Moving Cross Country -- How is it done?
March 9, 2015 7:44 AM Subscribe
I'm moving from New York City to the West Coast and I have a lot of stuff. I couldn't be less interested in driving a truck myself. I keep hearing about "pods" but I am having a hard time even finding companies to get estimates from. What should I be doing besides googling "moving pods"?
I moved across the country to New York City almost 20 years ago. I brought two suitcases and once I found a place my parents shipped me a single pallet on Amtrak. I'm moving back across the country soon (very soon, actually. Eek.) this time with the contents of a three bedroom apartment. I've got way more than a pallet.
What should I be doing besides googling "moving pods"?
I moved across the country to New York City almost 20 years ago. I brought two suitcases and once I found a place my parents shipped me a single pallet on Amtrak. I'm moving back across the country soon (very soon, actually. Eek.) this time with the contents of a three bedroom apartment. I've got way more than a pallet.
What should I be doing besides googling "moving pods"?
When I moved about 1/4 as far as you, I found that all the PODS and things like them ended up being as expensive as regular movers, and way more logistically difficult (especially in an apartment).
It might be worth looking for reputable movers in your area on http://www.movingscam.com/reviews, and getting some estimates. My cross-country move cost MUCH less than I had anticipated, and it featured professional movers doing all the lifting/stairs. So, so worth it.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 8:00 AM on March 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
It might be worth looking for reputable movers in your area on http://www.movingscam.com/reviews, and getting some estimates. My cross-country move cost MUCH less than I had anticipated, and it featured professional movers doing all the lifting/stairs. So, so worth it.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 8:00 AM on March 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Relocube is generally cheaper than PODS. My in-laws just moved cross-country with a Relocube (you'll probably want several) and it was a smooth experience. However, unless if you live somewhere in an outer borough with dedicated parking, you'll likely have trouble. You need a place to park the cube as well as space for the forklift to load/unload it from the big truck it's delivered on.
You should really look into a full service move -- where they pack all of your stuff for you. It can be marginally more expensive (or even cheaper) than packing and shipping it yourself and the insurance options are often better. Make sure they do an in-person estimate though and that it includes all packing materials.
posted by melissasaurus at 8:02 AM on March 9, 2015
You should really look into a full service move -- where they pack all of your stuff for you. It can be marginally more expensive (or even cheaper) than packing and shipping it yourself and the insurance options are often better. Make sure they do an in-person estimate though and that it includes all packing materials.
posted by melissasaurus at 8:02 AM on March 9, 2015
Other similar options include U-Haul U-Box® pods and ABF U-Pack Relocubes. We looked into all 3 options for an in-state (MA) move, but what killed the deal was that there was no place to deliver them -- they require an exceptionally large area to place down due to the truck/forklift delivery, and we had only a small driveway and/or a narrow street with one-side parking.
posted by jeffjon at 8:04 AM on March 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by jeffjon at 8:04 AM on March 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
IMHO if there's any possible way you can afford it, just hire movers (and have them pack and unpack, as melissasaurus said). At least get a quote so you have a basis for comparison. It makes things drastically less stressful in my experience.
posted by primethyme at 8:23 AM on March 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by primethyme at 8:23 AM on March 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Definitely hire a full-service moving company to do all the work for you. They know what they're doing. I got some good advice a few months ago in my question about how to find a moving company.
posted by bleep at 8:31 AM on March 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by bleep at 8:31 AM on March 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
For my last cross country move, we rented a truck and bought one of my cousins a plane ticket (he loves to fly). We gave him a little pocket money and a gas card. He drove my truck for me. He might possibly be the best person in the world. Ask around. You may know of a responsible college student who would do it for kicks. Having someone you know drive your stuff is the most reliable and, in my case, the least expensive way to move.
posted by myselfasme at 8:32 AM on March 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by myselfasme at 8:32 AM on March 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also look into United Mayflower (used to be SAM). I have one of their containers sitting in my driveway right now after moving over the weekend and they have been great.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 8:33 AM on March 9, 2015
posted by rabbitrabbit at 8:33 AM on March 9, 2015
Last move I did UBF Upack but hired movers on either end. On the packing end I'd look into a group that has experiencing with long distance moves. My movers had great reviews in town but did a poor job for stuff that would be on a truck for an extended period of time.
I packed and unpacked myself but paid the movers to disassemble and assemble furniture and move boxes into the UBF truck.
If I were to do it again I'd rent tupperware and make all my moving boxes clear and the same size.
