You should begin planning 6-8 weeks in advance to secure the best dates, arrange in-home estimates, and coordinate complex family travel logistics. Early preparation with Atlas Van Lines ensures communication, reduces cost surprises, and prevents delays.

Moving is a complicated and intensive task, and long-distance moves can require that much more work. Of course, at the end of a successful move of many hundreds or thousands of miles, the sense of satisfaction can pay off in a big way. To make sure your upcoming big move is as positive as possible, here's some advice to take to heart.

What We’ll Cover in This Guide

Use the links below to jump directly to the parts of long-distance planning that matter most to you:

• Plan Far Ahead: Why early preparation makes long-distance moves smoother and safer

• Connect with Movers Early: How early outreach helps secure dates, estimates, and support

• Coordinate Family Travel: Tips for planning cars, flights, pets, and logistics

• Expert Insights & Stats: What professional movers want you to know

• Long-Distance Moving FAQs: Answers to common questions about long-haul moves

Plan Far Ahead

Long-distance moves have additional layers of complexity compared to local relocations. The following sections outline the core preparation steps that help ensure a safe and streamlined move.

"No matter the distance, a good move requires a lot of forethought."

No matter the distance, a good move requires a lot of forethought. When the trip to your new home takes you across a great distance, pre-planning is even more important. While it's easy enough to make an extra trip back to your old house if you're moving to the next town over, that's not the case when states or entire regions of the country separate you from your previous home. With the need for advance planning in mind, consider these pieces of guidance:

Get in touch with movers and packers early on.

Working with professionals early in the planning process helps you secure dates, understand costs, and prepare for specialty items or unique challenges.

The earlier you reach out to moving and packing companies, the easier it is to choose the best date possible, set up in-home estimates, figure out the best course of action for handling large, delicate and otherwise special items, determine what the movers can't bring on the truck themselves and more. By getting this out of the way soon rather than later, you also give yourself some important peace of mind.

Figure out how everyone in your family will get there.

Family logistics can have a major impact on timing, cost, and safety during a long-distance move. Here’s how to plan travel effectively.

Depending on how many people, cars, pets, delicate possessions and other variables are involved, this may be a quick and easy or more complicated strategy session. A husband and wife moving out of an apartment, with no children or pets and a full-sized sedan or SUV, can likely make the trip without worrying too much about how everyone will make it to the new home.

When your family is larger and has more pets, valuable possessions, and other considerations to take into account, it can get more complicated. Figuring out how much room each family vehicle has, who will sit where and if renting an additional vehicle is needed are all important steps to take. With that knowledge in hand, you can make the most economical choices to ensure everyone and everything gets to your new home far ahead of time. In some instances, you may realize it's more efficient or simply easier for some family members to fly to the new destination, or for other arrangements to be made.

Planning the route from your current residence to your new location is also important, whether it's a few hundred miles away or a coast-to-coast move. Understanding the route itself is important. Is it mostly highways? Are there any side roads that could be more easily affected by traffic, weather and other considerations? How much driving per day is everyone comfortable with? How frequently will your family need to stop for gas, food, rest and other needs?

There are many considerations to make before you embark on a long-distance move, but taking care of the ones detailed here can make the experience much more enjoyable and fruitful for everyone involved.

What the Moving Experts Want You to Know

Beyond logistics, long-distance moves benefit from insider knowledge from trained moving professionals. These insights and statistics help you understand what to expect and how to avoid common pitfalls.

Atlas moving professionals consistently highlight these key insights:

• Long-distance moves require earlier planning than local moves because mover availability, route planning, and delivery windows become more complex with distance.

• Shipment weight and travel distance are the two biggest factors influencing cost. Knowing this early helps customers budget more accurately.

• Communication and documentation are essential. Long-distance moves often involve multiple checkpoints, so clarity prevents service delays.

• Driving fatigue is a top safety concern for families handling the travel themselves, especially when traveling with children or pets.

Industry Statistics That Matter

These real-world data points help illustrate why preparation is so important:

• Roughly 41 million Americans move each year, but only a small percentage are long-distance, making them more complex and less familiar for most families.

• Slips, trips, and lifting injuries account for more than half of moving-related injuries, showing why heavy lifting should be left to trained movers.

• Less than 10% of moving companies offer fully integrated end-to-end services (packing, storage, transportation), making coordinated long-distance planning essential.

Long-Distance Moving FAQs

How early should I book movers for a long-distance move?

It’s best to contact movers 6–8 weeks in advance, especially during summer or peak moving seasons. Early booking gives you better date availability and more time to arrange in-home estimates. For a full breakdown of what to do and when, see our Moving Checklist with a detailed timeline of action items.

What’s the biggest difference between local and long-distance moves?

Local moves offer flexibility. If you forget something, you can go back, unlike in most long-distance moves. That’s why planning, packing accuracy, and route preparation become far more important when moving several hundred miles or more.

How can I keep my family coordinated during a long move?

Create a travel plan that outlines who is driving, who is flying, how many vehicles you have, and what each person is responsible for. Families moving with children or pets often benefit from breaking the trip into manageable legs or scheduling flights for some family members.

Should I drive my belongings long-distance or hire professional movers?

Professional movers reduce the risk of driving fatigue, accidents, improper packing, and damage caused by long travel. Hiring experts often saves time and prevents logistical challenges for long-distance moves.

How do I plan the safest travel route for a long move?

Review your route ahead of time, check for highway closures, and identify reliable rest stops. Avoid routes with extensive side roads that may be impacted by weather or traffic conditions.

What items can’t movers take on the truck?

Most movers cannot transport items like flammables, cleaners, paints, perishable foods, or aerosol cans. Ask your mover for a “non-allowables” list before packing.

How do I estimate how long a long-distance move will take?

Travel distance, weather, road conditions, and shipment size all influence timing. Your mover can give you a delivery window, which helps you plan your family’s arrival and any overnight stops.