Planning to invest in moving software? Not sure which solution is right for your business? Here’s what you should know.

Contents: 

1. Top features to look for
2. A closer look at moving software vendors
3. How to buy the best moving software for you

Top features to look for

If you're evaluating a moving software vendor, make sure it offers these must-have features.

1. AI sales assistance to convert every call into a job
2. Sales and marketing automations that work for you 24/7
3. Job scheduling and dispatching capabilities
4. CRM capabilities for managing customer relationships
5. Reporting features
6. A sophisticated billing engine that helps you accurately price complex moves
7. A streamlined estimation process
8. GPS tracking on move day to give customers peace of mind
9. Managing your storage from a centralized database
10. Customizable workflows
11. Task management features to organize your daily work
12. Integrations with tech tools you already use

We’ll explain each feature in detail before we compare the vendors that are available.

1. AI sales assistance to convert every call into a job

Every customer inquiry and sales call matters. But realistically, the average mover can only book 30-40% of them because stuff happens.

You might miss calls, take calls on the road, have your staff use inconsistent sales scripts, or simply lack training. AI can help you overcome these issues. For example, you could use it to track every sales call, enable live call coaching, follow-up automatically, and know the ins and outs of every conversation.

‍All your calls could be automatically recorded and transcribed, so you can be fully present instead of taking notes. You could also get pop-ups that tell you which questions to ask and which services to offer. That way you can easily handle objections live. All of this could be personalized to your sales playbook.

Here's how AI sales assistance works in Supermove:

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2. Sales and marketing automations that work for you 24/7

Moving companies have unique sales processes—but they're usually filled with repetitive tasks like following up with leads and reminding customers to accept quotes. That's where software comes in. It lets you customize these processes on the platform.

Think automating emails, sending job follow-ups, and auto-generating tasks. This kind of automation frees your time for more important work.

Check out how automations work in Supermove. They're especially helpful for boosting sales.

3. Job scheduling and dispatching calendar

Using whiteboards to coordinate who's going to be on each truck and where they’re going isn't very efficient. Not only is it a time sink, but it can also lead to costly dispatching mistakes.

The best moving company software lets you manage all this from a dispatch calendar. You get to see who's available on your crew, so you can assign them trucks and accurately schedule jobs. You can also send your movers automatic text reminders about upcoming jobs. These texts cover all the job details, like when and where to be.

You should also expect your software to give you the data you need to better estimate your capacity. As Beau Roskow (Vice President of Naglee Moving and Storage) points out: “By viewing the Supermove calendar and seeing how many booked jobs there are per day, we know our max number so we can quickly calculate what’s left from a capacity fill standpoint.”

4. CRM capabilities for managing customer relationships 

Moving software can capture leads through a lead form on your site (with details like their names and move dates), pass this information into the platform for instant quotes, and help you nurture those leads.

You can also see where prospects are in the sales process, so you can keep engaging them until they become customers.

Here’s what this might look like in action: 

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5. Reporting features for making data-driven decisions 

Good moving software has reporting features you can use to track important data like your top-performing revenue channels, conversion rates, and top sales reps. 

For example, Supermove gives you various reports like a sales funnel report, referral source report, and a revenue by truck report. You can even create custom reports. 

Here’s an example of a Revenue by Truck report in Supermove:

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6. A sophisticated billing engine for pricing complex moves

Pricing moves can be tough because you have to consider local and state regulations, mileage, fuel price, the number of trucks, and so on. 

It’s easy to make math mistakes when you have to enter and calculate all that data using pen and paper and spreadsheets. But in an industry with razor-thin margins, this can mean all your profits go out the window. 

Good software can quickly and accurately price even the most complex moves. You enter the numbers, and software does the rest. It automatically calculates bills and tariffs so you can avoid math mistakes.

While any decent software will have basic features to help with pricing, the best moving software is also configurable. You can mold it to work however you want. This is crucial when you have very specific pricing needs. For example, some movers might only want to price local moves, while others might want to price military AND local moves.

