Colonial Van Lines specializes in long-distance moves and storage services across the country. The family-owned company completes over 12,000 home and office relocations annually. Consumers can use the Colonial Van Lines mobile app to get accurate quotes, stay on track while preparing to move and more.
Colonial Van Lines specializes in long-distance moves and storage services across the country.
While many moving companies handle many types of relocations, Colonial Van Lines specializes in long-distance moves. By focusing on cross-country moves, Colonial’s staff and drivers have the experience to transport households and offices safely. Agents stay in touch with customers throughout the moving process. Customer service is available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and until 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
Colonial Van Lines offers a mobile app for iOS and Android devices to make the moving process smoother. The app allows for more accurate moving quotes and helps customers prepare to move with less stress.
Pros
High level of experience with interstate moves
Services nearly every state in the contiguous U.S.
Mobile app
Moving supply kits and packing service
Cons
May subcontract moving jobs
No service to nine northern states
Colonial Van Lines Long-Distance Moving Services
Colonial Van Lines specializes in moving households and businesses across the country. Long-distance hauls require specific permits, weight restrictions and following other regulations. Colonial’s agents understand these requirements thanks to their many years of experience with cross-country relocations.
Colonial Van Lines’ residential moving and corporate relocation services both start with discussing your needs with a representative. After determining dates and other details, you’ll receive a quote for moving costs. The Colonial Van Lines agent then creates a customized moving plan. If you’re moving a business, Colonial keeps you and your employees up-to-date on all the details.
Colonial Van Lines Storage and Packing Services
Full-service storage: Certified movers transport items to a short- or long-term storage facility. The movers load and unload the truck.
Storage in transit: You put your household items in storage until the date you want them delivered.
Commercial storage: You use Colonial Van Lines’ business storage space for a variety of business needs.
Colonial Van Lines offers packing services with trained professionals who know how to safely and efficiently secure your belongings. If you choose to pack some or all of your things, check with Colonial to price packing materials.
Service
Description Price
Residential Long Distance
Moving specialist assists with creating a moving inventorySend video and photos via the mobile app for an accurate quoteCommunication through the entire moving process
Communication through the entire moving process
Short-term and long-term storage alternativesSend video and photos via the mobile app for an accurate quoteCommercial warehouse storage available
Packing Service
Single-item specialty packingKitchen packWhole-house or office packing
Business Relocation
Assigned corporate relocation specialistTailored plan for moving your businessRelocation package for employees
Colonial Van Lines Moving Services
Colonial Van Lines Mobile App
The Colonial Van Lines mobile app for iOS and Android can provide you with a more accurate quote for moving costs. Use the app to snap photos or take a video of your belongings. Your agent can use the images to create a more accurate quote. Enter details like your delivery date, the number of levels in your home and your moving date to receive a quote.
You can also use the app to order moving boxes and to access the checklist. Colonial Van Lines’ app helps you remember everything as you prepare to move.
Colonial Van Lines Costs
Each relocation project has different requirements, so there are no average costs for Colonial Van Lines services. The weight of your items, the time of year, the distance moved and other factors influence the cost of moving.
Either call Colonial Van Lines or use the mobile app to get an estimate and discuss your upcoming move. If you choose to work with Colonial, a dedicated agent will handle all the details of safely moving your items.
Colonial Van Lines Complaints
Colonial Van Lines scores 4.1 out of 5 stars with Trustpilot and 4.2 out of 5 stars from ConsumerAffairs consumer reviews. Inc. 5000 listed the company in 2018 as one of the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the U.S. Yelp reviews yield an average 3-star rating, and Colonial gets 3.7 out of 5 stars from Google reviews.
Most Colonial Van Lines complaints we found seemed related to subcontractors. Like most long-haul moving companies, Colonial has a network of movers to complete many relocation orders. Ask for clarification regarding any subcontractors and how Colonial will handle communications and final costs.
Colonial Van Lines Q&A
Does Colonial Van Lines move homes on weekends?
Colonial Van Lines may be able to complete your move over a weekend. However, you will need to schedule the service far in advance. It’s more expensive to move over a weekend, and rates spike for this service at certain times of the year.
Does Colonial Van Lines provide help for organizing my move?
You can download a free long-distance move checklist or use the mobile app list feature to stay organized. Preparing to move can be overwhelming. The moving checklist Colonial Van Lines provides breaks the process down into manageable tasks. This guidance keeps you on track while you pack and prepare.
