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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.
Although it doesn’t enjoy the same name recognition as PODS, U-Pack and its partner carrier ABF Freight aim to make DIY moving more accessible. You rent and load U-Pack containers, and then it transports them to your destination — charging only for the space your cargo requires on the trailer.
Notable downsides include its lack of local moving options and a completely hands-off approach. U-Pack and ABF don’t directly load or unload your goods, and they impose a strict three-day window for you to do it yourself. U-Pack can refer you to local moving labor with your online quote, but this provider may not be right for moves with ambiguous timelines, such as if you’re not sure when you will close on your new home.
However, some other expert local moving companies can add more flexibility.
Here are some of our choices for moving brands:
U-Pack is one of the best options for long-distance DIY moves. Its variety of container and trailer sizes and wide service area are convenient if you have a large home but aren’t willing to pay for a full-service mover.
U-Pack earned 4 out of 5 stars on our rating scale, lower than many full-service movers we’ve reviewed. It gained points for its widespread availability and customer-friendly online experience, but it lost points for its lack of full-service options and its unforgiving timeline for loading and unloading.
U-Pack’s streamlined service profile makes it a great company to choose if you want to save money. Full-service moving companies have larger service portfolios, but this convenience comes at a higher price. With U-Pack, you can easily decide whether to pack up your belongings or hire third-party moving labor through its convenient online portal.
This container service provides clear drop-off and pick up windows for its ReloCubes and trailers, making planning and allocating parking space easier. Additionally, U-Pack’s pricing is among the most transparent in the industry. Simply enter your moving information in its online quote form, and you’ll receive a clear cost figure.
U-Pack’s three-day loading and unloading windows are relatively strict, which could pose a problem if you can’t adhere to a tight schedule. Other container rental companies offer more open-ended pickup and drop-off windows. For example, PODS offers a month-long rental with each container and allows clients to schedule their pickup and delivery at a new address.
You’re restricted to using U-Pack’s ReloCubes if you need long-term storage. Trailer moves have no storage option, and you must promptly unload them at your delivery address. Additionally, its lack of first-party labor services means you won’t have access to specialized services such as crating for antiques or fragile items.
U-Pack doesn’t require a deposit to secure a trailer or mobile storage unit reservation, similar to other movers we reviewed.
U-Pack is a leading option for basic moves of most sizes. Its ReloCubes are perfect for small dorm room relocations and studio apartment moves. Its trailers, on the other hand, can fit the contents of most three-bedroom homes.
U-Pack doesn’t reach nearly as many foreign locations as International Van Lines or Allied Van Lines, but it isn’t a purely domestic relocation company. U-Pack can move you to several provinces in Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.
U-Pack offers long-distance and cross-country moves to all 50 states via more than 240 service centers, including Alaska and Hawaii. It also serves the territory of Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, it doesn’t provide local moving options for relocation under 150 miles. This limitation could be inconsequential or a dealbreaker, depending on the distance of your upcoming move.
U-Pack doesn’t offer optional services with any of the moves it provides. However, it does have an online moving labor portal that customers can use to hire local third-party workers for services such as loading and unloading, packing and unpacking, and piano moving.
Some U-Pack locations offer strap toolkits to secure your goods within ReloCubes or trailers.
On average, U-Pack moving services cost about half the amount of full-service interstate movers. Its cost is based on the space your goods require in its trailer or the number of ReloCubes you need.
For reference, U-Pack provides a space estimator that allows you to calculate your container needs based on your home size. Note that a U-Pack trailer is 27 feet long, so a large move above three bedrooms may not be viable with this provider.
We got a pricing estimate for a three-bedroom move from Santa Rosa, California, to Raleigh, North Carolina (2,887 miles). This moving quote yielded two price points: one for multiple ReloCubes and one for a trailer. We’ve listed our two pricing estimates from U-Pack alongside comparable moves from full-service movers in the table below:
U-Pack doesn’t require a deposit to book services, but you must cancel at least seven business days in advance to avoid added fees.
Getting your free quote from this container and trailer service is quick and easy. Simply enter your basic move details in U-Pack’s quote form, and you’ll get pricing figures for a trailer and ReloCube rental.
U-Pack features locations in all 50 states, which makes it an excellent choice for long-distance moves to nearly any U.S. location, including Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. It also offers limited international coverage to Canada. However, we recommend that you call your nearest U-Pack service center to discuss an international relocation before looking into pricing.
U-Pack and ABF Freight offer multiple tiers of liability coverage for all goods they transport. Carrier negligence liability coverage is free and included in all moves. This option covers your goods for loss or damage at 10 cents per pound per item.
If carrier negligence coverage isn’t enough for you, catastrophic liability coverage is available for an additional fee. It provides $1 to $3 in coverage per pound per item. We listed the full specifications below.
U-Pack receives an A+ rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Its average BBB customer review rating is 4.23 out of 5 stars. After reading more than 100 customer reviews, I determined that U-Pack generally adheres to agreed-upon move dates and loading and unloading windows.
For example, David admitted hesitation to using U-Pack but was pleasantly surprised at everything the team did to make his move easy. “From dispatch to customer support, everyone worked well, dropped off my trailer and got it to its destination with no problems,” he wrote in his 2023 review.
No mover is without drawbacks. The few negative reviews I read pointed to protracted waiting periods by clients at the end of cross-country moves. Clients were left waiting for extended periods after their predetermined delivery dates.
U-Pack’s website lists the expected cross-country transit time of four to six business days, which U-Pack customers state is not always the case. That said, the many positive reviews U-Pack has received in recent years far outweigh these cases.
U-Pack is a cost- and space-efficient option for long-distance moves of most sizes. It provides you with ReloCube containers or as much space as you need on its 27-foot trailer for moves, and — perhaps best of all — it’s easy to know what you’re getting and how much it costs.
The catch is this: You must move at least 150 miles, you have only three days to load and unload your goods, and you have to do or coordinate the packing and loading labor yourself. If you don’t mind getting your hands a little bit dirty, U-Pack is a great DIY moving option that keeps you in control of your possessions.
You can check out their options here that will meet your specific needs.
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; that total is then translated into our 5-star rating we use in our reviews.
BBB ratings are accurate as of December 2023.
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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