ABF U-Pack Move - A Great Alternative to Uhaul
Written: Jun 30 '06 (Updated Jul 07 '06)
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Pros: The service was professional and delivered as promised; much less than a self move.
Cons: Takes some physical effort; you are responsible for ensuring the safety of your items.
The Bottom Line: I recommend UPack moving for anyone considering a self move. Considering today's cost of gasoline and the rental of a truck, UPACK moving is an inexpensive and safe alternative.
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| chgojim's Full Review: ABF U-Pack Moving |
Using ABF U-Pack was a wonderful experience.I was doing a move from Chicago to Austin, Texas. First the price of the service completely made doing the drive/move myself out of the question. After considering the price of the rental truck, GASOLINE costs, tolls, hotel stays, food and whatever incidental costs would occur, I estimated doing a self move was over twice the cost (about $2300 vs $1000), not to mention the stress of driving over 1400 miles by myself. I also liked the option of having a trailer delivered to the house or going to the terminal. I opted for the terminal due to concerns about having the ABF trailer in my neighborhood. Even after renting a truck to move my things to the origin terminal, the ABF U-Pack costs were less than half the cost of the self move. (The cost for the trailer to go to Austin was $780; add the cost of a U-Haul to go to the terminal ($70)and even having a moving company remove my possessions at Austin ($200), still made the move quite affordable).
The staff at the origin terminal were great, the trailer was already out, my pre-reserved ramp was in the truck and ready for me to load on move day. I loaded the trailer and signed the bill of lading and that was it!!! The next day, an ABF representative from the destination terminal called me and confirmed the trailer was enroute and we scheduled a time for pick up at the terminal. On the day of pick up, again the terminal staff were great and the trailer was waiting for me (by the way, the trailer arrived a day earlier than scheduled to show the great service this option provides). My items were intact and looked like nothing had even moved. In over a 1400 mile move, I found no damage to any of my belongings!!!
Yes, ABF U-Pack requires you to plan the move. But if you do take the time to plan the move correctly, U-Pack can be a safe and inexpensive option. Whatever you do, don't skimp on boxes and packing materials, spend what you need to spend on items like dishpacks, bubblewrap,tape, wardrobe cases, etc... in the end, those minor costs will be well worth seeing all your items arrive in one piece!!!
Loading the trailer does take some effort and coordination. Again, I made sure to have the right tools with me (utility dolly, furniture dolly, furniture pads)to make the loading easier. Follow the recommendations for loading the trailer provided by ABF U-Pack on their web site; they do help determine how best to place your items on the trailer. AND don't forget the tarpaulin to cover your items in case the trailer becomes dusty or wet; I also had duct tape with me to cover any damage to the trailer walls; my trailer only had one minor hole I covered that didn't effect my load at all. Also, don't be apprehensive about installing the bulkhead; it does take at least two people (three would be even better) but it is easy and took three of us about two mins to install.
Don't worry about trying to fit everything in the five feet they give you in the estimate. The small cost of additional linear footage ($81/foot) certainly gives you the opportunity to take the space you need.
Again, I can only speak for my move but everything arrived safely in the trailer at the destination. I estimate that I spent about $200 for boxes, tape, wardrobes, bubblewrap, dolly rentals, etc... but that cost is much less than having to replace even one relatively costly item.
I will say that any self move takes some physical labor. ABF is no different. You need to be in somewhat good physical condition to move/load your items. This may not be the best option for persons with physical/medical limitations. However, consider having a local mover take your items from your home to the terminal and do the loading of the trailer. I did this in Austin and it only added a couple of hundred dollars to the total move expense and was well worth it, if you are not on that tight a budget.
All I can say is that I was completely satisfied with the ABF service and personnel. The staff were professional and helpful and answered all my questions. There were no hidden costs or attempts to jack up the estimate; what ABF said they would cost was what it cost; no games whatever!!!. The UPACK moving service was a great and inexpensive option to self moving/professional moving and will consider it again for any future moving needs.
Recommended:
Yes
Punctuality: Showed up early
Ease of Filing Claim: N/A
Lost Goods: No
Amount Paid (US$): $780.00
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Epinions.com ID:
chgojim
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Reviews written: 2
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