2-bedroom cross-country move (2,000+ miles).
$6,500-$14,000 typical cost. Allied 2026 published average.
The shape of the move.
$6,500-$14,000 typical. Allied's 2026 cross-country average is $7,780. 14-21 day delivery window. Shared-load consolidation typical for cost efficiency.
What you're actually paying for.
5,000-8,000 lb × $0.15-$0.21/lb = $750-$1,680 weight charge. Line-haul + fuel + crew + insurance fills the band. At cross-country distances, insurance becomes 1-3% of declared value × $50,000-$100,000 household = $500-$3,000.
What competitors won't tell you upfront.
Same as long-distance but compounded. Cross-country specifically has higher peak-season delivery window risk (May-Sep), higher fuel-surcharge volatility, and higher rate of damage claims (more loading / unloading transitions).
Anti-pattern detection.
Reasonable: full in-home survey, binding-not-to-exceed quote, full-value insurance discussion as default. Suspicious: peak-season cross-country moves quoted at sub-$6,000 — anything materially below the $7,780 Allied 2026 average needs scrutiny.