Sourdough Express vs United Van Lines
Researched and written by Daniel Harper · Reviewed by Amanda Brooks · Last reviewed August 2026
We publish no numeric score for moving companies, so this page names no winner. Sourdough Express is described as best for alaska household and freight relocations, including fairbanks, anchorage and soldotna work, handled by a large in-state carrier that files its own registration, while United Van Lines is described as best for long-distance moves with full packing. Compare the registration and authority records below, verify each USDOT number on FMCSA SAFER, and get a binding estimate from both before booking.
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Side-by-side
| Category | Sourdough Express | United Van Lines |
|---|---|---|
| USDOT | 125119 | 077949 |
| MC # | 118527 | 67234 |
| Carrier or broker | carrier | both |
| Founded | 1898 | 1928 |
| Headquarters | Fairbanks, AK | Fenton, MO |
| Coverage | Interstate (48) | All 50 states |
| Services | Long-distance, Local, Packing, Storage, Corporate | Long-distance, International, Packing, Storage, Auto transport, Corporate |
| Legal name on the federal filing | SOURDOUGH EXPRESS INC | UNITED VAN LINES LLC |
| Entity status | A | |
| Operating authority held | Household goods, Property | Household goods, Property, Carrier and broker |
| Power units on the census file | 113 | 4,731 |
| Drivers on the census file | 137 | 3,424 |
| Safety rating | S | S |
| Federal record as of | 2026-08-15 | 2026-08-13 |
| 2BR interstate estimate (BestMovers.info estimate) | $2,600–$8,200 | $3,100–$7,400 |
Legal name, entity status, operating authority, fleet counts and safety rating come from the FMCSA motor carrier census and licensing files, and appear only where the identifier on the federal record matched the company record on this page. Where a row is absent for one company, this site holds no verified federal value for it.
Sourdough Express
Sourdough Express Inc files from Driveway Street in Fairbanks, Alaska, active on the federal census with one hundred and thirteen power units, one hundred and thirty-seven drivers, a current MCS-150 filing and docket MC-118527 on the registration. The filed contact email uses the company's own domain, tying registrant and brand inside the federal data. This registration is the primary one described on this page. Other registrations sharing the Sourdough name and contact ecosystem were located and are disclosed separately as related registrations with the relationship recorded as unresolved: nothing here calls any of them a predecessor, a sibling or a superseded filing, and the freight forwarder authority carried by one of them belongs to that registrant alone and is not presented as authority held by Sourdough Express Inc. FMCSA safety rating on file: Satisfactory, dated 18 February 2025, following a compliance review dated 14 February 2025; it is stored as the dated federal snapshot it is. The company states it has served Alaska since 1898.
- Best for alaska household and freight relocations, including fairbanks, anchorage and soldotna work, handled by a large in-state carrier that files its own registration.
- Interstate (48) coverage; founded 1898.
- Several other Sourdough registrations exist in the same contact ecosystem and the corporate relationship between them is unresolved, so a customer should confirm which entity is named on their own paperwork.
United Van Lines
United Van Lines is the largest brand under UniGroup and publishes the annual National Movers Study. It offers shipment tracking and a published claims process; we hold no dataset that compares its claims outcomes with other carriers.
- Best for long-distance moves with full packing.
- All 50 states coverage; founded 1928.
- Quotes are non-binding by default unless you specifically request a binding estimate.
Alaska household and freight relocations, including Fairbanks, Anchorage and Soldotna work, handled by a large in-state carrier that files its own registration
Several other Sourdough registrations exist in the same contact ecosystem and the corporate relationship between them is unresolved, so a customer should confirm which entity is named on their own paperwork.
Long-distance moves with full packing
Quotes are non-binding by default unless you specifically request a binding estimate.
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