Are you considering moving with a full service mover? Have you considered using a self service company with moving containers? PACK & RIDE’s moving containers provide a safe, convenient cost effective alternative to full service movers.
As one of the founders of PACK & RIDE, aside from the professional experience I have with moving containers and in the commercial trucking industry, I have a personal understanding and heartfelt interest in household moves because of an experience I have had.
I was relocated from New York to Virginia by my employer with all of my moving expenses paid. Without considering using moving containers, my wife and I shopped and shopped for a mover and finally signed a contract with a well-known, nationwide household moving company. After our entire house had been packed up in the tractor-trailer (with another family's items), we bid farewell and separately began our 500-mile journey to Virginia by vehicle. There were torrential downpours the entire trip.
My wife, two sons (then ages 2 and 3) and myself spent the night in a hotel in close proximity to our new home expecting delivery of our household the next day as promised. We expected delivery the next day. We received a call at the hotel from the driver of the truck transporting our entire household. He explained that he could not get local help to unload our items from the truck and wanted to reschedule. This would not happen with PACK & RIDE’s moving containers. We went back and forth for several phone calls to the driver and to our representative at the nationwide moving company; finally arrangements were made for delivery. Delivery was made behind schedule but on the day originally promised.
When we met the driver at our new home, he opened the doors to the trailer and water literally poured like a fountain from within. This could not happen with PACK & RIDE’s waterproof, sturdy moving containers. Imagine our concern. Apparently, the driver experienced the bad weather. However, while driving he had hit an overpass with the trailer which peeled back the top. The entire contents of our house were exposed to the elements. Our most valuable items – family photos and framed pictures – sat in the driveway of our new home in the sun in order to dry out as did many of our other household items. In addition, we had paid for the movers to deliver our boxes to their assigned room destinations. Because many of the boxes were wet, they sat in the garage until dry and everything that was brought into the house had to be thoroughly inspected and inventoried for damage. Needless to say, it was not a good, "moving" experience and took until the wee hours of the next day.
Lesson: You don't always get what you pay for!