Moving Containers (PODS, ReloCubes etc) vs. Moving Trucks (Budget, U-Haul, Ryder, etc)
As the initial excitement of finding a new home dies down, the truth begins to take hold: you need to move all of your stuff from your house (or apartment, or folk’s place) to the new diggs. There’s no question that moving can be stressful. It ranks right up there with getting married, having kids, or changing jobs. If you’re like us, you’re at least considering moving yourself. After all, you’re young and strapping right? OK, maybe not, but you’ve got friends that are – and they’ve promised to help you get to the new place and avoid paying movers $2000 to get your stuff from here to there. You’re providing the pizza, right?
Fortunately, there’s a lot of companies competing for your DIY moving business. Essentially, they all fall into two categories: moving trucks (provided by Budget, Ryder, U-Haul, and others), and moving containers (the ubiquitous PODS, SAM, SmartBox, and more competition by the day). Trucks and containers each provide a different set of advantages and disadvantages to the mover. I looked at a few of them here.
Convenience – Which is the Most Convenient?
You might think that containers are the clear winner here. PODS, SAM, SmartBox and the rest of the container providers market this benefit almost to the exclusion of others. For sure, containers make some things easier. They sit on your property for as long as it takes you to move your trasures into them. Most container companies (including PODS and SAM) charge by the month, so you don’t feel pressure to get the whole move done in one or two days. And, containers are moved by the container company, not you. You can sit back and relax while the container is shipped in and out, a decidedly convenient feature. In contrast, nearly every moving truck company charges by the day and the mile. Every minute matters with the truck; you must get it back to the lot within 24 hours or risk being charged double.
But in a lot of ways containers aren’t so convenient. If you have more stuff than can fit into one container, but only enough space on your property for one at a time, you may have to have them delivered one after another. This greatly increases your odds of needing the first container more than a single month and it requires time to coordinate the deliveries. Further, moving trucks have pull-out walkways on the back. In some homes, this walkway can be placed right from the truck into the front door of the house, making moving in/out easier than carrying items in from the container.
Liability – Who Pays for Damages?
Containers get the thumbs up here. You assume almost all liability when you get behind the wheel of the moving truck. In contrast, PODS, SAM, etc. take the blame if they hit someone while carrying your POD on their truck. While insurance can go a long way to cover you in the event of an accident, it can’t make up for the lost time, effort, and stress associated with a bad move.
Control - Where’s my Stuff?
Moving trucks win here. With a moving truck, your stuff stays with you all the way from the old house to the new. While there’s little chance that your stuff gets stolen / interfered with in a container, for the ultra-control freaks among us, moving trucks give the assurance that our stuff makes it to the new home untouched.
Price – Will I Have Money Left for Paint?
Arguments abound over which option is actually cheaper for a move. In the end, for most moves, moving trucks will be the cheaper option. Moving trucks generally have enough room to move a large house, meaning you’ll only need one truck, as opposed to several containers. Container moving processes involve a paid driver and multiple moves (bringing/storing/delivering the container). Moving truck companies must maintain the moving truck, but container moving companies must repair/replace containers over time, and still have truck maintenance issues to deal with.
Most container companies know that price is their weakest point. As a result, they allow customers extended time periods with the container (the least costly advantage they can offer).
The Bottom Line
While moving trucks make more sense if you can get together the manpower to move in one day, the convenience of container moving–made famous by PODS, SAM, and their competitors–offers a compelling options.
What do you think? Will you use a truck or container for your next move?
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2 Responses to Moving Containers (PODS, ReloCubes etc) vs. Moving Trucks (Budget, U-Haul, Ryder, etc)
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October 28th, 2008 5:56 pm
Fred – there is one more pods moving company you may want to include in your list of “Moving Containers” companies – Door to Door Moving, http://www.doortodoor.com.
April 30th, 2009 8:58 pm
The link for smartbox is wrong. The correct link is smartboxusa.com.