#1 of the 100 largest licensed interstate movers
United Van Lines Review
National van line based in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 1928, on the federal register since 1974. This is a review of the public record, what the company is and what a move with it should cost. We collect no customer reviews, have not used the company, and it has not paid to be here.
- USDOT
- 77949
- Fleet · drivers
- 4,731 · 3,424
- Safety rating
- Satisfactory
- Licensed
- 50+ years
Is United Van Lines licensed for interstate moves?
Yes. United Van Lines holds active interstate operating authority (MC67234, status active) on USDOT 77949, declares household goods as cargo, and carries a Satisfactory safety rating from a compliance review the FMCSA completed in 2023.
As a van line, United Van Lines is the carrier of record for moves booked through its agents: the agent's trucks run under this authority, this USDOT number goes on the bill of lading, and the network's claims process applies. The agent that actually loads you has a registration of its own, and it is worth reading that record too.
Record pulled 2026-09-24. The register changes daily: confirm on the SAFER snapshot for USDOT 77949 before you sign, and read the insurance and complaint pages there that we do not reproduce.
The federal record
Every line below is what United Van Lines filed with the FMCSA, unedited. Power units and drivers are self-reported on the MCS-150 form the carrier must update at least every two years; the safety rating is assigned by the FMCSA after a compliance review and stays until the next one.
- Legal name
- United Van Lines LLC
- Doing business as
- United Van Lines
- USDOT number
- 77949issued 1974
- Operating authority
- MC67234 · activeMC = motor carrier, FF = freight forwarder
- Operation
- Interstatecarrier_operation A on the filing
- Cargo declared
- Household goods, general freight
- Physical address
- 1 Premier Drive, Fenton, MO 63026
- Phone on file
- (636) 305-5000
- Power units
- 4,731trucks and tractors on the MCS-150
- Drivers
- 3,424 (3,424 interstate)
- Annual miles filed
- 85,291,458 for 2024
- Safety rating
- Satisfactoryreview completed 2023-02-16
- Filing last updated
- 2024-09-30MCS-150 date
Who United Van Lines is
United began in Cleveland in 1928 as Return Loads Service, a clearing house that found return shipments for independent movers, and took the United Van Lines name in 1933. Today it is the largest household-goods carrier on the federal register and the flagship brand of UniGroup, the St. Louis-area group that also owns Mayflower; UniGroup's shareholders voted to convert the group into a cooperative in 2018. Around 300 affiliated agencies book and service moves under United's authority, which is why the truck and crew that arrive carry an agent's name alongside United's.
Structure
- Type
- National van line
- Founded
- 1928 (98 years)
- Headquarters
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Part of
- UniGroup
- Ownership
- agent-owned cooperative
- Footprint
- ~300 affiliated agencies in the U.S. plus representatives in Canada
Services the company advertises
- long-distance moving
- local moving
- international
- corporate relocation
- storage
- car shipping
On the record
- Originated in 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio as Return Loads Service, Inc., arranging return shipments for independent movers; restructured as United Van Lines in 1933. [source]
- Parent UniGroup acquired competitor Mayflower Transit in March 1995; the two operate as separate brands. [source]
- In 2018 UniGroup shareholders voted to convert the group into a cooperative. [source]
Company facts are taken from United Van Lines's own website and public filings as of 2026-09-24; the sources are linked. Nothing here is a judgement of service quality, and the logo is shown only to identify the company.
How United Van Lines compares
United Van Lines is the 1st largest of the 100 eligible carriers by registered fleet and the 1st largest of the 7 van lines among them. Its fleet is 100 percent of the next carrier's, Atlas Van Lines, above the median of 55. It files more trucks than drivers, which is common where part of the fleet is seasonal or used for local and short-haul work.
| United Van Lines | Median of 100 | Largest (United Van Lines) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power units | 4,731 | 55 | 4,731 |
| Drivers | 3,424 | 52 | 3,424 |
| Licensed since | 1974 | 20 of 100 since 1974 | 1974 |
| Safety rating | Satisfactory | 55 of 100 Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
What a move with United Van Lines should cost
United Van Lines does not publish prices, and no large carrier does: an interstate quote is built from the weight of your shipment, the distance, the date and how the survey was done. What we can give you is the range a quote should land in, from our published model, so that a number well outside it reads as what it is. Full-service movers, transport only.
| Distance | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 miles | $2,250 – $3,000 | $2,588 – $3,450 | $2,925 – $3,900 |
| 1,000 miles | $4,500 – $6,000 | $5,175 – $6,900 | $5,850 – $7,800 |
| 2,000 miles | $9,000 – $12,000 | $10,350 – $13,800 | $11,700 – $15,600 |
| 2,800 miles | $12,600 – $16,800 | $14,490 – $19,320 | $16,380 – $21,840 |
Priced routes out of Saint Louis, MO
United Van Lines is based in Fenton; these are the busiest interstate corridors out of Saint Louis, the nearest metro we price, each with distance, drive time and a cost range for every home size.
| Route | Distance | 3 bedrooms, movers |
|---|---|---|
| Saint Louis to San Francisco, CA | about 2,030 miles | $10,505 – $14,007 |
| Saint Louis to Olympia, WA | about 2,030 miles | $10,505 – $14,007 |
| Saint Louis to Eugene, OR | about 2,024 miles | $10,474 – $13,966 |
| Saint Louis to Oakland, CA | about 2,021 miles | $10,459 – $13,945 |
| Saint Louis to Tacoma, WA | about 2,008 miles | $10,391 – $13,855 |
| Saint Louis to Seattle, WA | about 2,006 miles | $10,381 – $13,841 |
Price your own route with the moving cost calculator, then get a surveyed, binding not-to-exceed estimate from United Van Lines and two other carriers. Three comparable numbers beat one, whoever is at the top of a list.
