Long-distance moving from Montreal, at one price
A long-distance move is different from a local one in one important way: the price does not depend on how fast the crew works or how busy the highway is. It depends on two things we can measure before the day — the volume of what you are moving and the distance it travels. That is why every long-distance move we do is quoted as one fixed price, in writing, before we load. If traffic on the 20 is slow or the weather turns, that is our cost, not yours.
Simplex moves households and businesses from Montreal to anywhere in Quebec and across Canada, and between Canada and the United States. This page explains how long-distance moves are priced, how delivery works and how to prepare. The two most common kinds have their own pages: moving within Quebec — Quebec City, Gatineau, Sherbrooke, Saguenay and the rest of the province — and interprovincial moving to Ontario, the Maritimes and Western Canada. Moves to the United States are covered under Canada–USA moving, and moves overseas under international moving.
Prices from Montreal
The table shows starting prices for a one-bedroom apartment with a dedicated truck. Two- and three-bedroom homes usually cost about 1.6 times as much; a house, two and a half times or more. A shared trailer costs roughly 30% less if you can accept a delivery window of several days.
| Distance from Montreal | Examples | 1 bedroom, from |
|---|---|---|
| Under 300 km | Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Ottawa, Gatineau, Trois-Rivières, Kingston | $1,150 |
| 300–700 km | Toronto, Saguenay, Rimouski | $1,450 |
| 700–1,500 km | Moncton, Fredericton, Halifax, Gaspé, Sept-Îles | $2,350 |
| 1,500–3,000 km | Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, St. John’s | $2,950 |
| Over 3,000 km | Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver | $4,400 |
These are starting points, not quotes. Your price comes from your inventory: a short video survey, or a visit for larger homes, turns the list of what you own into a volume, and the volume and distance into one number. The full table with two- and three-bedroom prices is on the pricing page.
Dedicated truck or shared trailer
Dedicated truck
A truck carries only your belongings, loads on your moving day and drives straight to your new home. Delivery is usually the next day for destinations under 700 km and within a few days for longer routes. This is the right choice when you need your furniture on a specific date — a closing, the start of a job, children starting school.
Shared trailer
Your belongings travel with one or two other households going in the same direction. Because the cost of the truck is shared, the price is roughly 30% lower. The trade-off is time: delivery happens inside a window of several days rather than on a fixed date. It works well if you can stay with family, have a furnished rental for the first week, or are simply flexible.
What is included in a long-distance move
- Loading by our own crew, with floor and door protection at both homes
- Blanket-wrapping and stretch-wrapping of all furniture
- Disassembly and reassembly of beds, tables and standard furniture
- Transport, fuel, tolls, ferries on routes that need them, and the driver’s time
- Cargo insurance while your goods are in our care
- Unloading and placement in the right rooms at destination
- A delivery window agreed in writing before the move
Packing, crating, storage at either end and specialty items such as pianos are available as additions to the same quote.
How a long-distance move works
- Survey. A video call or visit to list what is moving. The more precise the inventory, the more precise the price.
- Fixed quote. One price in writing, with the service type (dedicated or shared), loading date and delivery window.
- Deposit. A deposit confirms the booking; the balance is paid on delivery.
- Preparation. Packing — by you or by our packing crew — and any crating a few days before.
- Loading. The crew protects the home, wraps the furniture and loads the truck with an inventory.
- Transport and delivery. You are kept informed while the truck is on the road. At destination, furniture is unloaded, reassembled and placed room by room.
Choosing a long-distance mover
The long-distance market has more brokers than movers. A broker sells you a move and passes it to a carrier you have never heard of, sometimes with a much lower price than the carrier will actually charge at delivery. Before you book with anyone, ask who owns the truck, whether the price is fixed or an estimate that can change after loading, what the delivery window is in writing, and what insurance covers your goods on the road. With us the answers are simple: our truck, our crew, a fixed price and a written window.
