Packrat vs upack (movers, how much, houses)

[lunallena]

I got quotes for pack rat and upack for my upcoming tampa move
Packrat quoted me $3900 for two of the large 16 feet containers and upack quoted me $3400 for 27 feet of trailer space, I am not sure if that trailer space will fit our 4 bed home
Thanks

[124c41]

We used PackRat several years ago, and the thing that was tricky was the weight restriction of the boxes. We were told that they could not go over 8,000 pounds, box, and all. When they loaded the second box on the truck, I was worried that we might have to unload some things, but luckily we didn't.

I would imagine one could be a bit more creative with the packing strategy in a 27 footer as opposed to trying to arrange it all in a 16 footer.

Good luck whoever you choose.

[smoothly323]

27 ft with Upack is a lot more space. UPack trailer = 1900 cubic ft. PackRat 16ft container = 830 cubic ft. You can fit over 2 PackRat containers in the ABF trailer.

One thing to note: freight trailers have fairly high ceilings (roughly 9 ft) which makes them slightly trickier to pack.

As far as fitting everything goes. That depends not only on how much you have, but how well you pack it. A good pack job can go a long way. There are a number of decent move size estimator tools online that may help.

[lunallena]

Thanks all !!

[MortonR]

The key is to find a professional loader. You can do this through the Upack website (I think) or through UHaul's website.

I have used UPack (ABF) for two cross country moves of large (+3,000 sf) houses, and in both cases I hired professional loaders. If I had done it myself I would have never gotten everything in the truck. In both cases my loaders did it with no problem.

I'm not exactly sure what the loaders cost me, but I think it was in the $400-$600 range. It's usually based on time and the number of people they use.

Money well spent, believe me. And you don't end up with a sore back and bunch of crushed fingers....

RM

[Sunnydee]

We used ABF U-pack and were very impressed by how efficient, friendly, and accommodating they were. As other's have said, smart packing is the key. You can hire professionals to do this or if you're good with spacial organization and conception you can do it yourself. If you choose to do it yourself, as we did, make sure you fill every nook and cranny so nothing can shift around and you get the most bang for your buck. Btw, I have recommended ABF U-Pack many times and wouldn't hesitate to use them again if we ever need to move.

[lunallena]

thanks guys- i just booked with u-pack trailer based on your tips here. i am going to cancel my packrat booking. upack also offers faster transit time from texas to tampa. i will hire movers to help load up for a couple of hours as you all suggested. thanks again!!!