Best Long Distance Moving Company in Canada: How to Choose the Right Movers

The best long distance moving company for your move is the one that will put three things in writing before anything goes on the truck: the price, the delivery window and what it owes you if something is lost or broken. It should also be the company doing the work, not a broker selling your job to whoever is available that week. Star ratings won’t tell you any of that. Ten minutes of pointed questions will.

What “best” should mean on a long haul

A local move that goes wrong usually gets sorted out the same afternoon. A long haul doesn’t give you that chance. Your belongings can be on the road for days, the company may be hundreds of kilometres from both of your addresses, and unless you choose otherwise, the mover’s liability is set by weight at a rate that won’t replace much. That changes what you are shopping for. The headline price matters less than whether a company will commit, in writing, to the things that hurt most when they go wrong.

Carrier or broker: find out who actually moves you

The Canadian Association of Movers describes most moving brokers as lead generators and marketers. They take your booking, often with a non-refundable deposit, and pass the job to a company willing to do the work. The broker does not perform the move, is not responsible for the work and, in CAM’s words, has no liability for what happens during your move. You may not know who is coming until the truck pulls up.

CAM also says a few brokers are legitimate, usually people with hands-on industry experience who disclose up front that they are brokers. The test is the same either way. Ask whose name goes on the contract and the bill of lading, whose employees load the truck, where the company’s trucks and warehouse are, and whether any part of the job will be handed to someone else. A real carrier answers all four without hesitating.

For the record, our moves are done by our own crews, and on a long-distance move the same crew loads the truck, drives it and unloads it at your new home. Moving Co. uses no brokers and no subcontracted crews, on long-haul moves or anywhere else.

How long distance moves are priced

Long distance quotes come in a few forms: a flat price for the whole job, a price built from the weight or volume of your shipment, or an hourly clock. Whatever the method, a quote is only as accurate as the inventory it was built from, which is why a mover pricing a three-bedroom house from a two-minute phone call is guessing.

Our published starting prices from Toronto are below, and the full rate table lives on our page for long distance movers in Toronto.

A “from” price is a floor, not a quote. What moves it up is the same on every route: how much you are shipping, whether you pack or we do, specialty items, and any storage between homes. Packing materials are at cost, about $3 to $5 per box, and full packing service is $50 an hour per packer. A gun safe or art is quoted on request. A quick video walkthrough of your home gets you a real estimate; call (905) 752-7787, the line is open 24 hours.

Reading an estimate without getting burned

Get more than one. Ontario’s guidance on hiring a mover recommends at least three written estimates, with each company clear on whether it is packing for you or only moving what you have packed. Once an estimate is written into your contract, an Ontario mover cannot charge more than 10 per cent above it unless you need extra supplies or services and agree to the increase. That cap is only as useful as the estimate, so be wary of any company that won’t look at your home, by video or in person, before it names a price.

Then compare totals, not teaser numbers. Since June 23, 2022, the federal Competition Act has said outright that advertising a price customers can’t actually pay, because mandatory fixed fees get added on top, is a false or misleading representation. Sales tax and other government charges are the exception. The Competition Bureau’s guide to the 2022 amendments calls the practice drip pricing. On a moving quote, the add-ons to look for are fuel, stairs, long carries, a shuttle truck, packing materials and anything labelled a service charge. Ask every company for the all-in number and compare those.

Give movers what they need for an accurate quote

Most bad estimates start with a bad inventory. Whether a company sends someone or asks for a video, show it everything that is going: every room, every closet, the basement, the garage, the balcony and any storage locker. Open the cupboards so whoever is pricing the packing can see how many dishes and books there are. Point out the pieces that need to come apart, the appliances coming with you and anything heavy or fragile, like a piano, a safe, a stone tabletop or a large mirror.

Access matters as much as volume, and it matters at both ends. Tell the mover how many flights of stairs there are, whether the building has an elevator and how long the booking window is, how far the truck will park from the door and whether the street has parking restrictions. If the destination is a condo, find out its move-in rules before you book, not after. A mover can only price what it knows about, and a sofa or a staircase that surfaces on moving day is exactly how a fair estimate turns into an argument.