Before you book United Van Lines: six questions
Ask these on the first call. The answers matter more than the ranking, and an established carrier answers all six without hesitation.
- Which agent will handle my move, and what is that agent's own USDOT number?
- Will my shipment stay on one truck from door to door, or be transferred at a depot? How many times?
- Is the estimate binding, non-binding or binding not-to-exceed, and was it based on a video or in-home survey?
- What is the delivery window in writing, and what do you pay if you miss it?
- What does full-value protection cost on my shipment, and what is the deductible?
- Is the long-haul driver a company employee or an owner-operator contracted to the network?
Then run the six checks in how to check a moving company, and read the nine red flags so you recognise the ones that do not apply here.
Verify United Van Lines yourself
Two minutes on the federal sites tells you more than any ranking. Each link opens the official record; none of them is ours.
SAFER company snapshot ↗
Authority status, cargo, insurance on file, inspections, crashes and the safety rating for USDOT 77949, live.
Licensing & insurance ↗
The L&I system shows the authority history for docket MC67234, the insurance carrier and the BOC-3 process agent.
Protect Your Move ↗
The FMCSA's mover search and complaint history, plus your rights and responsibilities booklet, which the carrier must give you.
Licensed movers in Missouri
Every active household-goods carrier based in Missouri on the register, largest first, with the same fields.
Compare with other large carriers
Also based in Missouri
Other van lines on the list
- #2 Atlas Van LinesEvansville, IN · 2,731 trucks · Satisfactory
- #3 North American Van LinesFort Wayne, IN · 1,333 trucks · Satisfactory
- #4 Allied Van LinesFort Wayne, IN · 1,056 trucks · Satisfactory
- #5 Mayflower TransitFenton, MO · 769 trucks · Satisfactory
- #6 Wheaton World Wide MovingIndianapolis, IN · 767 trucks · Satisfactory
- #17 National Van LinesBroadview, IL · 174 trucks · Satisfactory
United Van Lines FAQ
Is United Van Lines a licensed interstate moving company?
Yes. United Van Lines holds active interstate operating authority (MC67234, status active) on USDOT 77949, declares household goods as cargo, and carries a Satisfactory safety rating from a compliance review the FMCSA completed in 2023. As a van line, United Van Lines is the carrier of record for moves booked through its agents: the agent's trucks run under this authority, this USDOT number goes on the bill of lading, and the network's claims process applies. The agent that actually loads you has a registration of its own, and it is worth reading that record too.
What is United Van Lines's USDOT number?
77949. Its operating authority docket is MC67234 and its legal name on the register is United Van Lines LLC. Look the number up on the FMCSA's SAFER system to see authority status, insurance on file, the safety rating and the inspection and crash record; the record on this page was pulled on 2026-09-24.
How big is United Van Lines?
United Van Lines filed 4,731 power units and 3,424 drivers on its latest MCS-150, which makes it the 1st largest of the 100 eligible interstate household-goods carriers on the register and the 1st largest of the 7 van lines among them. The company itself reports ~300 affiliated agencies in the U.S. plus representatives in Canada. The largest, United Van Lines, files 4,731 power units; the median for the 100 is 55.
Does United Van Lines have a good safety rating?
United Van Lines holds a Satisfactory rating, the best of the three the FMCSA assigns, from a compliance review completed on 2023-02-16. A rating reflects the carrier's compliance at the time of the review and does not change until another review is done, so read it alongside the current inspection and crash figures on SAFER.
Is United Van Lines a van line, an agent or an independent mover?
A van line: a national network of local agents that book and service moves under United Van Lines's federal authority. The crew that loads you is an agent in your city, the crew that unloads you is an agent in the other, and the shipment may change hands at a depot in between. The company reports ~300 affiliated agencies in the U.S. plus representatives in Canada.
How much does United Van Lines charge for a long-distance move?
United Van Lines does not publish a rate card and we do not hold its quotes; every long-distance price is set by weight, distance, date and the survey. From our published model a three-bedroom home over 1,000 miles should quote near $5,175 – $6,900 for full-service movers, transport only, and $14,490 – $19,320 over 2,800 miles. Get a surveyed, binding not-to-exceed estimate from United Van Lines and two other carriers and compare them against that range.
Who owns United Van Lines?
United Van Lines is part of UniGroup. The company describes itself as agent-owned cooperative. It was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri; the USDOT number was issued in 1974.