Summer 2026: Which Moving Companies Got Worse

Moving season peaks between May and September. Complaint data through July 2026 captures the first full summer surge. Trunk compared every profiled mover's 2026 trajectory against their 2025 baseline to identify which companies are getting worse, which are improving, and which new names are emerging.

These companies show the steepest year-over-year complaint increases (annualized 2026 rate vs. full-year 2025, minimum 15 complaints in 2026):

1. Applause Moving & Storage (GA, 1 truck): 2025=1, 2026=23. A new entrant exploding onto the complaint radar.

2. Howards Vanlines (NJ, 1 truck): 2025=8, 2026=158. The highest absolute acceleration in the database. Currently under KMBC investigation for the Leavenworth warehouse.

3. Rapid Express Moving and Storage (NJ, 1 truck): 2025=2, 2026=31. Another NJ one-truck operation going from near-zero to 31 complaints in months.

4. Value Added Moving (FL, 1 truck): 2025=30, 2026=100. More than tripled.

5. Brightside Moving Group (FL, 0 trucks): 2025=18, 2026=45. Zero trucks, listed on verifiedmovers.com with 5 stars.

6. Mayzlin Relocation (NC, 37 trucks): 2025=17, 2026=35. Under DOT task force investigation.

7. Colonial Van Lines (FL, 25 trucks): 2025=17, 2026=34. The DiSorbo dynasty company, accelerating again.

8. Goodview Moving and Storage (NJ, 5 trucks): 2025=34, 2026=51. Another NJ company in the acceleration zone.

Four of the top accelerating companies are registered in New Jersey: Howards (158), Rapid Express (31), Express Movers Services (29), and Goodview (51). Combined: 269 complaints from NJ-registered companies in 2026 through July.

This is consistent with the FL-to-NJ pipeline Trunk documented: companies registering in New Jersey for forum selection clauses (Essex County) and proximity to the NY metro market, while maintaining sales and call center operations in Florida.

1. Howards Vanlines (NJ): 158 2. Menards Moving & Storage (FL): 156 3. Value Added Moving (FL): 100 4. American Van Lines (FL): 91 5. Safe Ship Moving Services (FL): 80 6. Coastal Moving Services (FL): 79 7. Amerisafe Vanlines (FL): 77 8. LoadRans LLC (CA): 73 9. Goodview Moving and Storage (NJ): 51 10. Brightside Moving Group (FL): 45

Eight of the top 10 are Florida-registered. One is NJ. One is California. The FL broker corridor continues to dominate complaint volume.

A small number of companies show declining complaint trajectories:

Moving Systems (NJ, Noble network): 2025=130, 2026=15. The sharpest decline in the database. This is not improvement. This is the Noble network shifting operations to other entities (Howards surged as Moving Systems dropped).

Frontier Moving Solutions (FL): 2025=34, 2026=12. Pinnacle Moving Group (FL): 2025=26, 2026=10. Allegiance Van Lines (FL): 2025=35, 2026=14.

Declines require context. A company that drops from 35 to 14 complaints may have improved its operations, reduced its volume, or shifted its business to a new entity with a clean record. Without confirming which explanation applies, a decline is a data point, not a verdict.

These companies had minimal or no complaint history in 2025 but are generating significant complaints in 2026:

Applause Moving & Storage (GA, 1 truck): 1 to 23. New entrant. Rapid Express Moving and Storage (NJ, 1 truck): 2 to 31. NJ one-truck pattern. Midwest Moving Experts (FL, 3 trucks): 3 to 15. TCLE Transportation (CA, 1 truck): 4 to 20. World Class Moving & Storage (MO, 21 trucks): 4 to 19.

One-truck companies appearing from near-zero to 20+ complaints in months are the signature of chameleon carrier reincarnations or newly launched scam operations. Each of these should be checked for shared addresses, shared officers, or connections to prior revoked carriers.

Total NCCDB complaints across all profiled movers: 2,902 in full-year 2025 vs. 2,680 through July 2026 (annualized pace: approximately 4,594). If this pace holds through peak season and year-end, 2026 will see a 58% increase in complaint volume over 2025.

This increase occurs while FMCSA has closed zero broker enforcement cases since September 2024 and lost 15-20% of its workforce. Complaint volume is rising. Enforcement capacity is falling. The gap between consumer harm and regulatory response is widening.

This analysis will be updated after peak season ends in October 2026.