Is Colonial Van Lines registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration?
We verified Colonial Van Lines is registered with the FMCSA. The company’s U.S. DOT No. 1434373 is listed on the FMCSA website.
Does Colonial Van Lines offer partial packing services?
Colonial’s professionals can pack as much or as little of your belongings as you choose. The packing service is flexible.
How does Colonial Van Lines calculate the cost of moving services?
Colonial’s quotes factor in the moving services you request, the number and weight of belongings you’re moving, and travel distance. Do not rely on the initial estimate as your final cost. You should get a binding estimate, although the final cost can increase if you need additional services during your move.
Conclusion
Colonial Van Lines serves those who need long-distance moving services. The company can provide agents who know all requirements for moving across the country to make relocation nearly stress-free. Colonial Van Lines provides a customized moving plan to each residential or business customer, and the mobile app ensures more accurate quotes.
They came to pack my house and move it a day late. They were supposed to take three days to pack and load, and they did it all the same day, damaged some of my things, and left some things behind.
I had no way to get them moved because I was moving across country, after they packed everything up they sent another quote and said we needed to pay them an additional $4000 after we paid them 22,000 or they will not give us our stuff.
It was basically like they took our things and decided to charge us more money and there’s nothing we can do about it, they were supposed to deliver our stuff today and never called with a time and never showed up. We had to fight on the phone all day long.
We’ve called probably about 30 times and then they finally said they’re not coming so now they have our whole house of belongings and we don’t know when we’re gonna get it, they completely damaged our walls in the house that we moved out of they will not reimburse us for it until the move is complete and we pay them even more money that we should not even have to pay them. This has been a complete nightmare so please don’t ever use this company .
Kristie M.
Las Vegas, NV
January 24 2022 8:37PM
My experience with this company has been bad. I’ve moved cross country several times and this was the first time that 2/3’s of my furniture and exercise equipment was damaged. And we have missing totes and a missing Werner ladder. I have photos to prove this.
I don’t have confidence that we will see the extension ladder again. The company moved our items from the original truck to their vendor Otis transports and lost items in the process. This is never good!
I asked about this in my initial phone calls with this company and was told once our items were placed on the truck they would not be moved until they were received at our new home. It was a lie. Plus the company arrived a week late to our new home. It was just one problem after the next.
In addition to this we paid almost $10k for a 26 foot truck. We were told initially it would be a full 18 wheeler. That didn’t happen and had to pay full cost even though they couldn’t move all our stuff since they sent out a smaller truck.
This resulted in us having to pay an addition $7,000 for the use of U-Pack. We should have used U-Pack from the beginning. We used them when we moved to Michigan and had no issues. Also the move cost us a lot less and we got what we paid for.
This company used local movers who weren’t supervised when loading the truck and that’s how 2/3’s of our stuff was damaged. They lost items when transferring items from one truck to the next. Big mistake! Now no one is calling me back so I can file a claim.
Lesson learned here: Don't trust these companies to move your belongings and expect them to be intact/undamaged. Use a company where you can control who touches your items. It’s less risky, more cost efficient, and saves you a lot of stress and worry.
Also with these companies you pay based on weight which you have to take their word on. Never good. With U-pack you pay one price for the entire truck which was half of what we paid Colonial Van Lines. Big mistake! Big mistake! I could have saved $5,000!!!!
Sonya M.
Northville, MI
July 13 2021 6:37AM
Definitely NOT PROFESSIONAL, never came to my home for my quote, do not trust, do not use. I hired them 2 1/2 months prior to my move/the sell of my home, I gave them a 40% deposit and THEY NEVER SHOWED UP! Kelly ** promised me a driver and a truck in a specific date, liar.
I had to rent a uhaul and hire thugs through them to pack and store me as I was getting heat from realtors, the broker, ex, buyers as if it were my fault. SO MUCH DAMAGE AND HARASSMENT from these thugs.
Money out of my pocket for that, hotel, two storage units because they didn’t know how to load one. Then I had to hire another LOUSY moving company who did MORE DAMAGES and MORE THEFT.
The stress alone is what Colonial should want to feel obligated for. INSTEAD they have this Donna person who was corresponding with me last year to resolve this. She stopped then started again after I started filing things.
