The short answer
Household-goods carriers do not quote a price per mile. They quote weight multiplied by distance at a banded rate, plus crew service at each end. Dividing a total by the mileage produces a per-mile figure, but it is an arithmetic consequence of the quote rather than a rate anyone offered you.
Because crew service does not scale with distance, that derived figure falls sharply as the haul lengthens. The table below shows the implied per-mile number at each distance band in our model. Use it to compare two corridors of similar length; do not use it to extrapolate a short move into a long one, or the other way round.
Moving Cost Advisor model data
Modeled 3-bedroom cost by distance band, and what it implies per mile
Swipe the table sideways to see every column
| Distance band | Corridors priced | Median distance | Median modeled midpoint | Implied per mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 500 miles | 108 | 395 miles | $3,400 | $8.61 per mile |
| 500–999 miles | 507 | 790 miles | $4,900 | $6.20 per mile |
| 1,000–1,499 miles | 516 | 1,205 miles | $6,100 | $5.06 per mile |
| 1,500–2,199 miles | 581 | 1,830 miles | $7,800 | $4.26 per mile |
| 2,200 miles and over | 588 | 2,505 miles | $9,450 | $3.77 per mile |
MCA model output. Per-mile figures are derived by dividing the median modeled midpoint by the median band distance — they are an arithmetic consequence of the model, not a rate movers publish.
Why the figure decays with distance
Two of the three main components in an interstate estimate are effectively fixed with respect to distance: loading and unloading. Only line haul scales. Dividing a total that contains fixed work by a growing mileage necessarily produces a falling per-mile figure, and the decay is steepest in the first thousand miles.
When per-mile comparison is legitimate
Comparing two quotes for the same shipment on similar-length corridors is a fair use: the fixed components are comparable, so the difference really is in the haul. Comparing a 400-mile quote with a 2,400-mile quote on a per-mile basis is not, because the denominators are doing all of the work.
- Fair: two quotes, same inventory, corridors within a few hundred miles of each other
- Fair: sanity-checking a single quote against the band it belongs to
- Unfair: scaling a short-move per-mile figure up to a cross-country move
- Unfair: comparing a weight-based interstate move with an hourly local move
What to compare instead
Compare the assumed shipment weight, the estimate type, and the scope of included services. Those three explain nearly all of the legitimate variation between two quotes for the same move. Per-mile is a presentation layer over them.
Using a per-mile figure safely
- 01Identify the distance band your corridor falls into.
- 02Read the implied per-mile figure for that band only.
- 03Apply it as a sanity check on a quote for a similar-length move.
- 04Return to weight, estimate type and scope for the actual comparison.
Regulatory and external sources
What the rules say
Interstate household-goods charges are based on the weight of the shipment and the distance it travels, together with the services performed.
FMCSA — Consumer Rights and Responsibilities
Limits of this analysis
- The per-mile column is derived from modeled midpoints divided by median band distances; it is not a published carrier rate.
- Local hourly moves have no meaningful per-mile figure and are outside this analysis.
- Fuel surcharges move independently of the model and are quoted by the carrier.
Put this into a number
Use the moving cost calculator to see how these mechanics change your own estimate, or read the pricing methodology for the exact inputs we apply.
Related, and deliberately separate
Questions
What is a reasonable cost per mile for a long-distance move?
It depends entirely on the band. Our model's implied figure falls steadily from short interstate corridors to cross-country ones — the table on this page gives the figure for each band.
Do movers charge a fuel surcharge per mile?
Fuel is commonly a percentage adjustment on the transportation charge rather than a separate per-mile line. It should be identified on the estimate.