What the contract has to say

In Ontario, a consumer contract for moving services worth more than $50 must be in writing, and the province’s page lists what it must include:

• the mover’s name, address and contact information
• a description of the services and an itemized list of prices
• the total amount you will pay
• start and end dates for the service
• the terms of payment

The province also suggests adding the estimate, the name of the mover’s insurer and the policy number, who is responsible for damage or loss, and the number of staff, the estimated hours and the size of the vehicles the job needs. Sign at your kitchen table and you get a 10-day cooling-off period to cancel for any reason. Sign online and the company must let you accept, decline or correct the contract first; if it doesn’t, you can cancel up to seven days after you receive your copy. No Ontario mover can hold your belongings to pressure you into renegotiating, and if you pay an extra demand because you feel you have no choice, write “paid under protest” on the invoice.

Outside Ontario the details differ. The Canadian Association of Movers’ summary of provincial carriage rules notes that most provinces regulate the conditions of carriage and bills of lading for household goods, with rules that are largely consistent where they exist. Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and the three territories don’t regulate this area. For your own province’s consumer office, the Canadian Consumer Handbook’s moving page lists the provincial and territorial contacts.

Liability: what $0.60 a pound actually pays

Your mover has to provide a basic level of liability at no extra cost. Under provincial conditions of carriage, that released rate is $0.60 per pound, or $1.32 per kilogram, per article, and CAM’s explanation of carrier liability shows what it means in practice: a 100-pound table damaged beyond repair is settled at $60, even if it would cost $1,000 to replace. The payout follows the weight of the item, not its value, so a laptop or a framed print is covered for almost nothing.

The alternative is increased carrier liability. You and the mover agree on a value for the shipment, the mover’s responsibility is based on that figure, and you pay extra for it. Whichever option you choose should be written on the bill of lading and signed. Check your home or tenant insurance as well: some policies cover belongings in transit, but often for a limited number of days and not for every kind of damage.

At Moving Co., standard coverage is included at $0.60 per pound per article, the industry standard, and a full replacement-value upgrade is available. Our guide to moving insurance in Canada goes through released value, replacement value and home policies in more depth.

Delivery windows, storage and dates that fill up early

Long distance moves are delivered in windows, not at appointment times, because a truck on a 1,800 km run to Halifax can’t tell you the hour it will reach your street. Get the pickup date and the delivery window in writing, then ask three follow-ups: who you call while your things are on the road, what happens if the truck arrives before you have the keys, and whether your shipment has the truck to itself or shares space with other households, which can stretch the window.

If your dates don’t line up, storage between homes is the usual answer. Ours is short or long term, climate controlled, monitored and inventoried, you pay for the space and time you use, and nothing goes to a third-party warehouse. The details are on our moving and storage service page.

Some dates need booking far ahead. In Quebec, Moving Day falls on July 1, the date most leases there still begin, and people sometimes reserve movers more than six months in advance. If you are heading to Montreal around then, plan early and read up on what a Toronto to Montreal move costs. For the longest run in the table above, our notes on planning a Toronto to Vancouver move cover timing, storage and whether to ship or drive your car.

Questions to ask every company on your shortlist

• Are you the carrier, and will your own employees load, drive and unload?
• Whose name will appear on my contract and bill of lading?
• What is your street address, and can I visit the facility if my things are stored?
• Is this a flat rate, a weight-based price or hourly, and what could change it?
• What is the all-in total, including fuel, packing, stairs and long carries?
• How much deposit do you want, when is it due, and when is it refundable?
• What is the delivery window, in writing, and who do I contact during the trip?
• Will my shipment have its own truck or share space with others?
• What liability is included, what does replacement value cost, and does coverage apply to boxes I pack myself?
• Which items won’t you carry?
• Can you give me references from moves on my route?

Ontario’s consumer guidance specifically suggests asking for references, asking whether the insurance covers things you packed yourself, and asking to visit any facility where your items may be stored. A company that bristles at those questions has answered the most important one.

Red flags worth walking away from

• A large deposit to a company with no street address, or payment only in cash.
• A price far below every other quote, with no inventory behind it.
• A quote by phone or text with nobody looking at your home.
• Pressure to sign today to “hold” a date.
• Vague answers about whose truck it is, or a company name that changes between the website, the quote and the contract.
• No written contract, or one missing the items Ontario requires.
• Any hint that your things will be held until you pay more than the agreed price. In Ontario that is an unfair practice under the Consumer Protection Act.

Before you sign, search the company on Ontario’s Consumer Beware List, which the province links from its hiring-a-mover page, and read our breakdown of moving scams and red flags in Ontario for how the common schemes play out.

Loading day and delivery day

On loading day, walk through with the crew lead before anything moves, and point out the fragile pieces and anything that stays behind. Get a copy of the bill of lading or inventory before the truck leaves, with your liability choice written on it. Keep jewellery, important documents and anything irreplaceable with you; Ontario’s consumer guidance recommends moving valuables and personal documents yourself and supervising both the pickup and the delivery.