She has the audacity to offer $500 after I stated that won’t TOUCH what you owe me! Whomever the owner is should have called me himself with this situation and how poorly it was handled but no he wants to give me pennies and shut me up, I DON’T THINK SO….
Karen Liana T.
Spokane, WA
May 22 2021 9:23PM
DO NOT USE!!! I've done two moves with Colonial. The first one in 2018 went fine, this one was a disaster. Colonial did not call once like they said they would.
They did not call to let me know when I'd be picked up, they did not call when a manager was supposed to call me back, they did not call to let me know my balance due. They did not adjust the moving estimate despite me calling to go over everything.
I removed some stuff, and added some things. Their answer "we're just gonna leave it as is"...the movers sure didn't. They do like telling you nine times how you can pay them the money owed, though.
I'm supposed to get a $250 credit given all the screw-ups, but I have zero belief that will happen given their inability to do even the simplest tasks such as calling the customer. I don't even care at this point, I just want them out of my life.
This is a company that doesn't do what it says, doesn't know that a contract is a two-way street and does not care when they screw up.
I know many use them cause they are on the cheaper side. Spend the extra couple of hundred. Colonial will nickel and dime you up to that amount anyway.
Alex L.
New York, NY
January 20 2021 9:58PM
Please read before hiring Colonial Van Lines and Cal Van Lines. I hired Colonial Van Lines (CVL) for my cross-state move in October 2020 - and what an epic mistake it proved to be! First, I read reviews that were positive and now I’m left questioning the validity of them based on my extremely poor experience. There are even more really bad reviews plus CVL wanted me to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to accept a low-ball settlement offer they made, which would prohibit me from sharing my experience. I wonder how many other dissatisfied customers were silenced by NDAs.
For my move, I believe their sales rep Karlos made false and misleading statements about their services and provided a low-ball cost estimate that proved to be negligently inaccurate. Their first cost estimate was off by 88% and their final contact stated cost that was supported by specific items lists and pictures was off by 56%. CVL denies being a broker, but I found their fleet consists of 3 leased semi-trailer and a few box trucks on FMCSA.gov site.
CVL hired an “agent” for my move, which is what a broker would do, called Cal Van Lines (Cal), out of CA, which proved to be an even worse company that in my opinion tried to run a scam on me by increasing the “load weight” of my household items by 3100lbs. Their driver named Victor, who turned out to be extremely unstable, irrational, and unethical, even produced false weigh-station tickets to support their weight scam. Victor also proved incompetent at driving the truck since he knowingly backed into a tree multiple times while attempting to back into my driveway.
Turns out Victor, representing Cal, lied about how much space was available in the truck and then proceeded to waste hours arguing about what got packed on my contract items list and what had to be left behind. Victor even argued in an attempted to have me agree to strap some of my items on the outside back of the truck along with other customer stuff! Victor and company all smoked inside the loaded trailer and off-loaded other customer’s items attempting to fit everything (and there are no dividers between customer loads!). Victor tried recording me, likely hoping to void the contract, voicing concerns about how my items were getting crammed on the truck and wanting priority for essential items when it became obvious that there wasn’t enough space for the items on my contract list.
Cal only moved 2/3 of my items and after weeks of silence from CVL, I had to hire another mover to transport the left-behind items. No surprise, many of my items that Cal did move were damaged – over $5k. In my opinion, companies like CVL and Cal should not be allowed to operate in any business. I was appalled to learn that the owner of Colonial, Aldo DiSorbo Jr. is well known to industry regulators and many state authorities. DiSorbo has a long-track record of activities that actually got him banned from the industry for 3-years. However, it was reported that he violated the ban and went to jail. Just Google Aldo DiSorbo and read the Sun-Sentinal articles along with U.S. Congressional reports on the scammers in the moving industry, which specifically names Aldo DiSorbo!!
Aldo DiSorbo and his syndicate family, including listing under Tracy DiSorbo, own dozens of companies. These are just a few: Colonial Van Lines, eApeiron Partners, All State Van Line Relocation, All American Van Lines, Nationwide Relocation Services, Nationwide move Management, Colonial Van & Storage, Colonial moving and Storage, Colonial Van Lines Relocation Division, Colonial Van Lines of Texas, Moving Squad of South Florida, TNLots, Nationwide Auto Transporters. Notice how many of these company names try to fool people thinking they are associated with well established name brands. Do yourself a huge favor and learn from my epic mistake of hiring CVL.
