A moving company, removalist, or van line is a company that helps people and businesses relocate their goods from one place to another.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 40 million Americans have moved annually over the last decade.
Of those people who have moved in the United States, 84.5% of them have moved within their own state, 12.5% have moved to another state and 2.3% have moved to another country.
For long distance moves, the cost is typically determined by the weight or the size of the items needing to be moved and the distance. Some movers may offer flat rate pricing.
The use of truck rental services, or simply borrowing similar hardware, is referred to as DIY moving in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The parties moving borrow or rent a truck or trailer large enough to carry the load of household goods to be relocated. If necessary, obtaining moving equipment such as dollies, furniture pads and cargo belts to protect the furniture and make things easier to move.
It also involves finding or buying materials such as boxes, paper, tape and bubble wrap with which to pack boxable and/or fragile household goods for their protection and for compact carrying and stacking on moving day.
Self-service moving companies offer another viable option. The person moving buys space on one or more trailers or shipping containers. These large containers, often up to 53′ feet in length, are driven by professionals to the new location. The renters of the trailer or truck often sell or lease accessories such as furniture blankets, tie down straps, packing material, dollies and ramps.