5 Best Military Moving Companies in 2023

Best military moving companies | Preparing for a military move | Why trust us?

Penske is the best moving company for active military members. It has affordable truck rentals available nationwide, a military discount, and a 24/7 hotline for military members.

Veterans have to pay for their own moves, so Penske is an excellent option if you want to do part of the move yourself. But if you want to go the stress-free route and use a full-service moving company, we recommend Oz Moving & Storage.

We compiled a list of the best military moving companies for active-duty members and veterans, including which movers offer a military discount.

Penske

Penske is our top pick for military moving services because it’s affordable, widely available, and offers perks for military members. Many military members on forums like Reddit said they had positive experiences renting a Penske moving truck. And a few folks noted that Penske’s prices made it possible to move for around $3,000 (including truck rental and fuel costs).

Penske has a dedicated hotline to help active and veteran military members organize their moves (1-844-4TROOPS). Penske can also help you find a certified public scale to weigh your vehicle. You can use these weight tickets to get reimbursed for a do-it-your-self (DITY) move.

U-Pack

U-Pack lets you save on packing, loading, and unloading without having to drive a big truck yourself.

The company delivers a trailer or container to your home, and then you pack it yourself. Then a U-Pack employee drives the container to your new location.

U-Pack offers $50 off moves for active-duty military members and veterans with the discount code MIL50. It’s a small discount, but U-Pack is already very affordable. Like Penske, U-Pack can help you get weight tickets to get reimbursed for do-it-yourself military moves.

U-Pack reviews are mixed, but it has an overall positive rating. The company has a 3.97 out of 5 on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) site and 3.5 out of 5 stars on Yelp.

Oz Moving & Storage

If you’re moving on the East Coast, Oz Moving & Storage is one of the best military moving companies. It offers a variety of services and has a reputation for high customer satisfaction.

Oz offers local moves, long-distance moves, full-service moves, and storage. So you can hire Oz to handle whatever kind of move you need without paying extra for services you won’t use.

Oz offers active-duty military and veterans 10% off local moving services and 5% percent off long-distance moves. Most moving companies don’t include veterans in their military discounts, so Oz is an excellent option for veterans.

The company also has a reputation for good customer experiences. It has a 3.5 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot and a 4.5 out of 5 on Google. Reviewers mentioned the friendliness of the staff and that the company sends email updates through every step of the move.

Rightway Movers

Rightway Movers is a local military moving company that operates in Southern California. The owner, Israel Reyes, is ex-military and takes pride in running one of the best military moving companies on the West Coast.

Rightway Movers — not to be confused with Florida-based Right Way Movers — doesn’t offer a military discount. But customer reviews say it offers reasonable upfront quotes with no hidden fees.

Customer reviews mention that Rightway employees are punctual and professional. And many reviewers said that Rightway made them feel taken care of.

1-800-Pack-Rat

1-800-Pack-Rat is one of the best military moving companies because of its flexible delivery schedule. If you need to store your things for a few weeks — or even a few months — the company will store the container in a secure location until you’re ready to unpack.

Military moves can be unpredictable, so a customizable delivery timeline is great for military members. The company also offers a 10% military discount and mails or emails your weight tickets so the military can quickly reimburse you for the move.

1-800-Pack-Rat offers moving and storage services across the country. It works similarly to U-Pack and other container rental companies. Their team provides the container, and you pack it up.

The company’s reviews are decent and mention how nice it is to be able to use one company for moving and storage. But there are a few complaints about prices and damage.

1-800-Pack-Rat earns a 3.8 out of 5 on Consumer Affairs and 3.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot. It only has a 1.95 out of 5 from the Better Business Bureau, but Pack-Rat addresses all complaints and has maintained an A+ company rating on the site.

Preparing for a military move

If you’re an active-duty military member

If you’ve just received orders for a permanent change of station (PCS) move, it’s time to decide whether to hand the reins to the military movers or go for a DIY personally procured move (PPM).

Active-duty military members who want to handle their own moves should contact their location transportation officer first. The military has to approve a PPM before you can hire a moving company or rent a moving truck. 

Check out the Military OneSource website for more information on the next steps. 

If you’re a veteran

Veterans’ moves tend to be more flexible than PCS moves because you aren’t following orders. But you also have to pay for the move yourself, so we recommend looking for veteran-owned or veteran-staffed movers that offer military discounts.

Find a mover with a good reputation and solid value. Check out the mover’s customer reviews and Better Business Bureau profile to understand its reputation. 

Why trust us?

Before we wrote this guide, we researched military moving using the following methods:

• Expert recommendations: We spoke to Tywanquila Walker, the author of the Order Your Life Moving Guide. She told us about the essential parts of military moves and which companies veterans and military members should use.
• Audience research: We read through various Reddit threads to find out which moving companies military members recommend.
• Experience: We contacted dozens of companies to request quotes and learn more about how they treat customers.

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