I Compared 7 Quotes for My D.C. to Missouri Move
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Washington, D.C. → St. Louis, MO
$3,332
A one-bedroom apartment, in storage
$4,074
+$742 for extra items and packing
831 mi
Long-distance, interstate
- I compared seven quotes before I hired American Van Lines for my Washington, D.C., to St. Louis move, and I coordinated the whole thing from 831 miles away.
- My final bill landed $742 over the estimate, because the crew packed a few boxes and moved items my inventory had missed after two years in storage.
- I shared all of it, my quotes, my bills, and my ratings, as part of moveBuddha’s Better Moves Project.
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This account is based on a conversation with Kathy G., who moved household goods from a storage unit in Washington, D.C., to an apartment in St. Louis, Missouri, in January 2023 using American Van Lines. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My move from Washington, D.C., to Missouri
I put my household goods into storage in Washington, D.C., and moved back to St. Louis during the COVID pandemic. It was supposed to be temporary. Then I found an apartment and decided to make it permanent in late 2022, at which point my things were still more than 800 miles away and had been sitting untouched for over two years.
I couldn’t remember exactly what was in there. My best guess was about 50 boxes and miscellaneous furniture, roughly 3,000 pounds. Nothing bulky or especially fragile, though I had a guitar I vaguely remembered packing into a wardrobe carton years earlier. Rather than fly back to Washington to meet the movers, I coordinated everything from Missouri and gave a local friend power of attorney to act for me. I hoped it wouldn’t become a burden on her, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something would go wrong at the last minute and my moving budget wouldn’t stretch.
A timely email from moveBuddha introduced me to the Better Moves Project and gave me an alternative to the companies that had been hounding me. According to moveBuddha, users who compare movers this way save more than 30% versus taking the first quote they get.
My American Van Lines experience at a glance
Here’s what stood out most about moving with American Van Lines, good and bad.
- Communication: High marks. I had one point of contact from beginning to end, a coordinator named Liz, and she called and emailed proactively rather than waiting for me to chase her.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: My move cost $742 more than quoted, which I expected, because the crew moved a few extra items and did packing that wasn’t in the original estimate.
- Professionalism: The office staff and both moving crews were polite, helpful, and professional.
- Timeliness: My things were picked up two days late after the assigned truck broke down, and everything still arrived in St. Louis inside the agreed delivery window.
- Loss and damage: Nothing was lost and nothing was damaged, including a guitar I’d forgotten I owned.
- Would I use American Van Lines again? Yes. They communicated well and delivered solid value on a long-distance move I ran from another state.
over my original American Van Lines quote
Find out what a move from Washington D.C. → Missouri actually costs before a mover tells you.
Why I chose American Van Lines
Finding a mover looked straightforward until I entered my details on an online estimate form I thought was going to one specific company. I was then bombarded with calls and emails from high-pressure sales reps. I answered a lot of phone calls before I worked out that my information had been distributed, or more likely sold, and that these companies were using sleazy tactics to get me to sign before I’d had time to compare estimates or get my questions answered.
With American Van Lines it was the opposite. I filled out an online form and they kept my information private. A helpful representative called me back, prepared an inventory and an estimate, and walked me through the whole process. Their price was more than I wanted to spend, and I’ll admit my expectations were unreasonable, because the brokers who’d hounded me early on had quoted numbers that were never realistic.
rating
- Experienced & fully trained moving crews
- Specializes in moving art & antiques
- Competitive pricing
- Can handle last-minute moves
- Climate-controlled storage
My move at a glance
Here are the basics of my relocation, including what I was quoted and what I actually paid for my Washington, D.C., to St. Louis move.
| Move date | January 15, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Moved from | Washington, D.C. |
| Moved to | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Distance | 831 miles |
| Move size | The contents of a 500-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment (in a storage unit) |
| Moving company | American Van Lines |
| Moving quote | $3,332 |
| Actual cost | $4,074 |
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 spent a week on this, asked friends, family, and coworkers for referrals, and eventually limited my search to the best interstate moving companies because side-by-side comparison was so much easier. Seven quotes came back, and the spread tells you something important: the companies that estimated my weight lowest quoted cheapest.
| Company/service type | Estimated weight/volume | Cost estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Safeway Relocation Services (full service) | 2,331 pounds/333 cubic feet | $2,048 |
| Alliance Van Lines (full service) | Undisclosed | $2,201 |
| Roadway Van Lines (full service) | Undisclosed | $2,572 |
| American Van Lines (full service) | 2,982 pounds | $3,332 |
| Mayzlin Relocation (full service) | 5,600 pounds/800 cubic feet | $4,900 |
| International Van Lines (full service) | 3,542 pounds/506 cubic feet | $5,410 |
| Safeway Moving (full service) | 5,600 pounds/800 cubic feet | $5,510 |
American Van Lines’ quote covered loading and unloading labor, door-to-door transportation, a stair carry charge for my third-floor apartment in St. Louis, assembly of standard items like beds and tables, released-value coverage at $0.60 per pound per item, all applicable taxes and fees, and a fuel surcharge. I declined additional coverage.
