Inexpensive alternative to full-service move
Written: Sep 21 '04
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Pros: inexpensive relative to other options, no driving long distance truck yourself, personnel & service good
Cons: Delay in trailer pickup - fortunately, neighbors were cool about it. Check bill for errors
The Bottom Line: to avoid the expense of a full-service mover or the hassle of driving a rental truck, use ABF U-pack if you are willing to pack carefully & follow recommendations
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| prejzki's Full Review: ABF U-Pack Moving |
A great value and good moving experience. Can be complicated, but worth the effort to follow instructions. Remember, these are freight trailers, not moving trucks, so pack everything carefully.
Epinions helped me make the choice to use ABF U-pack service for my move from Davenport, Iowa to Oakland, California. I chose the door-to-terminal option because there was parking space for the trailer on the street in front of my home in Davenport, but not in front of the apartment in Oakland. The price was $140 per linear foot, with a minimum of 5 linear feet for $805. I heeded some of the negative comments in the reviews and packed all of my stuff VERY CAREFULLY. I bought sturdy boxes in 3 sizes from U-Haul (about $100, and totally worth it). I wrapped everything in newspapers while packing boxes. I wrapped furniture with old blankets & $5 blankets from WalMart. On moving day, I sorted my boxes into heavy, medium and light. The young man I hired to help me move just happened to be an Eagle Scout (!), and I think that was a Godsend. He helped me pack everything very securely from floor to ceiling, and from side to side. Heavy items were all below, with the boxes getting lighter as they stacked higher. I put down a brown paper sheet from the paint department of the hardware store, and that protected the bottom layer from the inevitably dirty floor of the trailer. My helper also secured things with ropes attached to the side of the trailer, so no shifting of my load occurred during the 2000 mile trip. I covered the whole load with a plastic tarp (about $2 for a thin painting dropcloth). It didn't look as if any "road grime" got into my load, but if it had, I'm pretty sure everything was well-covered enough. I also used the thin plastic drop sheets to cover my mattress & boxspring.
I had everything packed & pre-staged in my house, so it took me and the helper about 3 hours to assemble everything in the truck. At first it seemed to go lightening fast, and we thought we'd finish in a little over an hour. Once everything is on the truck, though, it takes a lot of time to put together the "puzzle" to make the ideally-packed load: a little bit of "okay, move this, and put that there... now move that and put this up here... Wait! Take all of that out and put it back sideways..." It takes patience, but it's worth it. Also, remember to pack your ladder last so it is available at the destination to remove items from the top of the load.
The trailer was delivered on the day I requested it, at about 10am on a Thursday. I was ready for pickup at 5pm the same day, but they didn't come get it until 8pm on Friday. I was disappointed that I would lose a day of transit and my load sat for 3 days in Davenport (Monday was a holiday). The online tracking was wonderful and reassuring, however, as I watched my stuff progress to Oakland from Tuesday til Friday. Another weekend to wait, since ABF terminals are not open on weekends, and my stuff was ready for pickup on Monday. Total time from pack to pickup: 10 1/2 days (including 2 weekends & 1 holiday).
I called the ABF terminal in Oakland and arranged to go there with a UHaul around 1pm on Monday. When I arrived, it took about 20 minutes for the driver to bring my trailer to the front of the building. He helped me back the UHaul right up to the ABF trailer. I noticed I was billed for 6 linear feet, and as soon as the driver opened the door I verified that I had only used 5 feet. He verified it, and initialled my paperwork. I took the paper into the building and they put in a call to their main office or billing department or something. The correction showed up on my credit card within 2 days. Before removing your bulkhead, make sure you are not overbilled in this way. If the bulkhead is still in place, ABF personnel will vouch for you.
When I removed the bulkhead, my load looked exactly as it had when I packed it 2000 miles and 11 days before. My 5 linear feet of ABF load fit nicely into a UHaul 14' van, and I was on my way. I am completely unpacked and have not detected a whit of damage to any of my stuff.
Total cost:
$780 ABF (after $25 discount for online reservation)
$120 boxes, tarps, blankets, ropes, bungees, tape
$50 a good helper at origin
$75 U-Haul, mileage, dolly, and gas at destination
Approx. $1025 total (this is compared to $1200 estimate I got for a TRUCK ONLY if I had moved myself, having to spend days driving, buying gas, etc. - ugh!)
Again I stress: I think the uniform box sizes and sturdy boxes made a big difference in my move as compared to using a bunch of ragtag leftover boxes from the supermarket. If you can afford a little bit extra for good boxes, it saves in time and heartache.
Recommended:
Yes
Punctuality: Showed up on time
Ease of Filing Claim: N/A
Lost Goods: No
Amount Paid (US$): 780
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Epinions.com ID:
prejzki
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Reviews written: 3
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