I Got 10 Quotes for My California to Utah Move
Fact Checked by: 
Fresno, CA → Salt Lake City, UT
$2,100–$2,952
One or two ReloCubes, about 1,500 pounds
$2,952
I needed both cubes, so I paid the top
812 mi
Long-distance, interstate
- I compared 10 quotes before I hired U-Pack for my Fresno to Salt Lake City move, and they ran from under $3,000 to $8,000.
- U-Pack charged exactly the top of its quoted range, and my all-in cost reached about $3,500 once I added packing supplies and movers to unload.
- I shared all of it, my quotes, my bills, and my ratings, as part of moveBuddha’s Better Moves Project.
See what your move really costs before a mover tells you.
Free · no phone calls · real prices from vetted movers
This account is based on a conversation with Chloe D., who moved from Fresno, California, to Salt Lake City, Utah, in October 2022 using U-Pack. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My move from California to Utah
In mid-October 2022, my dog and I moved 812 miles from Fresno, California, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Planning, organizing, and downsizing were the big priorities, because I was going from a multi-bedroom house to a one-bedroom apartment.
By move day I’d whittled everything down to about 20 boxes and standard furniture, roughly 1,500 pounds. No pianos or chandeliers, though I did have a few large pictures and a fragile floor lamp that needed care. I looked at full-service movers, moving container companies, and renting a truck from U-Haul. Keeping the cost down mattered, and so did working with a reputable company that communicated well and met its commitments.
I used free resources including moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to budget and compare. According to moveBuddha, users who compare movers this way save more than 30% versus taking the first quote they get.
My U-Pack experience at a glance
Here’s what stood out most about moving with U-Pack, good and bad.
- Communication: Effective throughout, with one minor billing hiccup. When I called to confirm delivery I was told it hadn’t been scheduled because I hadn’t paid, even though my card was charged six days earlier. U-Pack resolved it quickly and the rep apologized.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: The quote for two ReloCubes was right on the money at $2,952, which was the top of the range I’d been given.
- Timeliness: My things reached Utah slightly earlier than I expected, arriving at 11:15 a.m. when I’d booked unloading movers for noon.
- Professionalism: The customer service reps and drivers were helpful, professional, and courteous, and my driver handed me tracking numbers and direct contact numbers for both the local terminal and national support.
- Loss and damage: Nothing was lost and nothing was damaged.
- Would I use U-Pack again? Yes, definitely.
over my U-Pack container quote
Find out what a move from California → Utah actually costs before a mover tells you.
Why I chose U-Pack
I wasn’t about to spend $8,000 for a full-service move, and I didn’t get a good feeling from some of the companies quoting me lower. I also ruled out a two-day drive in a clunky moving van, which left containers as the obvious answer, and U-Pack came back with a reasonable number for what I actually needed.
What sold me beyond price: I could do nearly everything online, I could call and reach a knowledgeable person when I had questions, U-Pack had a lot of positive reviews and had been doing this since 1997, and I wouldn’t pay a cent for the second ReloCube if I didn’t need it. I ended up using both. The quote covered door-to-door transportation, all applicable taxes, fees, and surcharges, and free catastrophic liability and carrier negligence coverage.
rating
- Long distance moves only
- Only pay for the space you use
- No deposit or initial fees
- Fast delivery time frames
My move at a glance
Here are the basics of my relocation, including what I was quoted and what I actually paid for my Fresno to Salt Lake City move.
| Move date | October 14, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Moved from | Fresno, California |
| Moved to | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Distance | 812 miles |
| Move size | Partial contents of a 3-bedroom home (roughly equivalent to a moderately furnished 1-bedroom apartment) |
| Moving company | U-Pack |
| Moving quote | Between $2,100 and $2,952 (I wasn’t sure whether I’d need one ReloCube or two) |
| Actual cost | $2,952 for two ReloCube containers (about $3,500 all in, including packing material and movers in Salt Lake City) |
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 spent nearly a month researching and gathering quotes from national van lines, interstate brokers, and container companies. I ended up with 10, ranging from under $3,000 to $8,000. Because I didn’t know exactly what my things weighed or how much container space they’d fill, most companies gave me a range rather than a single number.
| Company | Move size | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| U-Pack | 2,000–3,000 lbs | $2,100–$2,950 |
| Nationwide Moving Services | 2,000–3,000 lbs | $2,495 |
| Moving APT | 2,000–3,000 lbs | $2,750 |
| Safeway Moving Services | 2,000–3,000 lbs | $3,099 |
| American Van Lines | 2,000–3,000 lbs | $3,307 |
| PODS | 2,000–3,000 lbs | $3,500–$3,900 |
| National Van Lines | 2,000–3,000 lbs | $4,200 |
| Mayflower | 2,000–3,000 lbs | $5,000–$8,000 |
| United Van Lines | 2,000–3,000 lbs | $5,700–$6,300 |
| Moving Connections | 2,000–3,000 lbs | $6,000–$7,000 |
My vetting went beyond price. I ran Google searches, checked several review sites, and asked friends, family, and coworkers for referrals. Other U-Pack customers’ accounts helped too, including Ryan’s move from Oregon to Ohio and Janna’s move from Texas to New York.
