas

In contrast to the percentages United and North American provide, Atlas gives actual numbers of inbound and outbound moves for each state. Here we see that Vermont has seen just a fraction of the moves so many other states see, so it’s easy to imagine why they wouldn’t have made it onto North American’s list. (Meanwhile, once again, Canada’s Yukon Territory has seen zero moves. We’ll blame it on the roads.)

Allied Van Lines

allied.com

Florida Takes Allied 2017 Inbound Crown

Allied Van Lines keeps it all very short and sweet. They report only their top fives:

Inbound:

  1. Florida
  2. Arizona
  3. North Carolina
  4. South Carolina
  5. Texas

Outbound:

  1. California
  2. Illinois
  3. Pennsylvania
  4. New Jersey
  5. Michigan

Based on this limited report, we’re able to come to at least one solid conclusion: Allied’s drivers love moving people south even more than North American’s do.

U-Haul

Texas Takes U-Haul 2017 Inbound Crown

Because news outlets predominately focus on Full Service van lines, it can easily be argued this eliminates an entire sector of the migrating public. (In fact, Full Service van lines actually conduct less than half of all moves performed in the US every year.)

Do U-Haul’s numbers reflect what the van lines suggest are moving trends?

Nope.

Inbound:

  1. Texas
  2. Florida
  3. Arkansas
  4. South Carolina
  5. Tennessee
  6. Washington
  7. North Carolina
  8. Connecticut
  9. Colorado
  10. Vermont

Outbound:

  1. California
  2. Illinois
  3. Pennsylvania
  4. Michigan
  5. Massachusetts
  6. New Jersey
  7. New York
  8. Arizona
  9. Maryland
  10. Georgia

Texas tops U-Haul’s 2017 Growth States list. This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, as Texas has fared well recently in the inbound-outbound game. In 2017 their inbound percentages with United, North American and Atlas were 54, 53 and 53, while Allied put Texas down as their fifth biggest inbound state.

Oddly, Texas won U-Haul’s Growth State crown by bringing in – get this – a whopping 50.3% of all one-way truck rental traffic crossing Texas’s borders. That’s right. Fifty. Point. Three.

This hardly lends a whole lot more understanding to the migration trends we’re trying to dissect. But here we are, so let’s keep moving.

U-Haul rounds out its top five Growth States with Florida, Arkansas, South Carolina and Tennessee. Yes, Arkansas – which has been balanced on United’s report 37 of the last 40 years. Then again, Arkansas remained balanced in 2017 on United’s ledger with a 54% outbound rate, so that they are U-Haul’s #3 Growth State is rather surprising no matter how minuscule their positive U-Haul balance might have been.

And who comes in at #8 on U-Haul’s list? That big loser with United and North American (but not with Atlas), Connecticut.

On the flip side, U-Haul has Colorado at #9 – exactly where United and North American have them.

United States Census Bureau

Idaho Takes United States Census Bureau 2017 Inbound Crown

Yes, the Bureau has all the moving numbers we could possibly want. So many, in fact, that it could take until next January to weed through them all.

But thanks to Business Insider we don’t have to.

In this piece with the strangely long title: While the Bureau considers “a variety of components” in determining what’s happening among the more than 325 million people who make up the US population, Business Insider brings us what we need: domestic migration.

Here we see the net population gain or loss for each state for 2017. Births, deaths and international immigration are not counted; this is simply and strictly an account of how many people moved into or out of each state. (Again, not moves, but individual people.)

Inbound:

  1. Idaho
  2. Nevada
  3. South Carolina
  4. Oregon
  5. Arizona
  6. Washington
  7. Montana
  8. Florida
  9. Colorado
  10. North Carolina

And in this, the winner is Idaho, with a net domestic migration gain of 14.6 people per 1,000 residents. In second place comes Nevada, with South Carolina, Oregon and Arizona rounding out the top five. The second half of the big ten winners are Washington, Montana, Florida, Colorado and North Carolina.

These results actually mirror the van lines’ findings to a striking degree. Only Arizona, Montana and Florida don’t show up in United’s top ten. Seven of the Census top ten are also on North American’s top ten. Unbelievably, Colorado is #9 on all three lists.

As for the Net Domestic Migration losers? Yes, Illinois is up there, but at #5, maybe this is the survey they should be talking about in Chicago.

Outbound:

  1. Wyoming
  2. Alaska
  3. New York
  4. Hawaii
  5. Illinois
  6. North Dakota
  7. New Jersey
  8. Connecticut
  9. Louisiana
  10. West Virginia

The big loser in the 2017 migration tournament is Wyoming, a surprise since the Equality State doesn’t show up on any van line outbound lists – or inbound for that matter. United had them at 53% inbound for 2017. North American had them at 54% in. Only Atlas has them as outbound – based on a grand total of 330 moves.

The Bureau’s next three biggest net migration losers are Alaska, New York and Hawaii. Alaska and Hawaii, neither of which show up anywhere for United or North American, are Atlas’s #5 inbound and #5 outbound, respectively. North Dakota, New Jersey, Connecticut, Louisiana and West Virginia complete the Bureau’s top ten.

Again, while there are outbound wild cards, we still see some consistency between the Bureau and the van lines. Atlas and the Bureau actually have seven migration losers in common between their top tens. Looking at the US Census Bureau’s Net Domestic Migration map we can clearly see the winners clustered in the south and west with the losers dominating the northeast and midwest.

What’s The Takeaway?

Remember, the numbers put together by each of the van lines represent the migration trends among the customers they’ve served. Van lines count moves, the Bureau counts people.

This may not account for the reason United’s inbound champion Vermont is somehow a net loser according to the Census Bureau’s numbers, but it does suggest that, despite the discrepancies, the van lines and the Census Bureau can give a decent overall on what is going on out there.

But in the cases where data remains too contradictory to be meaningful, evaluating regions rather than individual states might give us a slightly more reliable picture of the migration trends playing out across the US. At the end of the day, we are only looking at a mere slice of the American migratory pie.

There’s More Realistic Data Out There

We need another, more encompassing way to look at where America is moving to and from.

DIY Moves and Hybrid Moves (besides U-Haul), which by far and away are the more common ways to move, are sorely misrepresented. When you move, do you routinely call up $2,000+ movers? Have you ever saved money by having your friends move you? What are these Full Service reports actually reflecting?

That’s something to keep in mind when the local news sounds off on “moving trends” based off a single Full Service Moving company’s report. 

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