The Cheapest Way to Move Across the Country

The cheapest way to move across the country is almost always the one where you do the loading and someone else does the driving, or you do both. The more labor you hand off, the more you pay. Here is the ladder, from least expensive to most.

The options, cheapest first

• Rent a truck and drive it yourself. Usually the lowest total for a cross-country move, often $1,500 to $3,500 including fuel, though you are the driver. Price it in the truck rental calculator.
• Moving container or freight trailer. You load, they drive. Commonly $1,500 to $5,000 long-distance. The middle of the road on cost and effort. See container costs.
• Ship only the essentials. If you are downsizing, sometimes the cheapest move is to sell the furniture, ship a few boxes, and rebuy on the other side.
• Full-service movers. The most expensive, often $4,000 to $10,000 or more cross-country, because they do everything. Worth it for some, but not the budget pick.

Where the savings actually come from

The biggest lever is how much labor you keep. After that, it is weight and volume. Movers and freight carriers price largely by how much stuff you haul, so the fastest way to cut a long-distance bill is to own less of it on moving day.

Tactics that move the number

• Declutter hard before you pack. Every box you do not ship is money saved, on every method.
• Move off-peak. Summer and the first and last few days of the month are the most expensive windows. Midweek in fall or winter is cheapest.
• Get free boxes. Liquor stores, buy-nothing groups, and friends who moved recently. Paying for boxes is optional.
• Compare at least three quotes. Long-distance rates swing with fuel and demand. Same week, same route, different prices.
• Check tax timing. Most people cannot deduct moving costs anymore, but active-duty military moving on orders still can. Confirm your situation.

The hidden costs of a DIY truck

A rental truck's headline rate is not the whole bill. On a one-way cross-country move you also pay for fuel, and a big truck drinks it. Add possible mileage charges, a one-way drop fee, tolls, a night or two of lodging on a multi-day drive, and the dolly and pads. Pencil those in before you crown the truck the cheapest option. Once the driving costs pile up, a container can land surprisingly close.

Vet anyone you hire

If you do hire movers, use the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Protect Your Move resources to confirm the company is registered and read up on deposit and hostage-load scams. A lowball quote from an unregistered broker is not a bargain.

Related reading

• Moving PODS and container cost
• How to save money on a long-distance move
• Long-distance moving cost calculator