U-Pack Moving

I moved cross country (DC to AZ) using U-​Pack and everything worked out perfectly .
Yes, you read that correctly.
On the pick-​up end (DC), the guy who dropped the pod off was on time and walked me through how to use it. He was very friendly.
Some of my stuff definitely got moved around/​smushed a bit during transit, but I only had one item (TOTAL) that was damaged at all. Pretty good for 2,500 miles of transit. I used Bookstore Movers to pack the pod and they did a great job, so kudos to everyone!
I also found the pricing to be very predictable (they charged me exactly what they estimated). It was about $ 2,000 for the pod, $ 300 to load it up, and $ 150 for moving blankets, paper, a lock, bungee cords, etc.
If I move again, I will definitely use U-​pack. A+++!
NOTE: Make sure you call at least 24 hours in advance of when you want them to pick up your packed pod. I didn’t do this, but I pleaded with them to pick it up same day and they did.

My experience with U-​Pack was amazing, especially contrasting it with my prior experience with PODS. I moved cross-​country a few weeks ago. They estimated I would need 1 crate for my studio apartment and I ordered 2 just in case (you only pay for the number you use). By getting rid of a bunch of stuff I was able to pare down to 1, but 1 crate is definitely not sufficient for the typical 1-​bedroom.
Throughout the process, the U-​Pack staff were helpful and informative. On the day of my move, someone took my reserved parking spot in DC (they changed the process recently and you now have to get the signs validated, which I didn’t realize – be sure to validate your signs, people!). I called U-​Pack and they assured me they would figure it out – both the staff in the center and the man who ultimately delivered my crate were so helpful and kind, which goes so far when you’re stressed! In the end, we were able to find a spot to park it nearby. Great customer service!

I used U-​pack in October to move from DC to Dallas and had a great experience. I researched options for renting a truck and driving myself, and also looked into other similar moving companies. U-​Pack was the best option since it was affordable, quoted 3 – 5 day transit time, and allowed me to just fly back since I wasn’t moving a car as well.
Moving Options: U-​Pack has several options to choose from:
Truck vs. container: I opted to pack one of their trucks. You pay by the foot (5 ft. minimum which easily fit my studio apartment amount of stuff). With the container, if you need just a little more space you have to pay for another whole container. Whereas with the truck, if you need another foot of space, you just pay for another foot. They fill the remainder with freight and send it off.
Door to door vs. terminal to terminal (or a variation of the two): They will bring the truck/​container to your house or you can bring your stuff and pack/​unpack at one of their terminals. I opted for terminal to terminal because it was cheaper but also removed the need to schedule drop-​off and pick-​up dates in both cities, and it saved me from having to get a special parking permit for DC. That said, I ended up having to load, unload and reload in multiple trips to do terminal to terminal, so it’s worth the extra cost to have it delivered to your door if you have a lot of stuff/​furniture.
Price: It was a very competitive price at under $ 900 for 5ft of truck space. I think the quote was $ 1500 if I wanted door to door. There were no additional fees tacked on later. The original quote was all I paid. Driving it myself in a rented u-​haul was going to cost almost as much so this was much more convenient for almost the same price.
Timeliness: I packed the truck on a Monday and it arrived that Friday so it’s super fast compared to some of the other companies. You can pay extra for guaranteed delivery if you don’t have much flexibility on timing. They have a tracking system on their website so you can see how fast/​slow it’s going. They’ll store it for free for two days on the other end, but then they start charging $ 50 after that. I think they also have long term storage options if you do the container.
Terminal Hours: All of the individual terminals have different hours. Some are open 24 hours, but only Monday through Friday. Some are 7 days a week but close at 6 every day. So check beforehand if you’re doing terminal to terminal to make sure they fit around your work schedule or whatever constraints you have. For door to door, most also have specific hours they’ll drop-​off and pick-​up.
Customer Service: I only had good experiences with the staff in both cities. They were courteous and helpful over the phone, in their front office, and in the yard. They even helped me check that the bulkhead (the wooden wall that separates your stuff from the freight) was secure and that I had locked it correctly before I left.
Lock: You have to buy your own lock, but they give you the specifications. Make sure you buy exactly what they specify because I accidentally got one too large and had to do an emergency Home Depot run to get the right one. They don’t make a lot of options in the size it requires. The bulkhead has two places to use locks, but you really only need one lock.
Insurance: The insurance they provide is measly (30 cents per pound or something like that), but your homeowners or renters insurance will cover moves so just call your insurance provider to confirm. Or if you don’t already have either (like me), call and get a policy. It will be well worth it if anything were to happen to your stuff on the trip.
No damage: Nothing was damaged when it arrived, but that’s because I was super meticulous when I packed. There will be lots of shifting in transit, so it’s on you to cushion breakable things in boxes and tie everything down securely. I fit everything in like a puzzle, taped smaller, lighter boxes to heavier ones to prevent toppling, and tied some things down to the wall brackets. I also used old blankets to cover all of my furniture since continuous motion would definitely cause scraping if not padded. Insurance won’t cover things broken due to improper packing. The trucks and containers are not temperature controlled so depending on the timing of your move, be prepared that you might have issues with heat damage to electronics (TVs, laptops, etc.). If you’re also driving separately, take those in the car with you.
All in all, I’m really glad I went with U-​Pack. Moving is a big hassle, but U-​Pack was affordable, timely, and has helpful staff which made for a great and mostly hassle free move.

