What My Oregon to Ohio Move With 1-800-PACK-RAT Cost
Lafayette, OR → Waynesville, OH
$7,048
Three-bedroom home, 16-foot container
$7,310.44
+$262.44 over the estimate
2,300 mi
Long-distance, interstate
- I compared five quotes before I hired 1-800-PACK-RAT for my Oregon to Ohio move.
- My final bill came in $262.44 over the estimate, about as close to quote as I could have hoped for on a 2,300-mile move.
- I shared all of it, my quotes, my bills, and my ratings, as part of moveBuddha’s Better Moves Project.
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This account is based on a conversation with Desmond, who moved from Lafayette, Oregon, to Waynesville, Ohio, in September 2022 using 1-800-PACK-RAT. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My move from Oregon to Ohio
I had a new job waiting for me in Ohio and one month to find a mover, pack a three-bedroom house of about 2,000 square feet, and get it all 2,300 miles east. I was also moving at the tail end of peak moving season, when capacity tightens up across full-service movers and container companies alike.
Price mattered, but I was willing to pay more for a company with a track record. I packed everything myself to save money and spent weeks worrying I wouldn’t finish in time. My antique heirloom table, built by my great-grandfather, a few vintage video game systems, and some large framed artwork all needed more care than the rest of it. That pushed me toward the best moving container companies rather than a rental truck.
I used moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare my options, and according to moveBuddha, users who compare movers this way save more than 30% versus taking the first quote they get.
My 1-800-PACK-RAT experience at a glance
Here’s what stood out most about moving with 1-800-PACK-RAT, good and bad.
- Communication: 1-800-PACK-RAT kept me informed from the quote through delivery. My account manager walked me through the process by phone, and both the empty container and my loading crew were confirmed ahead of the scheduled days.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: This was the best part. I paid $7,310.44 against a $7,048 estimate, a difference of $262.44 on a 2,300-mile move, with no surprise line items at delivery.
- Timeliness: My container reached Ohio 14 business days after it left Oregon, well inside the window I was given for a cross-country haul.
- Professionalism: The all-metal containers and the custom trucks built to minimize tipping were the reason I picked the company, and the equipment lived up to the pitch.
- Loss and damage: A few items were damaged, likely a combination of a delivery mishap and my own decision to rent too few moving blankets.
- Would I use 1-800-PACK-RAT again? Yes, though I’d price less expensive options alongside it. The estimate held and my things arrived on time and in generally good shape.
over my original 1-800-PACK-RAT quote
Find out what a move from Oregon → Ohio actually costs before a mover tells you.
Why I chose 1-800-PACK-RAT
I knew about the move for a month, but it only took me a week to gather quotes and decide. I vetted companies through moveBuddha, Google, the Better Business Bureau, and a few other review sites, and I ruled out full-service movers after reading up on common moving scams. I also considered a rental truck, but a 2,300-mile drive with my partner and four cats in a moving van was not something I wanted to sign up for. 1-800-PACK-RAT was not my cheapest quote, and I went with it anyway because the containers are all metal and the company delivers them on custom trucks designed to limit tipping and shifting.
The drawback was cost. My $7,048 quote came in $378 above the full-service estimate from Interstate Van Lines, and I decided the peace of mind was worth the gap. I also turned down the additional insurance coverage 1-800-PACK-RAT offered, which is a decision I thought about again later when I unpacked.
- Barn-style container doors make packing easier
- Available for both local and long distance moves
- $10k insurance included with option to purchase more
- Free lock provided for container door
My move at a glance
Here are the basics of my relocation, including what I was quoted and what I actually paid for my Oregon to Ohio move.
| Move date | September 19, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Moved from | Lafayette, Oregon |
| Moved to | Waynesville, Ohio |
| Distance | 2,300 miles |
| Move size | 3-bedroom home (about 2,000 square feet) |
| Moving company | 1-800-PACK-RAT |
| Moving quote | About $7,048 |
| Actual cost | $7,310.44 |
We found that when you use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator, you can save 30% on moving costs compared to customers who go with the first quote they receive.
