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United Transportation Moving and Storage is a company that handles local moves in Southern California, and long-distance and international moves to and from California. United also has packing, supplies, and storage services.
Locations | Pricing | Service options | Contact info | Methodology
| Our rating: United Transportation Moving and Storage | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2.8 | |
| Value | 3 | |
| Customer experience | 2 | |
| Credibility | 2 | |
| Reliability | 4 | |
Bottom line: United Transportation Moving and Storage has some major red flags. It has a high number of formal complaints and some credibility issues. It’s also notoriously bad at estimating prices. Reviewers say that sometimes United didn’t give them an estimate until all their stuff was packed.
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Get startedUnited Transportation Moving and Storage: In-depth breakdown
Value
📊 Our rating: 3/5
- Competitive prices
- Inaccurate quotes
United Transportation’s quotes are pretty typical for a full-service moving company. But lots of reviewers said that the final price was much higher than the quote they got.
United Transportation gave us three quotes for local, long-distance, and international moves. Here are the quotes to move the contents of a two-bedroom apartment:
| United Transportation Moving and Storage quotes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Distance | Price | National average* |
| Local move (50 miles) | $1,300–1,600 | $900–2,400 |
| Long-distance move (500+ miles) | $2,000–5,500+ | $2,600–6,900 |
| International move (Stockton, California to Vancuover, Canada) | $5,600 | $4,000–10,000 |
These quotes include:
- A truck
- Two movers
- Loading and unloading
They don’t include:
- Packing supplies
- Packing services
The company does offer packing services and supplies for an additional cost.
These quotes mostly fall right in the national averages for moving companies. But the company warned us that rates depend on the weight, type of belongings, and distance. And you’ll also pay more during spring and summer — the busy moving season.
But even though the quotes seem reasonable, many customers said they paid a lot more than the original quote. Some even claimed they paid double their original quote. United says the best way to get an accurate estimate is to take inventory of your stuff, measure your space, and note any special items, like pianos or antiques.
Customer Experience
📊 Our rating: 2/5
- Mixed customer reviews
- Lots of pricing complaints
- Lots of damage complaints
Customers have mixed opinions about their experience with United Transportation Moving and Storage.
The majority of the company’s reviews come from Yelp, where it has 3.5 out of 5 stars. United also earns a 3.6 rating on movers.com and 2.7 stars on its Better Business Bureau (BBB) site.
Positive reviewers said the company’s movers were punctual and careful with belongings. And many customers mentioned that the customer support team was helpful during scheduling.
But a lot of reviewers said they paid significantly more than they expected. Some weren’t told about the price increase until after the movers packed their things. Other negative reviews mentioned that the moving crew damaged or lost their things. And people who filed insurance claims said they had a hard time getting the company to cooperate.
The company has 35 complaints from BBB reviewers and a D- rating. Many of these complaints were about long-distance moves that were more expensive than the original quote.
Credibility
📊 Our rating: 2/5
- Current registration
- Pending insurance cancellation
- Many complaints, including inaccurate estimates
United Transportation Moving and Storage is a legitimate moving company. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s trustworthy.
United is registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) under the name All Ways Transportation, Inc.
One potential red flag: United has insurance issues. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), United has a pending insurance cancellation. This could just be a system error. But it could also mean its insurance has expired, or its insurance provider has chosen to cancel the policy.
United has had 9 official complaints filed against it with the U.S. DOT in the last 12 months. That’s much more than we usually see for a small mover.
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Reliability
📊 Our rating: 4/5
- 7–10 days advance notice for booking
- 4 trucks, 3 drivers
Even though United only has a few trucks and drivers, it will probably be available for your move if you have at least a week’s notice.
A United representative told us it’s best to book your move 7 to 10 business days in advance to make sure the company can accommodate you. And in the busy season (spring and summer), you’ll want to book it two to three weeks prior.
The company only has 4 trucks and 3 drivers, so its capacity is limited. If it’s particularly busy, you might have to wait for the company to accommodate your move.
Some customers on Yelp submitted photos of United Transportation movers driving a Ryder rental truck. So it’s possible that the company rents extra trucks to keep up with demand when it doesn’t have the capacity in its own fleet.
About United Transportation Moving and Storage
Locations
United Transportation Moving and Storage has two locations in Southern California: Los Angeles and Northridge.
Pricing
The company has two pricing models: an hourly rate or a flat-fee based on the truck’s weight. They didn’t tell us how much it charges by the pound, but its hourly rate is roughly $116.
Service options
- Packing
- Long-distance
- International
Contact
| Phone | (818) 886-2221 |
| [email protected] | |
| Website | www.unitedmovinginc.com |
Methodology
Value
Our question: Is this moving company worth it?
We start assessing value by requesting a quote from the mover. A quote gives us a breakdown of the company’s fees (hourly rates, truck fees, etc.) and tells us how costs compare to the local and national average.
If a company’s costs are drastically higher than these averages, we can recommend more affordable movers that we’ve also thoroughly vetted. A detailed quote also gives us insight into any additional fees. For example, is packing included, or do you have to pay extra?
Customer experience
Our question: What’s the common user experience for this service?
We look up the mover’s average rating on popular review sites like Yelp, Trustpilot, and Google. Then we read as many reviews as possible to verify the rating and see if any positive or negative themes stand out.
If we notice potential red flags, like lots of damage complaints, we reach out to the customers to see if there’s a cause for concern.
There are also companies who pay people to leave positive reviews. So, if the reviews are glowing, we reach out to reviewers to see if they’re real customers.
Credibility
Our question: Is this company a legitimate business?
Unfortunately, moving scams are fairly common. Lots of people have experienced losing their deposit, movers never showing up, and companies outright stealing their personal items.
To check a company’s credibility, we look for things like Department of Transportation registration, active insurance, and licensing with the appropriate state authorities.
Then we look at sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to check the mover’s accreditation, rating, and any unresolved formal complaints against them.
If all the credibility signals check out, then we give the business a high credibility rating. If something seems off, we reach out to the company and former customers for comment.
Reliability
Our question: How bookable is this moving service?
To check if the company can typically accommodate a customer’s desired moving date, we ask the company how soon we’d be able to move. Then we ask if the date is flexible.
We also comb Department of Transportation records to see how many trucks and drivers the mover has. A small fleet is a sign that the mover has limited capacity. The company might not be able to handle lots of moves during a busy season.
