The line between a local move and a long-distance move is mostly about distance, and it changes almost everything else about the job. A local move usually stays within about 50 miles. A long-distance move travels much farther and often crosses state lines.
That difference sets the pricing. Local moves are almost always billed by the hour, so you pay for the crew size and the time the job takes. Long-distance moves are generally priced by the weight of your shipment and the miles it travels. That's why trimming what you move before a long haul lowers the cost.
Distance also sets the rules. Interstate moves are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The mover must hold a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) number and follow federal requirements for estimates, paperwork, and valuation coverage. Local moves are regulated at the state level, where the rules vary from one state to the next.
Finally, distance sets the timeline. A local crew can often load, drive, and unload in a single day. A long-distance move usually comes with a delivery window of several days, since the shipment travels a long way and may be scheduled around other moves.
Features Snapshot
Feature | Colonial Van Lines | DIY Move |
|---|---|---|
Best for | Long-distance, state-to-state moves | Short, same-area moves, generally 50 miles or less |
Typical distance | Across the contiguous 48 states | Within a metro area or a short in-state hop |
Pricing approach | Weight-based quote after a survey | Hourly, based on crew size and time |
Licensing | Certified by the USDOT and FMCSA for interstate moves | Regulated at the state level, which varies by state |
Delivery timing | A delivery window over several days | Often completed the same day |
Specialty and storage | In-house crating, climate-controlled storage, and auto shipping | Usually basic loading and transport, with fewer add-ons |
Cost for a short move | Not offered, since Colonial focuses on long distance | Typically the more affordable option |
Cost for a long move | Priced by weight and mileage, built for cross-country value | Hourly pricing can climb quickly, and some can't take the job |
Why People Choose Each
Why people choose Colonial Van Lines
Why people choose a local moving company
What You Gain and Give Up With a Local Moving Company
For a short, same-area move, a local company is often the most affordable and convenient choice. Hourly pricing keeps a quick job reasonable. A single crew can usually finish in one day. Local moving teams know the streets, buildings, and parking rules in their area. For an in-town move, a local mover is usually the right choice.
The picture changes when the same local mover takes on a long-distance move. The differences can be a disadvantage.
- Long hauls aren't their specialty. Local movers are built for short, same-day jobs. A cross-country move adds drive time, overnight logistics, and fuel. All these factors are things that their model isn't designed around.
- Hourly pricing can climb fast. Hourly billing works well for a few hours across town, but over hundreds of miles, the total becomes extremely hard to predict.
- Interstate authority isn't guaranteed. Crossing state lines requires federal authority through the FMCSA and a DOT number. Many local movers are licensed only at the state level and can't legally handle an interstate move.
- Fewer long-distance protections. Interstate movers must follow federal rules on estimates, paperwork, and valuation coverage. A state-only local mover operates under lighter oversight that varies by state.
- Limited long-haul support. Weight-based quoting, storage between homes, and specialty crating are standard on long-distance moves with Colonial Van Lines. A local company may not offer them.
To be fair, none of this makes a local mover a poor choice. It makes them a specialist in short moves. For a move of 50 miles or less, a local company is often the better and cheaper option. For a state-to-state move, a licensed long-distance moving company like Colonial Van Lines is built for the job.
Breakdown by Move Type
Short, In-Area Moves
A move across town or within the same metro area is exactly what local movers are built for. A local crew can load, drive, and unload in a single day. Hourly pricing keeps a short job affordable.
Colonial Van Lines doesn't handle local moves of 50 miles or less, since we focus on long-distance work.
The final mile: For a short, in-area move, a local moving company is the right choice. Colonial Van Lines is built for the long-distance side.
Long-Distance and Interstate Moves
Moving across state lines takes federal licensing, weight-based pricing, and equipment designed for the long haul. Colonial Van Lines performs these moves with its own trained crews and carries your belongings under one company.
A local mover may be able to take a longer job, but long hauls fall outside its core model. Some local movers can't cross state lines at all.
The final mile: For a long-distance or interstate move, a licensed long-distance carrier like Colonial Van Lines has the clear edge.
Pricing and Cost
Local moves are billed by the hour, so a short job with a small crew is often inexpensive. Colonial Van Lines prices long-distance moves by weight, which reflects the work of moving a household across the country.
Neither model is cheaper in every case. Hourly pricing wins on short moves, while weight-based pricing is built for long ones.
The final mile: For a short move, a local mover is usually more affordable. For a long-distance move, weight-based pricing from long-haul movers like Colonial Van Lines fits the job.
Timing and Delivery
A local move is often a same-day event, with your belongings loaded and delivered within hours. A long-distance move covers far more ground, so it usually comes with a delivery window of several days.
Both timelines make sense for their distance. A short move doesn't take days, and a cross-country move can't be finished in an afternoon.
The final mile: For same-day service on a short move, a local company wins. For a planned long-distance delivery, Colonial Van Lines sets a realistic window and keeps you updated.
High-Value Items and Storage
Pianos, antiques, fine art, and heirlooms need custom crating and careful handling. A long move sometimes needs storage between homes. Colonial Van Lines offers professional crating, climate-controlled storage, and auto shipping all under one roof.
Many local movers focus on straightforward loading and transport and may not offer these long-distance services.
The final mile: For high-value handling and storage on a long-distance move, Colonial Van Lines has the edge.
Licensing and Consumer Protection
Interstate moves are governed by federal rules. That means the mover must be registered with the FMCSA, carry a DOT number, and provide written estimates and valuation coverage. Local moves are regulated at the state level, where protections vary.
