National Carriers vs. Local Moving Companies

The big guys versus the little guys

First off, I want to thank Charlie Pitkin for the idea of this post.  It is a question that we get asked quite frequently and one that takes more than a 5 minute phone conversation to answer.  So buckle up, this might be a long ride…

Moving to another state is probably one of the biggest undertakings most families ever encounter.  New schools, new friends, new jobs and no more Central Market or Chuys can be enough to make most people dismiss the whole idea entirely.  I mean really, you want to leave Austin? If you must, if you absolutely have to leave the great state of Texas you are going to have to find a way to take all of your stuff with you. There are 4 commonly used ways of accomplishing this goal…wait scratch that, there are 5 ways of doing this.

First (in order of cost) is to sell everything you can’t fit into the SUV and drive up to your new destination and buy all new stuff when you get there.  Believe it or not this can be a viable means of moving for a very select few individuals.  Which is why I almost didn’t include it in this list, but I think it does bear mentioning because in this economy it literally pays to be frugal.  If you are an individual with very little in the way of cherished items (say like a college kid) or a small family that is just starting out and moving for that first big shiny new job this option might actually make the most sense.

PROS: Dirt cheap moving, you get to go shopping for new stuff, you are completely in charge

CONS: Selling all your stuff on Craigslist, fitting your life in the back of your car, having to buy all new stuff

Second, you can rent a truck and do the entire move yourself.  This is the most common way that people do a cross country move on the cheap and the way that makes the most sense for people that have a do it yourself attitude and the aptitude.  That’s right I said aptitude.  Moving really is a science, especially the loading of the truck.  It takes someone with a great deal of experience to load a truck quickly and in the safest manner possible to avoid damages.  A professional mover does this everyday and knows how to secure a load properly.  Now I’m not saying the average person can’t have a successful move in a rental truck.  It’s done every single day.  I’m just saying it’s more likely something could get damaged and the move will be less efficient. Plus a professional mover can load a truck in at least half the time of the average consumer.  There is more risk and work on your part, but the savings are substantial. You can also buy cargo insurance to protect the contents of the truck for a extra fee. Rental trucks are a great option for people that live in homes less than 2000 square feet.  Anything beyond that and you will probably need a second truck, but if you have another willing driver this could be worth it.  See below about home size details*.

PROS: Cheaper than full service, great for do it yourselfers, you know where your stuff is at all times, complete control, get to see this great nation of ours.

CONS: Possibility of damages, you are doing the driving, strained back, less efficient than professional movers, the time involved, that’s a long time behind the steering wheel, home size is a consideration*.

Third is using a rental truck AND professional movers.  Most people never think of this option and when we present it to them there eyes usually light up in a Cuba Gooding Jr. winning an Oscar kinda way.  What you don’t remember Cuba Gooding Jr’s acceptance speech.  Here ya go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnCMqr1QRQw

As I was saying,  if you can’t physically lift and move everything into and out of the truck by yourself but are willing to do the drive there is another option.  You can hire your local moving company (that would be us) to come and help you load your rental truck.  You are going to spend a little on labor here but you get the peace of mind of knowing that your belongings were packed by a professional and you don’t have to strain your back.  Keep in mind that you will also have to pay for unloading services at the other end of the move as well. I like presenting this option a lot because it shows our customers that we really are looking out for them and trying to help them save as much money as possible while still using our service.  The only real drawback besides your time investment is the movers you need to hire at your destination.  You’ll have to find a reputable company there and you will have to do a fair bit of scheduling and coordinating to accomplish this.  Also, if you are moving to a very remote area there may not be any labor available to help with the unload.  Again, this option depends on the size of your home.  See more about home size below*.

PROS: Cheaper than full service with a higher level of full service peace of mind, You still know where your stuff is at all times, you are still in control, get to see this great nation of ours.

CONS: Larger investment of your time, more coordinating and juggling schedules with third parties, that’s a long time behind the steering wheel, homes size is a consideration*.

Fourth is using your local moving company to complete the entire process.  From the consumer standpoint this is the option where customer service is everything.  One phone call and the local movers will be responsible for every aspect of the move.  You will not have to lift a finger or have to set foot in that big ole’ honking moving truck even once.  This all, of course comes at a greater cost than doing it yourself.  What you are paying for here is service, and you will be able to contact the trucks driver at any point to find out the current location and estimated time of arrival.  There will one point of contact without the fear of finding labor at the destination site and time spent trying to schedule everyone.  The truck will be loaded by a professional, driven by a professional and unloaded by that same  professional.  You are free to finish getting your affairs in order in your state and traveling to your new one on your schedule while knowing exactly when your cherished belongings will arrive at your new residence.  The downsides of this are price, and home size.  If you have a larger home it may require the use of an additional truck which may potentially double the price.

* Two Guys Moving and most local movers will use 26 cubic foot moving trucks, now the rule to follow when deciding how much stuff will fit into a moving truck is thus; for every room in your home (besides restrooms) use 3 cubic feet of space.  So a 5 room home needs a 15 cubic foot truck while an 8 room home needs a 24 footer.  Keep in mind this is just an average, if you have an extensive library of books or a garage full of wood working equipment this formula will not hold true.  It is always best to have your moving company come and look at the contents of your home before deciding what kind of move to plan for.  Even then, you can’t be 100% sure everything will fit until the day of the move.  This is why I always tell people that the best way to save money on move is to get rid of all the clutter.

PROS: Convenience, one point of contact, open to your schedule, professional service, one phone call, hassle free.

CONS: Expensive when compared to doing it yourself, larger homes will cost considerably more.

Finally we have the National Carriers.  The big advantage here is space, and tons of it.  Remember when I said that our trucks are 26 cubic feet?  Well, these guys run 48 and sometimes even 53 cubic feet long.  They can move a 4000 square foot home and put the car in there for you.  That’s a lot of space.  I highly recommend that anyone in a larger home or a home with not an inch of wasted space look into using the national carriers for long distance moves. It is also common for larger companies that do a lot of relocating to have accounts with these larger carriers meaning lower or sometimes even no cost moving to you. Another benefit of the large carriers is that sometimes you can get a decent deal if there is high demand for trucks in the area you are moving to.  You see, 18 wheelers don’t like to drive empty.  If Joe is moving from Austin to Washington State and Beth is moving from El Paso to Las Vegas, if Joe’s load isn’t completely full the carrier may “piggyback” Beth’s load onto Joe’s and may even do this several times on the way to Washington.  Most of these national guys have a wide network of affiliates in just about every city in the nation and have people whose sole job is to maximize the amount of loads each truck can do.  Never be empty!  I’m not saying there is anything wrong with this, in fact it kind of fascinates me in a geeky technical way, but what does it mean for you?  It means if the fates are on your side it can be slightly cheaper than using us smaller guys, but it also means you may not see your belongings for a week or more.  They usually schedule a 5 day window for deliveries which may or may not work for most people depending on their living arrangements between new homes.  You will be at their scheduling mercy not yours.  It also means if you have questions or concerns you will most likely be talking to a dispatcher and never the actual driver of the truck.  The labor is also going to be different at the destination because the drivers typically just drive while the dispatcher arranges for labor on both ends.

PROS: Lots of room for larger homes, corporate accounts may save you money, scheduling to the right city at the right time may also save you money.

CONS: No one single point of contact, Long delivery window, Different labor help at each location, Little if any schedule control.