I could not have been happier with U-​Pack /​ABF moving two pods from Queenstown MD to San Francisco. Contrary to some reviews, I found their phone support people in Ft. Smith AR unhurried, patient and helpful. Likewise the folks at ABF terminal in Elkridge MD were extremely flexible — allowing me to delay the pick up of the packed cubes (pods) two or three times (although this was during the Christmas holiday so it might be different in busier times of year).
I would say that one has to be focused and serious in packing — you can’t just toss a blanket over a big screen TV and expect it to be fine. The cubes are moved/​jostled by forklifts at the time of pick up, twice when consolidated at the local terminal, again at the receiving depot, and again at the destination delivery. I crated some especially vulnerable things, e.g., 55″ TV. I also created «partitions» of cheap panels of 4’x8’ plywood every 30″ or so. (So, I stacked one «wall» of boxes from floor-​to-​ceiling and wall-​to-​wall, and then put the partitions up with tie-​down straps going from one side of the cube to the other. .. and then added another floor-​to-​ceiling section segment with more panels and straps, and so on. Think of the cube as a loaf of bread and the slices are the vertical partitions I created from front to back.) No wasted space. No shifts of goods. No breakage.
I’m sure there are other ways to pack the cube, but some sort of system is necessary to maximize the space. If you just pack and stack things 4 or 5 feet high, you’ll be wasting more than half the space (or, said another way, paying twice as much for what you use).

Extremely pleased with our experience. The drop off and pick up drivers were incredibly skilled and helpful as well. Our 28″ trailer arrived from Baltimore to Winston Salem NC in under 24 hours. We were initially afraid that due to our packing, some things would be broken or spilled, but not one item was disturbed. I cannot reccomend ABF more for moving. The ease of moving, care of our belongings and professionalism of the drivers will not be forgotten.

Very impressed that this worked like clockwork and saved us a ton of money. No issues; trailer delivered on time, picked up on time, exactly as advertised; no extra charges. We were even several days into the next month and UPACK did not charge us for that month’s storage (they «should» prorate storage time, but they don’t, so it was nice they refunded us a full $ 395). Moved from MD to CO in well under half the price of a full service moving company. If you’re willing to pack the trailer, this is a great option. We were concerned about fitting our 5 bedroom house into a 27′ trailer, so we took a full 4 days (you get 3 business days + the weekend) and packed the trailer ourselves rather than hiring others to do it. While tedious, we roped sections down and everything appeared unharmed on the other end. Of course, this is after we sold as much furniture as we could so we didn’t have to take it cross country.
My only suggestion would be to modify the truck so the ramp could be easily slid underneath the bottom of the truck. When you have a fully packed truck and a very heavy ramp, it’s quite cumbersome to lean up the ramp into the trailer.

