E.E. Ward Moving & Storage review (2026)

Daniel Harper, Senior Moving Industry Research Editor at BestMovers.info
Researched and written byDaniel HarperSenior Moving Industry Research Editor
Amanda Brooks, Senior Editorial Reviewer at BestMovers.info
Reviewed byAmanda BrooksSenior Editorial Reviewer

Last reviewed August 2026How we research moving companiesEditorial standards

E.E. Ward Moving & Storage is registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under USDOT 1222904 and MC 612134. Founded in 1881 and headquartered in Grove City, OH, E.E. Ward Moving & Storage covers all 50 states. A two-bedroom interstate move with E.E. Ward Moving & Storage is estimated at $1,800–$5,200, before packing, valuation, and storage. BestMovers.info publishes no numeric score, star rating or ranked order for moving companies. On the documented record, E.E. Ward Moving & Storage is most relevant to columbus-area household and office moves handled by the company's own 20-truck crew.

Key facts

USDOT number
1222904
MC / docket number
MC-612134
FMCSA legal name
E E WARD MOVING AND STORAGE COMPANY LLC
Carrier or broker
carrier
Carrier operation
Intrastate, non-hazardous materials, on the census row
Federal filing address
2235 Southwest Blvd Ste A, Grove City, OH 43123
Power units
20
Drivers
20
MCS-150 filed
2026-01-30
Founded
1881
Headquarters
Grove City, OH
Coverage
All 50 states
2-bedroom interstate estimate
$1,800–$5,200
Services
Long-distance, Local, Packing, Storage, Corporate
Data as of
2026-08-16
Last verified
2026-08-18
Verdict

E.E. Ward Moving & Storage

We do not publish a numeric score for moving companies.

E.E. Ward traces its business to 1881 and describes itself as the oldest continuously African-American owned moving company in the United States. The federal registration behind the brand is E E Ward Moving and Storage Company LLC at 2235 Southwest Blvd in Grove City, the Columbus-area address the site publishes, with 20 power units and 20 drivers on the census and a household goods cargo entry. The licensing record shows common and contract authority both active with household goods authority. Interstate work is routed through the northAmerican network, whose own registration belongs to the van line and is not stored on this record.

Best for
Columbus-area household and office moves handled by the company's own 20-truck crew
Main trade-off
The fleet is small for a national footprint, so the long leg of an interstate move is likely to travel on van-line equipment rather than on E.E. Ward's own trucks.

Editorially independent, funded by referral fees. We may be paid when you request a quote from a company listed here. Payment does not decide who is listed or the order they appear in, and we publish no score or star rating. Advertising disclosure

Free quote request

Compare Moving Quotes From Licensed Movers

Tell us about your move and get matched with up to 4 licensed moving companies.

No obligation. Your quote request may be shared with up to 4 moving companies that may serve your requested route.

Step 1 of 3 · Locations

Where are you moving?

Get matched with licensed movers based on your route and move details.

ZIP or City

.

ZIP or City

.

What is E.E. Ward Moving & Storage's USDOT number and is its authority active?

The USDOT number of E.E. Ward Moving & Storage is 1222904. This reflects the federal record as of 2026-08-16.

Is E.E. Ward Moving & Storage the same company as North American Van Lines?

No. E.E. Ward Moving & Storage operates as an agent of North American Van Lines, which is a separate company with its own federal registration, USDOT 070851. The van line's number appears in agent branding and interstate notices, not as this company's own registration. The record that belongs to the company itself is USDOT 1222904, and that is the one we publish above.

The distinction matters when you check a mover. A van line's safety history, fleet size and insurance filings describe the van line. They say nothing about the agent that will pack your home, load the truck and hold your contract.

Read from https://www.eeward.com/about on 2026-08-16.

Is E.E. Ward Moving & Storage licensed to move within Ohio?

For a move that stays inside Ohio, movers are authorised by Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), and the agency does not publish a single name for that authorisation on the pages we read. The agency publishes no public lookup; it verifies authorisation by phone on 1-800-686-7826. We have not verified E.E. Ward Moving & Storage's Ohio authorisation, and nothing here says it lacks one. Holding federal interstate authority is a separate thing from holding state authorisation for a move that starts and ends inside one state.

What is E.E. Ward Moving & Storage's USDOT number?

E.E. Ward Moving & Storage carries USDOT number 1222904 and docket number MC-612134 on the FMCSA company census file. The registered legal name is E E WARD MOVING AND STORAGE COMPANY LLC. The filed physical address is 2235 Southwest Blvd Ste A, Grove City, OH 43123. The census records the operation classification for E.E. Ward Moving & Storage as authorized for hire.

Federal source: FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot for USDOT 1222904 · Data as of August 16, 2026

How big is E.E. Ward Moving & Storage's fleet?

E.E. Ward Moving & Storage reports 20 power units and 20 drivers on its federal registration. Power units count trucks, tractors and other self-powered vehicles the company operates, not trailers. E.E. Ward Moving & Storage last updated that federal registration on January 30, 2026, so the counts describe the fleet as filed on that date rather than today.

Federal source: FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot for USDOT 1222904 · Data as of August 16, 2026

Does E.E. Ward Moving & Storage have a federal safety rating?

E.E. Ward Moving & Storage has no federal safety rating on its census record. Most interstate carriers have never had a compliance review, and a rating is only assigned after one, so the absence of a rating is not a negative signal about E.E. Ward Moving & Storage. It means no rating review has been recorded, and the other federal registration details remain the material check.

Federal source: FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot for USDOT 1222904 · Data as of August 16, 2026

Is E.E. Ward Moving & Storage a carrier, a broker, or both?

