What My Virginia to Florida Move Cost During Peak Season
Fact Checked by: 
Virginia Beach, VA → Tampa, FL
$2,730
15-foot container, about 2,000 pounds
$2,730
Exactly what I was quoted
813 mi
Long-distance, interstate
- I compared five quotes before I hired Zippy Shell for my Virginia Beach to Tampa move.
- My final bill was $2,730, exactly what I was quoted, with no add-on fees and nothing lost or damaged.
- 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 Danielle, who moved from Virginia Beach, Virginia, to Tampa, Florida, in August 2022 using Zippy Shell. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My move from Virginia to Florida
My fiancé was accepted into a bachelor’s degree program in Tampa starting in the spring of 2023, which gave us about three months to plan the move and find a company. Our shipment was small: roughly 25 boxes and standard household items, about 2,000 pounds all in.
I’m a planner by nature, and I wanted this to be as painless and affordable as possible. That took extra work because we were moving during peak moving season, when capacity tightens and service failures get more common. We cut costs where we could by driving our own vehicles and handling the packing, loading, and unloading ourselves, which pointed us toward the best moving container companies rather than full-service movers.
During my week-long search I pulled information from nearly a dozen websites, including moveBuddha, and used the moving cost calculator to build a budget. According to moveBuddha, users who compare movers this way save more than 30% versus taking the first quote they get.
My Zippy Shell experience at a glance
Here’s what stood out most about moving with Zippy Shell, good and bad.
- Communication: Zippy Shell confirmed my reservation by email several times and called the morning of drop-off with a time window. The gap was proactive contact while my container was in transit, where I always had to be the one to call.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: My quote was right on the money. I paid $2,730, exactly what I was quoted, and that number included transportation from Virginia to Florida plus a month of storage.
- Timeliness: My container arrived in Tampa on September 2, inside the agreed delivery window. I’d have liked it earlier in that window, which is the one thing I’d change.
- Professionalism: The customer service and attention to detail were strong throughout. The delivery driver called ahead and asked where I wanted the container placed to make unloading easier.
- Loss and damage: Nothing was lost and nothing was damaged, which is what I was hoping for out of a self-packed container move.
- Would I use Zippy Shell again? Yes. The quote held, the service was good, and I felt like I got real value for what I paid.
over my original Zippy Shell quote
Find out what a move from Virginia → Florida actually costs before a mover tells you.
Why I chose Zippy Shell
I gathered quotes from truck rental companies including U-Haul and Penske, and from container companies including U-Pack, PODS, and Zippy Shell. moveBuddha’s moving checklist was genuinely useful while I worked through all of it. As quotes came in I booked with whichever company was cheapest at the time, then canceled and rebooked whenever a lower price appeared.
Zippy Shell won on customer service, the right container size at the right price, a quote that covered transportation from Virginia to Florida plus one month of storage, and a payment plan I could live with: half upfront and the rest when the container was delivered. We didn’t buy any extra services or insurance. The one place Zippy Shell came up short was proactive communication once the container was in transit, because the reps were pleasant and helpful every time I called, but I always had to make the call.
rating
- Available for local and long distance moves
- Street legal containers perfect for city parking
- Innovative metal cage containers that promote airflow
- Expedited and guaranteed delivery options
My move at a glance
Here are the basics of my relocation, including what I was quoted and what I actually paid for my Virginia Beach to Tampa move.
| Move date | August 15, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Moved from | Virginia Beach, Virginia |
| Moved to | Tampa, Florida |
| Distance | 813 miles |
| Move size | 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1,000 square feet) |
| Moving company | Zippy Shell |
| Moving quote | $2,730 for a 15-foot container |
| Actual cost | $2,730 |
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 priced five companies across two move types before booking, which is what let me keep rebooking as cheaper options surfaced.
| Company | Move type |
|---|---|
| Zippy Shell | Moving container, 15-foot |
| PODS | Moving container |
| U-Pack | Moving container |
| U-Haul | Truck rental |
| Penske | Truck rental |
Zippy Shell’s $2,730 was the only figure I wrote down, because the others kept moving as I canceled and rebooked. If you’re weighing two of these against each other, our Zippy Shell vs. U-Pack comparison is a good place to start.
Pickup day
Zippy Shell confirmed my reservation by email several times before the day itself, then called on the morning of drop-off to tell me when to expect the container.
The container arrived just before noon on August 12, and my fiancé, our helpers, and I started loading. We had three full days, so we broke the job into small pieces instead of trying to do it in one push. Once everything was in, I called Zippy Shell and scheduled pickup for the 15th.
If you’re booking a container move, build in that same kind of buffer. Having three days instead of one is what turned a stressful job into a manageable one.
Delivery day
My container reached Tampa on September 2, well within the delivery window.
The driver called that morning to give me an arrival time and to ask where I wanted the container placed to make unloading easier, which was a small thing that made a real difference. He showed up on schedule, put it exactly where I asked, and was gone quickly. My fiancé and I unloaded over the next few days at our own pace, and nothing had been lost or damaged.
Final thoughts
This move was a success by nearly every measure. My only real complaint is that I would have liked my things earlier in the delivery window, and Zippy Shell still delivered inside the timeframe we agreed to, which is the standard I’d hold any mover to.
I’m not sure perfect moves exist, but mine came close. The quote was accurate, the customer service was strong, and I got good value for what I paid. As I put it at the time, “I’m really happy it’s over…lol.”
Thinking about your own move? Use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare quotes before you book.
My ratings
Here’s how I scored Zippy Shell on a scale of 1 to 5 based on my end-to-end experience.
- Communication: 5 out of 5. Multiple email confirmations before pickup and a call the morning of drop-off, though I had to initiate contact while the container was in transit.
- Timeliness: 3 out of 5. Delivery landed inside the agreed window, and I would have liked my things earlier in it.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: 5 out of 5. I paid $2,730, exactly what I was quoted, with no add-ons at either end.
- Overall experience: 4 out of 5. The delivery timing is most of the reason this is a four rather than a five.
More moving resources
Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Danielle’s experience:
- Give yourself days to load, not hours: Danielle had the container for three full days and broke loading into small pieces. A one-day loading window on a self-packed move is where the stress comes from.
- Rebook when prices drop: Danielle booked whichever company was cheapest at the time, then canceled and rebooked as lower quotes appeared. Container companies rarely charge to cancel, so confirm the policy and use it.
- Check what the quote already covers: Zippy Shell’s $2,730 included transportation and a month of storage, which made it a better deal than a lower number without storage. Compare what’s inside each quote, not just the totals.
- Expect to chase updates in transit: Danielle’s reps were helpful every time she called, and they rarely called her. Plan to check in yourself rather than waiting to be told where your things are.
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