I Earned $500 for Sharing About My Oregon to Ohio Move
As told to moveBuddha
- Ryan moved from Portland, Oregon, to Westlake, Ohio, in June 2022 to be closer to family and take advantage of Ohio’s lower cost of living, a 2,400-mile move covering a 2-bedroom home of about 850 square feet.
- After comparing five household goods quotes and two auto transport quotes, he hired U-Pack for his household goods and Mr. Car Shipper for his vehicle. His Oregon to Ohio move cost $5,761 with U-Pack and $1,625 with Mr. Car Shipper.
- This is Ryan’s story, shared as part of moveBuddha’s Better Moves Project.
This account is based on a conversation with Ryan documenting his move from Oregon to Ohio in June 2022 using U-Pack and Mr. Car Shipper. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My wife and I had been planning our move from Portland to Westlake, Ohio for a while. We wanted to be closer to family and take advantage of a lower cost of living, and since we were also buying a new home at the same time, keeping costs down mattered. We had two kids, which made the logistics of a 2,400-mile move feel higher-stakes than they might otherwise.
I spent close to a month comparing options before committing. I researched movers on moveBuddha and ConsumerAffairs, read every contract carefully, and got multiple quotes before making a decision. I used moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to get a baseline for what a move like mine should actually cost and to compare what different service types would cost.
My U-Pack and Mr. Car Shipper experience at a glance
Here’s a quick summary of how everything went:
- Communication: U-Pack and Mr. Car Shipper both stayed in regular contact before and during the move, answered my questions thoroughly, and confirmed all details ahead of schedule. I felt informed at every stage.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: My quotes were accurate and I wasn’t hit with any unexpected fees. The one small surprise was a slight overage with U-Pack tied to how the logistics tracks in the trailer were spaced, which I’ll explain below.
- Professionalism: U-Pack, Mr. Car Shipper, and the local crew I hired for loading (Oregon Trail Movers in Portland) all met or exceeded my expectations. Everyone showed up and did the job.
- Timeliness: My household goods and vehicle were both picked up and delivered on schedule. U-Pack’s final delivery window was wide, but the trailer arrived within the hour once they said it was on the way.
- Loss and damage: Everything arrived in good condition. Nothing was lost or damaged in transit.
- Would I use U-Pack and Mr. Car Shipper again? Yes, without hesitation. I’d recommend both companies to anyone planning a similar move.
Why I chose U-Pack
I had actually settled on 1-800-PACK-RAT first. Their quote of $5,155 was lower than U-Pack’s $5,761, and I was ready to book until I read the contract. Fuel surcharge and repositioning fees weren’t included in the estimate, and they could have pushed my total up significantly. PACK-RAT’s rep offered to waive or discount some of those fees, but I wasn’t comfortable with the uncertainty, so I walked away.
U-Pack wasn’t the cheapest option, but the quote was transparent and the company’s reputation held up under scrutiny. I liked that I’d only pay for the trailer space I actually used, that there was no weight limit to worry about (unlike containers, which tend to have lower limits), and that I could handle most of the booking online.
The flexibility of a hybrid move appealed to me too: U-Pack handles the driving, I hire local crews for loading and unloading on each end, and I stay in control of the timeline.
I also checked with my insurance agent at Liberty Mutual and learned that my auto and renter’s policy would provide limited coverage while my goods and car were in transit, so I went with U-Pack’s standard coverage.
My move at a glance
| Moving from | Portland, Oregon |
|---|---|
| Moving to | Westlake, Ohio |
| Distance | 2,400 miles |
| Move size | 2-bedroom home, about 850 square feet |
| Moving companies | U-Pack and Mr. Car Shipper |
| Moving quote | U-Pack – $5,761.00 & Mr. Car Shipper – $1,625.00 |
| Actual cost | Mr. Car Shipper’s quote was spot on, but I paid slightly more than the estimate with U-Pack because the truck’s built-in logistics tracks were spaced every other foot instead of every foot (more on this shortly) |
Planning a similar move? Use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare quotes from reputable movers before you book.
Quotes I compared
I got quotes from four container companies and one full-service mover. Here’s how they stacked up:
| Company | Container size/estimated weight | Cost estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Zippy Shell | 680 cubic feet | $5,009.00 |
| 1-800-PACK-RAT | 830 cubic feet | $5,155.25 |
| U-Pack | 864 cubic feet (space on a 28-foot freight trailer) | $5,761.00 |
| PODS | 835 cubic feet | $6,124.74 |
| North American Van Lines (full-service mover) | 6,500 pounds | $12,612.19 |
I also got quotes for shipping my car:
| Mr. Car Shipper | $1,625 |
|---|---|
| ACME Car Shipping | $1,675 |
Prices across the board were higher than I expected. Fuel costs had gone up since I first started getting quotes.
Pre-move communication
Both U-Pack and Mr. Car Shipper reached out before my move to confirm reservation dates and details.
U-Pack’s team answered my questions about how much trailer space I’d need, how to load efficiently to maximize space and prevent shifting during transit, truck clearance requirements at origin and destination (their trailers are 13 feet, 6 inches tall, but they require 14 feet of clearance at both ends), and how to get a street parking permit for the trailer in Portland.
