Movers in Tennessee charge about $85 to $135 per hour for a two-person crew on local jobs, and a two-bedroom interstate move from Tennessee is estimated at $2,600 to $6,100. Tennessee runs no separate household-goods licensing program, so only companies moving household goods across state lines appear in the federal FMCSA register. Peak demand runs April to September, when quotes sit at the top of those ranges. BestMovers.info compares 182 licensed carriers serving Tennessee, with pricing data as of May 2026.
Compare moving companies, Federal Records, and moving resources for Tennessee. BestMovers.info publishes no numeric score, star rating or ranked order.
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Tennessee sits in the South with about 7.1 million residents and a peak moving window of April–September. Flexible timelines shift to November–March, where pricing lands 15% to 25% lower and crews are easier to book.
Two crew members at standard rates run roughly $110/hr in most of the state, with downtown high-rise jobs and gated communities pulling toward the upper end. A typical 2-bedroom interstate move out of Tennessee settles around $4,350, though distance and packing services swing that meaningfully.
Local quirks worth pricing in: summer heat, hurricane-season reschedules along the coast, and a heavier flow of inbound retirees. None of these are dealbreakers, but they show up in the final bill if you don't ask about them upfront.
BestMovers.info has not yet confirmed, against a current government page, which Tennessee agency licenses movers operating inside the state, so this page does not name one. Any move that crosses the Tennessee state line is authorised federally, so ask for the USDOT number and check the carrier in FMCSA SAFER, and ask any local-only company in Tennessee for its business registration and proof of cargo insurance in writing.
Check whether the company quoting you is the company loading the truck; brokers subcontract, and the carrier's record is the one that matters.
Tennessee runs its heaviest volume April–September, and its 3 covered metros feed most of that demand out of and around Nashville. Population sits near 7.1 million, which is what sets how deep the local crew pool actually is in November–March.
The Tennessee shortlist is filtered before it is listed. A company is listed here when it is headquartered in Tennessee or its record shows coverage of the state, and when we can describe it from sourced fields: federal registration, operating authority, founding year, and service coverage. We publish no numeric score and rank nobody first.
Which company suits your move is a question of scope and date, not of a score: BestMovers.info publishes no numeric score, star rating or ranked order. The pricing model behind the estimates on this page is dated May 2026.
Two movers, ground-floor access, standard packing. Peak season in Tennessee is April–September.
| Home size | Local move | Interstate move |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $255–$675 | $1,430–$3,660 |
| 1 Bedroom | $340–$810 | $1,950–$4,758 |
| 2 Bedroom | $510–$1,215 | $2,600–$6,100 |
| 3 Bedroom | $680–$1,620 | $3,770–$9,455 |
| 4 Bedroom | $935–$2,160 | $5,070–$13,115 |
| 5+ Bedroom | $1,190–$2,700 | $6,240–$16,470 |
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 990 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Tennessee, and 454 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Tennessee address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Tennessee. An interstate move into or out of Tennessee can be performed by a carrier registered in any state.
FMCSA motor carrier census, Company Census FileData as of 2026-08-10
IRS tax return data for filing years 2022 to 2023 records 90,830 returns moving out of Tennessee to another state, and 114,714 moving in, a net gain of 23,884 returns. A return approximates a household rather than a person. The same filings cover 157,581 individuals leaving and 200,321 arriving.
The states receiving the most Tennessee households were Florida (9,475 returns), Georgia (7,832 returns) and Texas (6,776 returns).
Arrivals came mainly from Florida (12,505 returns), California (10,246 returns) and Georgia (8,430 returns). These figures count all filers who changed address, not only those who hired a moving company.
IRS SOI state-to-state outflow fileIRS SOI state-to-state inflow fileData as of tax filing years 2022 to 2023
Tennessee state pages point at two different agencies for a company moving household goods inside Tennessee, and BestMovers.info will not pick one for you until a Tennessee page settles it.
Because those Tennessee pages do not agree, this page names no Tennessee regulator and no Tennessee licence. Any move that crosses the Tennessee state line is authorised federally instead: the carrier must hold a USDOT number and interstate household goods operating authority, both checkable in FMCSA SAFER.
https://www.tn.gov/revenue/motor-carrier/intrastate-authority.htmlhttps://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1340/1340-06/1340-06-01.pdf
Check a carrier in FMCSA SAFERA move that leaves Tennessee is an interstate move and falls under federal authority, so the company needs active operating authority for household goods rather than only a Tennessee licence. A move that stays inside Tennessee is different: Tennessee pages point at more than one agency, so this page names no Tennessee regulator and no Tennessee licence until a Tennessee page settles it. Check which kind of move you are booking before you compare quotes, because the two are verified in different places.
The out of state checklist sets out what changes when the move crosses a line, and the moving checklist sets out the weeks before it.
A studio or 1-bedroom in Tennessee rarely justifies full service. Book labor-only at $85 to $135 per hour, rent the truck yourself, and expect the loading to take three to four hours.
Once a household passes three bedrooms, full service is usually the cheaper mistake to avoid. Budget two to three times the labor-only figure; the premium buys equipment, insurance, and a crew that does this daily.
