7 Best Moving Companies in Tennessee of 2022

In this article: Best Moving Companies | The Bottom Line | Compare the Best Moving Companies | FAQs | Methodology

Tennessee has much to offer new residents. Urban Nashville is the country music capital of the world, and Memphis and Murfreesboro offer low living costs. Despite the attractiveness of your new home, the relocation process can be a huge hassle.

A top-rated moving company will seamlessly get you from your old home to your new one. To recommend the best companies, we at the Home Media reviews team analyzed dozens of Tennessee movers and ranked them on cost, services, customer reviews and more.

Tennessee’s 7 Best Moving Companies

Based on our research, here are the best moving companies in Tennessee:

International Van Lines

• Award: Our pick for insurance plans
• Service model: Full service
• Founded: 2000

International Van Lines (IVL) formed in 2000 as an international logistics company. Today, the Florida-based moving company offers local and long-distance moving services in addition to international relocations.

International Van Lines has several insurance options available to customers. IVL’s all-risk insurance covers up to $250,000 worth of items for movers who opt for professional packing services. For self-pack customers, total-loss insurance is available but only covers the full value of your items if the entire moving shipment is lost or destroyed.

IVL will automatically provide basic limited liability insurance if you don’t purchase upgraded insurance.

Services

International Van Lines offers industry-standard solutions and specialty services for full-service moves. Customers can create personalized moving packages that fit their needs and budgets.

Here are some more of IVL’s services:

• Air freight
• Auto transport
• Corporate relocation
• Furniture assembly and disassembly
• Government and military moving
• Loading and unloading
• Ocean freight
• Office moving
• Transportation

Cost

The quote that International Van Lines provides isn’t a binding estimate, meaning it may change. For example, it may cost extra for International Van Lines movers to pack and load bulky items.

To create your quote, International Van Lines will consider the date and distance of your move and the size of your shipment. If you choose all-risk insurance or any additional services, it will increase your moving costs.

International Van Lines offers a 10%–15% discount to active and retired military members. You’ll need to pay a 25% deposit to reserve your move date. International Van Lines accepts cash and credit card payments.

Get your quote: Fill out a form on International Van Lines’ website or call 888-375-6309 to get your moving quote.

To learn more: International Van Lines review

American Van Lines

• Award: Our pick for long-distance moves
• Service model: Full service 
• Founded: 1995

American Van Lines is a full-service moving carrier that serves the contiguous United States. The family-owned business handles all its moves in-house and offers customers a range of standard and specialty options for long-distance and local moves.

American Van Lines is our pick for long-distance moves due to its superior moving staff. AVL hires and trains expert movers who average 10 years of experience. The company also trains movers to properly handle difficult items, such as pianos and antiques. AVL’s movers also undergo regular safety training.

Services

AVL serves the 48 contiguous U.S. states but does not provide moves in Alaska, Hawaii or abroad. In addition to loading, unloading, transportation and packing services, AVL offers expert assistance for moving specialty items.

Here are some ways American Van Lines can meet your moving needs:

• Antiques and fine arts moving
• Commercial moving
• Corporate relocation
• Local moving
• Long-distance moving
• Military moving
• Piano moving
• Storage

Cost

American Van Lines will offer a binding estimate, meaning it won’t change after you sign your contract. To create your quote, American Van Lines will consider the weight of your belongings, the size of your home, the date and distance of your move, and any specialty services you add. Your quote will increase if you add services after signing your contract.

To reserve your moving date, you’ll have to pay an up-front deposit of 10% to 50% of your moving estimate. American Van Lines accepts credit cards and cash.

Get your quote: Visit American Van Lines’ website or call 877-960-3186 to start your moving quote.

To learn more: American Van Lines review

Moving APT

• Award: Most flexible payment options
• Service model: Full service
• Founded: 1999

Moving APT isn’t a moving company, but rather a moving broker. When you fill out Moving APT’s free quote form, the company will connect you to pre-screened moving companies in Tennessee. Moving APT will be your point of contact throughout the entire process and will coordinate your move to fit your needs and budget.

Moving APT accepts multiple forms of payment, including cash, credit cards and personal checks. This company even offers a financing option. You can make payments online, over the phone or in person.

Services

Moving APT can match you with a company that provides services such as packing and unpacking, furniture assembly and specialty item moving. The company offers full- and partial-service moves for international, local and interstate relocations.

Here are some of the services Moving APT can connect you with:

• Car shipping
• Corporate relocation
• Furniture moving
• Interstate moving
• Local moving
• Long-distance moving
• Out-of-state moving
• Packing services
• Residential moving

Cost

When you fill out an online moving quote form or call a customer service representative, Moving APT will offer a binding estimate. Moving APT’s brokerage services will factor into your quote, meaning your move may be more expensive than if you had booked with a moving company directly. Always review your quote and understand your charges before signing any contracts.

