Understanding Your Move — Why Move Distance Matters

Think moving is moving no matter where you’re headed? Think again. There’s a reason why when giving cost estimates, the distance of your move is one of the very first questions our sales team asks. Based on how many miles you’re moving, your move will fall under one of three categories – local, intrastate or interstate. How you’re charged for your move is dependent on which category you fit in to; as a customer it’s smart to know the differences.

Local Moving | Like the name implies, local moves consist of short distance moves. Here at E.E. Ward, any move within your state that is less than 50 miles qualifies as a local move. In terms of pricing, local moves are rated based on time as an hourly rate. Outside of the hourly costs, the customer may be charged for any additional services required by the shipper, such as packaging or set-up. You can find more information regarding E.E. Ward’s local moving abilities here.

Intrastate Moving | Simply enough, intrastate moves are any and all moves within the boundaries of your home state that don’t qualify as local moves. This means that any move over 50 miles still headed to a destination in your state is considered an intrastate move. These moves, which usually last about two days, are priced based on the overall weight of your belongs in addition to any extra services, as required. If you’re still curious, check out more information on intrastate moves on our page.

Interstate/Long Distance Moving | This type of move can go by two different names, but no matter what you call it they’re the same move. An interstate or long-distance move is when you are moving to a destination that is more than 50 miles away and also outside of your current state of residence. The pricing of these moves is determined by the weight of your move as well as the distance you will be travelling.