Out-of-State Movers with
Real Interstate Authority
The moment your move crosses a state line, it becomes a federal matter, and most of the companies bidding on it are brokers who will never touch your furniture. We are the other kind: an asset-based carrier with interstate authority under USDOT #2551548, a 0% out-of-service rate, and a dedicated-truck model where the crew that loads in California is the crew that unloads in Arizona, Washington, or Texas.
Get an Out-of-State QuoteMoving + Storage under one roof, one company, one point of contact Plus complimentary moving blankets, wardrobe boxes, and floor protection with every move.
Quick Answer: What Counts as an Out-of-State Move?
Any move that crosses a state line, at any distance. Interstate moves are federally regulated by the FMCSA and require active operating authority, so the first thing to ask any out-of-state mover is their USDOT number. Ours is #2551548, verifiable on the FMCSA SAFER database with a 0% out-of-service rate. Ontrack Moving® runs dedicated-truck state-to-state moves across the Western US from bases in the San Francisco Bay Area and Phoenix metro: one truck, one crew, no consolidation with other households. Part of our long-distance moving services.
Belongings are covered by standard $0.60/lb cargo liability per article, the federal interstate minimum, with additional valuation options available. Our $10,000,000 Combined Protection Tower covers building and property liability at both addresses.
Out-of-State Moving: Quick Facts
- Model: Dedicated truck and crew end to end, no warehouse cross-docking, no household consolidation
- Coverage area: Western US routes from Bay Area and Phoenix bases: AZ, CA, NV, OR, WA, CO, UT, ID, NM, TX
- Flagship lane: California to Arizona, crews and warehouses at both ends
- Pricing: Dedicated-truck project quote after a survey, with the federally required $0.60/lb cargo liability disclosure
- Credentials: USDOT #2551548 | CA License: CAL-T190721 | 0% Out-of-Service Rate
- Rating: 4.9/5 average from 2,847+ verified customer reviews
The state line is a legal line, not a distance
What Changes the Moment Your Move Crosses a State Line
A 25-mile move from Lake Tahoe into Nevada is federally regulated. A 700-mile move inside California is not. The state line, not the mileage, is what puts your move under FMCSA jurisdiction, and it changes who is legally allowed to carry your belongings. Look closely at our cab doors and you will see both numbers painted on: the federal USDOT and the California CAL-T. That is what operating authority looks like in person.
Federal Authority You Can Verify
Interstate carriers must hold active FMCSA operating authority, carry the federal $0.60/lb cargo liability minimum, and submit to roadside inspections. Run our number, USDOT #2551548, and you will find a 0% out-of-service rate. Our licensing and insurance page shows you how to run the same check on anyone.
One Dedicated Truck, Loaded Once
Your shipment gets its own truck, loaded at your door and opened next at your new address. No terminal transfers, no sharing a trailer with three strangers' households, and the same crew at both ends. A biotech client trusted this model for a full laboratory relocation from California to Texas on one dedicated truck.
Climate-Aware Routing
Western routes cross real climate extremes: a truck box can pass 140 degrees on a summer I-10 run. Our Thermal-Staging Protocol sequences loading so heat-sensitive items ride away from the hottest zones, a discipline built on hundreds of California and Arizona desert crossings.
Know what you are actually booking
Dedicated Truck vs. Van Line vs. Broker
Three very different businesses quote on out-of-state moves, and the paperwork looks similar until move day. Here is how they actually differ.
| What to compare | Dedicated Truck (Ontrack Moving®) | Van Line Consolidation | Moving Broker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whose truck shows up | Ours, with USDOT #2551548 and CAL-T190721 painted on the door | A franchise agent's, often shared with 2 or 3 other households | Unknown until after you sign: the job is resold to a carrier |
| Delivery timing | Direct drive: CA to AZ typically targets next-day, Pacific Northwest about two days | Published windows commonly run 2 to 21 days while loads consolidate | Whatever the assigned carrier offers |
| Handling between states | Loaded once at your door, opened next at your new address | Terminal transfers and re-handling are routine | Depends entirely on who bought the job |
| Who you call mid-route | Our office and the crew driving your truck, by phone and text | A national dispatch desk | The broker, who calls the carrier, who calls the driver |
| Cargo liability | Standard $0.60/lb per article in writing, valuation options offered before move day | Same federal minimum, but claims route through the agent network | The broker carries none: brokers are sales operations, not carriers |
Estimates for any interstate move should be in writing after a real survey. Final charges will be based on actual labor time, materials used, access conditions, scope changes, waiting time, and any additional services requested or required to complete the move.
