Budd Van Lines Review

We researched the country’s best movers so you can choose the best team for your budget and unique moving needs. Each of the companies we reviewed is licensed and certified carriers or brokers that offer a range of moving services both locally and across the globe.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Budd Van Lines, including its:

• Transparency 
• Pricing
• Services
• Reputation

Overview of Budd Van Lines

With headquarters in Somerset, New Jersey, Budd Van Lines offers branch offices in nine spots around the country. However, their moving services cover all 48 contiguous states and a long list of international destinations. 

While the company’s website is not quite as detailed as some other major brands, we do know they cover the following services:

• Local moves
• Long-distance moves
• International moving and coordination
• Executive and corporate moves
• Packing and unpacking

Overall, Budd Van Lines is considered a full-service moving company with a range of extra services to streamline the process. It also offers a range of white-glove services and patented moving supplies.

Lastly, it’s important to note that Budd Van Lines lists its USDOT license number and certification on its website and with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Transparency

Budd Van Lines appears to take less of a tech-heavy approach to its moving process. As an older company, this is often standard. From the outside, it seems that most of the communication between the company and customers happens offline, either on the phone or face-to-face with a team member.

This does, however, make it a bit tricky to gauge how Budd Van Lines breaks down its services. There are even significantly fewer online reviews compared to other companies.

Still, we’ll walk through the available information both from customer testimonials and its website to give you a better picture of what to expect.

Pricing

Prospective customers should begin by filling out the company’s online form to receive a free quote. After submission, a sales representative will reach out by phone to collect more data on the home’s inventory and details about your move.

The majority of moves require an in-person or virtual walkthrough to get a quote specifically tailored to your homeland household goods. While this is time-consuming, it does help customers avoid last-minute fees that come from inventorying a home by themselves.

It’s important to note that the company does not offer a ballpark estimate or non-binding quote options online. We recommend reaching out to Budd Van Lines for complicated moves requiring a walkthrough.

Services: Basics and Add-Ons

When you book with Budd Van Lines, you will receive a designated moving coordinator to schedule and structure your moving services. Basic moving services break down into either corporate, personal (long and local distance), or international moves.

Overall, we liked Budd Van Lines’ “Team Pack and Team Haul” system, which coordinates packing and moving services with a specific Budd Van Lines company team. This system advertises the chance to get to know your small moving team from start to finish. 

Communication and Expectations

According to moving reviews, the company does struggle when it comes to communication and following up with claims. For example, some past clients report scheduling issues and poorly packed items. These clients were often unable to get in touch with the company to rectify the problem in a timely manner.

On the other hand, the Budd Van Lines website does clearly outline several topics on its Customer Information page, including:

• Items they cannot transport
• How to handle high-value inventory
• Rules for new furniture and appliances
• How to contact the claims department

Hiring Process

Budd Van Lines states that its team is highly trained and will always arrive on time and in uniform. It also states that each new employee undergoes a thorough background check.

Cost

There is very little data online—either on the website or throughout customer reviews—about how much Budd Van Lines costs.

While some customers note that Budd Van Lines’ prices are very reasonable, others felt they were quoted far above the value of its services.

Since we don’t have clear numbers for Budd Van Lines, consider the average national costs. 

• Basic local moves without extra services range from $550-$2000
• Basic cross country moves range from $2,000-$7,500
• Expect higher costs for international moves based on distance and customs fees

Local moves traditionally charge a per-hour rate while long-distance relocations come down to distance and the weight of your items. It is not clear how Budd Van Lines structures its pricing, but you can request more information by reaching out through its online form.

Moving Quotes and Estimates

As we noted above, Budd Van Lines offers a binding estimate after a thorough home walkthrough or virtual tour of your home. According to its website, the team moves room by room to determine:

• The number of items and potential boxes
• Fragile items that require extra crating or padding
• Packing needs or self-packing preferences
• Shape of your home and ease of moving process

Is Budd Van Lines a good fit for you?

