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Sean Donnelly is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront. His content draws on more than three years of experience in the moving industry. He started as a laborer and was quickly promoted to moving crew leader. Sean also served as a move coordinator, where he conducted in-home and virtual estimates for customers. During his time in the industry, Sean assisted more than 500 clients with their relocation needs. Thanks to his years of hand-on experience, he understands all aspects of moving — from proper preparation to the quote process to effective packing techniques. Sean studied English literature and creative writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is still located in the greater Springfield area. When he isn’t writing, Sean is a cohead coach of the boxing team at his alma mater.
A DIY move gives you the most flexibility during the moving process but involves more planning and work before and on your move date. A moving container company lets you pack and store your items before transporting them for you so that you can forgo renting and driving a moving van.
U-Pack tops our list due to its size and pricing options. Each moving-and-storage container provider below offers nationwide availability and receives positive customer reviews. However, container size options vary among companies.
The following container providers are our top picks for a DIY move. Our provider summaries below walk you through the details you need to plan your move.
U-Pack is the best DIY option for large moves. Its 27-foot trailer rental option provides enough space to pack and load most three- to four-bedroom homes, and its shipping partner ABF offers reliable pickup and delivery dates.
What we like
This container and trailer company’s pricing structure sets it apart from its competition. If you require a trailer rental, you’ll only have to pay for the space you use. Most container providers bill flat rates for renting a single container, regardless of how much space you use. This could lead to you overpaying with other providers.
What we don’t like
Most container rental companies offer fully flexible loading and unloading periods. U-Pack, however, provides three-day loading windows at pickup and delivery. If you’re handling all of your moving labor on your own, this could lead to increased stress due to time constraints.
This provider rents 8-foot ReloCubes for smaller moves and 27-foot trailers for large relocations. While its trailer rentals come with flexible pricing, as mentioned above, its ReloCubes have more traditional flat-rate rental terms.
We got a quick quote for a three-bedroom move between Boston and Philadelphia. The process took a total of 10 minutes online and only required us to fill out our basic move details and desired move date. We estimated that we would require 23 feet of trailer space for our move. Our total came to $1,405. If we used the entire trailer, we would pay $1,685.
U-Pack has 240 locations throughout all 50 states and also services moves to Puerto Rico and Canada.
This container provider has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on the Better Business Bureau (BBB). We read more than 100 reviews and found mostly positive feedback. Several positive reviews noted the simple booking and delivery process and responsive customer service representatives.
PODS is arguably the most recognizable brand in the DIY moving space. It offers multiple container sizes for a range of needs, from local moves to long-term storage. Its nationwide availability and size options make it one of the most flexible options among container providers.
The multiple container sizes this provider offers suit most small to midsize moves. Its flexible rental terms and customizable pickup and delivery dates make it a good fit for moves of all distances.
We don’t like PODS’ pricing structure for larger moves. If your move cannot fit within its largest container — a 16-foot mobile storage unit — your moving costs could steeply increase when you rent multiple units.
This container provider’s storage unit offerings and their capacities include the following:
You can rent these containers for moving and storage needs. You can also purchase insurance coverage for contents protection during your move. You will have to purchase individual coverage for each portable moving container you rent.
We got a quote for a three-bedroom move between Boston and Philadelphia. Based on PODS’ storage space estimates, we selected one 16-foot and one 8-foot container for this move. The total overall cost for both containers would be $3,243. We would have to pay $1,165 when the containers were delivered at our origin address, and the remainder when they were delivered at our new home.
PODS is available in 44 states and Washington, D.C. You won’t be able to book a PODS move in Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia or Wyoming.
This container provider has a 1.1 out of 5 star rating on BBB. This score may seem low, but in many cases, BBB serves as a sounding board for complaints rather than a source for objective reviews.
Negative reviews cite complications during more complex moves, including poor coordination for the delivery of multiple storage units. Many of its individual locations have mostly positive reviews, including a rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews for its Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, facility.
1-800-PACK-RAT offers weatherproof steel containers for local and long-distance moving needs. This durable construction offers increased protection for goods during storage and transport. 1-800-PACK-RAT also offers insurance options for added peace of mind.
Solid storage unit construction sets this provider apart. All-steel units offer added protection, and barn-door openings ensure you get the most out of your rented interior storage space. Aside from this, its partnership with fellow container provider Zippy Shell grants it even more availability.
This mobile moving-and-storage company’s negative reviews include complaints about missed drop-off windows. While this is a common complaint among container providers and long-distance professional movers, it is still worth noting.
Along with container rentals, 1-800-PACK-RAT offers storage solutions at its secure climate-controlled facilities. All container rentals come with a month of free storage and insurance protection at an added price. You have access to the following container options from this provider:
We contacted 1-800-PACK-RAT for pricing for a long-distance move and got an immediate email notifying us that we should call its customer service line. If you’re looking for pricing information from this provider, you should not expect an instant online quote. You should note that you will have to pay a $500 deposit five days before your move date for any long-distance relocation.