Also keep a spreadsheet and take photos of the objects in each box. If possible have them marked for a destination in new home (Bedroom 2, upstairs back left) to make your and the movers' loves easier.
Also think about what you're moving. Sell or donate stuff you don't want of course but little stuff adds up. Half a pack of Nyquil may seem worth throwing out but considering the weight and cost, little stuff like that adds up. There is nothing like a $2800 Target run for little stuff to remind you that you probably could have kept that bath mat.
- Veteran of multiple cross country moves
posted by k8t at 8:45 AM on March 9, 2015
I packed and unpacked myself but paid the movers to disassemble and assemble furniture and move boxes into the UBF truck.
If I were to do it again I'd rent tupperware and make all my moving boxes clear and the same size.
Also keep a spreadsheet and take photos of the objects in each box. If possible have them marked for a destination in new home (Bedroom 2, upstairs back left) to make your and the movers' loves easier.
Also think about what you're moving. Sell or donate stuff you don't want of course but little stuff adds up. Half a pack of Nyquil may seem worth throwing out but considering the weight and cost, little stuff like that adds up. There is nothing like a $2800 Target run for little stuff to remind you that you probably could have kept that bath mat.
- Veteran of multiple cross country moves
posted by k8t at 8:45 AM on March 9, 2015
No matter what service you ultimately use, you need to make sure that you have an in-person walk-through quote for your estimate. This is something that everybody says, and everybody ignores. I ignored it, had an estimate for about $1100 to move me from Chicago to Arizona (just load/drive/unload). When the movers arrived, they ended up charging me about $500 more than the quote because they said that my stuff was larger than they had estimated based on what I told them.
And then, when they finally got there a month later, they told me that their truck was too large to fit into my totally normal-sized apartment complex parking lot (and where I had seen at least 3 trucks their size drive through), and they would not deliver my things unless I paid $300 for them to rent a U-haul to move my stuff into. And then lost my antique desk and broke a bunch of my other furniture. So yeah, make sure you have a feel for whether or not they are actually reliable.
And honestly, unless your stuff is super-valuable, it may be worth trying to sell as much furniture as possible. It's really hard to predict what will fit through doors and up stairwells in new apartment complexes.
posted by honeybee413 at 8:59 AM on March 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
And then, when they finally got there a month later, they told me that their truck was too large to fit into my totally normal-sized apartment complex parking lot (and where I had seen at least 3 trucks their size drive through), and they would not deliver my things unless I paid $300 for them to rent a U-haul to move my stuff into. And then lost my antique desk and broke a bunch of my other furniture. So yeah, make sure you have a feel for whether or not they are actually reliable.
And honestly, unless your stuff is super-valuable, it may be worth trying to sell as much furniture as possible. It's really hard to predict what will fit through doors and up stairwells in new apartment complexes.
posted by honeybee413 at 8:59 AM on March 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
I used ABF to move from Texas to NYC. It isn't cheap, but it's less expensive than cross-country movers or PODS. Because there was no where to put the cubes on the street, we hired local movers to pick up the cubes at the ABF warehouse in Queens and deliver our stuff to us.
posted by lunalaguna at 10:16 AM on March 9, 2015
posted by lunalaguna at 10:16 AM on March 9, 2015
Think really hard about the stuff you're bringing. Often it's not worth the cost of the furniture to bring it with you.
posted by radioamy at 10:33 AM on March 9, 2015
posted by radioamy at 10:33 AM on March 9, 2015
Response by poster: So helpful. I'm still digesting all of this.
I am selling/freecycling tons of stuff, I promise.
posted by amandabee at 10:53 AM on March 9, 2015
I am selling/freecycling tons of stuff, I promise.
posted by amandabee at 10:53 AM on March 9, 2015
Years ago (before people were using moving pods) I used ABF movers to move from California to New York and the driver extorted me for a modest sum before we could unload. Complaints to their corporate office were fruitless.
posted by exogenous at 11:08 AM on March 9, 2015
posted by exogenous at 11:08 AM on March 9, 2015
I have had good experiences with ABF U-Pack. I used the cubes from Seattle to LA, and a fraction of a truck from LA to Wisconsin. Their pricing is predictable, and they arrive when they say they will.
posted by yarntheory at 12:48 PM on March 9, 2015
posted by yarntheory at 12:48 PM on March 9, 2015
My wife and I used Door To Door when we moved across country last year. It was kind of pricey, but the experience was fine. We also liked that the boxes were stored inside and shipped inside a truck unlike Pods which are exposed to the elements all the time.
