Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

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Have you ever made an interstate move before?

Yes. I used a broker (ie. Atlas Van Lines) that delivers your possesions in 7-10 business days.
20
50%
Yes. I used an moving company (Ie. Two Men & a Truck) that made same-day or next-day interstates.
7
18%
Yes. I did it myself (Ie. U-Haul)
9
23%
Nope. I have never moved inter-state.
4
10%
 
Total votes: 40

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Snow Boarder
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Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by Snow Boarder »

My wife and I are going to be moving from Michigan to South Carolina this summer. We are trying to decide who we should have move our possessions. This is not a corporate backed move so we are picking up the tab for the moving costs. I have found out that there are movers and brokers and am trying to decide which way to go. Do you have any pos or neg moving experiences you can share? Many companies are nationwide / franchised so your opinions will be very helpful.

Brokers (Atlas Van Lines, Allied Systems etc.) sub contract local moving companies to do the work. Most times your possesions are unloaded in a central warehouse, reloaded on a truck with another load going to the same area and delivered in ~ 10 business days.

Movers (Men on the Move, Two Men and a Truck etc) are 50% more expensive but the guys who load the truck are the same ones that drive it X-country and unload it the next day.

Right now we are leaning towards movers but which company is still TBD... Please tell us who you used.
Last edited by Snow Boarder on Thu May 02, 2013 4:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Boglenaut
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by Boglenaut »

I've done it 5 times.

Make sure there is some penalty if they take too long. One move with Allied Van Lines took a month to arrive despite their estimated week or so. This is more common for small households that they piggy-back with the big ones.
gkaplan
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by gkaplan »

I think the last choice should be inter-state, not intra-state.
Gordon
mlipps
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by mlipps »

When my fiancé and I moved from MD to IL last fall we hired movers to load and unload our Uhaul, but I can see how this would be a tough choice if you have a family.
earlyout
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by earlyout »

If you decide not to make it a DIY move, have the moving company pack everything and spend the little extra to buy full replacement insurance from the carrier. If the carrier knows they will have to repair or replace anything that is damaged they will send a better crew and do a much better job of packing and loading. If they don't pack the boxes, they will not be responsible if something in the box is damaged. If it makes a difference on price, you can unpack the boxes yourself and put things away as you do so -- that way you'll know where things are and you can inspect things as you unpack. On one of our moves, I thought I would save money and not buy the extra insurance. It ended up costing me more to repair/replace things damaged in the move.
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Snow Boarder
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by Snow Boarder »

gkaplan wrote:I think the last choice should be inter-state, not intra-state.
Thanks gkaplan. I edited the original post.
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Sally
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by Sally »

I have had moves paid by employer (major companies used) cross-country (DC area to Hawaii, Hawaii to DC area, DC area to California, California to DC area), intrastate moves (packed, loaded and moved ourselves with Penske truck both in Hawaii & VA), and interstate moves (once I hired local mover from area I was moving to and twice where I packed, hired loaders, and I drove truck DE to FL).

For a personal move, I would NOT consider using a major moving company b/c you have little to no influence as a single mover should there be a problem (and there usually are some) be it late delivery, lost shipment, breakage, or demand for more $$ once the truck is packed. This, for me, would be very stressful to deal with without my spouse. Much different when it is a govt move and you have the govt moving inspectors and Contracting Officer to deal with any problems/issues!

When moving from VA to DE, a trusted repairman suggested that I hire a local company from the destination area (he did not recommend a specific company--he was not familiar with the area) so that my shipment didn’t sit somewhere until a truck was filled thus chance/likelihood of lost goods and late delivery. I did this and it worked well.

However, I have found the easiest personal moves to be where I packed (lots of moves so I know how to pack! lol) and drove the truck (the first time was rather scary b/c of the size of the truck--probably more so for those traveling near me...) but where I hired folks at each end to load and unload the shipment. This enabled me to take my time, ensure everything was packed appropriately, get timely shipment and delivery, and yet not have the burden of heavy lifting. (I prefer doing my own packing---it enables me to go thru everything and I have had less damage this way.)

Good luck!