Containers are the middle option for Tennessee households. Providers such as PODS, U-Pack, and 1-800-PACK-RAT drop a unit at the curb. You load on your schedule, the company drives. On a Tennessee interstate move the container route is usually cheaper than a full-service van line, because you are supplying the loading labor the carrier would otherwise charge for. Bestmovers.info holds no container rates, so price the provider quote for your own lane and dates. The catch is the delivery window, which is set by the provider rather than promised to you, and limited recourse for damage during loading, since you packed it.
These companies have a verified headquarters or documented company location in Tennessee. Placement is based on documented location information, not a numeric ranking.
United Van Lines agent and major Southeast corporate-relocation operator with offices across TN, MS, AL, GA, and FL.
Armstrong Relocation is headquartered in Tennessee according to its published company location.
Bellhop's online booking and transparent hourly pricing make it one of the more user-friendly local options. Moves are handled by W2 mover teams in 100+ cities across the South and Midwest.
Bellhop Moving is headquartered in Tennessee according to its published company location.
Still Transfer Co. files from northeast Tennessee as a long-established registrant with fifteen power units and thirteen drivers on the federal file. The record shows both carrier and broker roles, and the two are kept separate on this profile: work the company hauls itself and work it arranges for another carrier are different functions and are described that way. The federal file carries a satisfactory safety rating dated 25 March 2002 following a compliance review. That is a dated federal snapshot, reported with its date rather than as a current verdict, and it is neither confirmed nor contradicted by anything more recent in the records reviewed. The company states first-party that it was founded in 1928.
Still Transfer Co. is headquartered in Tennessee according to its published company location.
Nashville-based local mover that states it employs its crews directly as W2 staff rather than subcontracting. We hold no customer-satisfaction dataset for this company.
True Friends Moving Company is headquartered in Tennessee according to its published company location.
These companies publish broad nationwide moving service and are shown separately from companies based in Tennessee.
American Van Lines states first-party that it staffs moves with W2 employees rather than day labour. It requires a deposit to hold a move date, so ask what portion is refundable and by when before you pay it. We publish no BBB grade and hold no complaint dataset, so nothing here rates the company's service.
American Van Lines publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
One of the oldest moving brands in the US, Bekins runs an agent-affiliate model similar to Allied, with interstate shipments booked under the Bekins registration and performed by affiliated agents.
Bekins Moving Solutions publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
Budd Van Lines Inc is an independent nationwide carrier rather than an agent of a national van line, which is rare at this size: the federal census records 124 power units and 102 drivers filed from Somerset, New Jersey. Because the company holds its own active common and contract authority with household goods on the licensing record and no broker authority, the entity you contract with is the entity that hauls the shipment. The company's own history pages date the business to 1975.
Budd Van Lines publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
Colonial Van Lines Inc files from 1441 SW 29th Avenue in Pompano Beach, Florida, active on the federal census with 25 power units, 25 drivers and an MCS-150 filed 21 March 2025. The licensing record carries motor carrier of household goods authority granted 31 March 2010 and motor carrier of property authority recorded as reinstated on 27 June 2025, both active at the time of reading; no broker authority is carried on this registration. The federal file records a Satisfactory safety rating dated 28 June 2021 alongside a compliance review dated 3 October 2012. A safety rating is a dated federal snapshot of the review that produced it, not a current assessment of the company. The company publishes this USDOT number and MC docket in its own website footer, which is how the registration and the brand were joined. Two further registrations filing from the same address, one under the identical legal name and one under a Texas corporate name, are disclosed separately as related registrations rather than merged into this record. The company states it was founded in 2003.
Colonial Van Lines publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
Wheaton World Wide Moving shares a parent company with Bekins and moves interstate household goods through an agent network under its own federal registration.
Wheaton World Wide Moving publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
Eight weeks out: get three written quotes. Two should be in-home or video surveys. One online quote is fine for comparison only — it will rarely be the binding number.
Six weeks out: book the carrier. Ask for binding-not-to-exceed pricing in writing. Confirm valuation coverage (released vs. full-value protection — there is a real difference if a TV gets dropped).
Four weeks out: order packing supplies if you're self-packing. Boxes go on sale at U-Haul and Home Depot in late winter and late summer.
Two weeks out: confirm parking, building COIs, and elevator reservations at both ends. Tennessee buildings vary wildly here — some need 72 hours notice, some 30 days.
One week out: pack a personal essentials box (medications, chargers, three days of clothes, toilet paper, coffee, scissors, the lease/closing folder) and keep it with you, not on the truck.
Move day: walk the truck before driver pulls away. Sign the Bill of Lading only after the inventory list matches. First week in the new place, file any damage claim within nine months — that's the federal interstate window.
Tennessee pricing varies city by city. Downtown cores with high-rise residential typically run 10–20% above the state median because of COI requirements, freight elevator wait time, and tighter parking. Suburban single-family moves usually land near the median. Rural pickups outside metro service areas often add a per-mile travel fee from the nearest depot.
Tennessee does not run a separate household-goods licensing program. We have not yet confirmed a state licensing agency for intrastate movers here against a current government page, so this page does not name one. Interstate carriers are registered with the federal FMCSA and can be checked in SAFER.
FMCSA carrier lookupResearched and written by Grant Holloway · Reviewed by Amanda Brooks · Last reviewed August 2026
How we evaluate moving companies: we verify federal registration and operating authority against FMCSA records, record carrier or broker classification, note state licensing where a state regulator publishes it, and state the limits of what we could source. No numeric score, star rating or ranked order is produced from those checks. Read full methodology