Oregon Trail Movers, the crew I hired to load in Portland, also helped me prepare ahead of time. They accurately estimated how many moving blankets and cargo straps we’d need, which mattered because I was responsible for providing pads, straps, and stretch wrap since we were loading a freight trailer rather than a moving van.
One thing I handled myself before move day: I spotted some drooping power lines while scouting the truck’s route to my house. I was able to get the utility company to raise them to at least 14 feet before the U-Pack driver delivered the trailer. I’d encourage anyone doing a hybrid move to scout their route early.
Pickup day
One scheduling decision I’d strongly recommend for anyone doing a hybrid move is to book your loading crew for the morning after the container or trailer is delivered, not the same day. Container and trailer companies typically give wide service windows, often 8 AM to 5 PM, which makes coordinating two service providers at once nearly impossible. I scheduled Oregon Trail Movers for the morning after U-Pack dropped the trailer, and it made the whole day far less stressful.
The U-Pack driver texted me his ETA on the morning of May 31, arrived on time, and dropped the trailer in front of the house. While Oregon Trail Movers loaded, I cleaned the apartment and prepared for the final walk-through with the property management company. Loading ran about an hour longer than expected, but the crew was efficient and easy to work with throughout. They did put a minor chip in the front door, but the company owner offered to repair it when I called in.
After loading, I noticed something I hadn’t anticipated: the logistics tracks in the trailer, the built-in hardware used for cargo securement, were spaced every other foot instead of every foot.
U-Pack’s pay-for-what-you-use policy is one of the things I liked most about the company, but the track spacing meant I ended up paying slightly more than expected for a foot of floor space I didn’t actually use. If you’re booking U-Pack, factor the logistics track spacing into your space estimate before you book.
About a week before pickup, Mr. Car Shipper confirmed my services and dates by both phone and email. They also sent a detailed checklist to help me prepare my car for transport. Since my family had already left for Ohio by then, I had a neighbor meet the driver from Diesel Express (Mr. Car Shipper’s carrier partner) on June 6.
Delivery day
Diesel Auto Express delivered my car on time and in good condition, just five days after pickup in Oregon. U-Pack notified me that my trailer had arrived at the local terminal 13 days after loading it in Portland.
When I called to schedule the final delivery, U-Pack could only tell me the trailer would arrive between 8 AM and 5 PM. By 4:30, I still hadn’t heard anything. I called for an update and was told the truck had just left the terminal and would arrive within the hour. That nine-hour window was the most stressful part of the back end of my move.
We hit a low-wire problem in Westlake, too. Unlike in Portland, I wasn’t able to get the utility company to raise the lines in time. So I lifted them myself with a long-arm pool skimmer while the truck came through. I don’t recommend this approach for obvious reasons, but sometimes you do what you have to do. The truck cleared the wires, the driver dropped the trailer in a perfect position for unloading, my bulkhead and lock were intact, and everything unloaded fast.
I mowed the lawn while the movers unloaded the trailer. That’s multitasking.
Final thoughts
rating
5 / 5
Overall, my move went about as well as a long-distance move can. U-Pack, Mr. Car Shipper, and Oregon Trail Movers all did what they said they would, and none of my quotes came back with hidden fees or major surprises.
A few things I wasn’t thrilled about: U-Pack’s nine-hour delivery window left me waiting most of the day, and paying slightly more than expected because of the logistics track spacing was a surprise I hadn’t budgeted for. The low-wire situation in Westlake wasn’t U-Pack’s fault, but it’s worth knowing that clearance issues can crop up at your destination just as easily as your origin, especially in older neighborhoods.
U-Pack felt a little pricey compared to some of the other quotes I collected, but the service was worth it. I’d use all three companies again and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone planning a similar move.
Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Ryan’s experience:
- Book as early as possible: If you’re moving during the peak summer season, capacity fills fast. Booking early gives you more options and better pricing across the board.
- Consider a freight trailer over a container: With a freight trailer, you only pay for the space you use. Just factor in logistics track spacing when estimating your needs, since the tracks may be spaced every other foot rather than every foot, which affects where your bulkhead gets placed and what you actually pay for.
- Read the fine print on every contract: Some quotes include fuel surcharges, repositioning fees, or other add-ons not reflected in the initial estimate. Make sure you understand exactly what you’re agreeing to before signing.
- Scout your route for low-clearance issues before move day: Check for drooping utility lines along the truck’s path at both origin and destination. It’s far easier to get them addressed in advance than to deal with them on moving day.
The downsides of freight trailers
Freight trailers are solid options for DIY and hybrid moves of all sizes. That said, most have spring suspensions that can be tough on household goods. Moving vans, by contrast, nearly all have much gentler air-ride suspensions. It’s worth weighing this if you’re moving sensitive, fragile, or high-value items.
In addition, U-Pack trailers have deck heights of 48 inches. Trailers come with walk boards, but loading and unloading at that height is more physically demanding and less forgiving than working with a ground-level moving container.
Before signing off, check out these helpful posts:
- Best Moving Container Companies
- The Ultimate Guide to Getting Discounts on Moving Containers
- Can You Put a Moving Container or Trailer on the Street?
- What Size Moving Container Do I Need?
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