I Compared 4 Quotes for My New Jersey to Colorado Move
West Windsor, NJ → Fort Collins, CO
$3,090
3-bedroom home, shared
~$4,000
U-Haul rental and lost work time
1,800 mi
Long-distance, interstate
- I compared four quotes before I hired Zippy Shell for my New Jersey to Colorado move.
- My $3,090 quote became about $4,000 after four days of delivery delays forced me to rent a U-Haul and collect my own container from the warehouse.
- 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 Michelle K., who moved from West Windsor, New Jersey, to Fort Collins, Colorado, in August 2022 using Zippy Shell. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My move from New Jersey to Colorado
After finishing grad school in New Jersey, my fiancé and I decided to move back home to Fort Collins, Colorado. We were moving a three-bedroom home we shared with another couple, about 1,800 miles, in August 2022.
I had roughly three months’ notice, but it only took two weeks to settle on a mover. My shipment was relatively small, no pianos or hot tubs, just miscellaneous furniture and about 40 boxes weighing around 1,000 pounds.
I found moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator and used it to line up quotes from several companies before deciding who to book. 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 the short version of how my move went, and why I wouldn’t book Zippy Shell again.
- The move: I moved 1,800 miles from West Windsor, New Jersey, to Fort Collins, Colorado, in August 2022, covering a three-bedroom home shared with another couple.
- The cost: My Zippy Shell quote was $3,090, but my total climbed to about $4,000 once I added a U-Haul rental and lost work time.
- The comparison: I compared four quotes, from U-Box, Zippy Shell, American Van Lines, and U-Pack, before booking Zippy Shell.
- The breaking point: After four days of delivery delays and nobody able to tell me where my container was, I rented a truck and picked up my own belongings from the warehouse.
- Would I use Zippy Shell again? No, I wouldn’t use Zippy Shell again after how my delivery played out. You can compare container companies with moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator.
all in, on a $3,090 Zippy Shell quote
Find out what a move from New Jersey → Colorado actually costs before a mover tells you.
Why I chose Zippy Shell
I moved during peak summer season, when full-service movers and container companies are stretched thin, so affordability, clear communication, and on-time service were my priorities. I weighed pricing, services, and availability, then booked a 15-foot container through Zippy Shell.
My quote included a fuel surcharge, local pickup and delivery, long-distance transportation, $10,000 of insurance, and 30 days of free storage at the destination warehouse. Packing and loading were on my fiancé and me, and Zippy Shell’s staff felt very helpful early on, sending useful emails about how to pack boxes and load the container. I paid a 50% deposit before the move, with the rest due at delivery.
My biggest concern going in was time. Zippy Shell gave me three hours to load the container, far less than the full day or more most container companies allow, so I lined up friends to help.
- 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 ended up paying for my New Jersey to Colorado move.
| Move date | August 8, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Moved from | West Windsor, NJ |
| Moved to | Fort Collins, CO |
| Distance | About 1,800 miles |
| Move size | 3-bedroom home (shared with another couple) |
| Moving company | Zippy Shell |
| Moving quote | $3,090 |
| Actual cost | About $4,000, including the U-Haul truck and lost work time |
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 contacted between five and 10 companies for quotes and asked each one whether they’d price match, then narrowed the list to four before booking. Here’s how those four compared.
| Moving company | Service type | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| U-Box | Moving container | $1,800 |
| Zippy Shell | Moving container | $3,090 |
| American Van Lines | Full-service move, 8 feet of floor space on a moving van | $3,100 |
| U-Pack | Moving container | $6,000 |
rating
4.2 / 5
Pickup day
Zippy Shell’s driver called on August 8, the day of my move, to tell me he’d arrive with the container around 11 a.m. That timing matched what I expected, but I would have appreciated a confirmation call a few days ahead.
The container itself was a surprise. My sales representative told me I’d get a solid metal container, and what showed up had wire-mesh construction with a metal frame instead. Beyond that, everything went to plan, and my fiancé, our helpers, and I loaded everything in about two hours.