This provider has storage facilities and services in 34 states and Washington, D.C. You cannot book 1-800-PACK-RAT in the following states:
1-800-PACK-RAT has a rating of 2.0 out of 5 stars on BBB. Negative reviews mention late deliveries and damage to goods while in transit. This, coupled with similarly poor ratings for many of its individual locations, leads us to recommend this provider for storage only. The majority of complaints stem from poor service for long-distance moving needs, which you can avoid by going with another shipping container provider.
While U-Haul has primarily built its name from renting out trucks to DIY moving clients, it also provides a portable container option that is ideal for smaller moves. U-Boxes are available to rent from most U-Haul locations and offer a cost-effective solution for studio apartments and student moves.
U-Haul has 23,000-plus locations spread throughout all 50 states. Its vast network and nationwide availability make it an easy portable storage option to book.
This rental truck and container provider only provides mobile storage units in one size. While it is a good choice for small student moves or studio apartments, costs quickly increase for midsize moves.
U-Haul rents out moving trucks in many sizes, from pickup trucks to 26-foot moving vans. Aside from this, it also offers U-Box for local and long-distance DIY moves.
Each U-Box can fit one to one-and-a-half rooms’ worth of furniture, with a shipping weight capacity of 2,000 pounds. U-Haul also provides storage and moving help at an added cost and packing materials at affordable prices.
U-Box features competitive pricing, which helps to keep smaller moves affordable — but costs quickly increase when you add multiple containers.
We filled out a quote form on U-Haul’s website and got a pricing estimate for a move between Boston and Philadelphia. For a three-bedroom home, we estimated that we would need four U-Boxes. For pickup, delivery and transportation of these, we would pay a total of $1,796.
This one-stop shop for DIY moving is available in all 50 states.
This company’s main BBB page shows a customer rating of 1.1 out of 5 stars. Common customer complaints allege that U-Haul overcharged them for rented storage units, and some reviewers said they had difficulties with the mobile app. It maintains positive review scores at many of its individual locations, however. Customers who leave good reviews mention efficient rental processes for storage units, U-Boxes and moving trucks.
Smartbox is another moving container provider that offers efficient solutions for studio apartments and college student moves. However, its limited availability and higher pricing cause it to lag behind other similar companies.
This provider offers the standard 30 days of storage with its container rentals. It also services many prominent urban areas within the U.S. and features transparent pricing, including a price-match guarantee for all container rentals.
Despite being available in many urban centers, Smartbox only services 23 states. This gives it far less availability than many of its competitors. It also features elevated rates when compared to similar container rental services.
Smartbox rents out a single container size — 8 by 7 by 5 feet — for smaller moving needs. If your home is larger than a studio apartment or dorm room, you can rent multiple units for moving or storage. This provider offers delivery of up to eight units at a time to a single location.
We filled out Smartbox’s quote form online and got pricing for a three-unit move between Boston and Philadelphia. The proposed move would require three Smartbox units for a three-bedroom home, totaling $5,354.
This provider services urban areas in 23 states.
Spotty reviews place Smartbox at the bottom of our list of top container providers. While its North Chesterfield, Virginia, location has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews, its Elizabeth, New Jersey, branch has a 2.8 out of 5 stars. Positive reviews mention efficiency, but many negative reviews complain about pricing and late deliveries for longer moves.
Consider the following key factors before opting for a container or moving trailer for your upcoming DIY move.
Most container providers offer moving labor as an add-on. They can often connect you with third-party services, such as Moving Help or HireAHelper, that enlist workers from local full-service moving companies. You can book assistance for anything from loading and unloading to packing, crating and more.
The container companies we reviewed above offer estimated capacities for each moving trailer or mobile storage unit they provide. Consult these before renting a moving container. If you’re unsure of your capacity needs, you may want to get a quote from a full-service mover to help you determine your spacial requirements.
Each of the companies above offers similar service ranges at varied price points. We recommend you fill out multiple quote forms to determine which container provider can offer you the best service at the lowest price.
Read customer feedback from multiple sources before booking a container mover. National review platforms such as BBB offer a good reference point for learning about common issues customers face. However, such sites can sometimes become a go-to place to log complaints rather than trustworthy review sources. We recommend looking at location-specific reviews from Google, Yelp and social media.
Most container providers offer baseline coverage at no additional cost with all container rentals. Beyond this, many container companies provide tiered protection options. Usually, you will have to purchase individual coverage plans for each mobile storage unit you rent.
Especially if you’re planning to move during peak moving season, between May and September, you should reserve your moving container at least a month before moving day. Most container rental companies cope with the same increased demand that full-service movers experience during these months. If you get multiple quotes and book your reservation early, you can avoid any unnecessary headaches in the lead-up to your move.
We recommend getting a quote from U-Pack to start your container-moving process. Its trailer and mobile storage unit options make it a great option for long-distance moves of any size. If you’re planning a local container move, we recommend getting quotes from PODS and 1-800-PACK-RAT due to their container size options and local service availability.
Our moving recommendations are all backed by our detailed rating methodology. To fairly assess both interstate and local movers, we have tailored two sets of review standards for long-distance and intrastate movers.
Both sets of review standards assess factors including reputation and customer satisfaction, availability and range, services offered, pricing and quote practices and customer service. We rate each moving company out of 100 possible points. We then divide the final score by 20 to obtain the 5-star rating we feature in our reviews.
BBB and Google reviews accurate as of March 2024.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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