Self Service Moving: You Pack, We Ship

So, it’s time to move and you need to decide whether to hire professional movers or move yourself. In other words, you need to choose whether to spend your hard-earned money on professional moving services (and make your move safer and easier) or spend your time and effort packing, carrying heavy items around, and driving for days on end (and make your move cheaper).

The odds are you won’t like either option and will be wishing for a different solution – one that you can afford, but that is not so risky, time-consuming, and physically-draining. Fortunately, such a flexible, cost-effective solution does exist – it is known as self-service moving.

Self-service moving combines the benefits of self-moving and professional moving services – it’s cheap, safe, and convenient. You pack and load your items and a professional driver transports your shipment to your new address. This “middle alternative” allows you to save a lot of money on your move and safely take your household goods to your new home without driving a moving truck yourself.

Is self-moving the perfect moving option for you, then? Read on to find out.

What Is Self Service Moving and How Does It Work?

Self-service moving is a moving scenario in which you get your belongings moved by a professional without hiring a full service moving company. You handle the packing, loading, and unloading and your chosen self-service mover handles the driving to the final destination.

What is a self service move?

In a self-service move, you pack your household goods and personal items. A moving truck comes to your home at a pre-agreed date and time and you have a window of time (from several hours to several days, depending on the company you’re working with and on your agreement with the mover) to load your possessions onto the vehicle. Once the truck is loaded, a licensed, experienced mover drives it to your hew home. It’s up to you to unload the truck and unpack your belongings.

In a word, “You pack, they drive” moving is the middle ground between full-service moving and DIY-moving. Commonly referred to as “You pack, we ship” or “self pack moving”, this in-between option is ideal for anyone who can’t afford to hire full-service movers (or just doesn’t want to spend too much money on their move), but doesn’t want to drive a big moving truck either.

So, if you’re looking for ways to cut down your moving costs but are less-than-thrilled with the idea of driving a huge, heavy vehicle through parts of the country you’re not familiar with, along narrow city streets and bumpy country roads, through heavy traffic and adverse weather conditions, then self-service moving is your best bet.

What does a self service moving company do?

Self-service moving companies provide a rather limited service – they simply drive the moving truck from the pickup to the delivery location.

Self moving companies, known also as “you pack, we drive companies”, transport household goods, but don’t provide labor services (packing and unpacking, furniture disassembly and reassembly, loading and unloading, etc.).

They send a moving truck of appropriate size to your home (usually equipped with a loading ramp and accessorial moving supplies, such as a dolly and moving blankets, though that is not always the case – the extra equipment may come at an extra cost) and also send a professional driver to deliver the shipment and take the truck back when you’re done unloading.

Alternatively, a “you pack, we move” company may drop off a portable moving container (you can request as many containers as you need to accommodate all your belongings) in front of your home and leave it there for a predetermined period of time (usually a month), so you can pack and load your belongings at your convenience. Once you’re ready, the movers pick up the self service moving containers and transport them to your new home. (See also: Moving containers and pod moving companies)

Both self-moving options are very convenient and cost-effective – which one will work better for you depends on the specific circumstances in your case and your personal preferences.

Full service vs self service moving

While full-service moving is all-inclusive, self-service moving includes only a professional driver and a moving truck.

Unlike full-service movers who will handle your move from start to finish and will do all the work for you (packing, loading, driving, unloading, etc.), self-service movers will only transport your items to your new address – nothing else. If you require any other moving services, you need to find someone else to provide them (your self-service movers may be able to provide the necessary extra services for an extra fee).

If you hire full-service movers, they will provide any accessorial moving services you may need – from crating and hoisting to furniture disassembly and disposing of packing materials (the specific services you request for your move will be included in the full service moving company quote).

To sum it up – full service movers take care of everything for you, while self service movers take care of the driving only.

Pros and Cons of Self-Service Moving

Efficient and affordable, self-service moving may seem like the perfect choice for any relocation. It does indeed offer many considerable advantages, yet the coin has a flip side too. To be able to make an informed decision for your move, you need to be aware of both the pros and cons of self-service moving:

Benefits of self-service moving

“U pack, we drive” moving is a convenient, cost-effective alternative to full-service moving and do-it-yourself moving which gives you flexibility and control over the moving process while also saving you the time, effort, and stress of driving a moving truck to your new home. It helps you not only save time and money on your move, but also reduce the risk of damage to your possessions as they’re safely transported by an experienced professional.

1) Lower moving costs – Self service moving is a great money-saving option for your move – self service moving services are much cheaper than a full moving service. You pack, you load, they drive, you save – simple as that.

See also: What is the average moving cost?

2) Flexibility and control – In a self-service move, you pack and load at your own pace and have full control over how your belongings are packed and organized.

You can take your time sorting your items and preparing them for moving; you can organize them in a way that is meaningful for you; you can pack them with utmost care and provide them with maximum protection. And it is up to you to decide how to best pack the moving truck (or the portable moving container) and optimize the available space.

See also: Advantages of DIY-packing

3) Safe delivery – If you hire a moving company that drives for you, your belongings will be transported by a qualified professional who knows how to safely drive the heavy moving vehicle and how to overcome any difficulties that may occur along the way.

The risk of damage to your items will be smaller, your shipment will be delivered in a safe and timely manner, and you will have your peace of mind that your cherished possessions are in good hands.

