Pickens Kane Moving & Storage review (2026)

Pickens Kane Moving & Storage in one paragraph

Pickens Kane Moving & Storage has been operating since 1914 (about 112 years), runs out of Chicago, IL, and covers all 50 states. Current FMCSA filing shows USDOT 237969 and MC 162060. Pickens-Kane Moving & Storage Co Inc files from North Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago, active on the federal census with household goods and general freight cargo entries, ten power units and a current MCS-150 filing. One docket sits on the registration, and the company's own website publishes the same registration number the census carries, so registrant and consumer-facing brand agree. No licensing row was returned for this registration in the federal authority mirror read for this profile, so authority is described from the census and the docket rather than from a licensing status this project did not see. No van-line agency was established in research and none is asserted here. The business describes itself as serving Chicago since 1914.

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, Pickens Kane Moving & Storage quotes generally land in the $2,000–$5,600 range, with the midpoint of that estimated range near $3,800. 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 Pickens Kane 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

Chicago household, office and fine-art relocations handled by an independent carrier that files its own household goods registration. That is an editorial view of fit, not a measured performance result: we hold no complaint-rate, claims-outcome or satisfaction dataset for Pickens Kane 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 Pickens Kane 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.

Pickens Kane Moving & Storage vs the competition

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 Pickens Kane 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.