I moved from San Francisco to Washington DC in May for graduate school. Rather than be gouged by uHaul’s bidding $$$$ to move a one bedroom apartment, I tried U-​Pack.
For $ 1350 I was able to include all my boxes and furniture to make the long trek across the country. Bear in mind, I did not have sofa and some furniture was in boxes to be built but we were still left with some space when loading the unit. It seems smaller than it is, but it is also sufficient for smaller moves — eg. studios, single person.
I opted to load the unit in the San Jose ABF location (it is a bit more expensive if they bring the unit to you, but the option is available) and unload in Maryland. The personnel were accommodating in both locations and it was such a good experience.
The only «cons» and they aren’t really cons, just FYIs:
— required to bring your own lock and the system itself is not the most secure — that said, everything stays on the ABF property so I do not think they have a big issue with theft (or attempted theft)
— the unit is moved on a forklift so there will be minor shaking and shifting even with the most cautious driver — secure your goods! We did a bush league job of that but none of my items were damaged!
— only open on the week days (long hours, but not available to retrieve on weekends)
— you have to load 2wks out from your arrival (I loaded May 1^st for a May 15^th unload across the county)
I would/​will use this service again. Especially if I want to load or unload on-​site and know I can store at an ABF facility. This company knows what they are doing and has a solid product.

If I could give a negative I would.
My husband and I moved from Silver Spring, MD to Alpharetta, GA. After calling several other moving businesses U-​Pack was the cheapest so we went with them. In this case, cheaper does not been better. We asked for the trailer and this huge trailer was left in front of my door from Old Dominion. They subcontract their trailers with Old Dominion. We hired professional movers to pack and load the truck for it. We had a delay in closing on our house in Alpharetta so we asked if we can keep the things in the truck for a few weeks. They said fine and charged us $ 500 extra to keep it which was fine with us. When we finally closed and was ready to have our truck delivered that was another nightmare.
We were out of town and asked for the trailer to be delivered between 3:00 — 6:00pm so that someone will be there to get it. They tried to deliver it at 10:30am and called me. I called the driver back and he said «I left the trailer somewhere in Alpharetta and another driver with get it and deliver it to you before 6:00». After being on the phone for an hour with Old Dominion and U-​Pack we finally found my trailer and it was delivered past 6:00. The people I spoke to at Old Dominion were rude and unhelpful.
Once we unpacked everything we discovered that our 52in Sony LCD TV was ruined. It was not cracked or anything, it has a few spots on it. We plugged it in and the screen was completely messed up. We had someone come take a look at it because this TV costs us $ 2,000 we did not want to just trash it. He said was ruined due to heat. We have another 48in Plasma TV that did not get ruined. We asked the guy who looked at the Sony why the other one did not get ruined. He said LCD TV’s are more sustainable to heat then Plasma TVs.
I called U-​Pack and they said the trailer was outside for 3 weeks (in the sun in August). I told them I wanted to submit a claim for the TV. I submitted it and they denied it because the contract does not say anything about «heat requirements». He also stated that I should not have put my TV in the trailer. One of the main reasons why we got the trailer was to move this TV. I am not sure how else he would expect us to move this huge TV.
All in all this was the worst company that I have dealt with. They were completely rude to me and made the already stressful event of moving even more stressful. I used UHaul and Pods in the past when I moved and was very happy with their service. They are a little bit more expensive but completely worth it.

ABF UPack has failed to provide basic services outlined in our contract to a military family during a cross country move. Ca to Maryland each step of the process has been a colossal failure on ABF Upacks Part. They did not follow weight tickets based on military guidelines, I had to throw a fit to get weight tickets, they did not deliver anything in a timely manner, I the drop off driver threaten me, I had the delivery driver driver tell me in detail about his wife’s reproductive organs. And dealing with customer service is a nightmare. BUYER BEWARE!

Lots of 5-​star reviews because they are TERRIFIC! I have dealt with a whole bunch of people on the phone and in person and every single one has been nice AND helpful. Drivers, schedulers, everyone. When they say they are going to do something they DO IT. Out of total confusion on my part I scheduled a trailer drop off for September 14 when I meant to do it on August 14. I only realized two days before. Got it all sorted out in no time. In this day and age finding someone (a moving company, no less) that is completely reliable is almost a miracle. AND friends of mine used the same company in San Francisco and had the same kind of pleasant experience on both ends of their move. Definitely the way to go!

