I used U-Pack for my recent move from Wichita, KS to New York, New York and I am VERY glad I did…read more
Let me start by giving a shout out to VONDAL MOORE. He is the customer service representative that helped me through the entire move process. He is based out of Fort Smith, AR but I got hold of him by contacting the ABF 1-800 number. I highly recommend asking for him specifically. He made sure I knew where my shipment was, when it would arrive, all the rules for NYC deliveries, and he answered a lot of random questions I had even after our phone conversations. He promptly replied to all my emails, even if it was on a weekend. Vondal gets a A++ for customer service.
Advantages of using U-Pack:
1) U-Pack charges you by container, not by weight. Unlike many professional moving services, you are not exposed to risk for going over your (or their) estimate. You know how much you are going to pay from the beginning, there are no surprises, only honesty.
2) If you don't have a place to live in your new location when you move, U-Pack will store your moving containers at their facility for $125 for 30 days. This gives you plenty of time to find a place to live, then call to have your shipment delivered in a few days.
3) You don't have to drive a big truck to get your belongings to your new home. I especially didn't want to drive a moving truck in NYC!
4) You get to load the containers yourself. While the physical labor isn't an advantage, knowing your precious belongings were packed well gives you peace of mind.
5) You get to put your own locks on the shipping container so you know nobody else can mess with your stuff.
6) ABF was the least expensive (notice I didn't say cheapest) moving container specialist I quoted, and I quoted several.
7) Great communication from the company. There was a small mix up when they thought my delivery date was going to be delayed three days, so Vondal, my rep, called to discuss it with me, and he had the Facility Manager from the Wichita location call and apologize for the delay. While I was talking to the Facility Manager, he realized there actually wasn't a delay and my containers had already arrived at the destination terminal. They were so focused on my satisfaction that instead of making excuses, they immediately called to let me know what was going on at the first hint of an issue.
Disadvantages of using U-Pack:
1) Depending on the city to which you move, you may have limited time to unload. We only had 4-hours in NYC. It was plenty, but we were a little tired.
2) If your destination terminal is in a big city, they may miss the appointed time. We were scheduled between 1 and 5, and they showed at 5:30. Not a huge deal, except that we only had 4 hours to unload so our friends (helpers) ended up waiting the entire 4.5 hours, too. Made it difficult to retain help.
3) You have to buy your own locks if you don't already own 4.
Overall my experience as positive. I will most likely use U-Pack for my next move.