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Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about all the ways you can move your goods across country. When most people think of moving, they think of hiring movers. Makes sense, right? Well, many people are do it yourselfers and many are budget conscious. There are other ways to transport your goods, but are they worth it?

The third option for moving cross country is loosely called “you pack.” There are several ways of accomplishing a “you pack” move, but they all have the same basic premise: you pack and load and someone else drives.

Over the last few years, a couple of options have really stood out. One is shipping with a freight company and the other with a storage company. Again, the premises are basically the same. The company leaves a container, or two, or three, at your home for a certain number of days. You pack it up, then they pick it up. Easy peasy.

You are charged by the amount of space you use. With the freight companies, they will generally deliver a 20 foot cargo container where each cubic foot is delineated. You are charged per cubic foot of use. Unless your goods take up the entire cargo container, your shipment will share the container with non-household goods. Anecdotally, I’ve heard of household goods sharing space with things like onions, which does not end well. Fortunately, that sort of thing does seem to be very uncommon.

The other common you pack service is storage containers. You’ve probably seen them. A company delivers a couple of containers, which stay in the driveway for a few days, then are picked up. Again, a simple concept and people are charged by container. Also very simple.

As with all types of moving, there are some downsides to you pack services. While the company is doing the driving, they are leaving you to literally do the heavy lifting. Yes, you can hire people to help, but that quickly eats away at any financial advantage to you pack. With you pack services, delivery times can be a lot slower. Make sure the sales people are very clear with you.

Another possible disadvantage to you pack is the limited amount of time you have to load and unload. Usually, it’s three days, although you can typically pay for extra time. For a large household, especially if everyone works, this can be inconvenient.

The main difference between you pack services and professional movers is accountability. When you move with a professional, especially if that professional packs for you, there’s no question of liability in case of damages, although in both instances, federal law severely limits movers’ liability to $.60 per pound for professional movers and $.10 per pound for you pack services. In both cases, it’s recommended that you purchase additional insurance.

Regardless of which type of move is best for you, always do your homework. Even the big named storage container moving companies are usually franchises, so service can vary wildly.

Next week we’ll talk about the final option: renting a truck.

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