I’ve used UPack twice now, once for a move from Maryland to LA and then again for the move back. I was very satisfied both times. I don’t have much stuff, so I only needed one cube. Both times, UPack delivered the cube right when they said they would. The drivers spoke to me beforehand and used the forklifts to get the cubes in the optimal position for the easiest loading for me, including fitting it into a very tight space between two cars that I didn’t think was even possible but moved it a good 50 feet closer to my apartment building. When I called, they showed up promptly to collect the cubes, and it was delivered at the other end on schedule as promised even though I hadn’t paid extra for guaranteed delivery. There was damage to the lid of a plastic box that had too much heavy stuff stacked on it, which was my fault for packing it like that, and some minor scratches to the dining room chairs that could have been prevented if I’d used another blanket. The contents of the broken box weren’t damaged and the chairs will be easy to fix with a little bit of stain. Everything was in very good shape for just having gone 2800 miles: really, you are the one that needs to be careful with how you pack things. If you do it right, your stuff will be fine; if you mess it up, it may not be, but I can’t see how that’s UPack’s fault. They offer service for transport, not packing, and they make this very clear.
The people on the other end of the phones at UPack are all very helpful, professional and courteous, and so are their drivers. You can easily track your cube across the country, and they will hold it for a couple of days for free if you can’t arrange delivery immediately. I loathe moving, but these guys were great and if I ever do a long distance move again, I will definitely use them a third time.

Recently moved some special furniture and belongs from my recently deceased mothers’ home in the suburbs of Chicago to the suburbs of Maryland. Like others have mentioned, every one associated with this company is friendly, professional, and prompt. The drivers for drop offs and pickups were very skilled and careful in placing the cube on and off the loader. This great company took a lot of stress out of a sad situation, and I really appreciate all they did to make it as easy as possible

As with scheduling a move — big or small — it can and usually is very stressful and what can, does go wrong. Well, when my wife and I made this decision to relocate and move 600 miles away, we looked and discussed all our options. Fortunately, others had done the same and wrote to let others know all about their respective experience.
Now, I will do the same…
This is the way to go! Rather than pack and load a moving truck and drive it yourself, pack and load a relocube (or two or three) and have ABF drive it for you. The cost may be more expensive for the relocube itself, but when you factor the cost of gas, headaches, and stress of driving a truck yourself, well, there is no reason to not go with ABF.
For example, we looked at doing it ourselves, with cost of truck and gas, the cost estimate was around $ 900. When all was said and done — the final cost for two relocubes with distance, etc., was $ 1084. That cost included an extra fee for the relocubes to be delivered at a specific one-​hour window.
This is the way to go! The representative — John — on the phone who handled my initial call and booked the job was very polite, answered all my questions, and was not pushing me to make a decision, like so many others I called. Moreover, the driver who delivered the relocubes was very courteous and also, very nice.
Needless to say, do yourself a favor and pass on some stress to the professionals and do your best to enjoy your move. You will be happy you did!!!

Needed to move about a room’s worth of furniture from Montréal (Quebec, Canada) to Washington DC in a hurry. No small feat considering the cross-​border hurdle. ABF made an empty semi trailer available to me within 72 hours of my commitment, and then even allowed me to delay the delivery of the trailer within 24h before the delivery. They also allowed me ample time to load and then to simply call them hours before the tractor came to pick up the trailer. Note that our driveway in Montréal was able to accommodate the 28ft trailer. In DC I needed to buy a $ 55 temporary parking permit for street parking. Although my goods arrived at the ABF warehouse in Maryland within two days, ABF held the trailer for another five days until I was ready to receive them. Key, I think, is to get the local dispatcher’s contact info to help coordinate logistics directly, cause your otherwise dealing only with the national call center, which are really helpful, but can only get you so far. ABF was courteous, very flexible, reasonably priced, helpful, and very quick to get my goods delivered Stateside. This is the way to go as long as you are willing to pack everything yourself (and take responsibility for your own packing).
Partly with respect to Unilocal reviewer Allison C.‘s unfortunate experience, I read ABF’s disclosure before I signed, so I was aware ABF pays very little for claims. I made sure that my homeowner’s insurance covered me for the move. Note, however, that because ‘U pack it’, no insurance will likely cover you for damage caused by improperly packed goods (you should be covered for damage caused by the truck turning over, or falling off a bridge into the river). I would take progress photos of your packing and photos of the boxes loaded into the truck or cube to prove how well you packed things. If you’re not knowledgeable at how to pack, then Upack It may not be for you. Moreover, the trailer I received was in very good shape and all four of the tractors (two at each end of the move) that dropped off and picked up the trailers were clean, and in also very good visual condition (I have photos). The four drivers I met were courteous and professional, albeit they were only the local drivers and tractors. I personally observed their handling of the equipment and could conclude they were good at what they did. I have every reason to believe that that the long distance drive was made with all professional protocols. I would say, based on my experience, that it is highly unlikely that this company makes it a habit to damage its cargo.