Sally
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VictoriaF
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by VictoriaF »

Sally wrote:However, I have found the easiest personal moves to be where I packed (lots of moves so I know how to pack! lol) and drove the truck (the first time was rather scary b/c of the size of the truck--probably more so for those traveling near me...) but where I hired folks at each end to load and unload the shipment. This enabled me to take my time, ensure everything was packed appropriately, get timely shipment and delivery, and yet not have the burden of heavy lifting. (I prefer doing my own packing---it enables me to go thru everything and I have had less damage this way.)

Sally
Hi Sally,

How big were the trucks? Did you need to have a special driver's license to drive them?

Also, how are the people who do loading and unloading advertised? Are they called "movers" or something else?

Thank you,
Victoria
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interplanetjanet
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by interplanetjanet »

I am a very big fan of ABF's "U-Pack" service.

Basically, they drive up to your house and drop off a semi-trailer (one small enough to leave parked in most jurisdictions). You then take however much time you need to in order to load it - we did much of our packing for our last interstate move ourselves, though we hired some muscle for furniture and appliances and box hauling. Once it's loaded you secure and lock it - if you use a whole trailer it will not be touched, if you use part of a trailer then the rest may be used for commercial cargo (they give you a partition to install to keep your things isolated and secure). ABF comes by and picks up the trailer, drives it to the destination and drops it off - you unload and then call them when you're done so they can pick the trailer back up.

When I last did this, the prices were comparable with renting a U-Haul or similar truck and driving it myself, but I didn't have to do the drive. The trailers they offer are substantially bigger inside than even large U-Hauls, they are wider with a considerably higher roof. Packing and securing things myself meant that nothing at all got lost, which has happened when I've used commercial moving companies.
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Sally
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by Sally »

Victoria wrote:
How big were the trucks? Did you need to have a special driver's license to drive them?

Also, how are the people who do loading and unloading advertised? Are they called "movers" or something else?
Victoria,

The trucks have been: 16 foot, 22 foot and 26 foot for various moves. The first time was a 22 foot--you should have seen me!...especially going thru the Chesapeake Bay Bridge toll booth!....and then going to Florida in 26 foot through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel....BUT, I succeeded!! lol Seriously, they were very easy to drive (and this from a person that had never driven a vehicle as big as a van prior to that!

Note: In the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell you that backing up the 22 foot truck into my sharp steep driveway in VA the first time was too scary for me (between post box, parked vehicles, etc. and I have a depth perception deficiency (b/c one eyeball) so I got my neighbor to do that....but everywhere else, I parked, I gassed up, I went thru weight inspections, etc., and I backed up at destination, etc., with no problem....what I learned is that if "I" can do it, any one can for sure!

No special license was required.

Would (strongly) recommend you check out vehicle/truck reliability prior to renting (online)---after checking and looking at vehicles available, I use only Penske because the trucks are newer, cleaner, etc.

Two ways to find “people who load”--I called small local movers and just hired them for the loading and unloading of the truck. Most charged a base ($250 for first 1/2 hour and then an hourly rate that differed depending upon how many (usually 2 or 3) you want per hour. I found that 3 was most efficient for me. (Note: I have also been told that u-haul provides this service, but I haven’t used them so can’t comment on that.) The loaders, because I hired them thru local moving companies, were very adept at how to properly load a truck and were very efficient.

FYI: Loading times for:
4 bdrm/dining/living rm & loads of boxes was 3 1/2 hrs
2 bdrm/den/dining rm & quite a few boxes was 2 hrs.

Interestingly, these moves were less stressful than the moves handled by the the large govt movers! And, not one thing disappeared or was damaged on these moves as opposed to those where they packed, loaded, moved, and unloaded. And, costs were much, much lower than otherwise...though I didn't use or consider the ABF method mentioned. Antidotal but FYI: I have known folks who used the pod method---they were not happy with their experience.

Hope this helps.