See also: Reasons to hire a professional moving company

4) Convenience – With “you pack, we ship” moving, you’ll save yourself the hassle of renting a truck, picking it up, driving it all the way to your new home, and returning it. And leaving the tricky driving part to someone else will take a big burden off your shoulders – you won’t have to spend days on the road (if you’re moving cross country), won’t need to worry about the traffic, weather, and road conditions, won’t have to deal with road tolls and parking permits, etc.

See also: Tips for driving a moving truck

All in all, self-service moving means two great things for you – more money and less stress.

Yet, it may not always be the perfect relocation solution.

Downsides of self-service moving

Despite its numerous advantages, self-pack moving has some significant drawbacks as well:

1) It takes a lot of time – When you opt for a self-service move, you need to pack your items yourself. And you should not underestimate the amount of time it takes to pack up a household – such a Herculean task cannot be completed in a day or two, you’re going to need weeks to pack all your earthly possessions in a safe and efficient manner.

You need to start packing as early as possible – a month or so in advance – so you don’t end up frantically throwing your items in boxes in the last minute (which will greatly reduce their chance of surviving the relocation in one piece).

And you need to spend several hours a day on the task – you will have the liberty to decide when to pack what and how much time a day to dedicate to the job, but you should not skimp on time or efforts when it comes to ensuring the safety of your belongings.

2) It takes a lot of effort and hard work – Packing is a laborious task – it requires a lot of elbow grease and patience. If you want to provide good protection to your items, you need to work with care and diligence and spare no effort on the job.

What’s more, with “you pack, we ship” moving, you’re responsible not only for packing your belongings, but also for loading them onto the moving truck (or the moving container). This means that you have to do all the heavy lifting yourself – and risk getting hurt in the process.

See also: How to lift and carry heavy boxes and furniture

3) The risk of damages is bigger – As careful as you may be when packing and loading your items, there will be a greater risk of damage to your belongings and your property when you’re doing these difficult moving tasks on your own:

• You’re not a professional, so you don’t have enough experience (if any at all) and don’t know the safest techniques for packing different kinds of items – so you may not be able to provide your belongings with the best possible protection and they may easily get damaged  during the move;
• You don’t have professional knowledge and moving experience, so may not be able to safely maneuver your larger items out of your old home and into your new one, squeeze them through narrow doors, take them up and down stairs, etc. You may damage your belongings while loading/unloading them and you may cause damage to your property too (scratched floors, dented walls, broken banisters, etc.) See also: How to prevent property damage when moving;
• You can easily hurt yourself while lifting and carrying heavy items around. (See also: How to avoid injuries when moving)

If you have many large and heavy items, sensitive items, fragile items, delicate valuables and/or specialty items that require special packing and handling in order to survive the move intact and unscathed, self-service moving may not be a good idea at all.

Related: The biggest risks of self-moving

4) Additional assistance is required – Unless you have very few items to relocate – and no big and heavy furniture – it will be impossible to manage entirely on your own. You will need help – especially with the heavy lifting. You’ll have to ask some reliable friends to come help you load and unload your belongings – and if that is not an option (if you don’t have physically strong friends, if your pals are not free on the day of your move, if you’re moving to a new city where you don’t know anyone, etc.), you may need to hire moving labor (which will defeat the money-saving purpose of self-service moving).

All things considered, “You Pack, They Drive” is not the right solution for every relocation case.

What to Know When Considering Self-Service Moving

Here are a few more important things to keep in mind when planning a self-service move:

• When packing and loading your items yourself, you’re responsible for any damages that may occur. The self-service movers have no liability whatsoever;
• Self-service moving containers give you more flexibility as you can take as much time as you need to load and unload your possessions. What’s more, you can start loading as soon as you pack your first box so you aren’t tripping over pre-packed boxes in your home. (If you request a moving trailer for the day of your move, you’ll have to load all your items within several hours and will you need to finish the job as quickly as possible since the driver will be waiting for you.);
• When hunting for self-service movers, you’re advised to get quotes from at least three or four moving companies that drive for you – compare the offers, check reviews left by previous customers, and negotiate with the movers so that you get the best deal possible. Discuss essential issues such as what size moving truck (or moving container) will be right for your needs, what extra moving equipment and/or services you’re going to need, how long you can keep the truck (or container) in front of your home, when your shipment will be delivered, what insurance options you have, what the costs will be, etc. Once you know all the details, you’ll be able to make an informed decision and choose the best self-service movers for you;
• All fuel and transportation charges are included in the self-service moving company quotes, so you don’t need to worry about surprise charges;

• Self-service moving costs depend on the distance of your move and the number and size of the containers you have requested – or the cubic feet your items take in the moving trailer (you pay only for the space you use);
• When budgeting for your self-service move, you need to consider not only the cost for hiring a self-service mover, but also the cost of packing supplies, equipment rental, extra services (if required), moving labor (if needed), etc. You also need to provide for travel expenses (your own trip to your new home) and to buy food and drinks for your friends who come to help you move (if applicable);
• “You pack, we ship” moving is particularly beneficial for long distance moves.

Self-service moving is a great option for anyone who has the time and stamina to complete all moving preparations by themselves, but doesn’t want to deal with the tricky driving of a big truck. If you, however, have a lot of items that are difficult to pack and to move, don’t have enough time, or don’t have anyone to help you, full-service moving is your better option – it comes at a higher cost, but the benefits (utmost safety, efficiency, and convenience and minimal stress) are worth it. Weigh your options, your needs, and your budget and make the best choice for your forthcoming relocation.