The Swamp

Sorry for my more-infrequent-than-usual posting...been going through a job change, broken ankle and relocation planning over the past five months (which leads to my question...)

Does anyone have an recommendation for a moving company? The wife and I are relocating to Denver from Northwest Ohio at the end of September. I would like to spend as little as possible, so I was thinking about one of those services where they drop a container off and you load it yourself, then they haul it for you...has anyone ever used one of these? We don't have much stuff...a 2 BR house and the only furniture we'll have is a queen bed, dresser, couch and 2 recliners.

I've used these guys for two cross-country moves and I couldn't be happier with the price and the service.

http://www.upack.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They have two options -- the moving cubes that are obviously relatively small, but they also have an option where you pay for space on a truck by feet and you load it and unload it as well. I've used each ones and both were seamless. To give you an idea of the kind of service when I had the cube dropped off the driver even helped me unload it into my house so he could take it away that same day. He obviously didn't have to do that and he had no real incentive to want to take the cube right then (that I'm aware of) but I think he realized I didn't have a whole lot of stuff and he didn't mind helping. (I did give him some money, but again I don't think that's why he did it.)

All of the drivers I met with were really, really nice actually.

GoodKarma, thank for posting this thread to save me the hassle in the near future. If you don't like Denver, I don't know if you can be helped. Spent two months and change there for work several years ago and it's just an awesome city.

DSafetyGuy wrote:GoodKarma, thank for posting this thread to save me the hassle in the near future. If you don't like Denver, I don't know if you can be helped. Spent two months and change there for work several years ago and it's just an awesome city.

Seconded.

I agree...if I don't love it I might as well end it. I've been traveling there 3 times a year or so since 2007 and considering this move since 2010.

Thanks for the tip Brian...that was the one company i was looking at so it's nice to get confirmation.

I personally am a DIY so I've never moved with PODS or any of the similar companies, but haven't heard anything bad about any of them. We moved from Boston to N. Denver using a Ryder truck we drove, it was fun, except the CD player in the truck not working so I listened to a lot more country than I typically do.

An aside...what part of Denver are you moving to?

Rush2112 wrote:I personally am a DIY so I've never moved with PODS or any of the similar companies, but haven't heard anything bad about any of them. We moved from Boston to N. Denver using a Ryder truck we drove, it was fun, except the CD player in the truck not working so I listened to a lot more country than I typically do.

An aside...what part of Denver are you moving to?

Not 100% certain...we like the Highlands neigborhood but intend to rent first so depends on what we can find in the way of houses. If that doesn't pan out we're leaning towards the 36 corridor between Westminster and Boulder.

I would drive a rental truck but I'm too chicken s$*! to tow a car and my wife is incapable of driving any distance over three hours. And I would end up driving into Lake Michigan because that's about how long I could stand to listen to terrestrial radio.

Highlands is terrific. We are currently in Broomfield, though are moving to Lafayette in mid-August. 36 is sort of a shitshow currently due to it being widened for HOV lanes, but traffic isn't too horrible. I'd recommend staying out of Superior as Boulder rents stretch out that far. Also if you have nothing locked up I'd really start looking as CU students take everything and its hard to get into places. We kept inquiring and then have our appointment canceled as the place was already taken.

Let me know if I can help out in anyway, though the day you are moving in I'm busy, unless there is beer.

Rush2112 wrote:Highlands is terrific. We are currently in Broomfield, though are moving to Lafayette in mid-August. 36 is sort of a shitshow currently due to it being widened for HOV lanes, but traffic isn't too horrible. I'd recommend staying out of Superior as Boulder rents stretch out that far. Also if you have nothing locked up I'd really start looking as CU students take everything and its hard to get into places. We kept inquiring and then have our appointment canceled as the place was already taken.

Let me know if I can help out in anyway, though the day you are moving in I'm busy, unless there is beer.

Part of the reason for Colorado for me is beer...so there will always be some.

Broomfield has a tap room, Boulder has Avery/Fate/Upslope and about 15 others. Hilands does have Hops & Pie which is fantastic.

How much does it generally cost to have a car towed across the country? I am looking to buy a car and have seen some great deals out of state. Is it worth the hassle?

(I am not moving but figure the question fits the topic)

Keg wrote:How much does it generally cost to have a car towed across the country? I am looking to buy a car and have seen some great deals out of state. Is it worth the hassle?

(I am not moving but figure the question fits the topic)

Fly to the place, drive it home on your long weekend.

Keg wrote:How much does it generally cost to have a car towed across the country? I am looking to buy a car and have seen some great deals out of state. Is it worth the hassle?

(I am not moving but figure the question fits the topic)

Last time I looked (a few years ago), it was something around $3-500. And it takes a few weeks. I don't think they promise a specific delivery date.

I looked when I bought cars on eBay, but I always just flew out and drove them back instead, because I wasn't able to wait.

Sabo wrote:

DSafetyGuy wrote:GoodKarma, thank for posting this thread to save me the hassle in the near future. If you don't like Denver, I don't know if you can be helped. Spent two months and change there for work several years ago and it's just an awesome city.

Seconded.

The gf didn't really like it. I liked it and could live there but never understood the crowd that ejaculates at its mere mention.

If you like water, it's not for you.

Icepenis wrote:

Sabo wrote:

DSafetyGuy wrote:GoodKarma, thank for posting this thread to save me the hassle in the near future. If you don't like Denver, I don't know if you can be helped. Spent two months and change there for work several years ago and it's just an awesome city.

Seconded.

The gf didn't really like it. I liked it and could live there but never understood the crowd that ejaculates at its mere mention.

If you like water, it's not for you.

