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Old 01-16-2009, 06:11 PM
 
3 posts, read 29,852 times
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Hello! My name is Samantha. My family and I have lived for 3 years in Fairbanks and due to circumstances we have to move back to the East Coast.
Can anyone tell me the cheapest way to send our moving boxes?? When I called for moving quotes I was surprised to get quotes up to $10.000, and I only have a 10'-10' storage room. Most of my furniture is already sold, I just have a few boxes (well, about 40...:-). I hope there is another way besides regular mail....
Thanks!
Sam
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Old 01-16-2009, 06:18 PM
 
Location: Alaska
5,356 posts, read 18,540,454 times
Reputation: 4071
I've heard of people putting their stuff on pallets and shipping them, but that was from Seattle to here. You might ask to see if they do that. Of course the danger is that your stuff can get stolen along the way, since it's only wrapped in plastic to hold it on the pallets.
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Old 01-16-2009, 06:24 PM
 
Location: Hangin' with the bears.
3,813 posts, read 4,914,091 times
Reputation: 915
Quote:
Originally Posted by greatdanelover88 View Post
Hello! My name is Samantha. My family and I have lived for 3 years in Fairbanks and due to circumstances we have to move back to the East Coast.
Can anyone tell me the cheapest way to send our moving boxes?? When I called for moving quotes I was surprised to get quotes up to $10.000, and I only have a 10'-10' storage room. Most of my furniture is already sold, I just have a few boxes (well, about 40...:-). I hope there is another way besides regular mail....
Thanks!
Sam
I moved to Angoon a couple of months ago. Because it's an island my options were limited. I mailed all but one box and that one was overweight and I sent it UPS. Turns out UPS sends boxes here via the mail. The USPS is by far cheaper than UPS, 4 to 5 times cheaper! It was significantly cheaper for me to mail several forty or less pound boxes than one heavy box via UPS. UPS also pissed me off because they lied to me. They said I couldn't track my mailed boxes which I knew to be false but I double checked anyway.
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Old 01-16-2009, 06:29 PM
 
Location: Alaska
1,007 posts, read 2,216,679 times
Reputation: 276
If you are flying back east, I have heard of people putting their boxes on the plane and just paying extra luggage charges or freighting charges...might be something to check into. Good Luck to you and your family and hope things work out for you.
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Old 01-16-2009, 07:29 PM
 
3 posts, read 29,852 times
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Thank you everybody for your help!!! I'm starting to miss my stuff; can't wait to have it brought over!!!
Thanks again!
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Old 01-16-2009, 09:40 PM
 
3,724 posts, read 9,321,642 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by greatdanelover88 View Post
Hello! My name is Samantha. My family and I have lived for 3 years in Fairbanks and due to circumstances we have to move back to the East Coast.
Can anyone tell me the cheapest way to send our moving boxes?? When I called for moving quotes I was surprised to get quotes up to $10.000, and I only have a 10'-10' storage room. Most of my furniture is already sold, I just have a few boxes (well, about 40...:-). I hope there is another way besides regular mail....
Thanks!
Sam
I had some stuff shipped from Kodiak a couple years ago, a little more than yours - at least there were more than 40 boxes - but they were stuffed into a similar sized storage unit maybe 10' high, and it cost nearly 5K from there to western WA.

Probably the cheapest thing to do, considering shipping charges, would be to buy a panel truck and drive it all there yourself, and sell the truck at the other end.
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Old 01-16-2009, 09:51 PM
 
Location: Denver
1,082 posts, read 4,717,000 times
Reputation: 556
The shipping places and mail service all charge by weight and distance; larger boxes that are hard to pick up and load cost proportionately more. I found more reasonable rates by greyhound and by amtrak for up to certain limits, but then you have to pick them up at the station.
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Old 01-16-2009, 10:20 PM
 
Location: Southeast Alaska
2,048 posts, read 3,808,727 times
Reputation: 1114
Shipping outfits are like used cars outfits..one rip off after another, lotta those outfits pass your stuff off to other companies to provide the actual service after they take their 50%

Google Search any outfit you might consider using...

Via Craigslist you might find someone driving out that would take your boxes for some help with fuel costs

If you have a 10x10 container, or need to fill one, check with Totem Ocean Anchorage/Seattle.....in Seattle they may be able to assist you with shipping to the final destination
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Old 01-16-2009, 10:21 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
322 posts, read 902,827 times
Reputation: 177
Quote:
Originally Posted by esya View Post
The shipping places and mail service all charge by weight and distance; larger boxes that are hard to pick up and load cost proportionately more. I found more reasonable rates by greyhound and by amtrak for up to certain limits, but then you have to pick them up at the station.
Greyhound and Amtrak to Alaska? I didn't think we had that option. If the boxes are like books/DVDs you could send them media mail. Seriously though...when I moved from Boston to Alaska, it was cheaper to just buy new stuff instead of moving it. I will probably end up selling most of my stuff and buying new stuff when I move this summer. Though I will look into shipping some things. I mailed some stuff from Boston as well.
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Old 01-16-2009, 10:30 PM
 
Location: Southeast Alaska
2,048 posts, read 3,808,727 times
Reputation: 1114
yep.....Amtrak goes to Anchorage twice a week

Alaska Direct Busline goes Anchorage to Whitehouse and Greyhound goes on down the line to Seattle
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