7. A streamlined estimation process for better estimates

Back in the day, movers would visit the site, pull out a notepad, jot down the number of rooms, and list everything that needs to be moved. Not only was this time-consuming, but it also created extra work. Someone had to manually enter that same information into a computer later. Unsurprisingly, mistakes happened.

Moving software makes this process easy. You can now save move details on a tablet, and it syncs to an app where everyone can access it from any device. No need to enter the data twice.

Movers can also use an estimator app to survey the property in advance (in person or virtually), add rooms and items, and specify which items are going and staying. The app then automatically calculates square footage and weight based on standard weight calculations built into the software.

For example, you can use Supermove to text your customers instructions on how to photograph and video their home. You can then use this footage to add rooms or items in the app without visiting the site.

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8. GPS tracking on move day 

Customers can get anxious about their belongings on move day. You can reassure them that their belongings are safe and on the way with Uber-like GPS tracking. GPS tracking can also benefit moving companies.

Some software (like Supermove) lets you send an automatic text reminder that tells customers you’re coming, along with a link that shows your truck's location.

9. Storage management from a centralized database

Movers often store items in a warehouse—but can't find them when it's time to prepare for a move or bill the customer. This usually happens because of outdated tracking systems.

Some vendors offer features for storing these items in a centralized database with up-to-date information on where they are. You can even set up automated invoices that regularly bill for storage.

10. Task management features to manage daily workload

With so much on your plate every day, it’s no wonder that some tasks can slip your mind. But can you afford to forget tasks like following up with leads?

The best moving software is like your diary. It has task management features that help you stay on top of your daily work, so you don’t have to worry about remembering everything.

For example, you can write a task to call a customer back, set a due date, and mark it off when it's complete. You can then see all the tasks that need to be done directly from a dashboard as soon as you log in to the platform.

11. Integration options with your existing tech stack

Any decent moving software should integrate with the moving apps you already use—whether it’s accounting software for movers, a payment processing platform like Stripe, an email app, or a platform like UniGroup that helps you see your long-distance moves.

Now that you know the must-have features to look for, let’s compare vendors.

A closer look at moving software vendors

We're about to compare 7 all-in-one platforms specifically designed for movers. We will use a software comparison table and compare them on key criteria. We will also dive deep in each platform by listing the pros and cons.

Download the full comparison chart here.

1. Supermove: A true all-in-one solution. The most configurable, adoptable, and easiest to use software on the market

Supermove is the most intuitive and configurable cloud-based software on the market. When you work with Supermove, their team becomes your partner. They can tailor the product to your liking, as well as provide training and ongoing support. This could be why Supermove is so deeply adopted—with customers reporting 90%+ adoption rates in just a few months.

Pros of Supermove

• Very flexible and can be configured to work however you want. For example, you can create different billing systems depending on your pricing needs, custom workflows based on your internal processes, custom documents like bills of lading, valuation coverage, and more.
• Powered by AI and automation. Supermove's team constantly innovates to bring the best technology to moving companies.
• Anyone can use Supermove, not just the techies. Creating workflows, completing functions, and moving between tabs is easy. This matters for two reasons. On one hand, your customers get a great experience. On the other, your whole team is likely to use Supermove because it's so easy. You need everyone on board so you can gather more data to scale your business.
• Dedicated and ongoing customer support from a large team. In fact, Supermove has the largest customer experience team in the industry. They can set you up to succeed from day one, with a dedicated customer success rep and always-on technical support that quickly responds to your support requests. 
• Development speed and innovation. Supermove's team is always launching new features and updates. You get to have the latest technology the moving industry has to offer.
• Robust implementation services, like training to ensure movers know how to use the product from the start.
• Supports complex pricing rules and varied move types (like local, commercial, interstate, and intrastate moves).
• Offers features for your entire business—from lead gen, scheduling, and dispatching to supporting crews in the field, reporting, and analytics.
• You can access Supermove from anywhere and any device. All you need is internet connection.
• Superior reporting capabilities to make data-driven decisions. You can easily access and analyze all your move data for any time period. Supermove is also constantly building new report templates to help you understand your business's health. 