Dsafe and Sabes will respond after they clean themselves up.

Also she doesn't like beer because she's a vajay, so that doesn't help either.

AB_skin_test wrote:

Keg wrote:How much does it generally cost to have a car towed across the country? I am looking to buy a car and have seen some great deals out of state. Is it worth the hassle?

(I am not moving but figure the question fits the topic)

Fly to the place, drive it home on your long weekend.

This is definitely an option, but I wanted to see if towing the car was cheaper than airfare + gas + food.



Thank you, Rerun.

My strikes against Denver:

- Sprawly. Gotta drive freeways to get anywhere.
- Not many unique/eclectic/interesting neighborhoods
- Downtown is pretty raw at the pedestrian level. Not a city I'd like to walk around a lot.

Pluses:

- Nice museum, library, etc.
- Mountains, outdoor activities
- beer, I guess
- Sports!
- weed?

Keg wrote:How much does it generally cost to have a car towed across the country? I am looking to buy a car and have seen some great deals out of state. Is it worth the hassle?

(I am not moving but figure the question fits the topic)

For the upcoming move, I got a couple online quotes for shipping my car across the country. Both were in the $1050-1100 range.

That's really more expensive than I would have thought.

Couldn't pay me enough to make me drive to Syracuse.

rass wrote:Couldn't pay me enough to make me drive to Syracuse.

The good news is the guy who will be bringing our cars won't have to actually go there. We're going to live in Manlius.

Getting back to my previous post about the quotes, both websites I used needed the information on the car (year, make, model) so YMMV if you aren't shipping a 1997 Jeep Cherokee, as well as sending it less than 2800 miles (or thereabouts).

How did it go? Looks like I am going to have to move to Denver in the next few weeks

Don't use First Call Movers. Camaro J just moved to the Denver area and they held his stuff for over three weeks before delivering. Initially told him 10-14 days and it ended up being 40 days later.

Same company was featured on the Today show for doing the same thing to a couple who also was moving to coloardo, and their wait was over 3 months.

I'm sure they're a smaller company and were waiting until the truck was full, but still, don't use them.

I ended up finding a local guy that lives in the next town over that does this just for the heck of it...he and his wife and 10 year old chihuahua/jack russell mix. Uses a 24' trailer...door-to-door in 2 days including loading and unloading...$2500. Done and done.

and lucky you weren't here for the biblical floods.

Lost power last night at 7.30. Went to drive to the local to watch the rest of the pats game and there was 3 feet of water rushing down the road that leads out to the main road.

I guess Lyons (between Boulder and Estes Park in Rocky Mountain National Park) is an island.

Read somewhere that the rain we got over the past few days was the equivalent to 100 inches! of snow.

I had been following some of the local governments and news sites on Twitter so I saw the situation develop via that media...it was interesting to say the least...and somewhat surreal. I think we'll have to postpone any outings to Estes Park until spring.

RE: Tipping the movers...

Since our stuff is only one part of the entire truckload going across the country, I'm not sure if the guys picking up will be the same as the guys dropping off. Thus, do I tip the guys who pick up? The guys who deliver? Both?

DSafetyGuy wrote:RE: Tipping the movers...

Since our stuff is only one part of the entire truckload going across the country, I'm not sure if the guys picking up will be the same as the guys dropping off. Thus, do I tip the guys who pick up? The guys who deliver? Both?

I'd say both.

DSafetyGuy wrote:RE: Tipping the movers...

Since our stuff is only one part of the entire truckload going across the country, I'm not sure if the guys picking up will be the same as the guys dropping off. Thus, do I tip the guys who pick up? The guys who deliver? Both?

Yeah, probably both. Though a lot of depends on how much work they're doing too. Sounds like they're going to actually be physically moving everything out of your place into the truck and stuff so if you have three guys working for say a couple or three hours, I'd give them $20 each.

brian wrote:

DSafetyGuy wrote:RE: Tipping the movers...

Since our stuff is only one part of the entire truckload going across the country, I'm not sure if the guys picking up will be the same as the guys dropping off. Thus, do I tip the guys who pick up? The guys who deliver? Both?

Yeah, probably both. Though a lot of depends on how much work they're doing too. Sounds like they're going to actually be physically moving everything out of your place into the truck and stuff so if you have three guys working for say a couple or three hours, I'd give them $20 each.

Our apartment here is one floor, six total steps coming up to the porch. House is two floors, plus basement. Sounds like a modest tip on this end and a more generous one on delivery. Fair?

I think we paid $2,500 to ship two cars from Vancouver to Toronto. If I could do it again, I'd abandon one of them in the Fraser River and just pay to bring one over.

DSafetyGuy wrote:

brian wrote:

DSafetyGuy wrote:RE: Tipping the movers...

Since our stuff is only one part of the entire truckload going across the country, I'm not sure if the guys picking up will be the same as the guys dropping off. Thus, do I tip the guys who pick up? The guys who deliver? Both?

Yeah, probably both. Though a lot of depends on how much work they're doing too. Sounds like they're going to actually be physically moving everything out of your place into the truck and stuff so if you have three guys working for say a couple or three hours, I'd give them $20 each.

Our apartment here is one floor, six total steps coming up to the porch. House is two floors, plus basement. Sounds like a modest tip on this end and a more generous one on delivery. Fair?

Probably. A lot of it varies on how helpful they are, how well your stuff is packed, if you have any crazy heavy items, etc. A lot of times when I've hired movers they've put extra packaging around delicate items, etc. and were good about asking what was in certain boxes, etc. so use common sense as your guide. If the guys are dicks or throwing stuff around or whatever, that's different than guys who are really obviously putting care into what they're doing.