About the author
Chris Terry
Editor, Encore Editorial
Chris Terry edits and publishes at Encore Editorial. He has spent years covering business finance and consumer markets, with a focus on making complicated cost decisions easier to think through.
A moving container splits the difference between renting a truck and hiring full-service movers: a company drops a container in your driveway, you load it on your own schedule, and they drive it. You skip the highway white-knuckling, and you usually pay less than full-service movers.
A local container move generally runs about $500 to $900. A long-distance container move usually lands between $1,500 and $5,000, depending on how far you go and how many containers you fill. Built-in storage, if you need a gap between move-out and move-in, typically adds $150 to $300 per container per month. Get a personalized figure in the moving cost calculator.
Companies like PODS, U-Pack, and 1-800-PACK-RAT deliver a weatherproof container to your home. You load it over a few days, lock it, and they transport it to your new address or hold it in a warehouse. Pricing turns on the number and size of containers, the distance, and how long you keep them. U-Pack uses trailers and charges by the linear feet you actually use, which can be cheaper if you pack tight.
Renting a truck is usually the cheapest option if you are willing to drive it. A container costs more than a rental truck but less than full-service movers, and nobody in your family has to pilot a 26-foot box through mountain passes. Full-service movers cost the most because they load, drive, and unload. Containers sit in the middle on both price and effort, which is why they have caught on. See the full matchup in movers vs DIY and price a rental in the truck rental calculator.
Order the smallest container that fits, since you often pay by the unit or the space used. Move outside summer if you can. Declutter before you load so you are not paying to ship things you will donate in a year. And get quotes from two or three container companies the same week, because their long-distance rates move with fuel and demand and can differ by hundreds for the identical route.
Most providers offer a few lengths, commonly around 7, 12, and 16 feet. A 7 or 8 foot container suits a studio or a few rooms of furniture. The largest holds roughly a two to three bedroom home. If you fall between sizes, two smaller containers sometimes cost less than one oversize unit and are easier to pack tight, so ask for both quotes before you decide.
A locked container is reasonably secure, but the contents are your responsibility once you load them. Container companies typically offer a protection plan, and your homeowners or renters policy may extend to belongings in transit. Confirm what is covered before moving day rather than after a box arrives crushed.
A local container move generally runs about $500 to $900. Long-distance moves usually fall between $1,500 and $5,000 depending on distance and the number of containers. Built-in storage adds roughly $150 to $300 per container each month.
Usually, yes. A container typically costs less than full-service movers because you do the loading and unloading. It costs more than a bare truck rental, but you do not have to drive a large truck yourself, which is the trade many people are happy to make.
A studio or one-bedroom often fits in one small container. A two-bedroom usually needs one large or two small. A three-bedroom house commonly takes two to three. Most companies publish sizing guides, and it is cheaper to size correctly than to scramble for a second container mid-load.
Yes. The main appeal of containers is that the company can hold yours in a warehouse for a monthly fee while you wait to move in. That avoids paying separately for a storage unit and a second round of loading.
Chris Terry edits and publishes at Encore Editorial. He has spent years covering business finance and consumer markets, with a focus on making complicated cost decisions easier to think through.