Pickup day
After I booked, U-Pack emailed me an outline of the container moving process and a video tutorial on loading a ReloCube so nothing shifts in transit. I did my own search for unloading help in Salt Lake City and got a reasonable $285 quote from Moving Connections for two movers for three hours, though U-Pack customers can add moving labor to any order. I handled the packing and loading myself to save money and spent $160 on supplies from Walmart, Amazon, and U-Haul.
I also contacted the property manager at my new apartment to work out where the containers could sit. It’s always worth checking parking and container rules at your destination before the truck shows up.
U-Pack texted me on October 12 to confirm both ReloCubes would arrive between 8 a.m. and noon on the 14th. The driver came at 11 a.m. and put them exactly where I wanted them.
Nearly everything was packed and ready, and it still took my friend and me more than nine hours to handle last-minute items and load both containers. The driver offered to collect them the same day at or before 7 p.m., which didn’t work because we didn’t finish until 8. They were picked up on the 17th instead, and that driver answered my questions, gave me contact numbers for U-Pack’s Salt Lake City terminal and the national customer service line, and handed over tracking numbers so I could follow the cubes in real time.
On the 18th, U-Pack charged my card, reconfirmed the delivery window, and asked me to make sure the parking area was clear before the driver arrived.
Delivery day
Being able to see where my containers were at the end of each day was the best part. It let me estimate delivery closely enough to schedule the Moving Connections crew with confidence.
U-Pack delivered to my new apartment at 11:15 a.m. on the 24th, which was perfect, because I’d booked the movers for noon. They had everything inside in 90 minutes, and since there was a three-hour minimum I had them set up my bed, table, and television and make sure every box was in the right room.
U-Pack collected the empty containers the following day and sent me a link to a post-move survey.
Final thoughts
From pricing accuracy to customer service to on-time pickup and delivery, this move was a success by nearly every measure. I’d wanted to keep costs between $2,500 and $3,000, and looking back I got great value even at about $3,500 all in.
My advice is to plan ahead, get multiple quotes, and trust your instincts. Some of the full-service quotes I received seemed too good to be true, and I got the impression a few sales reps were telling me what I wanted to hear. The one thing I’d change is hiring movers to help load in Fresno. That would have cost another $250 to $450, so my friend and I spent an entire day doing it ourselves, and nine hours of loading is a lot to ask of a friendship.
Planning a container move of your own? Use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare real quotes before you book.
My ratings
Here’s how I scored U-Pack on a scale of 1 to 5 based on my end-to-end experience.
- Pricing accuracy: 5 out of 5. The quote for two ReloCubes was exact, and I was never charged for the second cube until I confirmed I needed it.
- Timeliness: 5 out of 5. Delivery arrived slightly early, at 11:15 a.m. against a noon movers booking.
- Communication: 4 out of 5. Proactive throughout, with one billing mix-up where I was told delivery wasn’t scheduled because I hadn’t paid, six days after my card was charged.
- Overall experience: 5 out of 5. Nothing lost, nothing damaged, and real-time tracking that let me schedule my unloading crew precisely.
More moving resources
Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Chloe D.’s experience:
- Book the container you might need, not the one you hope you need: Chloe D. reserved two ReloCubes knowing she’d pay nothing for the second if it went unused. She used both. That structure removes the risk of guessing wrong.
- Budget for loading help, not just the container: Nine hours with a friend is what Chloe D. saved $250 to $450 by doing herself. Price the labor before you decide it isn’t worth it.
- Ask your property manager where containers can sit: Chloe D. sorted this out with her new building before move day, which is why placement took minutes rather than becoming a problem.
- Use the tracking to schedule your unloading crew: Watching her cubes advance each day let Chloe D. book movers for noon on the right day. Her containers landed at 11:15 a.m.
- Trust your instincts on quotes that seem too good: Several of Chloe D.’s cheaper full-service quotes felt off, and she got the sense some reps were telling her what she wanted to hear. A low number from a company you don’t trust isn’t a bargain.
Better Moves Project · now accepting this year’s moves
Moving soon? We’ll pay you $500 to tell it like Chloe D. did.
Share your quotes, your final bill, and what actually happened on move day. No script, and we never edit your rating.
Not what you were looking for?
Check out other categories that can help you find the information you need!
