First National Van Lines 2023 Review

We researched First National Van Lines' services, pricing, and availability to compare it to 20 other moving companies and see how it stacks up.
First National Van Lines Review
First National Van Lines
4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2
  • pro
    30 days free storage with every move
  • pro
    Price matching
  • con
    Lengthy quote process
pro
Why you can trust Move.org

26K+ customer reviews analyzed
156 moving companies evaluated  
24 moving grants awarded
80+ years of combined expert experience

For over 8 years Move.org experts have examined pricing, credentials, and real customer reviews to give you (human) recommendations you can trust. See how we review.

Joe Roberts
Dec 28, 2022
Icon Time To Read5 min read

First National Van Lines is a nationwide moving company that provides local, long-distance, and international moves starting anywhere in the US. With a full list of services and a price-matching policy for bargain shoppers, First National Van Lines gives customers across the country a reliable and affordable way to move.

First National Van Lines is both a broker and a carrier. This means that the company uses its own moving trucks for some moves and outsources other moves to FMCSA-accredited companies while ensuring its customers get the best pricing and services available.

First National Van Lines’ customer service is excellent—the company’s offerings get high marks from customers across numerous online forums.

Keep reading to learn more about First National Van Lines’ services and pricing.

pro
Pros
pro Free 30 days of storage with any move
pro Price-match guarantee
pro Nationwide service area
pro Exceptional customer service
con
Cons
con Lengthy quote process
con No online shipment tracking

Check out our list of the best moving companies to see how FNVL compares. 

Chat Boxes Icon
What's in a name?

First National Van Lines sometimes gets confused with First National Moving and Storage, a company that’s been reported as a scam. However, the similarities between the two companies are only name-deep. First National Van Lines’ track record is full of happy customers whose belongings made it safely from point A to point B.


Table of contents


How does First National Van Lines compare to other moving companies?

First National Van Lines offers just about every service our favorite moving companies provide. And since FNVL also offers price-matching, it can give you the lowest price for your move, too. But first, you need to get quotes from a few other movers. If one of them gives you a lower quote than FNVL, you're in business!

How much does First National Van Lines cost?

Over the phone, one customer service representative we talked to said that a 1,000-mile move for a two-bedroom home would probably cost about $4,000, but he couldn’t get more specific without a full inventory list.

This, combined with First National’s lengthy quote process (more on that later), made it difficult to get firsthand information about how much First National Van Lines can cost. However, we were able to gather pricing data from First National customers.

First National Van Lines pricing (according to customers*)

Distance (miles)
Price

Customer #1

1,716

$4,300

Customer #2

1,549

$6,000

Customer #3

1,025

$6,000

Customer #4

653

$4,500

Customer #5

273

$3,500

*Prices gathered from customer reviews on online forums.1,2

Customers who submitted pricing data with their reviews didn’t include any information about the weight of their shipments or the time of year they moved. Weight and seasonality are just as important as distance when determining move pricing. These numbers aren’t predictions of what your move will cost, but they can give you a rough idea of what you can expect to pay.

Money
Want to lower your price?

First National Van Lines has a price-match guarantee, meaning that the company will match any price a competitor offers in writing for the exact same move. If you’re willing to put in the legwork to gather a bunch of quotes, you may be able to save hundreds of dollars on your move and still get First National’s service.

How to get a quote from First National Van Lines

You can start your quote on First National Van Lines’ website, but you’ll have to provide your phone number and email address. Once First National has your contact information, you can expect a barrage of text messages and emails, none of which will include your quote.

To actually lock down a dollar amount, you need to submit a full inventory list online and then speak with a representative over the phone.

It’s also important to note that getting a quote from most other full-service moving companies is just as difficult. First National Van Lines’ lengthy quoting process is a pain in the neck, but it’s not the worst we’ve seen.

Ready to get your price?
To know for sure how much First National Van Lines will charge for your move, start the quoting process on their site.


First National Van Lines services and features

  • Full-service residential moves
  • Long-distance moves
  • Local moves
  • International moves
  • Auto transport
  • Moves for businesses
  • Moving coverage
  • Climate-controlled storage
  • Packing and unpacking


Why we recommend First National Van Lines

Price-match guarantee

Like we’ve said before, First National Van Lines doesn’t provide much information on its website, but it does call out its price-match guarantee on its front page, so you know it takes this policy seriously.

First National will “match any competitor’s written price.” If you have to find another full-service mover that will give you a written quote for the exact same move (an over-the-phone quote won’t count), First National will lower its own quoted price.

This policy paired with First National’s nationwide availability ensures that you can get a good deal no matter where in the US you’re moving from or to.

Positive customer reviews

While it can be hard to get reliable information from customer reviews, we believe that one of the best signs of a good moving company is how customers feel about it. From what we’ve seen, most First National Van Lines customers are more than happy with how the company handled their moves.

First National Van Lines has a 3.5/5 rating on Yelp with customers praising the company for a wide variety of qualities:

  • Low prices
  • Punctuality
  • Professionalism
  • Friendly customer service
  • Flexibility
  • Careful shipment handling

Of course, there are a few bad reviews in the bunch, but the number of customers applauding First National’s services outweighs these negative opinions.

Online customer service chat

One of the most unique things about First National Van Lines is its interactive customer service chat. When you visit the company’s website, you’re greeted by a small but friendly chat box in the bottom right corner of your screen. Clicking this box will open up a chat window where you can ask questions and get quick answers.

It’s unclear whether the answers come from a real human or just a smart computer program, but this feature is a convenient way to get information—and if you’re an introvert, it beats talking to someone over the phone.

We couldn’t get all our questions answered through this chat service, so while it doesn’t fully make up for First National’s minimalist website, it can be really helpful if you need basic information quickly.


Our recommendation

First National Van Lines' customer reviews are full of recommendations from happy customers, and the company’s price-match guarantee paired with its full menu of services makes it a solid option for anyone looking to move any distance for cheap.

Let's get you moving!

If you’re ready to see what First National Van Lines can do for you, hop over to its website and request a quote.


Other full-service movers we love

If First National Van Lines doesn’t sound right for you, we recommend giving one of these other moving companies a try:

Sources

  1. My Moving Reviews, "First National Van Lines"
  2. Better Business Bureau, "First National Van Lines"

Methodology

Move.org evaluates and identifies the moving industry’s best full-service movers using a fivefold research approach:

  • Compare pricing transparency. We gather quotes, check for binding estimates, and read customer reviews about pricing to ensure each moving company’s prices are trustworthy. 
  • Mystery shopping. We review every company’s website, pose as customers in calls to companies, and read customer reviews to analyze every company’s moving services, transit protection, and customer service. We also interview actual customers to learn how their moves went from start to finish.
  • Site visits.  We invite moving companies to our headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT, to share data and expertise. We verify the information they provide by comparing it to data gathered through independent research and interviews with other movers.
  • Regular review. We routinely repeat this process to update our recommendations to reflect current data and trends. We also revise each review annually and make updates throughout the year.
Joe Roberts
Written by
Joe Roberts is a professional writer with a degree in writing studies and over four years of copywriting experience. He previously worked at Overstock.com, where he wrote about furniture, home decor, and moving. Joe has moved all over Utah, so he knows his way around a moving truck—and he spends his time (and money) expanding his personal library so it will be even heavier next time he moves.