For a move that stays in one area, state licensing applies. For a move across state lines, federal licensing is the standard.
The final mile: For an interstate move, the federal licensing that Colonial Van Lines carries is exactly what you want. For a local move, a properly state-licensed local company is a great fit.
The Last Box
Both a local moving company and a long-distance carrier can move your household, but they're built for different distances.
For a short move, generally 50 miles or less, a local moving company is usually the right call. Hourly pricing, same-day service, and knowledge of your area make a local crew a good fit for a move across town.
For a move across state lines, licensed interstate movers and packers are built for the job. Colonial Van Lines performs interstate moves with our own trained crews. We price moves transparently by weight and bring packing, storage, auto shipping, and specialty handling under one roof. For a state-to-state move, Colonial Van Lines is the stronger choice.
In the end, the question isn't about which company is better, but how far you're going.
How Colonial Van Lines Approaches Your Long-Distance Move
Colonial Van Lines is a direct carrier built around long-distance, state-to-state moves across the contiguous 48 states. We perform our moves with our own crews rather than handing your belongings to an outside company. That means one team and one point of accountability carry your move from the first quote to delivery day.
Most of the people we move are hiring a professional long-distance mover for the first time, so we take an education-first approach. We explain how pricing works, what a realistic timeline looks like, and which services you actually need before we ask you to commit.
We build our estimates by conducting a survey of your items, including photo and virtual video estimates. We then give you a transparent, no-surprises quote based on the weight of your inventory.
Our movers train at Colonial Van Lines University, our in-house program, before they handle a customer's belongings. We bring full-service and partial packing, furniture disassembly and reassembly, climate-controlled storage, auto shipping, and specialty crating for high-value items under one roof.
We are certified and fully licensed by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the FMCSA. We hold ProMover certification and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. At Colonial Van Lines, we bring decades of experience and national recognition to interstate moves.
Because we focus on long-distance moves, we don't handle local moves of 50 miles or less. For a state-to-state move you want handled with care, Colonial Van Lines brings the system and expertise you're looking for.
Get a Free Quote
Planning a move across state lines? It helps to start with a mover built for the distance. Colonial Van Lines will walk you through your options. We'll survey your home and give you a weight-based estimate at no cost and with no pressure to book. Get a free quote today and experience the Colonial Van Lines difference in your move.
FAQs
A local move usually stays within about 50 miles and inside the same area. A long-distance move travels much farther. Any move that crosses state lines counts as interstate.
The type of move affects how it is priced, which rules apply, and how long delivery takes. Colonial Van Lines handles long-distance, cross-state moves; we don't take local moves of 50 miles or less.
The cost for cross-country movers is based on several factors. A long-distance move covers far more ground, which means more fuel, more drive time, and more logistics than a short trip across town. It's also priced differently, by the weight of your shipment and the miles it travels, rather than by the hour. Federal requirements and longer-haul planning add to the cost as well.
Sometimes, but not always. Moving across state lines is an interstate move, which requires federal authority through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and a U.S. Department of Transportation number. Many local movers are licensed only at the state level and can't legally handle an interstate move, or they're simply not set up for long hauls.
For a move to another state, a licensed long-distance carrier like Colonial Van Lines is the better choice.
Yes. Any move that crosses a state line is considered interstate, even when the total distance is short. That means it falls under federal rules and should be handled by a mover with the right federal licensing. A short move that stays within one state is treated differently and is usually regulated at the state level.
When in doubt, ask the mover which rules apply to your route.
Colonial Van Lines calculates long-distance quotes based on the weight of your shipment and the distance it travels, plus any services you add like packing or storage. A proper survey by photo and video lets us estimate the weight accurately.
Because weight drives the price, trimming what you move can lower the cost.
Some companies offer both. Many specialize in one or the other, since the two moves use different pricing, equipment, and licensing. A local specialist may not be set up for cross-country logistics, and a long-distance carrier may not take short in-town jobs.
Colonial Van Lines focuses on long-distance, state-to-state moves and does not handle local moves of 50 miles or less. For a short move, a dedicated local company is the better fit.
There may be a few reasons for this. The company may not hold the federal authority required to cross state lines. Its trucks and crews may be scheduled around short, same-day jobs. The long-haul logistics may fall outside how it operates. Hourly pricing also becomes hard to predict over hundreds of miles.
When a local mover turns down a long move, a licensed long-distance carrier is the right place to turn.
Long-distance moves often come with services a short local move may not need. At Colonial Van Lines, we offer:
- Weight-based estimates
- Professional crating for high-value items
- Climate-controlled storage between homes
- Vehicle shipping
- Full-service packing and unpacking
These services exist because a cross-country move involves more planning and more time in transit.
Yes. Interstate moves are governed by federal rules. Colonial Van Lines provides written estimates, a bill of lading, valuation coverage options, and federal consumer booklets. Local moves follow state rules, which vary and are often lighter.
Reviewing the paperwork carefully is crucial on any move, and especially on a long-distance one. A licensed interstate carrier will walk you through each document before you sign.
For a move across state lines, you want a licensed long-distance carrier registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, not a local-only company. Look for weight-based estimates, clear paperwork, and crews experienced with interstate moves. Ask whether the company performs the move itself or hands it off, since that affects consistency and accountability.
Colonial Van Lines is a top-rated out-of-state moving company built for state-to-state moves, and we handle them with our own trained crews.