We were originally going to use a full service mover for our trip from Pittsburgh, PA to Seattle, WA. We had two companies (Allied Vanlines and Northwest Vanlines) visit to inventory our house and provide estimates, and we used those estimates to receive more internet quotes.

Two factors ultimately steered us away from those movers. First, the quotes were between $4000 and $8000, and second, all the companies reviewed poorly here on epinions (two stars at best).

I decided to see what moving companies rated well, and ABF's U-Pack service was near the top of the list. Their rates were excellent, they guaranteed dates on which they would drop off and pick up the trailer during loading, and the reservation process was easy.

We set a day and time for the trailer to be dropped off. The ABF representative in Pittsburgh told me the truck would arrive between 10am and 2pm on the scheduled day. At 7am that day, the driver called me and told me he was near my house and needed some clarification on directions. He arrived shortly thereafter, dropped off the trailer, answered some questions and left. We spent the next two days packing and arranged for pickup. Again the representative told me they would pick up the truck between 10am and 2pm, so we decided to keep our mattress out and pack it the next morning. Sure enough, at 7am the next morning, the driver called to tell us he was in the driveway to pick up the trailer (the Pittsburgh office seems to be early risers). We hurriedly packed the last of our belongings (the driver was very patient and considerate, since he was aware that he was early. One of the latches on the bulkhead they gave us to segregate our goods seemed not to work, so the driver said he'd bring another one back later that afternoon. A different driver showed up later that afternoon with another bulkhead panel, made sure it was installed properly, added a retaining strap just to be sure, and carted off all of our furniture.

It took nine days for our trailer to make it across the country, but they don't deliver on weekends or Christmas, so our first available pickup date was 12 days after it was picked up. We had it delivered an additional day after that, since it was more convenient for us (they are flexible and will hold the trailer two or three days on either end at no charge). We had it delivered straight to a storage facility. After unloading, we called them to pick up the truck, and that was that.

DAMAGE TO GOODS

Since we packed it ourselves, it was our responsibility to pack it well so that nothing would get damaged. We used furniture pads to protect the wood, rope to secure items so they wouldn't slide, and cardboard to protect from rope burns on the furniture. We basically loaded one vertical layer of furniture and boxes, tied it down with a web of rope, and then packed the next layer against it.

There was only ONE damaged item in the entire load, and that was an office chair which was poorly secured causing it to tumble down about three feet when we removed the bulkhead. (Caution: contents in overhead bins may shift...) It must have hit a box corner or something, which tore a nickel sized hole through the back.

All the rest of our goods survived intact and exactly as we had packed them.

PRICE

The final bill for our move was just over $2000. (We used ten linear feet of truck, for a total size of 10'x9'x8'. We had originally used twelve linear feet, but because of the slight delay getting a new bulkhead, we could redo our hasty early morning packing to be a bit more efficient (and more secure, since tightly packed, things couldn't shift around as much.) It is hard to compare prices, since we didn't get a binding estimate from any of the full service movers, but we saved AT LEAST $1000 from the cheapest alternative. The total savings was more likely $2000-$2500, based on our final weight in our bill of lading. Given that our total move was only $2000, a savings of $2000 seems pretty incredible.

There was no cost for insurance, since our homeowners insurance covered our goods in transit for thirty days, and ABF covered the goods in the event of something catastrophic happening to the truck. (And damage due to negligent packing was our responsibility, regardless...)

PACK IT YOURSELF

Not bad, but we were only moving a three bedroom house, and we have wonderful friends who helped us move in return for dinner. We also had great weather, which is extremely lucky given the climate of Pittsburgh and Seattle. Pittsburgh was 60 degrees and clear, in December. Seattle was cold, around freezing, but no rain.

If you are a packrat, or you are the only person available to load/unload, then it may be worth some extra money to get help. Of course, you can use ABF's trucks and hire a mover to help you load it if you so choose. We sold our extra furniture on craigslist, which reduced the amount of stuff to load and pay to move, and picked up some cash to help buy furniture after the move.

Recommended:
Yes

Punctuality: Showed up early
Ease of Filing Claim: N/A
Lost Goods: No
Amount Paid (US$): 2000