I’ve now used ABF for two cross-​country moves, DC to LA and LA to DC. They are certainly the cheapest option (short of burning all your stuff) and provide a solid value for the price. I’ve used both the Relocubes and footage in an ABF truck, so here are some pros and cons:
Pros:
1) Cost: really can’t find a cheaper service that isn’t fly-​by-​night. This is a great national company — they’re not disappearing with your stuff or holding it hostage for extra fees or any of that weird stuff that happens when moving. It’s totally straightforward.
2) Flexibility: ReloCube or trailer, either one can be dropped off on the date of your choosing, picked up when you wanted it picked up, so no worries if it takes longer to pack or unpack.
3) Speed: It took about a week on each end to make the DC-​LA trip. Not so bad at all for the price.
4) Pay for space, not weight. In the case of the ReloCube, you pay for X cubic feet, same deal with trailer space. I think it’s nice to not have to calculate whether your books are worth their weight in truck, or worry that the shippers are scamming you with an artificially high weight.
Cons:
1) Breakage: some of your stuff is probably going to break. The ReloCubes especially are loaded on and off various trucks a number of times, not so gently. The trailers are sturdier. But either way, since you are responsible for loading, no one is guaranteeing that everything won’t have disintegrated into dust by the time it arrives on the other end. Which brings me to point 2:
2) Insurance: there (basically) is none. Unless the truck is stolen or catches on fire, in which case you get a tiny amount of coverage. But there’s no good way to insure for the actual value of the goods, at least that my research + questioning uncovered. So accept that some shit will break and you’ll have to pay for it. Cross your fingers and probably don’t ship your wedding china this way.
We hired movers to load our trailer, which worked out great. Many (most?) moving companies are familiar with the ABF system by now, so the guys knew how to load the truck up to the ceiling and to use the ABF locks and divider doors. By hiring movers and shipping separately, you cut cost without a big impact on the quality of the service. I’d do it again, except right now I’m surrounded by boxes and planning to never move again for the rest of my life.

If you are considering a long distance move and have more than a 1 Bedroom apartment, you definitely need to check this company out. I am moving from Maryland to Colorado at the end of the month and I am renting space in an ABF trailer to transport all the belongings from my 3 BR townhouse.
I compared this choice against various options: moving myself in a UHaul trailer, renting out ReloCubes, and hiring full service movers. The ABF trailer made the most sense for me because it was less work than driving a truck myself and less expensive than renting the ReloCubes or hiring full service movers.
The ABF driver from Elkridge dropped off the trailer in front of our house on Friday. I originally estimated that I needed 20 feet out of the 26 foot trailers, but my professional packers and movers were able to squeeze everything into just 15 feet of space, so we only paid for the space that we actually used.
When we were finished loading the trailer, I called the Elkridge office and they picked up our trailer that very afternoon. I didn’t have to be present for the pickup. The next day, I got a call from the Colorado office to confirm the delivery date for my trailer.
My total bill for transporting our belongings to Colorado is just under $ 3000 — and they accept credit cards. The people I spoke to at the office were very helpful and the driver was friendly and professional as well. An excellent company and one I highly recommend to anyone who is moving long distance.

