Moving from Pennsylvania to Washington with PODS: My Honest Review
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South Park, PA → Bremerton, WA
$4,500
About 4,500 pounds, Navy PCS
$5,090
+$590 for a crew to unload
2,608 mi
Long-distance, interstate
- I compared three container quotes before I hired PODS for my Pennsylvania to Washington move, a Navy PCS with under a month to plan it.
- My container took 40 days to arrive, and the crew I hired to speed up unloading added $590 to a $4,500 quote.
- 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 Hassan H., who moved from South Park, Pennsylvania, to Bremerton, Washington, in April 2022 using PODS. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My move from Pennsylvania to Washington
In early April 2022 I received permanent change of station orders from the Navy. With less than a month to prepare, my family and I needed to move 2,608 miles from South Park, Pennsylvania, to Bremerton, Washington. I decided to handle the move myself rather than go through the military.
We were only moving about 4,500 pounds of boxes and furniture, which helped, and since I was managing it all myself, finding a provider fast was the priority. My biggest worries going in were the long cross-country drive and keeping our valuables and breakables safe. I’d heard stories from other service members about items lost or damaged on their military moves, and I was determined not to repeat that.
I called a few local movers, looked into several container companies, and compared options with moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to find the best combination of price and service. According to moveBuddha, users who compare movers this way save more than 30% versus taking the first quote they get.
My PODS experience at a glance
Here’s what stood out most about moving with PODS, good and bad.
- Communication: Fine up front and poor once my container was in transit. I called repeatedly and nobody could tell me where it was or give me a firm delivery date.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: The $4,500 quote was accurate for what PODS themselves did. It covered transportation and basic insurance coverage.
- Timeliness: My container arrived 40 days after pickup, far longer than I expected and well outside what I was led to anticipate.
- Professionalism: The quote process was easy and the early communication was professional. PODS also assigned me a Navy Relocation Specialist to oversee the move.
- Loss and damage: Nothing was lost and nothing was damaged, which was my original worry and the one thing that went right.
- Would I use PODS again? No. Between the communication problems and the 40-day wait, I paid too much for the level of service I got.
over my original PODS quote
Find out what a move from Pennsylvania → Washington actually costs before a mover tells you.
Why I chose PODS
Moving containers were a natural fit for what I needed. I could take my time loading and unloading and leave the cross-country driving to professionals, which mattered with a family and a hard deadline.
After comparing quotes from three container companies I chose PODS on price and reputation. The $4,500 included transportation and basic insurance coverage, and once I reserved the container, PODS assigned a Navy Relocation Specialist to oversee my move. I was genuinely impressed early on by how easy the quote process was and how professional the communication felt. As move day approached I got ready by decluttering, packing loose items, and spending time with family and friends.
rating
- 30 days storage included
- Local and long distance moving options
- Unlimited loading/unloading time
- Store on property or at a facility
My move at a glance
Here are the basics of my relocation, including what I was quoted and what I actually paid for my Pennsylvania to Washington move.
| Move date | April 22, 2022 (container delivered) |
|---|---|
| Moving from | South Park, Pennsylvania |
| Moving to | Bremerton, Washington |
| Distance | 2,608 miles |
| Move size | About 4,500 pounds of furniture and boxes |
| Moving company | PODS |
| Moving quote | $4,500 |
| Actual cost | $5,090 (includes the cost of the movers I hired in Washington to help with unloading) |
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 got quotes from three container companies and from a few local movers before deciding. PODS’ $4,500 is the only figure I kept a record of, and it won on a combination of price and reputation rather than being the outright cheapest.
What sold me on containers generally was control over the timeline. With a PCS date fixed and under a month to work with, being able to load at my own pace mattered more than shaving a few hundred dollars off the total.
Pickup day
PODS delivered my empty container on schedule on April 22. Because I had as much time as I needed to load it, my helpers and I spread the job across four days. With no pressure we took our time disassembling, protecting, and loading everything properly.
On the afternoon of the fourth day I called PODS and scheduled the pickup, then rewarded my crew with refreshments for a job well done. At that point almost everything had gone to plan. That was about to change.
Delivery day
Communication got harder to navigate the moment my container was collected. I called multiple times asking about delivery dates and nobody seemed to know where my container was or when it would reach Bremerton. After our own cross-country drive, that lack of concrete information made it genuinely difficult for my family to make plans or settle into the new place.
PODS delivered the container 40 days after it left Pennsylvania. The delay had already put us behind, so I hired a two-man crew in Washington to speed up the unload. They worked efficiently and put everything where I needed it.
The downside was an extra $590 I could have avoided if the container had arrived on time. Nothing was lost and nothing was damaged, which is the part I’d been most anxious about.
Final thoughts
PODS fell short of my expectations on both service and communication. If I could do it again I’d let the Navy handle the move, and failing that I’d hire a full-service moving company instead.
Waiting 40 days for our household goods added real stress to an already difficult transition. I believe other movers could have transported and delivered our things in half that time. I know other PODS customers have had far better experiences than mine, and between the communication problems and the delay, I wouldn’t use PODS again or recommend them to someone planning a similar move.
Planning a long-distance move? Use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare quotes from vetted movers and find the right fit for your budget and timeline.
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Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Hassan H.’s experience:
- Ask for the delivery window in writing before you book: Hassan H. waited 40 days with no firm date and no location updates. Get the full window and the notice period in the contract, not in conversation.
- Budget for unloading help you may not have planned on: A late container pushed Hassan H. into hiring a two-man crew for $590. If your schedule has no slack at the far end, price that crew before you need it.
- Weigh a military-managed move against a DIY one: Hassan H. chose to handle his PCS himself and would let the Navy do it next time. Our military moving guide covers what each option actually involves.
- Use the loading flexibility a container gives you: Four days to load meant Hassan H.’s crew could disassemble and pad everything properly, and nothing was damaged across 2,608 miles.
- Expect delays and know they were unusually bad in 2021 and 2022: moveBuddha’s 2021 movers survey found 71% of moving companies reporting delays beyond what is normal for peak season, driven by a driver shortage and a surge in online ordering. Even against that backdrop, 40 days is well outside the average.
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