We arrived in our new home about a week before our things did, and I have to say that was one of the most liberating experiences. We were actually a bit sad when all the stuff arrived and we had to deal with it. I would recommend downsizing as much as you can.
posted by o0dano0o at 3:04 PM on March 10, 2015
We arrived in our new home about a week before our things did, and I have to say that was one of the most liberating experiences. We were actually a bit sad when all the stuff arrived and we had to deal with it. I would recommend downsizing as much as you can.
posted by o0dano0o at 3:04 PM on March 10, 2015
Response by poster: So...
It seems like there are two kinds of movers. Classic cross country movers who pack a truck and then pack someone else's apartment, and then start unloading as they move across the country. By federal law they have to charge by the weight of the truck.
And then there are the pod-style folks who drop a container off and leave it to you to pack it. Then they transport the container and drop it off again. Since they aren't packing, the rules are different.
I am probably oversimplifying, but ...that's roughly it.
We packed everything ourselves (made it a lot easier to purge. I'm sure I would have had movers box a whole lot of precious, precious stuff that I wound up putting in the "donate" pile when it was up to me to fit it into a box) , hired local movers ($500...eesh) to pack the pod and went with PODS.
* I saved out a lot of non-precious rugs to use as furniture pads. Since the movers weren't going to unpack, we had to pay for the 3 pads that we took with us.
* I did not have enough rope to tie down, but the movers didn't charge me for the tie downs, which was gracious of them. Our container had hooks to tie off to every 4 feet. You definitely want to make sure you actually tie off as you go, so that your stuff doesn't end up in a pile.
* They did use one wardrobe box for odds and ends and charge me $13 for that. If you're scavenging moving boxes, get ahold of a few tall wardrobes so you don't have to buy them off the movers. Again, if they were unloading us, the could have taken their box back, but they weren't.
PODS were the cheapest estimate I got (by ~$100), and seemed the most competent to handle moving from NYC to San Francisco. At both ends, the rules about dropping a container are kind of fussy.
In NYC, we had to pay a guy to sit in the truck. He couldn't just drop the container off. And in SF, they have to get a permit.
We spent an arm and a leg ($6K for a 16x8 container) but I couldn't get a cheaper estimate.
The container was not exposed to the elements, as far as I could tell. It is made of some kind of corrugated plastic, but it was raining while they loaded it and I didn't see water getting it.
Container still hasn't arrived at the other end, but the move out went fine.
posted by amandabee at 10:56 AM on April 20, 2015
It seems like there are two kinds of movers. Classic cross country movers who pack a truck and then pack someone else's apartment, and then start unloading as they move across the country. By federal law they have to charge by the weight of the truck.
And then there are the pod-style folks who drop a container off and leave it to you to pack it. Then they transport the container and drop it off again. Since they aren't packing, the rules are different.
I am probably oversimplifying, but ...that's roughly it.
We packed everything ourselves (made it a lot easier to purge. I'm sure I would have had movers box a whole lot of precious, precious stuff that I wound up putting in the "donate" pile when it was up to me to fit it into a box) , hired local movers ($500...eesh) to pack the pod and went with PODS.
* I saved out a lot of non-precious rugs to use as furniture pads. Since the movers weren't going to unpack, we had to pay for the 3 pads that we took with us.
* I did not have enough rope to tie down, but the movers didn't charge me for the tie downs, which was gracious of them. Our container had hooks to tie off to every 4 feet. You definitely want to make sure you actually tie off as you go, so that your stuff doesn't end up in a pile.
* They did use one wardrobe box for odds and ends and charge me $13 for that. If you're scavenging moving boxes, get ahold of a few tall wardrobes so you don't have to buy them off the movers. Again, if they were unloading us, the could have taken their box back, but they weren't.
PODS were the cheapest estimate I got (by ~$100), and seemed the most competent to handle moving from NYC to San Francisco. At both ends, the rules about dropping a container are kind of fussy.
In NYC, we had to pay a guy to sit in the truck. He couldn't just drop the container off. And in SF, they have to get a permit.
We spent an arm and a leg ($6K for a 16x8 container) but I couldn't get a cheaper estimate.
The container was not exposed to the elements, as far as I could tell. It is made of some kind of corrugated plastic, but it was raining while they loaded it and I didn't see water getting it.
Container still hasn't arrived at the other end, but the move out went fine.
posted by amandabee at 10:56 AM on April 20, 2015
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Some people swear by them, but both people I know who have used them (both in New England) have had pretty terrible experiences with them.
posted by anastasiav at 7:50 AM on March 9, 2015