4.9/5 Average Rating from 2,847+ Reviews
From customers who crossed state lines with us.
Second interstate move with the same company
We had to move a 3bed home from SF to Seattle. I worked with Luke and Sam for setting things up, and then with Ika, who was on the ground packing and loading. Ika was great at keeping in touch the whole time making sure he was packing and loading the right things. Everyone was very responsive and transparent the whole time. This is the second time I've worked with Ontrack Moving, and would work with them again.
Verified on Google
A fair bid and a two-day drive north
Paul came out to survey our storage locker and apartment and provided a fair bid for a move from Burlingame, CA to Oak Harbor, WA. He was able to meet our timeline for scheduling the load in and the big, two day drive up north... Their process was transparent, communication was clear, pricing was fair, and professionalism was solid!
Verified on Google
A whole household across two state lines
We moved our entire household from the Bay Area to the Seattle area. Mauricio and Carlos were so helpful and careful and professional. They did a wonderful job!
Verified on Google
State-to-state routes we run
Popular Out-of-State Moving Routes
Moving Out of California
From our Hayward HQ off Highway 92 and I-880, trucks roll east on I-10 toward Arizona, north on I-5 toward Oregon and Washington, and over I-80 toward Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. The Arizona corridor runs so often that the destination crew works out of our own Peoria warehouse.
Moving Out of Arizona
From our Peoria warehouse off Loop 101, westbound trucks take I-10 to California, I-11 toward Las Vegas, I-17 to Flagstaff and on toward Utah and Colorado, and I-10 east toward Texas. The California lane runs in both directions with the same dedicated-truck model.
Planning a state-to-state move? Start here:
Long-Distance Moving Hub Licensed & Insured Movers Full Service Moving Storage in Transit Executive Relocation Guide CA to AZ CorridorCommon questions
Out-of-State Moving FAQs
Any move that crosses a state line, at any distance. A 25-mile move from Lake Tahoe, CA into Nevada is a federally regulated interstate move; a 700-mile move from San Diego to Crescent City inside California is not. Interstate moves require active federal operating authority from the FMCSA, which is why the first question to ask any out-of-state mover is their USDOT number. Ours is #2551548, verifiable on the FMCSA SAFER database, with a 0% out-of-service rate.
Out-of-state moves are quoted as a dedicated-truck project, not an hourly rate. The estimate is built from a survey of your actual inventory: volume, access at both addresses, route distance, and any storage in transit. Final charges will be based on actual labor time, materials used, access conditions, scope changes, waiting time, and any additional services requested or required to complete the move. Every interstate estimate also includes the federally required $0.60 per pound per article cargo liability disclosure, with additional valuation options available for purchase.
On a dedicated truck, transit is a direct drive: California to Arizona typically targets next-day delivery, Bay Area to Seattle or Denver around two days. Compare that with van-line consolidation, where published delivery windows commonly stretch from 2 to 21 days because your shipment waits to share a trailer. Delivery windows are targets, not guarantees: weather, mechanical issues, and federal DOT driver-hours rules can shift a long route, and we communicate by phone and text while the truck is rolling.
Our standard out-of-state model is one dedicated truck and one crew from your old driveway to your new one, with no warehouse cross-docking and no consolidation with other households. That is the structural advantage of an asset-based carrier over a van-line network. In the rare case a specific route ever calls for a different arrangement, it is disclosed in writing before you book, never discovered on move day.
We run the Western United States from two home bases: Hayward, CA in the San Francisco Bay Area and Peoria, AZ in the Phoenix metro. Regular state-to-state routes cover Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, and Texas. The California to Arizona corridor is our highest-volume interstate lane, with crews and warehouses at both ends.
Belongings are covered by standard $0.60 per pound per article cargo liability, the federal FMCSA minimum that applies to every licensed interstate carrier, with additional valuation options available for purchase before move day. Separately, our $10,000,000 Combined Protection Tower covers building and property liability at both addresses. The two coverages are never the same thing, and any mover who blurs them is worth walking away from. Full breakdown on our licensing and insurance page.
No, and most interstate moving complaints filed with the FMCSA trace back to broker bookings: you sign with a sales website, your job is auctioned to an unknown carrier, and the price changes once your belongings are on someone else's truck. Booking directly with an asset-based carrier removes the middle layer entirely. The SAFER database tells you which one you are talking to: a carrier listing shows trucks and drivers, a broker listing shows neither. Ontrack Moving® is a carrier, USDOT #2551548.
