Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you don't want to load/unload though, as I don't, just hire local moving guys on both ends to do the heavy lifting.
We considered hiring local guys at each end, but these big questions came to mind:
-How will I know these guys are not thieves?
-What will happen if someone gets injured on my property?
-How do I know these guys know how to wrap, pad, and pack furniture so it won't get damaged?
Since a good moving company checks their workers and provides insurance and training, we chose a good moving company. We did want the packing and unpacking to be done under our supervision, so we used a company with containers that we locked and unlocked ourselves. The containers were then loaded on the truck. This way, our stuff was never transfered to a warehouse or another truck, and there was no opportunity for any of it to be stolen, lost, or mixed with someone else's stuff.
I agree - the reviews on all the companies are scary! I had to quit reading.
We considered hiring local guys at each end, but these big questions came to mind:
-How will I know these guys are not thieves?
-What will happen if someone gets injured on my property?
-How do I know these guys know how to wrap, pad, and pack furniture so it won't get damaged?
Since a good moving company checks their workers and provides insurance and training, we chose a good moving company. We did want the packing and unpacking to be done under our supervision, so we used a company with containers that we locked and unlocked ourselves. The containers were then loaded on the truck. This way, our stuff was never transfered to a warehouse or another truck, and there was no opportunity for any of it to be stolen, lost, or mixed with someone else's stuff.
I agree - the reviews on all the companies are scary! I had to quit reading.
So what container company did you end up using and what was your experience?
We considered hiring local guys at each end, but these big questions came to mind:
-How will I know these guys are not thieves?
-What will happen if someone gets injured on my property?
-How do I know these guys know how to wrap, pad, and pack furniture so it won't get damaged?
Since a good moving company checks their workers and provides insurance and training, we chose a good moving company. We did want the packing and unpacking to be done under our supervision, so we used a company with containers that we locked and unlocked ourselves. The containers were then loaded on the truck. This way, our stuff was never transfered to a warehouse or another truck, and there was no opportunity for any of it to be stolen, lost, or mixed with someone else's stuff.
I agree - the reviews on all the companies are scary! I had to quit reading.
I guess what I meant was I hired guys from a local moving company, but instead of them actually moving my things they just packed up my truck. It's still the same bonded, responsible employees of a moving company.
Just as an FYI for those looking to DIY, I have found Budget to be the best in terms of rates and quality of rental trucks versus U-Haul or Penske. U-Haul's trucks always seem rather battered and Penske rate's have been the highest I encountered (on the east coast). I also encourage at least hiring unloading help at the destination as you're most likely to bone-tired/spent after packing, trying to not forget anything and then driving a long distance. Local moving companies like Two Men and a Truck are good sources for unloading help.
They do, with my experience, the car hauler was around $350. the tow dolly was around $150. The tow dolly was really easy to use and drive with. Just make sure your back 2 tires are good though!
When I was reading up on tow dolly's vs. car haulers on U-Haul's website they stated you have to have your drivetrain disconnected to use a dolly. This seemed like a huge hassle and I felt it was worth the extra to use the car hauler. I mean, who's going to do this for me? And how am I going to get it from the shop to the U-Haul store if the drivetrain is disconnected???
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