Sally

Edited to add some info
Last edited by Sally on Thu May 02, 2013 6:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
woodguy00
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by woodguy00 »

A couple other options you didn't include is to use ABF Freight through their U-Pack moving service or to use PODS / Packrat containers. We looked at all the options for a cross country move and selected ABF. It ended up being less than half the cost of a full service mover even with having everything packed, loaded and unloaded. In our case, U-Pack arranged for a local company to pack and load a 28' trailer they dropped off the day before at our house. The crew loaded it perfectly and then we called U-Pack to pick it up. We had them store it for three months but for most people they will tell you the day it will arrive. They had arranged for another crew to unload our stuff at our new house. No more breakage than full service movers we used before. Pods or Packrat is the same concept but smaller units and they provide a list of movers on each end who you contract yourself. We preferred the U-Pack model better as we were able to get full replacement cost insurance and only one company who had full responsibility. Costs were similar between Pods and U-Pack. We will definitely use ABF/U-Pack again when we retire.

tk
woodguy00
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by woodguy00 »

Looks like interplanetjanet and I were typing at the same time
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VictoriaF
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by VictoriaF »

Sally wrote:Victoria,

The trucks have been: 16 foot, 22 foot and 26 foot for various moves. The first time was a 22 foot--you should have seen me!...especially going thru the Chesapeake Bay Bridge toll booth!....and then going to Florida in 26 foot through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel....BUT, I succeeded!! lol Seriously, they were very easy to drive (and this from a person that had never driven a vehicle as big as a van prior to that!
Thank you, Sally!

You are my hero,

Victoria
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Snow Boarder
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by Snow Boarder »

VictoriaF wrote:
Sally wrote:Victoria,

The trucks have been: 16 foot, 22 foot and 26 foot for various moves. The first time was a 22 foot--you should have seen me!...especially going thru the Chesapeake Bay Bridge toll booth!....and then going to Florida in 26 foot through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel....BUT, I succeeded!! lol Seriously, they were very easy to drive (and this from a person that had never driven a vehicle as big as a van prior to that!
Thank you, Sally!

You are my hero,
Victoria
+1 Sally you are quite the heroine. I have been apprehensive about the idea of driving a 26 foot truck through the smokey mountains at night (If I left at 8 am I would be passing through the mountains at dusk/nightfall. :oops:
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Snow Boarder
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by Snow Boarder »

We decided to use a direct-mover and not a broker. The 3 we are looking at are
a) Two Men and a Truck.
b) Men on the Move.
c) EZ Moving and Storage.

If you have experience with any of these three I would love to hear about it. :happy
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clearwater
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by clearwater »

As someone who has moved 24 times, please take my advice on this:

It is almost never, ever, worth moving furniture if you are going more than 500 miles. You can get to the destination and typically buy *brand new* furniture cheaper than it cost to pack, move, and unpack the old stuff (which also may have incurred damage). If you have a collection of priceless antiques, this won't apply to you, but don't do that, either.

I learned this the hard way after many cross country moves, at great expense. Now, I move clothes and personal goods, which can all fit in a pick up truck, OR EVEN BETTER, I can pack and give to UPS (which is the easiest possible thing in the world)!

The short answer is you don't need as much junk as you are probably transporting. You can almost always buy it cheaper when you get there, than to move it.

Trust me on this one.

[says the guy who has lately sold off the last of his stuff, after getting rid of it in bits over the years, and finally just said "this is nuts". now i have clothes, housewares, very few books, and a laptop. the feeling of freedom is indescribable.]
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Bengineer
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by Bengineer »

We recently had an in-state corporate "assisted" (meaning a fixed $ allowance) move of the contents of a 3br house + tool-guy garage 400 miles.

I considered full-service, pods-like & DIY U-haul with "guys" on both ends.

