Moving two humans and one dog from Toronto to San Diego

May 23, 2022 7:35 AM

I've accepted a transfer from Toronto to San Diego but the logistics are becoming a headache, I'm looking for suggestions on how best to do this.

This is what my timeline looks like:

- Closing on my home on the 23rd June
- AirBnB 21st June until July 19th, put stuff in storage
- I should have my visa between the 6th and 16th of July, ship or drive "stuff" and ourselves to San Diego

I have a moderate amount of "stuff", no furniture. I've been looking at UPack ($3000 USD), UHaul U-Box ($4,900 CAD) and Pods (no price yet). We plan on flying with our most valuable items (computers etc).

I've read that it might be cheaper to ship UPS/FedEx but can I ship to a storage facility? We are still actively looking for a place to live in SD so I don't have an address to ship to.

Also researched a one-way rental van rental but UHaul only allow their 10' truck (cargo van would be enough). Plus it's a long drive with the dog. Hotel stops etc.

Finally, I was planning on flying direct to SD from Pearson with the dog in cargo (he's a Lab so too big for the cabin). I've never done this and it doesn't look like there's an option to do this all online. I guess call Air Canada and ask them about it? Any tips on making the journey more comfortable for my furry friend?

posted by asharchist to Travel & Transportation (11 answers total)

We moved from Toronto to the UK with our cat in 2015 and used a Toronto-based company called PetFlight Inc.

While we had a fantastic experience - they really knew all the bits of red tape and took care of everything, their web presence seems to be almost non-existent, so I'm not sure if they are still operating. Confusingly there is a different website that is also called PetFlight but does not offer any actual pet transport services.

When I do a google search 'petflight toronto pat' the first result on google has contact information that matches the info i have in old emails from 2015...perhaps it's worth a local phone call?

Also, we received their information originally from our Toronto vet...perhaps your vet can advise you on any companies offering this service...I know we were surprised that such services were available when we were planning our big move. Good luck and sorry my info is not 100%.
posted by champagneminimalist at 8:10 AM on May 23, 2022 [3 favorites]

Questions:
- Are you looking at the UPack relocube, or the trailer? With the cube, it's like PODS and they can store it at their facility until you have a place to deliver it to; I'm not sure that's an option with the trailer and you might have to rent a U-Haul or something similar to ferry your stuff from the trailer at the ABF terminal to a self-storage space. I've done just about every option UPack/ABF has and I've never had a problem, but something to consider.
- Do you have a car?
posted by LionIndex at 8:10 AM on May 23, 2022

What I've done just for reference, you can ask questions about any part of it if anything is similar to your situation:
- moved from San Diego to Wisconsin - UPack trailer, loaded at terminal, delivered trailer to house in Wisconsin. Drove myself there with dog in the car, stayed at Motel 6 across the country.
- moved from Wisconsin to Michigan - UPack trailer again, loaded at home, unloaded at terminal (trailer didn't fit in the driveway and ABF and I were both not fans of parking it on the street) by shuttling with a U-Haul. Also had a POD involved, shipping from Los Angeles to Michigan.
- moved from Michigan back to San Diego - UPack relocube, loaded at terminal, delivered to house in San Diego; drove myself and some possessions across country.
posted by LionIndex at 8:25 AM on May 23, 2022

Response by poster: I do have a car. It's a lease that I'm hoping to transfer back to Toyota before we move.

Yes it's the UHaul Pod I'm looking at. It does look kinda flimsy though compared to UPack's metal cube.

Was storage an option for UPack? I read online they only allow 3 days to pack/unpack either end, which might not work for us. I've emailed them asking this, waiting on an answer.

I appreciate the replies thus far.
posted by asharchist at 8:26 AM on May 23, 2022

I don't think storage is something you can specify when getting your original quote, but my understanding is that it's something they can do (for an additional charge) and I think it's mentioned on their website in the relocube info. You can also keep the cube longer than 3 days on either end, the 3 days is just what's included in the basic quote. You'll probably have to call them at some point to actually make the reservation and give them all your payment info - you can get into the details of stuff then.

I know someone that just had a relocube go from Utah to Michigan and UPack's quote was $800 less than PODS, so I'd guess that they're going to stay your low bid for this.
posted by LionIndex at 8:54 AM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]

You can ship to a "receiver". Here is one firm I found that does this.

My gf uses receivers in many cities in the US for furniture and other valuables that require a delivery date that is not consistent with when they are going to be installed or for people like you that have a vague date. Receivers receive packages (as large as houses full of furniture to small boxes), store them, and deliver them when you request. I would ship my computers this way too. Can go to the receiver and pick up some or all of your deliveries.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:52 AM on May 23, 2022 [2 favorites]

Please don't put your dog in the cargo hold. Airlines routinely kill pets in the cargo hold, especially in the summer. Use a pet transportation service instead.
posted by Jacqueline at 10:17 AM on May 23, 2022 [6 favorites]

Specifically with regard to Pods, I had to call to get a quote. The service reps were very knowledgeable and helpful. They are renting you a box including delivery/pick-up/delivery plus storage. If the delivery/pickup requires transportation in between, then there is also a transportation fee in addition to the rental fee. The monthly rental fee allows you to have the box delivered, take your time to load it, then have it picked up and stored until transportation and delivery at the other end. Highly recommend the experience.
posted by RoadScholar at 3:18 PM on May 23, 2022

Please don't put your dog in the cargo hold.

+1 to this. I once put a dog in a cargo hold for a relatively short flight (90 minutes), and it was awful. I can't believe I was so stupid. The dog came out covered in vomit and poop, shaking uncontrollably, and it took her hours to even begin to calm down. I would never have knowingly inflicted that on her, and I still feel absolutely terrible about it, even years and years later. Seriously, don't do it.
posted by Susan PG at 5:13 PM on May 23, 2022 [1 favorite]

In addition, airlines won't accept pets in the cargo hold if the weather is too hot.

There are professionals out there who drive dogs (at least within the US) to their final destination (source).
posted by oceano at 4:26 PM on May 24, 2022

Response by poster: A quick update for those interested.

There's currently a ban on traveling with pets by air from Canada to the United States. We contacted several Pet Relocation services approved by IPATA who confirmed that he would need to be driven to a US airport first. The quotes came back in $2-3k USD range and require several connections from Detroit.

With that in mind we've decided to ship our stuff using UPack, after they confirmed they can store on the San Diego side for $150/month.

We're also going to import our car, drive our dog down and stay in Motel 6 along the way.
posted by asharchist at 9:13 AM on May 28, 2022 [1 favorite]