When you subscribe to Supermove, you also get access to the Crew App. It's a fully mobile experience designed to work on the job. Here's what's available in the Crew App:

• An onsite digital survey tool. You can use it to complete and see surveys in the office at virtually the exact same time. Some other solutions, like Mr. Mover, need Techmate to do this.
• Access to digital documents, so you don't have to print paperwork and collect, scan, and update back into the system. You can do it all in the same platform.

Cons of Supermove

• It costs more, but it's justified as an investment in scale, innovation, and partnership.
• Out-the-box reports might not be to your liking. You can work with the Supermove team to create custom reports instead.
• The mobile app is currently only available on Android. If you use iOS, you need to access Supermove through a browser.
• It's not an out-of-the-box system. Supermove's sheer configurability means you need to work with their implementation team to get started.

Supermove pricing

• Annual licensing fee is similar to Netflix, based on the number of crews.

2. SmartMoving: An out-of-the-box CRM-focused solution

SmartMoving is an out-of-the-box solution that focuses on CRM capabilities to support your sales team. It's run by a small team with industry experience. While SmartMoving does a great job on the CRM side, it lacks customization, ease of use, and ongoing support movers need.

Pros of SmartMoving

• Strong CRM capabilities
• Their team is from the moving industry, so they know what movers like you struggle with from firsthand experience.
• Competitive pricing 

Standout features include: 

• A home screen that shows revenue reports by salesperson, reports for marketing channels, and the ability to create tasks and follow-ups easily. It looks similar to Zoho or standard project management tools.
• Robust reporting capabilities
• Digital BOLs
• A storage solution

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Source: SmartMoving

Cons of SmartMoving

• Not enough functionality to help movers work more efficiently.
• You can't customize it because it's an out-the-box solution.
• SmartMoving has a small team, so it's hard to expect hands-on support.
• It's not easy to use. Some non-technical folks report that it often takes extra clicks to do basic things. 
• SmartMoving sometimes miscalculates tariffs. This leads to costly math mistakes for interstate moves.
• The crew app is very difficult to use. The crew leader has to pull from a repository of documents and then get the appropriate documents signed. It's easy to miss them because it's not set up like a workflow. Training crew members also takes longer because they need to know when to sign certain forms.
• Adding extra costs is tough. Users must jump through multiple screens to add a supply or labor hours.
• It struggles to support non-local move types (commercial, interstate, and intrastate). Although SmartMoving claims to support tariffs, their calculations are often incorrect according to many customers. It's common for a customer to use SmartMoving for local moves and turn to a different tool for interstate ones.
• It only generates reports for 1 month’s worth of data, so you don’t get that month-over-month visibility to understand how your business is trending during peak season.
• Billing limitations outside of hourly/flat rate.
• Many crews on SmartMoving only use it in the office. They aren't fully embracing the digital tools in the field.

SmartMoving pricing

• Pay quarterly or annually for two plans: essential and growth.

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Source: SmartMoving

3. Movegistics: Cloud-based moving software with a powerful visual estimator but a steep learning curve

‍Movegistics is feature-rich with a powerful visual estimator and lead grabber. 

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Source: Movegistics

The breadth of Movegistics's features is, unfortunately, overshadowed by the steep learning curve and all the steps needed to complete certain workflows.

Pros of Movegistics

• A portal lets movers’ customers manage estimates online, complete surveys, as well as view quotes and status updates.
• Packed with features, including everything from invoicing, payments, a visual estimator, a lead grabber, and sales automation to reporting and integrations with moving apps like QuickBooks.
• The CRM system can be flexible when you want to add new elements.
• A strong storage management and inventory solution.
• You can fully customize it to your needs.