Some thoughts:
  • Quotes varied widely, ranging from $14k for big-name full-service that came through the employer to ~$1000 for 2x I-drive-it trucks + airfare.
  • The pods-type vendors were much more expensive than I would think for simply transporting a container the distance. They'd make sense if you had a delay where the pod needed storing vs your stuff coming off a truck & back on.
  • Even local movers varied quite a bit, ranging from $3-6k for what appeared to be the same service. By local, I mean proper licensed, bonded & insured professional movers, but not a name you see on TV.
  • The basic insurance that is required in our state is pretty minimal. I decided I would self-insure & hire guys I trusted vs upgrade to full-coverage insurance.
  • Your homeowner's doesn't cover your stuff if the truck rolls & creates a yard sale.
  • It's gonna take more truck than you think. :)
  • Don't get the "unpacking service". You aren't going to know where to put it all anyway. The default "comes with" is they unload everything, put the boxes in the rooms you say and assemble the beds and whatnot. The unpacking service will pull it all out of the boxes & haul off the materials. Your stuff is going to be knee deep on every flat surface in the house. They don't put it away, just unpack it.
  • You can't take it with you - flammables, liquids, gas bottles, etc. The mower and such will need to have the gas & oil drained.
  • The big boys can move your car(s) right in the van too, but a car-hauler will likely be cheaper. You can go fully enclosed or a hauler that looks like the new-car trailers you see on the highway.
We ended up with a full-service local mover. The appraiser was very thorough, professional and thoughtful. They were the lowest price, which gave me pause, but I had a much better experience up to my time to choose with them. The driver & guys were careful. The move was over the time to pack, drive and unpack, so the stuff never came off the truck. The same guys that packed unpacked. They did what they said they'd do. Nothing was broken. I couldn't have been happier! This mover would use Paul Arpin, one of the big names on a move to the east coast. I got the impression intra- and inter- state were two different beasts in terms of rates, licensing, insurance, etc. I don't know how the unpacking would work in that case, probably contract guys at the delivery end.

From my experience, shopping around was worth it. Our guys had been moving motel furniture all week and were really happy to get a light job like moving our stuff. I gave all the guys a nice tip at both ends. They worked really hard, were nice, and took care of things.

I've used the small 2-guys movers before. We moved a few blocks with 2. It was one of the longest, hardest days of my life. You need at least 3 guys on the smallest jobs. 2 to load and 1 to pack. We had four on our last move and nobody had any time to stand around. I was full-time directing the movers and cleaning up before the vacuum got packed.

I've used the big-name movers cross-country as well. Expensive, it all got done as advertised.

I will definitely consider the "ABF trailer" approach the next time around. One thing to think about is getting things into the high deck of a regular semi-trailer. A lift-gate would be a godsend. IPJ/others - what sort of ramp or liftgate setup did the ABF trailer come with? Was it like a mover's van with side doors, low deck, etc. or a standard semi trailer with a deck height of about 4' & just the rear doors? I'd hire professional packers & loaders on both ends.
woodguy00
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by woodguy00 »

Bengineer,

The one downside of the ABF trailer method is that the trailer are full height semi trailers (just shorter in length -28'). They have ramps but it would be a lot of trips up if loading yourself. The inside of the trailer is full height also which you want to fully utilize since you pay by the foot for the length of space you use ie. pay for 18' of the 28' trailer whether you load 5' high or 8' high. The local movers who did the work were fine with both issues but I'm too darn old to see me doing it myself. If I was doing it myself, I would have more deeply considered the PODS/ Packrat units as they sit flat on the ground and are about 6' high.
Random Poster
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by Random Poster »

clearwater wrote:As someone who has moved 24 times, please take my advice on this:

It is almost never, ever, worth moving furniture if you are going more than 500 miles. You can get to the destination and typically buy *brand new* furniture cheaper than it cost to pack, move, and unpack the old stuff (which also may have incurred damage). If you have a collection of priceless antiques, this won't apply to you, but don't do that, either.
I don't see how this is the case for people who have anything beyond a one-bedroom studio type housing arrangement.

Even if it costs $20K for a cross-country move, $20K isn't going to buy someone a lot of high-quality furniture -- it might buy you a few room fulls, at best.
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VictoriaF
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by VictoriaF »

clearwater wrote:As someone who has moved 24 times, please take my advice on this:

It is almost never, ever, worth moving furniture if you are going more than 500 miles. You can get to the destination and typically buy *brand new* furniture cheaper than it cost to pack, move, and unpack the old stuff (which also may have incurred damage).
I agree that furniture can be easily replaced, especially, if it's inexpensive to start with. The problem is fitting existing things into new furniture. For example, I have certain items inside my desk and dresser drawers that would have to be rearranged in a new desk and dresser. It's even worse with the computer stand and desk chair that are optimized for my home computing needs. Replicating them with new furniture would be tricky.