Timing your move
Summer is the busiest season for long-distance moves, and the end of June is the busiest time of all in Quebec. If your dates are flexible, a mid-month move in spring or autumn gives you more choice of loading dates and, on shared routes, faster consolidation. In winter we plan routes around weather and road conditions, and we tell you in advance if a storm will move a delivery date.
Moving a business long distance
Offices and businesses move long distance too — a regional office to Ottawa, a showroom to Toronto, a clinic to Quebec City. Commercial long-distance moves follow the same fixed-price model with the planning described on our commercial moving page.
What changes your long-distance price
The fixed price depends on a handful of factors. Knowing them helps you understand your quote and, often, lower it.
- Volume. The biggest factor. Every piece of furniture and every box takes space in the truck. Moving less is the most effective way to pay less.
- Distance and route. Longer routes cost more, but not in a straight line — the cost of loading and unloading is the same whether you drive 200 km or 2,000.
- Dedicated or shared. A truck for your belongings alone costs more than a place on a shared trailer.
- Access. Stairs, long carries from the truck to the door and elevator restrictions at either end add time to loading and unloading.
- Timing. The end of June and the summer months are the busiest. Flexible dates in spring or autumn give you more choice.
- Extras. Packing, crating, storage in transit and specialty items such as pianos are added to the same fixed price when you need them.
How long does a long-distance move take?
| Route from Montreal | Distance | Dedicated truck | Shared trailer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec City, Ottawa, Sherbrooke | 150–260 km | same or next day | within a few days |
| Toronto, Saguenay | 460–540 km | 1–2 days | within about a week |
| Maritimes, Gaspé, Sept-Îles | 780–1,250 km | 2–3 days | within one to two weeks |
| Winnipeg, St. John’s, Regina | 2,270–2,850 km | 3–6 days | within two to three weeks |
| Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver | 3,700–4,540 km | 5–8 days | within three to four weeks |
Transit times are typical, not guaranteed; your written quote gives the delivery window for your move.
Protecting your belongings over a long distance
A long route puts different stresses on furniture than a trip across town: hours of vibration, temperature changes and handling at both ends. We wrap every piece of furniture in blankets and stretch wrap, disassemble what should travel flat, pack mattresses in covers and load the truck in tiers so that heavy items sit low and nothing shifts. Each item is listed on the inventory at loading and checked at delivery.
If you pack yourself, use sturdy boxes filled to the top, pack dishes on their edge, and keep boxes light enough to carry. Our packing services can take care of the kitchen and fragile items, or everything.
Moving to Montreal
Many long-distance moves come the other way: families and students moving to Montreal from Ontario, the Maritimes, the West or elsewhere in Quebec. We pick up anywhere in Canada and deliver to the island, Laval or either shore. If you are new to the city, our service area pages explain parking permits, walk-up staircases and the July 1 moving season before you arrive.
Moving day for a long-distance move
Loading day starts with a walkthrough: the crew chief confirms what is going, what stays and what travels with you, and checks the inventory. Floors and doors are protected, furniture is wrapped and disassembled, and the truck is loaded in the order that keeps heavy items low and fragile items safe. At the end of loading, you check the inventory and sign it; we give you a copy with the delivery window and a number to call.
Arriving before your furniture
With a dedicated truck on a short route, your furniture may arrive the same day you do. On longer routes, or with a shared trailer, you will usually arrive first. Plan for a few days: an air mattress, basic kitchen items, clothes, chargers and important documents travel with you. If you need a few days more before you can receive the delivery — keys not ready, a closing delayed — tell us as early as possible; your belongings can wait safely in storage and be delivered when you are ready.
Paying for a long-distance move
Long-distance moves take a deposit when you book, and the balance is paid on delivery. The amount does not change between the quote and the delivery unless you add items or services and agree to the change in writing.
Insurance on the road
Your belongings are covered by our cargo insurance from loading to delivery. For high-value items — art, antiques, collections, electronics — give us a list with declared values before the move, so the coverage reflects what is actually in the truck. Every item is on the signed inventory, which is what any claim is checked against.
