My $8,798.37 Michigan to Florida Move with Allied Van Lines
Fact Checked by: 
Warren, MI → Jacksonville, FL
$9,081.03
Two-bedroom home
$8,798.37
$282.66 under my quote
1,019 mi
Long-distance, interstate
- I compared three quotes before I hired Allied Van Lines for my Michigan to Florida move.
- My final bill landed $282.66 under the estimate because the crew used fewer boxes than expected and the truck weighed less than Allied estimated.
- I shared all of it, my quotes, my bills, and my ratings, as part of moveBuddha’s Better Moves Project.
See what your move really costs before a mover tells you.
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This account is based on a conversation with Pavan R., who moved from Warren, Michigan, to Jacksonville, Florida, in September 2024 using Allied Van Lines. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My move from Michigan to Florida
I moved from Warren, Michigan, to Jacksonville, Florida, for a new job. I was swapping Michigan’s cooler weather for Florida’s balmy beaches, but I was worried about the logistics of moving my belongings more than 1,000 miles and the risk of damage along the way.
Early in my research, I found moveBuddha and joined its Better Moves Project, which paid me a $500 stipend to share my experience.
Planning a long-distance move of your own? According to moveBuddha, people who start with its moving cost calculator save 30% on average compared to people who book the first quote they receive.
My Allied Van Lines experience at a glance
Here’s what stood out most about moving with Allied Van Lines, good and bad.
- Communication: My personal move coordinator contacted me before and after every step of the process, so I knew what to expect and everything went smoothly.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: My final cost came in $282.66 under my original quote, because the crew used fewer boxes for packing than expected and the truck weighed less than the initial estimate.
- Professionalism: Allied and Rose Moving & Storage impressed me throughout, with consistent communication, a thorough in-home estimate, and packers and movers who worked safely and efficiently.
- Timeliness: Both the packers and the movers arrived on time at my home in Michigan, and everything reached my new home in Florida on time, seven days later.
- Loss and damage: The only damage was a small dent in my stainless steel trash can and ball bearings that fell out of a wheel on my TV stand. Nothing major!
- Would I use Allied Van Lines again? Definitely. Their excellent communication, on-time service, and safe, timely delivery of my belongings won me over.
under my original Allied Van Lines quote
Find out what a move from Michigan → Florida actually costs before a mover tells you.
Why I chose Allied Van Lines
Allied’s in-home estimate sealed the deal. Like all van lines, Allied uses a national network of vetted independent movers, and it assigned Rose Moving & Storage in nearby Belleville, Michigan, to work directly with me. The Rose representative went through every room, explained how everything would be packed, and warned me they would need to build a custom crate for my 83-inch OLED TV. I also took a binding not-to-exceed estimate, so I could pay less than my $9,081.03 quote if Allied overestimated the move size, but I would never pay more if the move turned out larger.
The main drawback was the price. Allied’s quote gave me a little sticker shock because it was significantly higher than the other two, and I also paid for a full-service move with packing, unpacking, and additional insurance coverage. Every one of those add-ons raises your total, so build them into your moving checklist early.
rating
- Fragile packing
- Storage options
- 24/7 shipment tracking
- Quick & efficient
- Accurate quotes
My move at a glance
Here are the basics of my relocation, including what I was quoted and what I actually paid for my Michigan to Florida move.
| Move date | September 4, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Moved from | Warren, MI |
| Moved to | Jacksonville, FL |
| Distance | 1,019 miles |
| Move size | Two-bedroom home |
| Moving company | Allied Van Lines |
| Moving quote | $9,081.03 |
| Actual cost | $8,798.37 |
We found that when you use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator, you can save 30% on moving costs compared to customers who go with the first quote they receive.
Quotes I compared
I wanted the extra support of a full-service moving company, but the online reviews scared me, because so many of them are negative. moveBuddha cautions people against choosing a mover based on customer reviews alone. Moving is tricky even with one of the best companies, and people tend to share feedback only when the experience is bad, so online reviews skew negative.
I found moveBuddha fairly early in my research and used its guides to narrow my search. Articles like its list of the best long-distance moving companies gave me the confidence to decide which companies to ask for quotes.
I requested quotes from Allied, Safeway Moving, and JK Moving Services. moveBuddha recommends gathering quotes from at least three companies to compare services and pricing, and three is what I got.
Allied was the only company that gave me an in-person estimate. That home visit produced a much more thorough and accurate count of my belongings and their total weight than I could have gotten over the phone, and it likely explains why Allied’s quote was significantly higher than the others.
My phone estimates from both Safeway and JK Moving were much lower, but so were the total weights they used for my belongings: nearly half what Allied calculated during the in-home inventory. Allied’s estimate of 7,000 pounds turned out to be pretty accurate. If I had gone with one of the cheaper quotes built on a smaller move size, I could have ended up paying close to twice as much as that initial low number.