Pickup day
I signed the contract and paid a small deposit to lock in loading dates between January 11 and 13. As the date approached, Liz called and emailed several times to make sure nothing had been overlooked, which I appreciated. Everything was already packed in the storage unit, so there wasn’t much for me to do beyond making sure my friend had power of attorney and knew when to be there.
A few days out I learned the truck assigned to my move had broken down and my shipment was being reassigned to a partner company. Not a disaster, though the new company, Suddath Relocation, couldn’t collect until the 15th, two days later than planned.
Liz told me the crew would meet my friend at the storage unit between 8 a.m. and noon on the 15th, and they arrived on time at 10:30. I monitored the whole thing nervously from St. Louis, in constant contact with my friend, who assured me the crew was polite, professional, and efficient. Once the truck was situated it took them 90 minutes to build an inventory, pack a few last-minute boxes, wrap loose items in quilted blankets, and load everything.
Delivery day
I wanted my things as early as possible, and all Liz could tell me was that scheduling was in progress and I’d get at least 24 hours’ notice. I got a text the day before confirming delivery for the 26th, along with the balance I’d owe before unloading started, which was genuinely useful because it gave me time to get a Post Office money order.
The crew arrived on schedule on the 26th, took a quick look around, and started carrying my boxes and furniture up to the third floor. I stayed in the kitchen, answered questions, and tried to keep out of the way.
Even with the stairs, they had everything inside and set up in about two hours, and nothing had been lost or damaged between Washington and St. Louis. The driver went through the paperwork with me and answered a few last questions before leaving, and Liz called afterward to check that it had all gone to plan.
Final thoughts
Suddath collected my things a few days late, and everything reached St. Louis inside the agreed window without loss or damage. My one real complaint is that at some point Liz suggested my things might arrive in as little as two days. When that didn’t happen, the wait felt longer than it was, because I’d let myself get hopeful.
My move also cost more than I’d planned, which wasn’t a surprise, since the crew moved extra items and did packing that wasn’t in the original estimate. That’s the consequence of not knowing exactly what was in a unit I hadn’t opened in two years. Communication with American Van Lines was good throughout, Liz resolved everything promptly, and I’d use them again.
Planning a long-distance move? Use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare real quotes from vetted movers before you book.
My ratings
Here’s how I scored American Van Lines on a scale of 1 to 5 based on my end-to-end experience.
- Communication: 4 out of 5. One point of contact throughout, proactive calls and emails, and one optimistic delivery estimate that set my expectations wrong.
- Timeliness: 3 out of 5. My lowest score. Pickup slipped two days when the assigned truck broke down, though delivery still landed inside the window.
- Quote accuracy: 4 out of 5. I paid $4,074 against a $3,332 estimate, and the gap came from items and packing I hadn’t accounted for.
- Overall experience: 4 out of 5. Nothing lost, nothing damaged, and a move I ran entirely from 831 miles away.
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Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Kathy G.’s experience:
- Be careful where you enter your details: One online estimate form Kathy G. thought went to a single company turned into a deluge of calls from high-pressure reps. Request quotes directly from companies you’ve already vetted.
- Check whether a company is a carrier or a broker: The unrealistically low numbers that skewed Kathy G.’s expectations came from brokers. Look up the USDOT number with the FMCSA before you take a quote seriously.
- Compare the weight estimates, not just the prices: Kathy G.’s seven quotes ran from $2,048 to $5,510, and the companies estimating 2,331 pounds quoted less than those estimating 5,600. A cheap quote often means a low guess that won’t hold.
- Give someone power of attorney if you can’t be there: Kathy G. ran her entire move from 831 miles away by authorizing a friend to act for her at pickup. Arrange it well before move day.
- Expect surprises when your things have been in storage: After two years, Kathy G. couldn’t recall what she owned, and the extra items and packing are most of her $742 overage. Open the unit or get a virtual survey before you accept an estimate.
- Treat any early delivery estimate as a hope, not a plan: A suggestion that her things might arrive in two days made the actual wait feel worse. Plan around the full window you were given in writing.
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