Getting rid of the stuff is, of course, a good solution.

By the way, I noticed that most furnished rental apartments in Florida do not include a desk or a computer stand.

Victoria
Last edited by VictoriaF on Fri May 03, 2013 9:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
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mlipps
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by mlipps »

Random Poster wrote:
clearwater wrote:As someone who has moved 24 times, please take my advice on this:

It is almost never, ever, worth moving furniture if you are going more than 500 miles. You can get to the destination and typically buy *brand new* furniture cheaper than it cost to pack, move, and unpack the old stuff (which also may have incurred damage). If you have a collection of priceless antiques, this won't apply to you, but don't do that, either.
I don't see how this is the case for people who have anything beyond a one-bedroom studio type housing arrangement.

Even if it costs $20K for a cross-country move, $20K isn't going to buy someone a lot of high-quality furniture -- it might buy you a few room fulls, at best.
Also have to disagree. In Feb. of 2012 my Fiance & I moved in together & bought all new furniture as we had basically nothing. We spent about $6k on our 1 bedroom apartment including:
Couch, $1800 (and 6 weeks lead time)
Bed & Bed Frame, $1400
Dresser, $600
Desk, bookcase, coffee table, tv stand, and night stands, probably another $1000
TV, $400

And that doesn't count A. The time I spent scouring Craigslist for some of the pieces, nor the time I spent looking at ads & reviews to pick a TV, nor the time we spent assembling furniture (the dresser from IKEA had 67 steps!).

Our move was $1600 and tax deductible, and our moving truck had tons of room to spare. Even if we'd been loading an entire house, it would have just been a matter of paying for 2 more hours of help at each end at about $100/hour.
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wilpat
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by wilpat »

I have used ABF 4 times and will NEVER use anyone else ever. They are superb!
Contrary to the belief of many, profit is not a four letter word!
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retiredjg
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by retiredjg »

I'm glad to see so many people are happy with the ABF U-Pack move. I hope to move across the country this year and have been considering ABF. I did not know they would help you find people to load/unload the truck - very happy to hear this since a long distance move could result in a lot of damage if not packed in the truck properly.
cleosdad
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by cleosdad »

retiredjg wrote:I'm glad to see so many people are happy with the ABF U-Pack move. I hope to move across the country this year and have been considering ABF. I did not know they would help you find people to load/unload the truck - very happy to hear this since a long distance move could result in a lot of damage if not packed in the truck properly.
retirejg, We moved from St.Louis to Denver CO. 6 years ago and used ABF. They were wonderful. We packed ourselves and everything was fine. They arrived at both ends just when they said they would. FYI the trailers they used then did not have air suspension but we did not suffer any damage. We rented lots of moving blankets and packed well. Good Luck. Tim
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Snow Boarder
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by Snow Boarder »

Bengineer wrote: From my experience, shopping around was worth it.
I agree. Funny how paying thousands of dollars out-of-pocket nudges you to do your due dilligence. I went to https://www.protectyourmove.gov and learned alot. :happy

I am:
-Trying to get references from people who used them. Hence this post. :happy
-Getting 3 (Written) quotes from direct movers. All have USDOT#s and up to date insurance policys.
-Having them do an onsite review.
Mover A saw the stuff & estimated 7k #s and $6k.
Mover B did an online estimate of 12k#s and $8k. But will be coming out to see it to make it more accurate.
Mover C) did an online estimate 9.5k have not arranged for him to see it yet. If he says online is our process then he gets nixed.
Bengineer wrote:I've used the big-name movers cross-country as well. Expensive, it all got done as advertised.
I have heard so much of don't use them if it is a private move. You don't have the leverage a company does. "You lost the VPs stuff well find it or we won't use you any more" LOL.
Bengineer wrote: I will definitely consider the "ABF trailer" approach the next time around.
I have not heard of ABF before. I will look into them. Thanks.
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Snow Boarder
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by Snow Boarder »

Random Poster wrote:
clearwater wrote:As someone who has moved 24 times, please take my advice on this:

It is almost never, ever, worth moving furniture if you are going more than 500 miles. You can get to the destination and typically buy *brand new* furniture cheaper than it cost to pack, move, and unpack the old stuff (which also may have incurred damage). If you have a collection of priceless antiques, this won't apply to you, but don't do that, either.
I don't see how this is the case for people who have anything beyond a one-bedroom studio type housing arrangement.