Here is how my three quotes stacked up, from most to least expensive.
| Company | Estimated move size | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| Allied Van Lines | 7,000 pounds | $9,081.03 |
| Safeway Moving | 4,767 pounds | $7,653 |
| JK Moving Services | 4,000 pounds | $6,995.46 |
JK Moving Services is known as a white-glove mover, which usually means premium pricing, yet its estimate was the lowest of my three. Allied’s in-home estimate is what won me over instead.
Pickup day
After I agreed to Allied’s quoted price, Allied assigned me a personal coordinator who served as my single point of contact throughout the move. The packing crew was coming the day before moving day, so my coordinator called me the day before that to confirm a time.
The packers arrived promptly at 9 a.m. and worked efficiently to box up my things with care. As promised, they crated my 83-inch TV for maximum protection, and my coordinator even checked in during packing to see how everything was going.
My coordinator told me the moving crew would arrive the next day at 9 a.m., and they showed up right on time. It took about four hours for the movers to load everything into the truck, and my coordinator called again to make sure everything was going smoothly.
The movers worked safely and efficiently, and they loaded my crated 83-inch OLED TV with the same care they gave everything else.
Delivery day
I was told it would take seven days for my belongings to reach my new home in Florida, and that’s exactly what happened. Before delivery, I got some great news: since the movers had used fewer boxes and the truck weighed less than anticipated, my final invoice was $282.66 less than the original quote.
Delivery was much like moving day, with excellent communication and professional work from Allied. My truck driver called me two days before arrival and again the morning of delivery so I could get ready for them, which I appreciated.
The movers unloaded everything efficiently, put each item where I wanted it, and even reassembled my furniture. They also helped me find an item that had been packed in the wrong labeled box.
Of all my belongings, the only damage was a small dent in my stainless steel trash can and ball bearings that fell out of a wheel on my TV stand. My crated 83-inch OLED TV arrived in perfect condition.
Final thoughts
Allied Van Lines and its partner Rose Moving & Storage delivered excellent results from start to finish. I’m especially impressed by the communication, with multiple calls from both Allied and Rose before and even during packing, moving day, and delivery. I always knew what to expect.
Even more important, the movers lived up to their promises on everything from the arrival times of the packing and moving teams to the safety of my belongings in transit. I was thrilled with how they handled my move.
Allied’s initial price gave me a little sticker shock, but I felt I got my money’s worth thanks to the care the movers took with packing, loading, and delivering my things. The not-to-exceed quote locked in my price, and I came out $282.66 ahead.
I would use Allied Van Lines again, and I would recommend both Allied and Rose Moving & Storage to anyone planning a similar long-distance move from Michigan. They turned what is often a stressful experience into something much more manageable before I started my new job in a brand-new place.
Comparing quotes on a long-distance move? Use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to see what your route should cost, then ask every company for a binding not-to-exceed estimate.
My ratings
Here’s how I rated Allied Van Lines on a scale of 1 to 5:
- Communication: 5. My coordinator and the crews contacted me before and after every step, from packing through delivery.
- Timeliness: 5. The packers and movers arrived on time in Michigan, and my belongings reached Florida on time, seven days later.
- Quote accuracy: 4. Allied quoted me $9,081.03 and my final cost was $8,798.37, which came to $282.66 less than the quote.
- Overall experience: 5. Excellent communication, on-time arrivals, and safe delivery made the whole move feel manageable.
More moving resources
- Allied Van Lines review: real customer experiences
- Binding vs. non-binding estimates: what’s the difference?
- Best moving companies
- Best interstate moving companies for long-distance moves
- Another Allied Van Lines move: Missouri to South Carolina
- The Better Moves Project: real moving experiences from real customers
Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Pavan R.’s experience:
- Get an in-home estimate: Pavan R.’s in-person estimate from Allied gave a far more thorough and accurate count of his belongings and their weight than a phone call could. It likely explains why Allied’s quote was significantly higher than the other two.
- Compare the weight, not just the price: Pavan R.’s phone estimates from Safeway Moving and JK Moving Services were much lower, but so were their total weights, nearly half what Allied calculated. Lower quotes are only helpful if the move size behind them is right, or you could pay significantly more on moving day.
- Ask for a binding not-to-exceed estimate: Pavan R. paid $8,798.37 against a $9,081.03 quote because the crew used fewer boxes and the truck weighed less. If the move had been larger, his price still would not have gone up.
- Gather at least three quotes: Pavan R. compared Allied, Safeway Moving, and JK Moving Services. Three quotes make it easier to compare services and pricing side by side.
- Check the local mover, not just the van line: Allied assigned Rose Moving & Storage to Pavan R.’s move, and Rose was punctual and professional. Large companies like Allied do their best to vet smaller partners, but there is no guarantee every local mover will perform the same way, so check reviews for both the van line and the local movers in your area.
- Don’t pick a mover on reviews alone: Online reviews skew negative because people tend to share feedback when the experience is bad. Use them as one input alongside quotes, in-home estimates, and guides.
- Ask about custom crating: Pavan R.’s representative explained up front that his 83-inch OLED TV needed a custom crate, and the TV arrived in perfect condition.
Moving soon? We’ll pay you $500 to tell it like Pavan R. did.
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