Cons of Movegistics

• Many users report slow email support.
• A steep learning curve. Getting up and running might take longer than you expect.
• You have to take too many steps to complete certain workflows.
• Geared more toward residential moving. It's not the best fit for commercial movers.
• You have to handle the onboarding and setup on your own.
• Outsourced support team.

Movegistics pricing

Choose between monthly or annual billing based on the number of users:

Monthly:

• Growth plan: $249/month
• Enterprise plan: $399/month

Annually:

• Starter: $99/month, billed annually
• Growth: $199/month, billed annually
• Enterprise: $299/month, billed annually

4. MoveitPro: Web-based software that has strong support but lacks customization

‍MoveitPro is a web-based tool. It has a full gamut of features movers need, along with strong support to boot. Be warned, though—it's pretty rigid and not the easiest to navigate. If you have very specific needs, MoveitPro won't be a great fit for you.

Source: MoveitPro

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Pros of MoveitPro

• A customer portal lets movers’ users log in, update contact and billing information, and see their estimates online. They can also change the estimates if needed.
• Feature-packed: digital paperwork, dispatching, lead management, collecting payment onsite, storage, and recurring billing.
• Competitive pricing.
• Excellent support. You can choose between a call center and a live chat on the website.
• Many positive reviews online.

Cons of MoveitPro

• A rigid system. You won't like it if don’t fit into the exact mold they pitch. For example, MoveitPro creates estimates by tying a time to a piece of the inventory (e.g., couch = 15 minutes) and then adding those up to create your estimate. Customers have also complained about how hard it is to add new items to the inventory.
• Complex software. The interface isn't very easy to use. In fact, you have to click multiple times to do basic things.
• A booked move gets unbooked when you edit it. Managing your schedule becomes even more cumbersome.
• It's difficult to support multi-day moves from the dispatch screen.
• The software can be buggy. For example, users reported that email notifications weren't regularly sending out in April 2022. 
• Movers complain that too many steps are involved in adding CPs vs. PBOs from the survey.
• Customers are charged for development. 
• Syncing issues. For example, it doesn’t sync when you make a change in the office app.
• They might have a tough time keeping up with many support requests because their team is small.

MoveitPro Pricing

• They price by the size of your moving company, not by the number of users. They also offer a free trial.

5. Mr. Mover: Affordable, but outdated server-based software

Mr. Mover is the most affordable software on the market today—and will probably always be. But as you might expect, there's a catch. For Mr. Mover, that catch is it's server-based. That means you can't use it from any device, anywhere (it’s stored locally on a machine). It’s also outdated and incredibly complex to use. 

Mr. Mover began as a small operation run by a two-man team out of Florida. Ever since they sold it to Move HQ, no one updated or maintained the software. It can still handle the moving basics.

Pros of Mr. Mover

• Feature-packed with local move support, flat rate (per piece) quoting, truck maintenance, and claims.
• You get access to a chart on how many hours a job will take—with both conservative and generous estimates.
• A booking calendar people love. It shows capacity on a monthly view.
• The most affordable moving software out there.

Cons of Mr. Mover

• Complex software and outdated UI (compared to modern moving software). You'll find yourself jumping around a lot as you move from one section to another.

• An outdated moving experience with no texting, automated reminders, and digital documents. The fact that Mr. Mover also prepares and prints paperwork shows its age.
• There's no support for interstate, intrastate, and other tariffs.
• The software is server-based, so you can’t access it from anywhere with any device. 
• There's no app for onsite surveys to help provide better estimates.
• It's not getting updated or maintained.

Mr. Mover pricing

A 7-truck operation can expect to pay around $150/mo.

6. Elromco: Cloud-based software with fantastic long-distance trip planning but poor tariff support

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Elromco is another cloud-based system. It offers strong support from a dedicated account manager, decent long-distance trip planning, and a customer portal. Where Elromco falls short is in tariff support. You have to do quite a bit of manual calculation to make it work.