Even if it costs $20K for a cross-country move, $20K isn't going to buy someone a lot of high-quality furniture -- it might buy you a few room fulls, at best.
I don't know if i can downsize furniture any more. I have donated/disposed of alot of stuff. You have to have a place to sit/sleep when you move in. LOL
We have pruned down to a 2 leather sofas, a leather chair, kithchen table/4 chairs, a Queensize bed, 2 twin beds, 2 end tables, 3 book cases and a bakers rack. We did pack alot of our possesions up in boxes already and it really did surprise us how much "stuff" we have even after the disposal. We have alot of boxes. LOL
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gkaplan
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by gkaplan »

I'm retiring 01/11/2014 and probably will move to Portland sometime thereafter. Most of my furniture is junk. Except for a nice dining room table, I plan to take little else in the way of furniture.
Gordon
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retiredjg
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by retiredjg »

gkaplan wrote:I'm retiring 01/11/2014 and probably will move to Portland sometime thereafter. Most of my furniture is junk. Except for a nice dining room table, I plan to take little else in the way of furniture.
That will be a very liberating experience! Good for you, Gordon!
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Snow Boarder
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Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by Snow Boarder »

VictoriaF wrote:
clearwater wrote:As someone who has moved 24 times, please take my advice on this:

It is almost never, ever, worth moving furniture if you are going more than 500 miles. You can get to the destination and typically buy *brand new* furniture cheaper than it cost to pack, move, and unpack the old stuff (which also may have incurred damage).
I agree that furniture can be easily replaced, especially, if it's inexpensive to start with. The problem is fitting existing things into new furniture. For example, I have certain items inside my desk and dresser drawers that would have to be rearranged in a new desk and dresser. It's even worse with the computer stand and desk chair that are optimized for my home computing needs. Replicating them with new furniture would be tricky.

Getting rid of the stuff is, of course, a good solution.

Victoria
I told the mover quoting the job I was going to work on getting rid of more furniture. He said "You are taking much less then most for a 3 bedroom/2 bath house and that going to the 4 bedroom/2bath house you purchased, it is going to look rather bare. Most of our price comes from the mileage anyway." If I can, and I will, dispose of more it will be the "stuff" we are packing into boxes. That is where the 'liberating' feeling will come from. :D
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VictoriaF
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Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 6:27 am
Location: Black Swan Lake

Re: Interstate Moving Company - Experiences

Post by VictoriaF »

Snow Boarder wrote:
VictoriaF wrote:
clearwater wrote:As someone who has moved 24 times, please take my advice on this:

It is almost never, ever, worth moving furniture if you are going more than 500 miles. You can get to the destination and typically buy *brand new* furniture cheaper than it cost to pack, move, and unpack the old stuff (which also may have incurred damage).
I agree that furniture can be easily replaced, especially, if it's inexpensive to start with. The problem is fitting existing things into new furniture. For example, I have certain items inside my desk and dresser drawers that would have to be rearranged in a new desk and dresser. It's even worse with the computer stand and desk chair that are optimized for my home computing needs. Replicating them with new furniture would be tricky.

Getting rid of the stuff is, of course, a good solution.

Victoria
I told the mover quoting the job I was going to work on getting rid of more furniture. He said "You are taking much less then most for a 3 bedroom/2 bath house and that going to the 4 bedroom/2bath house you purchased, it is going to look rather bare. Most of our price comes from the mileage anyway." If I can, and I will, dispose of more it will be the "stuff" we are packing into boxes. That is where the 'liberating' feeling will come from. :D
I like "bare look" in residences. If/when I get rid of my furniture and put books in storage I will be actively pursuing this look.

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
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