Cost estimate for gas, etc. for cross-country household move?
March 30, 2015 8:57 AM Subscribe
Could you help me estimate the cost - in gas and other trip-related expenses - to transport the contents of our household (about 8000 lbs) about 4800 km (3000 miles) across Canada (Edmonton to Halifax), in a 22 ft truck, on a route that will go through the United States (TransCanada Highway / I-94)?
We are trying to make a decision on whether to:
(a) hire a moving company at a cost of about $8500
(b) Purchase a used moving truck with a 22 ft box (estimated cost about $8000) and do the move ourselves - then turn around and sell the truck on arrival - thereby shaving down the cost of the move.
This trip will take place in the summer.
I need help to figure out:
- How much will the (diesel) fuel cost?
- How many scales will he have to be weighed on and at what cost?
- How much will it cost to insure the truck?
- Is special insurance required for the US leg of the journey?
- What tolls will have to be paid, at what cost?
- Obviously food and accommodations for 6 days or so need to be factored in
If you have any comments on the feasibility of doing this, I'd love to hear them as well. Mr. kitcat has the appropriate license and experience. He has his passport. We need to be able to sell the truck, eventually, and we expect to take a bit of a loss, but it could also potentially be kept and used to generate some side-income. We also realize that we need to plan for what we would do if the truck broke down en route (no plan yet, though).
Thanks!
We are trying to make a decision on whether to:
(a) hire a moving company at a cost of about $8500
(b) Purchase a used moving truck with a 22 ft box (estimated cost about $8000) and do the move ourselves - then turn around and sell the truck on arrival - thereby shaving down the cost of the move.
This trip will take place in the summer.
I need help to figure out:
- How much will the (diesel) fuel cost?
- How many scales will he have to be weighed on and at what cost?
- How much will it cost to insure the truck?
- Is special insurance required for the US leg of the journey?
- What tolls will have to be paid, at what cost?
- Obviously food and accommodations for 6 days or so need to be factored in
If you have any comments on the feasibility of doing this, I'd love to hear them as well. Mr. kitcat has the appropriate license and experience. He has his passport. We need to be able to sell the truck, eventually, and we expect to take a bit of a loss, but it could also potentially be kept and used to generate some side-income. We also realize that we need to plan for what we would do if the truck broke down en route (no plan yet, though).
Thanks!
Financial considerations aside, driving with a truck full of everything you own in order to go through customs TWICE sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. All you need to do is get a border agent on a bad day.
posted by jeather at 9:07 AM on March 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by jeather at 9:07 AM on March 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
In addition to problems mentioned above there is the problem of a buying a used truck. How old is it, how many miles on it, how much abuse has it suffered? Save yourselves many headaches and check out the trailer option mentioned above. Drive your car across country, fly, take a train. Safe travels!
posted by mareli at 9:25 AM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mareli at 9:25 AM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Oh, I forgot to mention that we've investigated every other option, including all the 'here's a trailor/pod, fill it up and we'll transport it' options, renting a U-Haul, etc. They are all between 7K-9K mark, which surprised the hell out of me, but what can you do? That ABC Freight company doesn't do Canada, but wow, what a good price.
Tell me more about this border crossing business. I really don't know how it works when you've got a big truck full of stuff. Like, a BIG truck full of stuff.
posted by kitcat at 9:25 AM on March 30, 2015
Tell me more about this border crossing business. I really don't know how it works when you've got a big truck full of stuff. Like, a BIG truck full of stuff.
posted by kitcat at 9:25 AM on March 30, 2015
Best answer: Just in case this is what's leading to the I94 idea, there's new highway through New Brunswick (and around Montréal I think) that means you're no longer saving the time you used to by cutting through the states. Particularly when you add in customs.
posted by platypus of the universe at 9:25 AM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by platypus of the universe at 9:25 AM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Ok, thank you platypus - no need for the US route. Sorry, Google suggested it and we were remembering that relatives had taken this route travelling back and forth on family vacations.
If you are able to help with the fuel estimates, it looks like the mileage is the same.
posted by kitcat at 9:31 AM on March 30, 2015
If you are able to help with the fuel estimates, it looks like the mileage is the same.
posted by kitcat at 9:31 AM on March 30, 2015
Have you considered selling the stuff that is replaceable and buying new furniture when you move? Unless you absolutely love and can't live without the furniture you have, it may be best to sell it all on craigslist and buy new stuff when you get there. Then, you can just drive in a car. Bring all your most important need-right-away stuff, like clothes, in the car with you for the drive, and ship yourself smaller items like books, small appliances, etc. so it will arrive to your new place once you get there. You can also ship extra clothes. I shipped a 60-pound suitcase of clothes 3,000 miles for $70.