If you’re booking a moving container, ask exactly what type of container you’ll receive and get it in writing, since what the sales rep describes and what shows up don’t always match.
Delivery day
My delivery is where everything fell apart. Once my container was in transit, Zippy Shell didn’t communicate proactively, and when I called in, nobody at the customer service center could give me concrete information.
About 10 days after pickup, I was told my container had reached the warehouse in Colorado and that I needed to call to schedule final delivery. When I called, I was on hold for more than an hour and then told the soonest delivery slot was several days out.
Over the next four days, I dealt with poor communication and multiple delivery postponements. My fiancé and I had no idea how many more delays were coming, so I worked my way up the chain of command to the company’s territory manager.
A new delivery day was finally scheduled, but by mid-afternoon my container still hadn’t arrived and I hadn’t heard from Zippy Shell. When I called, I was told it would be there in three or four hours. By 8 p.m., nothing. I called again the next day and was told they weren’t sure where my container was or when it would be delivered.
By the end of the fourth day, my fiancé and I had had enough, so we scheduled an “out by owner” appointment and went to get our things ourselves. That was the best option under the circumstances, but it meant the hassle and expense of renting a U-Haul truck, even though my original quote included the door-to-door service I never got.
We drove to the warehouse expecting a fight. Instead, the staff gladly moved the container into the parking lot so we could unload our things and reload them onto the U-Haul. That took a few hours, and then we drove to our new home and unloaded everything one last time.
If you’re relying on a container company for door-to-door delivery, ask what happens if delivery slips past a certain point, and whether you have any recourse to retrieve your things yourself.
Final thoughts
Poor communication was the most persistent issue on my move, on top of the extra money I spent on a U-Haul and the work of moving my furniture multiple times. Zippy Shell probably would have delivered the container eventually, but I had no way of knowing when, and I no longer trusted the information I was getting. In the end I took matters into my own hands.
The customer service representatives I dealt with were pleasant, but nobody seemed to know where my container was or when it would arrive. For a company with Zippy Shell’s reputation, I found that surprising and frustrating. I was also disappointed not to get the container I expected, which was another case of not getting what I paid for.
Timing may have played a role. I moved during peak summer season, when movers and container companies see huge surges and sometimes book more than they can handle. Even so, Zippy Shell could have communicated better and given me accurate information, even when it wasn’t what I wanted to hear. The company did reduce my bill by $200, but I think they should have covered the U-Haul.
Thinking about a move of your own? Compare quotes with moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator before you book.
My ratings
Here’s how I’d score Zippy Shell based on my end-to-end experience.
- Communication: Zippy Shell was responsive and helpful while I was booking, but communication fell apart once my container was in transit.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: My quote held steady at $3,090, but I spent extra on a U-Haul rental because Zippy Shell kept pushing back my delivery date.
- Timeliness: Poor. I never got the door-to-door service I was promised, and I retrieved my own container four days into the delays.
- Professionalism: I didn’t feel like Zippy Shell treated me fairly or professionally once problems started.
- Loss and damage: A few items got damaged, but that probably wasn’t Zippy Shell’s fault since my fiancé and I packed and loaded the container ourselves.
- Would I use Zippy Shell again? No, I wouldn’t use Zippy Shell again or recommend the company to anyone else.
More moving resources
Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Michelle K.’s experience:
- Get the container type in writing: Michelle K. was told to expect a solid metal container and received a wire-mesh one with a metal frame. Confirm the exact equipment in your contract, not just on a sales call.
- Ask how long you get to load: Zippy Shell allowed three hours, while most container companies give you a full day or more. If your window is short, line up help before move day.
- Ask what happens when delivery slips: Find out who escalates a delayed delivery, how far up the chain you can go, and whether you can retrieve your own belongings from the warehouse if it comes to that.
- Budget for the backup plan: Michelle K.’s $3,090 quote became roughly $4,000 once she rented a truck and lost work time. Ask whether the company reimburses costs caused by its own delays, and get that answer before you book.
- Think twice about peak season: Moving in summer means competing with everyone else. If your dates are flexible, moving outside peak season gives you better availability and more attentive service.
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