CarlM

Morning all.

My wife and I are moving back to Atlanta in December after 3 years in Ohio (Yay!!). We used U-Haul on the way up, but the truck was a POS and it was really expensive. Anyone know of some alternative companies i could use to move back down? Ive heard Penske are cheap but I dont know much about them.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks - Carl.

Britdrinker

Everything I've ever read says to avoid U-Haul - they apparently have a poor inventory management system and their vans are very old. This thread might help you: http://www.movingscam.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2060

RoB1833

If you don't want to drive the truck we used this company, more expensive but the service was good.

http://www.upack.com/

Duncan Roberts

Enterprise rent a truck might be worth looking into. Never used them but I see more and more of them about.

AmerLisa

We used U-Haul, driving from Oregon up to Washington a year ago. I can't believe the old clunker they saddled us with, but it made it. We are getting ready to move again, although a far less distance. I've done some preliminary rate checks and unfortunately U-Haul is the cheapest. I know we will probably go with U-Haul and cross our fingers and toes.

vegas

If you want a stress free move with no pressure then use these

http://www.pods.com/

Pack them yourself and unpack at your leisure.

CarlM

ok - so far prices are as follows:

U-Haul: $1000
Penske: $700
PODS: $1700
U-Pack: Lazy sods wont email me back..

Thanks for all the input.

Franklin

Consider doing your move midweek, picking up the truck you want on a Tuesday or Wednesday might prove less problematic - i.e. should stand more chance of getting the truck size you ordered ... could mean the difference between a horrible move and an impossibly horrible move. :scared: Obviously moving midweek is generally less convenient, but less stressful, imho.

NC Penguin

Have you used Pods yourself? If so, any comments about the service/price?



NC Penguin

Franklin

I don't know, but I get an uneasy feeling about leaving a container full of my stuff outside where I live. I just don't think it will be there when the ipod truck turns up!

If I am going to pack a container, I rather pack a container on a truck ready for me to drive it away.

rincewind

Agreed on that. We're using Uhaul for our move and will be picking the truck up Wednesday morning.

Only cost us $138.00 but we are only going 80 miles. Some times it can work out cheaper if you agree to take the truck back to the same place you picked it up from, but if you're moving state to state, to hell with that.

Franklin

*nods* If you live in a high-rise (I don't think you do), but if you do, don't forget to book the freight elevator and have the truck ready near the loading dock - it was a nightmare when I moved from a Chicago downtown high-rise. I had to have the truck on the street (security would not let me park it in the loading dock area), and I couldn't park the huge truck in the building's regular parking lot, the moving truck was too high. So had to find a parking spot on the street in downtown Chicago! I still have shivers thinking about it. Had the elevator for 2 hours, but couldn't get all my stuff loaded on the truck and so had to put it out on the loading area while travelling back up some 42 floors, and hoped no one 'alf inched my stuff. Not a good day. The truck was just a tad too small, we debated on what to leave, but ended up putting things in the cab, but had to leave some stuff and I nearly broke my ankle trying to get my bikes onto the truck - I broke them up to squeeze them in and fell off the truck, landing on a wooden chair, which broke, likely the splintered wood did not go through my leg. Not a good day, it rained and rained, and though we were under cover, the humidity was such that I was drenched. During the storm some rain leaked into the back of the truck, it rained big drops of water. We had mold growing on some of our things. Not a huge distance (about 800 miles), but took me two days because I had to park up during the bad weather (couldn't see anything through the windscreen, the wipers were next to useless, and the vehicles lights just could not cut through the storm (it was around midnight before I got the truck loaded up), and had to park until first light, then the truck wouldn't start (I had pulled off the interstate into south side Chicago - and the truck would not start. I did not have a hand-phone/cell phone and had to walk to find a phone. The truck repair van did not come, had to walk again, eventually we got a guy out to start the vehicle, turned out I was not turning the key enough (I wrongly assumed the starter motor was cooked). After that, drove into Indiana and found a motel, the room was full of bugs so had to sleep with the light on, noticed that everything had the owners name etched on it. Even the 1950s style TV! Soon as I got some sleep I showered and bird-manned the hell out of there, my mother couldn't sleep, she was petrified at the bugs climbing up the walls, I was just too tired to notice, but wish we had some insecticide to spray around the room. Got as far as Maryland and slept at a decent motel (where I burnt my right hand on a coffee maker) and thence onto Northern Virginia, and luckily found a few guys who helped me unload and get my stuff up just a few floors to our new apartment. Mum missed the beautiful Chicago apartment with its panoromic views of Sears Tower. So mum was upset. Was a trip to hell and back.

rincewind

Damn, I'm glad I'm only going 80 miles. Geez, that sounds like hell indeed.

Franklin

It was the worst trip I have ever experienced. I could write a book on what happened, sell the movie rights and retire on a handsome income.

To think I am thinking of driving the entire length of Route 66 starting here in DC metro land.

ironporer

I have used Penske a few times and always found them to be exceptional- new trucks, good prices, no problems. Budget Rental (now owns the old Ryder brand) is another choice. U-Haul has a very bad name...and I bet I've seen 50 broke down along the road in the last few years.