Buying a truck and then re-selling it, which includes a bunch of crap about title registration, car insurance, going through customs, finding a buyer for the amount you want, etc. sounds like a seriously awful idea and an unnecessary gamble. What if you get in an accident during the move? You can just rent a truck, you know. I tried to do that for my cross country move but "reservation" is a misnomer in the vehicle rental industry -- the smallest truck I had "reserved" was unavailable and all that was left was very large, scary trucks that I would not even be able to fill. Instead I loaded as much as I could into my car and bought new stuff in my new city.
I think moving everything you own cross-country is a luxury for people who can afford it. I've moved across country a couple times and one time I drove and did what I described above. The other time I flew and spent $300 in baggage overage fees (I brought clothes and small appliances on the plane) and bought new stuff when I got there.
posted by AppleTurnover at 9:36 AM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Buying a truck and then re-selling it, which includes a bunch of crap about title registration, car insurance, going through customs, finding a buyer for the amount you want, etc. sounds like a seriously awful idea and an unnecessary gamble. What if you get in an accident during the move? You can just rent a truck, you know. I tried to do that for my cross country move but "reservation" is a misnomer in the vehicle rental industry -- the smallest truck I had "reserved" was unavailable and all that was left was very large, scary trucks that I would not even be able to fill. Instead I loaded as much as I could into my car and bought new stuff in my new city.
I think moving everything you own cross-country is a luxury for people who can afford it. I've moved across country a couple times and one time I drove and did what I described above. The other time I flew and spent $300 in baggage overage fees (I brought clothes and small appliances on the plane) and bought new stuff when I got there.
posted by AppleTurnover at 9:36 AM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The new (a decade or so old) highway has tolls, fees can be found here https://www.cobequidpass.com/COB/About/TollsAndFees.aspx
Maybe slightly less weight but also dragging a car cost $500 in fuel between Halifax and Montreal. You might be able to extrapolate. We used a uhaul (total cost with fuel was around 1700).
They told us to go into any scale that was open but we'd probably just get waved through. We ended up doing most of the driving overnight and so there were no open scales, so we didn't have to worry about that.
posted by platypus of the universe at 9:57 AM on March 30, 2015
Maybe slightly less weight but also dragging a car cost $500 in fuel between Halifax and Montreal. You might be able to extrapolate. We used a uhaul (total cost with fuel was around 1700).
They told us to go into any scale that was open but we'd probably just get waved through. We ended up doing most of the driving overnight and so there were no open scales, so we didn't have to worry about that.
posted by platypus of the universe at 9:57 AM on March 30, 2015
Best answer: Here's the mileage numbers published by Uhaul. You could probably extrapolate for a similar sized truck. YMMV.
Based on their 24' truck, and 4800km to drive, driving from full to completely empty (227L/tank) with an average fuel price of $1.10/L, you get:
8.2 tanks of gas * $249.7/tank = $2047.54 worth of gas (minimum). You're also looking at at least 5 days of driving @ 10 hours a day.
posted by blue_beetle at 10:11 AM on March 30, 2015
Based on their 24' truck, and 4800km to drive, driving from full to completely empty (227L/tank) with an average fuel price of $1.10/L, you get:
8.2 tanks of gas * $249.7/tank = $2047.54 worth of gas (minimum). You're also looking at at least 5 days of driving @ 10 hours a day.
posted by blue_beetle at 10:11 AM on March 30, 2015
When you transport lots of stuff, you accidentally transport something that's illegal in the US, or the agent in Canada doesn't believe that none of the stuff is new, so you've added time for them to search everything in a huge truck, or time to get customs agents to acknowledge you brought X from Canada (serial numbers are fine for electronics, but if you have any real jewelry you could get in trouble). But there are probably routes that go through Ontario, so let's assume you can do that.
Have you looked into what is necessary to transfer a truck from Alberta to NS? What time of year are you intending to do this? (I wouldn't do it in winter for any amount of saved money.)
posted by jeather at 10:20 AM on March 30, 2015
Have you looked into what is necessary to transfer a truck from Alberta to NS? What time of year are you intending to do this? (I wouldn't do it in winter for any amount of saved money.)
posted by jeather at 10:20 AM on March 30, 2015
I would definitely shed as much furniture as possible and buy new/gently used when you get there.
posted by heathrowga at 10:32 AM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by heathrowga at 10:32 AM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Two, Border Patrol are going to fucking *hate* you. One time on a day trip to Waterton National Park, on the way back the US customs wanted to detain me for a South African orange that I'd bought back home in St. Louis, Missouri.
posted by notsnot at 9:00 AM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]