Pros of Elromco

• You can access it from any device since it's cloud-based.
• Support for building websites and SEO marketing.
• Strong support from a dedicated account manager, telephone, email, and an online knowledge base.
• A comprehensive tool for sales.
• Great long-distance trip planning.
• Customer Portal that shows you all the move details and updates.

Cons of Elromco

• No 24/7 support.
• No weight option for estimates.
• Some users have reported that it’s difficult to use on a phone.
• Poor tariff support. You have to do many manual calculations to get the correct numbers.
• Setting it up can be taxing.

Elromco pricing

Professional and enterprise plans, billed monthly and annually:

Monthly:

• Professional: $289/month for unlimited users.
• Enterprise: $399/month for unlimited users

Annually:

• Professional: $259/month billed yearly for unlimited users
• Enterprise: $359/month billed yearly for unlimited users

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Source: Elromco

7. CompuMove: Complex but feature-rich software run by a small team

CompuMove is packed with features, but beware. Using it can be hard, and it lacks reporting and support. It can take weeks for support tickets to get addressed. Some never do.

Pros of CompuMove

• Feature-rich software handles everything from estimating and accounting to move and warehouse management.
• Strong name recognition. The software was first developed in 1984.
• Optimized for mobile.
• Paperwork is printed and prepared for you.
• Cloud-based and web-based options.
• Email and phone support.

Cons of CompuMove

• Not easy to use. Their outdated user interface can be slow and complicated. It can take a lot of clicks to complete basic tasks.

Source: CompuMove

• Their complex system can make onboarding and training employees difficult—especially at scale.
• They have a small team, so don't expect regular product updates and support.
• You might have to wait weeks to hear back about your support tickets. Without solid account management and self-serve options, don’t be surprised if some tickets never get solved.
• Limited reporting features that can't visualize data.

CompuMove pricing

• CompuMove doesn't share their pricing, but you can still get a free trial.

How to buy the best moving software for you

Take some time to think about what you need, and then find a software vendor that fits those requirements. It helps to have a structured approach. You can start with this one:

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1. Identity your needs and painful processes. These processes usually require a lot of human labor. For example, maybe your crews are wasting time onsite writing everything down, only to transfer that same information to the computer later. This step helps you find vendors that are a good fit. It also helps you make a case for investing in moving software in the first place.

2. Pinpoint stakeholders and get their buy-in. These are usually end users (e.g., moving crews), subject-matter experts, IT, legal, and finance.

3. Align on budget. Review all expenses (like software licensing, hardware, implementation, maintenance, and support costs) to get a full picture of what the software will cost you.

4. Build your business case. A business case is key to justifying a software purchase. You'd typically present it to someone higher up to secure the funding and approval. A good business case should include an executive summary, solution description, financials, timelines, and project organization.

5. Create your vendor list. Do research to find software vendors that, at first glance, satisfy your needs (you will narrow this list down in the next step). Ask for referrals, talk to colleagues, read online reviews, and read case studies from happy customers.

6. Evaluate vendors on key criteria, like whether:

• They provide ongoing training and support
• The software is configurable
• They have robust reporting features
• The solution is easy to use
• The vendors are VC- or PE-backed (companies with VC funding are typically more innovative)

7. Create a shortlist of vendors and request demos. It's normal to shortlist and evaluate about 3 vendors to understand what’s available. Book a demo by filling out a form on their site. You can expect to receive a follow-up email. The vendor will ask you a few basic questions before they invite you to a more detailed call.

8. Make a purchase decision. Pick a vendor that impressed you in the demo and feels like the best fit for your needs.

‍9. Implement the software. A dedicated account manager will usually be assigned to your account. They will manage communication and implementation. Prepare your team for change by having a kick-off meeting and creating a project plan with regular check-ins.

The bottom line on moving software

Investing in moving company software can feel daunting for anyone—especially when you don't have the right information.

We hope this article helps you make an informed choice for your business. If you're still not sure, grab a copy of our moving company software buying guide to get more information.

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