Cities
A local move and an interstate move look similar on the surface — pack, load, transport, unload — but the planning underneath is different in ways that affect both cost and timeline.
Local moves are usually priced by labour hours and vehicle size, and most are completed within a single day. Interstate moves are priced primarily by volume and distance, since the vehicle is committed to a multi-day route rather than a same-day round trip.
Interstate moves also involve route planning and, in some cases, transport permits for the vehicle crossing state lines — something a local move never needs to account for.
Transit time is the biggest planning difference: a local move is done in hours, while an interstate move can take several days depending on distance. That means interstate moves benefit from a first-night essentials box even more than local moves do, since you may be without your belongings for multiple days.
Insurance matters more for interstate moves too — the longer a shipment is in transit, the more valuable transit insurance becomes as protection against the (rarer, but non-zero) risk of transit damage.
If you're deciding how far ahead to book: local moves can often be arranged with a few days' notice, while interstate moves benefit from 1-2 weeks' lead time to plan the route and paperwork properly.