I used a ReloCube from ABF to move from Washington, DC to Seattle in the summer of 2010 and couldn’t have been more pleased with my experience. The price for a cross-​country move and two months of storage in Seattle was competitive with other comparable services. The office staff was extremely courteous and helpful, answering all my questions. Billing was timely and there were no hidden fees — all very straightforward.
Best of all, the ReloCube was delivered punctually both in DC and in Seattle. In DC, the delivery guy actually arrived a few minutes BEFORE my scheduled time window and waited for me at my building. In Seattle, my loaded ReloCube was dropped off right in the middle of my delivery period (morning) and picked up a few hours later, only an hour or so after I called to say I was finished unloading it. All my stuff arrived in good shape, the only damage being some heat stress on a couple of my old Rubbermaid containers — probably from being trucked across the country in June! I will specify that things were well packaged, and we used professionals to load the Cube, who were careful to wedge everything in tightly so it wouldn’t shift during transport. This no doubt helped ensure that my furniture and boxed belongings made it to Seattle intact.
The cube was just the right size to fit my full-​length couch on its end, with lots of space leftover for boxes (at 7’8″ long, my couch fit in a ReloCube with just a few inches of clearance — it would have been too big for a Door-​To-​Door cube! Don’t forget to measure your furniture if you’re going the ReloCube/​PODS/​box route!!). I ended up leaving my double bed in DC, after realizing it wouldn’t fit in the ReloCube with my couch, a number of boxes, and some collapsed furniture in there. It would be tough to fit a full-​size couch and a bed larger than a twin into one ReloCube, so if you’re moving anything more substantial, you might consider ABF’s U-​Pack freight service (or double up on ReloCubes, but that might cost more).
The whole move was so easy and stress-​free, I couldn’t believe it when all my stuff was sitting in my place in Seattle looking like it never moved. I’d use ABF for another major move in a heartbeat.

I recently used ABF U-​Pack to move from Texas to Maryland, and I was satisfied with my decision to go with them over PODS. For a moderate one bedroom apartment worth of belongings, the smallest ReloCube was perfect. Everyone I talked to over the phone was very courteous, and the drivers were polite and professional as well. Great communication from the company — I appreciated being called to confirm pick-​up/​delivery time/​locations. Yes you have to call and schedule the pick-​ups, but since they give you a three-​day window to keep the cube (with a 10-​day included hold at their facilities on either end, I believe) … It makes sense and really isn’t a big deal. I shelled out the extra cash to guarantee delivery date and time (worth it, in my opinion). Otherwise, I could see how it would be inconvenient to have to wait for drop-​off within a 4-​hr window (or the extra cost 2-​hr window). Also, you don’t need to be there for pick-​up which was a bit nerve-​wracking to wonder whether they had come yet or not.
As for the state of my belongings, the cube gets maneuvered with a forklift several times and rides on a flat-​bed truck. Contents WILL shift — so pack things tight, give them cushion. The only thing that happened to my furniture was the cheapo backing of my bookshelves came loose — but some staple-​gunning and we were a-​okay again. One last note: the cube seems much sturdier with metal construction rather than what appears to be plastic on PODS.
TL;DR: This is an affordable option with better pricing and customer service than other similar companies. Overall, I was pleased with my experience and would recommend this as a moving option.

U PACK PAYS 10 CENTS PER POUND FOR FREIGHT THAT THEY RUIN. You agree to this in the service agreement. The truck moving my stuff flooded, everything I own is ruined. ABF agreed that they were responsible for ruining my stuff, but they paid 30 dollars for the coach. It was such a joke, I’m so angry at myself for not noticing this in the liability statement. I am posting about it so other are aware, IF U PACK RUINS YOUR STUFF, AS THEY DID TO MINE, THEY WILL PAY YOU PENNIES FOR ALL YOUR EARTHLY BELONGINGS. They have the highest rate in the industry for settling claims. You know what that means? They ruin stuff regularly and pay 10 center per pound for it. (Also, when you have the deal with ABF for scheduling the truck rather than U-​Pack, their customer service is a joke, but that’s basically irrelevant after they ruining thousands of dollars of my stuff and paid me nothing for it.)

I was pleased w/​the ABF service. I think it was less expensive than the others i checked out. The driver was extremely professional and punctual