Quotes I compared
I gathered five quotes across three move types before deciding, and the spread between the cheapest and the most expensive was more than $4,000. Here’s how they stacked up.
| Company and move type | Estimated weight or equipment | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| Allied Van Lines (full-service) | 5,695 pounds | $8,337 |
| 1-800-PACK-RAT (moving container) | 16-foot container | $7,048 |
| Interstate Van Lines (full-service) | 4,264 pounds | $6,670 |
| American Van Lines (full-service) | 3,717 pounds | $5,783 |
| U-Haul (DIY) | Rental truck | $4,119 |
I got some of these online, but with 1-800-PACK-RAT I called in and spoke with an account manager who walked me through what the container would hold and how the timeline worked.
Pickup day
I spent weeks packing boxes room by room, hired a crew from a local company to handle the loading, and rented pads, straps, and a dolly. My empty container and my loading crew each showed up on time on their scheduled days, and both companies told me ahead of time when to expect them.
After a quick walkthrough, the crew padded the loose items and started loading. I answered questions, checked in now and then, and otherwise stayed out of their way.
Loading took three hours, an hour longer than I’d planned for. The extra cost didn’t bother me, because I couldn’t have been happier with how the crew worked. If you have room in your budget for loading help, it is worth it.
Delivery day
My container reached the new house 14 business days after it left Oregon, which is quick for 2,300 miles.
The delivery driver was new, and one of the securement chains slipped off the container while he was unloading it from the truck. The container tilted further to one side than it should have. He got it down safely in the end and set it exactly where I wanted it.
My partner and I spent the weekend unloading and getting settled. A few things were damaged, nothing out of the ordinary for a move this long. Some of it may have happened when the container tilted, but I also didn’t rent enough moving blankets for the crew to pad everything properly. If you’re moving with a container, rent more blankets than you think you need.
I called to schedule the empty container’s pickup, and it sat in my driveway two extra days because one of the company’s trucks was out of service. I had to leave town for work, and 1-800-PACK-RAT collected it while I was away without charging me for the extra days.
Final thoughts
1-800-PACK-RAT got me across the country on a tight schedule at the end of peak season, and the estimate held. I spent more than I wanted to, and I still think I got good value out of a company with a national footprint and equipment built for the job.
My one real regret is how I decluttered and downsized beforehand. I got rid of things I shouldn’t have because I assumed the container would be tight, and the loading crew was efficient enough that I finished with space to spare. I also overestimated how much I could fit in my car, and by then the loaded container was already gone, so more things had to go. If you’re weighing containers, Batool’s move with 1-800-PACK-RAT from California to Texas is worth reading alongside mine.
rating
4.45 / 5
Compare a few companies before you book. According to moveBuddha, users who compare quotes with the moving cost calculator save more than 30% versus taking the first quote they get.
My ratings
Here’s how I scored 1-800-PACK-RAT on a scale of 1 to 5 based on my end-to-end experience.
- Communication: 4 out of 5. My account manager was genuinely helpful during the quote, and the scheduling updates arrived when they should have.
- Timeliness: 4 out of 5. Delivery landed 14 business days out and loading ran an hour long, and the empty container sat in my driveway two extra days waiting on a truck.
- Pricing accuracy: 5 out of 5. I paid $7,310.44 against a $7,048 quote, a gap of $262.44 with nothing hidden in it.
- Overall experience: 4 out of 5. A few items took damage and the delivery had a hiccup, and I’d still book a container with them again.
More moving resources
Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Desmond’s experience:
- Hire loading help if the budget allows: Desmond’s crew took three hours to load a three-bedroom house and packed it tightly enough that he had space left over. Paying for labor on both ends is usually cheaper than full-service and far easier than doing it yourself.
- Rent more moving blankets than you think you need: Desmond came up short, and some of his damage traces back to items that were never padded. Blankets are cheap next to the cost of replacing furniture.
- Don’t over-purge before you load: Desmond got rid of things he later missed because he assumed the container would fill up. Wait until the truck or container is actually loaded before deciding what can’t come.
- Book early if you’re moving in summer: Container capacity tightens during peak moving season, and Desmond had only a month to work with. Lock in your dates as far ahead as you can.
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