At delivery, check items against the inventory as they come off the truck, and note any damage or missing pieces before the crew leaves, as the same Ontario guidance advises. If something is wrong, the Canadian Consumer Handbook advises filing a claim quickly so it can be dealt with promptly. Take photos of the damage, keep the packaging, and put the claim to the company in writing.

Keep the receipts: moving expenses and your taxes

A long move for work or school can be partly deductible. The Canada Revenue Agency’s line 21900 rules on moving expenses generally allow a claim when you move to work, run a business or study full time at a new location, and your new home is at least 40 kilometres closer to it by the shortest public route. Eligible costs include transportation and storage (packing, hauling, movers, in-transit storage and insurance), travel to the new home, and up to 15 days of temporary living expenses.

Two practical points follow. Ask your mover for an itemized invoice rather than a single number, and keep it with your receipts; the CRA says not to send supporting documents with your return, but to keep them in case it asks. Some costs don’t qualify, including mail forwarding and the value of things movers refuse to take, which the CRA lists as items such as plants, frozen food, ammunition, paint and cleaning products. If your employer reimburses part of the move, the claim changes, so check the rules before you file.

If you’re moving out of Toronto or the GTA, call (905) 752-7787 or request a quote with both addresses and your dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best long distance moving company in Canada?

No single company is best on every route. The best long distance moving company for you is a carrier, not a broker, that prices your move from a real inventory, puts the price, the delivery window and your liability option in writing, and gives you a street address and a contact for the trip. Check complaint records and references on your route before you pay any deposit.

How do I choose a moving company for a move across provinces?

Confirm first that the company will move you itself rather than broker the job. Then get written quotes based on a walkthrough of your home, check how liability is recorded on the bill of lading, and read the contract against your province’s consumer rules. According to the Canadian Association of Movers, most provinces regulate conditions of carriage for household goods, while Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and the territories don’t.

How much does a long distance move in Canada cost?

It depends on the route, how much you ship and the access at both ends. Moving Co.’s published starting prices from Toronto begin at $700 for a one-bedroom going to London and at $9,500 for a two-bedroom going to Vancouver, with Toronto to Halifax from $3,500 for a one-bedroom. Those are “from” prices, so a quick video walkthrough is how you get a real estimate for your own move.

What does $0.60 per pound moving coverage mean?

It is the basic released rate liability that movers include at no extra cost under provincial conditions of carriage: $0.60 per pound, or $1.32 per kilogram, per article. A 100-pound table destroyed in transit would be settled at $60, even if it cost $1,000 to replace. For real protection, ask about increased carrier liability or a replacement-value option, and make sure your choice is written on the bill of lading.

What is the difference between a moving company and a moving broker?

A moving company, or carrier, supplies the crew and trucks and is responsible for your goods. A broker takes the booking and hands the job to someone else; the Canadian Association of Movers notes that brokers don’t do the physical work, aren’t responsible for it and carry no liability for what happens during the move. Some brokers are legitimate and say so up front, so ask directly before you pay a deposit.

Can a moving company charge more than the estimate?

In Ontario, not by much. Once an estimate is part of your contract, the final bill can’t go more than 10 per cent over it unless you needed extra supplies or services and agreed to pay for them. A mover also cannot hold your belongings to force a higher payment. If you are moving from another province, check with its consumer protection office, because the rules there may differ.

Can I claim moving expenses on my taxes in Canada?

You may be able to, if the move is for work, a business or full-time post-secondary study and your new home is at least 40 kilometres closer to the new location by the shortest public route. Eligible costs include movers, packing, hauling, in-transit storage and insurance, plus travel and up to 15 days of temporary living expenses. Keep itemized receipts, because the CRA asks you to hold them rather than send them in.

Do long distance movers store your things if your new home isn’t ready?

Many do, and Moving Co. does. Our storage is short or long term and climate controlled, everything is inventoried, you pay only for the space and time you use, and nothing is sent to a third-party warehouse. If you are comparing other movers, ask where your goods would be stored and whether you can visit the facility, which Ontario’s consumer guidance recommends.

Do Toronto long distance movers go to other provinces?

Moving Co. moves people across Ontario and across Canada from Toronto and the GTA, using our own crews and no brokers. Published starting prices cover routes such as Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver. For a route that isn’t on the list, a short video of your home is enough for a real estimate. Call (905) 752-7787 at any hour, or send your addresses through the quote page.