E.E. Ward Moving & Storage holds motor carrier authority on its federal licensing record and does not hold property broker authority. Carrier authority means E.E. Ward Moving & Storage is licensed to perform moves with its own trucks and crews rather than arrange them through another company. The crew that arrives on moving day works under this authority, and E.E. Ward Moving & Storage carries the federal liability for the shipment. The licensing record for E.E. Ward Moving & Storage shows household goods authority, property authority, and no broker authority.

Federal source: FMCSA licensing record, read by hand · Data as of August 16, 2026

Is E.E. Ward Moving & Storage authorised to move household goods?

E.E. Ward Moving & Storage holds active operating authority covering household goods on its federal licensing record. This is a stronger statement than the cargo classification on the census registration. Authority is the licence to carry that freight for hire, and it has to be active for E.E. Ward Moving & Storage to move a household across state lines lawfully.

Federal source: FMCSA licensing record, read by hand · Data as of August 16, 2026

Information provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

How much can a mover charge above a non-binding estimate?

On an interstate move priced with a non-binding estimate, a mover may require no more than 110% of the estimated charges before it will release your goods at delivery. That cap is set by 49 CFR 375.407, and it applies to the mover you hire regardless of what the final weight turns out to be. Anything owed above that amount is not payable on delivery day: the mover must bill you for it, and you have 30 days from delivery to pay it under 49 CFR 375.407.

Source: 49 CFR 375.407, eCFR

What is a mover liable for if my belongings are damaged?

Every interstate mover must offer released value, the no-extra-charge level of liability set by 49 CFR 375.701. Under released value the mover owes 60 cents per pound per article, so a claim is settled on what a damaged item weighs rather than on what it is worth. A heavy item pays out more than a light expensive one. The alternative is full value protection, which a mover must also offer, costs extra, and settles at repair, replacement, or a cash equivalent. Released value applies by default if you sign nothing else.

Source: 49 CFR 375.701, eCFR

How can I verify E.E. Ward Moving & Storage?

Federal record: FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot for USDOT 1222904 · Data as of 2026-08-16 · Last verified 2026-08-18

E.E. Ward Moving & Storage in one paragraph

E.E. Ward Moving & Storage has been operating since 1881 (about 145 years), runs out of Grove City, OH, and covers all 50 states. Current FMCSA filing shows USDOT 1222904 and MC 612134. E.E. Ward traces its business to 1881 and describes itself as the oldest continuously African-American owned moving company in the United States. The federal registration behind the brand is E E Ward Moving and Storage Company LLC at 2235 Southwest Blvd in Grove City, the Columbus-area address the site publishes, with 20 power units and 20 drivers on the census and a household goods cargo entry. The licensing record shows common and contract authority both active with household goods authority. Interstate work is routed through the northAmerican network, whose own registration belongs to the van line and is not stored on this record.

Estimated cost of a move with this carrier

This is an estimated quote range, not a record of prices paid. For a 2-bedroom interstate move, E.E. Ward Moving & Storage quotes generally land in the $1,800–$5,200 range, with the midpoint of that estimated range near $3,500. The low end of that range usually applies to off-season runs under 1,000 miles with self-packing; the high end shows up on full-service summer moves over 2,000 miles.

Local hourly pricing through E.E. Ward Moving & Storage is not published by the company and we hold no rate card for it. Our national editorial estimate for a two-mover crew and a truck on a local move is $105 to $155 an hour, May 2026, and it is a model figure rather than a quote from this carrier. Ask whether travel time, fuel surcharge, and stair fees sit inside or outside the hourly number, because that is where two apparently identical quotes diverge.

Where this carrier may fit

Columbus-area household and office moves handled by the company's own 20-truck crew. That is an editorial view of fit, not a measured performance result: we hold no complaint-rate, claims-outcome or satisfaction dataset for E.E. Ward Moving & Storage. Three things make any move with this company more predictable, whatever the carrier: an inventory list locked in two or more weeks ahead, a binding not-to-exceed estimate in writing, and a destination ZIP the company services directly rather than through a subcontracted agent.

How to work around the main trade-off

The trade-off summarised at the top of this page is the one that most often costs readers money with E.E. Ward Moving & Storage. Two questions defuse it at quote stage: ask for the specific line items that drive the number up on your move profile, and ask whether the crew at your origin is employed directly or subcontracted to a local agent.

Then price the same inventory with one alternative below. A second quote on identical inventory is the only reliable way to tell whether the premium buys you anything on your particular lane.

E.E. Ward Moving & Storage vs the competition

CarrierFounded2BR price range
E.E. Ward Moving & Storage1881$1,800–$5,200
Allied Van Lines1928$3,200–$7,500
Atlas Van Lines1948$3,000–$7,200

Booking process, step by step

  • Request a quote with a complete inventory list. Online forms are fine for a first pass; a video survey is what makes a binding number stick.
  • Insist on binding-not-to-exceed in writing. Federal rules let a carrier collect up to 110% of a non-binding estimate at delivery, with the balance billed later; a binding not-to-exceed estimate removes that exposure.
  • Confirm valuation coverage. Released value (the federal default) pays $0.60 per pound. Full-value protection costs more but actually replaces a damaged TV.
  • Confirm pickup and delivery windows. For interstate jobs the delivery window is a range, not a date — plan accordingly.
  • On move day, walk the truck and check the inventory list before signing the Bill of Lading. Note any pre-existing damage on the form.

What this page does and does not say

We publish no numeric score, star rating or ranked order for E.E. Ward Moving & Storage, and we recommend no company over another. What this page carries is the federal registration record above and the sourced facts beside it. Read those, then price the same written inventory with one alternative before you sign.

Updated August 2026 Reviewed by Amanda Brooks182 company profiles published

Compare side by side

Where E.E. Ward Moving & Storage is documented

These links follow the company's documented location only. They are not a service-area claim.

Frequently asked questions

Sources