Portable Moving Container
Definition
A storage unit delivered to your driveway that you load at your pace. The company transports it to your new home. Major providers: PODS, U-Pack, 1-800-PACK-RAT. Costs $2,000 to $5,500 for long-distance moves.
Portable moving containers are a hybrid between DIY moving and full-service movers. The container company handles transport while you handle loading and unloading.
The process: a container is delivered to your current home. You pack and load at your own pace (typically allowed 1-30 days). The company picks up the loaded container and transports it. At the destination, the container is delivered for you to unload.
Major providers: PODS (largest network, 8-foot and 16-foot containers), U-Pack (uses freight trailer sections, pay only for space used), and 1-800-PACK-RAT (8, 12, and 16-foot containers).
Advantages: flexible loading timeline, built-in storage option, no need to drive a large truck, and costs less than full-service movers.
Disadvantages: you handle all loading and unloading, transit is slower than driving (7-14 days), you need driveway or street space for the container, and it costs more than a rental truck.
Sizing: one 16-foot container holds approximately the contents of a 2-bedroom apartment. A 3-bedroom house typically needs two containers or one large trailer section.