Moving APT will need to conduct an in-home or virtual assessment to create your quote.

Moving APT offers discounts to active and retired military members, seniors and differently abled individuals. You’ll also receive a lower quote if you schedule your move well in advance or if you are moving less than 50 miles away. Up-front deposits are required to reserve your moving date, though the amount varies by provider.

Moving APT accepts credit cards, cash and checks.

Get your quote: Visit Moving APT’s website to get matched with the right mover for you.

Allied Van Lines

• Award: Our pick for convenience
• Service model: Full service 
• Founded: 1928

Allied Van Lines has more than 90 years of experience with residential and commercial moving. This company offers many benefits to its customers, such as the Allied Advantage. You’ll receive assistance during every part of the moving process, from pre-planning to packing, loading, unpacking and unloading on moving day.

Allied Van Lines is our pick for convenience. It offers an a la carte menu of services so customers can create their own moving packages. You may also opt for an Allied Express moving container and conduct a self-service move. However, Allied will provide moving labor free of charge.

Besides full- and partial-service offerings, you can take advantage of vehicle transportation and flexible storage when moving with Allied Van Lines.

Services

Allied Van Lines offers industry-standard services, such as packing, unpacking, loading and unloading. As a carrier and a broker, Allied has a large fleet of trucks and a global network of movers to assist customers in all 50 states and 130 countries.

The following are some of the services Allied offers:

• Corporate relocation
• Cross-country moving
• Household moving
• International moving
• Interstate moving
• Long-distance moving
• Packing
• Storage
• Transportation

Cost

Allied offers binding estimates based on the size of your shipment, the distance of your move and any add-on services or contents coverage plans you choose. A consultant will conduct a virtual or in-home review of your belongings and home layout.

You can pay with credit card, cash or check. Allied Van Lines doesn’t require an up-front deposit. Allied does not advertise any discounts or price matching.

Get your quote: Visit Allied Van Lines’ website to get started with a moving quote.

To learn more: Allied Van Lines review

North American Van Lines

• Award: Our pick for easy claims process
• Service model: Full service
• Founded: 1933

North American Van Lines has been moving families and businesses for more than 80 years. This company has more than 500 agent locations across the United States and Canada and can accommodate local, long-distance and international moves.

North American Van Lines is our pick for an easy claims process. You can find domestic and international claims forms on its website, as well as resources and claims support for help filing. This is convenient if any of your items were lost or damaged during the moving process.

Services

North American Van Lines offers all the essential solutions for a full-service move, such as furniture assembly and disassembly and storage. North American Van Lines will help you customize your moving package if you only need a partial-service move.

You can choose from these North American Van Lines services:

• Appliance installation
• Assembly and disassembly
• Boxes and packing materials
• Corporate relocation
• Full-service moving
• Household moving
• International moving
• Loading and unloading
• Local moving
• Long-distance moving
• Packing
• Partial-service moving
• Storage

Cost

North American Van Lines will create a binding estimate after conducting a home assessment and considering factors such as the size of your items and your moving distance. All full-service moving quotes include loading and unloading, furniture assembly and transportation. Remember that some services, such as vehicle relocation and storage, will cost extra.

North American Van Lines offers discounts to American Legion members and their immediate families, including $100,000 in replacement coverage. North American Van Lines accepts credit cards, cash and checks. You don’t need to pay an up-front deposit.

Get your quote: Fill out North American Van Lines’ online form or call 877-624-0912 for a quote.

To learn more: North American Van Lines review

JK Moving Services

• Award: Our pick for financing
• Service model: Full service 
• Founded: 1982

JK Moving is an innovative force in the moving industry, using the latest technology to assist its customers. JK Moving offers a mobile app to track every step of your move and makes virtual surveys easier with AI-driven technology.

You may be able to finance your move with JK Moving. This company partners with Enhancify to offer moving loans to qualified customers who wish to spread moving costs out over time. You may receive an interest rate as low as 0%, if qualified.

Services

JK Moving offers industry-standard solutions for a full-service move, including packing and unpacking, loading and unloading, and transportation. The company partners with third-party companies to deliver the services needed for international moves. If needed, JK Moving offers climate-controlled storage facilities with motion sensors, 24/7 video surveillance and fire suppression systems.

Here are the moving services that JK Moving offers:

• Commercial moves
• Employee relocation
• International moving
• Government moving
• Loading and unloading
• Local moving
• Long-distance moving
• Office moves
• Packing and unpacking
• Residential moving
• Storage
• Transportation

Cost

JK Moving will offer a binding quote. After you fill out its online form, a customer representative will call you to conduct a home assessment. JK Moving will also consider the distance of your move and the shipment size. Specialty and add-on services will increase the price.