With over 40 years of experience in the moving industry, Budd Van Lines is likely best for those with larger and more complex moves. Their ample moving services cover moving large homes, especially when going long distances or putting items into storage. 

Full-service companies like these are often best for those looking for a streamlined moving experience without the heavy lifting and at a slightly higher price point.

Services

Budd Van Lines is a carrier moving business, which means that it does not outsource its driving and packing to other companies. However, some customer reviews do indicate otherwise.

We’ve outlined how the company breaks down its moving services and packages.

Moving Service Categories

You’ll find three main types of service on the Budd Van Lines website: executive relocations, personal moves, and international services.

Quite unique to this company, the executive relocation features are exclusively for high-end luxury properties and corporate execs. 

Personal moves and international services cover more traditional relocations for homeowners. These services cover both local and out-of-state moves as well as special coordination and services for heading abroad.

Additional Services

Each of Budd Van Lines’ plans offers access to their professional packers for an extra fee. During your walkthrough, you can choose how much or how little packing you need to fit your budget.

While the website does not include storage options outside of its international page, the company does offer moving services to a storage unit.

Overall, extra services include:

• International tracking apps
• Crating and special packaging
• Unpacking services
• Packing services
• Crating and packing supplies
• Moving coordination
• International freight forwarding
• Airfreight shipments
• Auto transport

Moving Equipment

Expect your Budd Van Lines team to offer extensive moving equipment on moving day. Before moving your items, they will use blankets and padding to protect any delicate areas of your home.

The company also patented the Eco-Crate System. The boxes provide a more eco-friendly option to crating fragile items, saving water, corrugated materials, and landfill space in the process.

Reputation

Customer satisfaction is mixed when it comes to Budd Van Lines. On one hand, the company has received a long list of industry awards. On the other, you’re likely to find a long list of frustrated customers reporting damaged items on Yelp and Google reviews.

Here’s a rundown of what we found for each category.

Customer Care

Let’s start with the good news. Plenty of customers rave about their experience working one-on-one with Budd Van Lines and even call their movers out by name. 

In particular, customers like that extreme level of care taken before and during the moving process.

For example, Jerry M. points out on Google, “They put out protective floor coverings for both the house we were leaving and the house we bought, and handled everything carefully.  Now that we’ve unpacked we can see that not a single item or piece of furniture is damaged in any way.  They even took apart and reassembled an antique armoire!”

Value

As we mentioned earlier, we weren’t able to find many customers that specified their quotes from Budd Van Lines. However, some customers noted that they chose the company because it was the best price provided out of four or five local companies.

Reliability and Efficiency

The company often struggles when it comes to communication, unfortunately. Several customers report issues coordinating their moves once the truck has left its first location. 

Kelly M. also reported on Google, “[I was] asked for the same information multiple times even though it was provided previously via email, [I had] to reach out for updates on when my movers would arrive due to radio silence from the company, [and was] told a delivery date only for them to decide they couldn’t navigate after they had arrived.”

Care for Items

Our biggest concern throughout the customer reviews refers to broken and missing items. This appears to be a consistent issue that the company faces.

The top complaint on the company’s BBB page outlines an issue with a broken television. The customer noticed upon arrival that their television had been unboxed—a service that hadn’t been requested. 

When a professional arrived to install the TV, the customers were alerted it had been dropped or bumped during the move, causing it to break. The customers then found several missing items from their home which had been left off the initial inventory list. As of this writing, the issue has not been resolved.

Our Final Review

While this may not be the best moving company for simple moves, customer service and moving coordination received top scores from the industry and customers alike. 

We noted that past clients called out the hard-working team members that arrive on moving day. The company’s “Team Pack and Team Haul” system also demonstrated a dedication to personalized care.

However, we do recommend reviewing the company’s policies on lost and damaged items before proceeding. Additional insurance may be necessary to ensure your items are well-cared-for throughout the process.