If you’re interested in financing, you can get pre-approved on the company’s website. In addition to financing, JK Moving also accepts checks, credit cards and cash. You’ll have to pay a $250 deposit to reserve your move date.

Get your quote: Visit JK Moving’s site or call 571-487-8929 for an estimate.

To learn more: JK Moving review

PODS

• Award: Our pick for self-service mover
• Service model: Self-service
• Founded: 1998

PODS containers offer flexible storage solutions for self-service moving. With PODS, you have control over every aspect of your move. You can do your own packing and loading, and PODS will transport your container to your new home.

Even though PODS operates nationwide, you can only receive an online quote if you’re moving locally in Tennessee. You’ll have to call its customer service line for any long-distance moves.

Services

PODS offers moving containers in 8-foot, 12-foot and 16-foot sizes. Keep in mind that 12-foot containers are only available for local moves. You will have 30 days to pack and load your container. If you need, PODS can connect you to a third party offering packing and loading assistance.

Here are the ways that PODS can assist your next move:

• Boxes and moving supplies
• Car shipping
• Container rentals
• Loading assistance (via third party)
• Local moving
• Long-distance moving
• Packing assistance (via third party)
• PODS for Business
• Self-service moving
• Storage

Cost

If you’re undergoing a long-distance move, your PODS estimate will include delivery and pickup charges in addition to one month of storage. If you need to store your items for longer, PODS will bill you on a monthly basis. Keep in mind that you must call PODS if you want a long-distance moving quote.

PODS offers discounts to customers moving locally and offers regular promotions. This company accepts all major credit cards and some locations accept cash. PODS doesn’t require a deposit, but you may need to pay the full estimate in advance.

Get your quote: Visit PODS’ website to get started.

To learn more: PODS review

The Bottom Line: Which Is the Best Moving Company in Tennessee?

The three top moving companies we recommend to Tennessee residents are International Van Lines, American Van Lines and Moving APT. 

International Van Lines offers customizable insurance plans to protect expensive belongings. American Van Lines offers unique services, such as antique moving, that can benefit long-distance moves. Moving APT can connect you to local movers in Tennessee and will remain your point of contact during the entire moving process. 

The best moving company in Tennessee depends on your specific needs and cost restrictions. We recommend that you request quotes from at least three companies before signing a contract.

Compare the Best Moving Companies in Tennessee

See how the best moving companies compare on key metrics.

*Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings are accurate as of October 2022.

Methodology: Our System for Ranking the Best Moving Companies

We collected data on dozens of moving companies, both full service and self-service, and created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings, grade each company and provide objective findings to our readers. The end result of weighing a wide range of factors is a cumulative score for each provider.

We called each moving company directly, spoke with representatives to get an in-depth understanding of their offerings and simulated the quote and scheduling process. We also reviewed each company’s contents protection (insurance) plan information in detail, and we closely examined more than 100 customer reviews to understand the customer service experience with each provider.

All company data is monitored on an ongoing basis so that all rankings and information remain up-to-date.

Once we gathered all relevant data, we used the following scoring system to grade each moving company on a 100-point scale:

• Moving Services (20 points): Does the company provide its services for local moves, interstate moves and/or international moves? The more options available, the higher the score. Points were deducted for any local moving restrictions, such as a minimum mileage requirement or limited availability.
• Mover Type (3 points): Is the provider a moving broker or a carrier? Given that carriers often offer a more seamless customer communication experience, more points were awarded to companies that act as carriers instead of or in addition to acting as moving brokers.
• Additional Services (20 points): Services we factored in include packing and unpacking, loading and unloading, vehicle relocation, fragile pack or specialty services and storage service. The more services a moving company offers, the higher the score it received.
• Insurance Coverage (10 points): If a company offers only the minimum requirement of 60¢ and a full-valuation coverage option, it received a lower score. If the company offers multiple moving insurance options, such as customizable full-value coverage, it received a higher score.
• Payment Process (20 points): For each payment option the company provides, it received more points. Options include binding estimates or fixed rates, discounts or price-matching policies, credit card payments, cash or check payments and/or financing options. Points were deducted if a company requires a deposit.
• Availability (5 points): Companies were awarded points based on state availability.
• Scheduling (6 points): The more scheduling options a company offers, such as online scheduling, over the phone or both, the more points it received.
• Trailers/Containers (6 points): Companies received higher scores for having a range of trailer or container sizes.
• Additional Benefits (5 points): What additional benefits do customers receive from the company? Does the customer have access to a moving calculator, GPS or online tracking options, a moving checklist, packing and moving materials and/or a moving inventory app? The more of these options a company provides, the more points it received.
• Reputation (5 points): We factored in the company’s score on the Business Better Bureau (BBB) and deducted points for any alerts or pending lawsuits.