When it comes to moving, most people have a few options to choose from. You can choose to ship everything and arrange transportation for yourself separately, you can move your belongings on your own, or you can even rent a storage container and have your things packed for you (or pack them yourself) and delivered to your new home.
If you only have a few boxes of belongings, no real furniture, etc then shipping everything is not a bad solution. Situations such as students moving to new dorms or coming / going from school for an extended period of time could benefit from a straight up shipping situation.
If you have the funds to rent a moving truck, a few friends to help you load and unload, and plenty of time in between, moving your things yourself might work out for you. This is a choice made by a large number of people who need to move long distances because it is perceived as being cheaper than shipping everything or being moved by a professional company.
A new moving option that has become more popular in recent years is the use of storage containers (they go by a variety of names) which are dropped off at your location allowing you to load them or have them loaded, then the shipper returns, loads them up onto their truck, and moves or stores them according to your instructions, delivering them when and where you ask. All you have to do is make a few phone calls, put down your deposit, and you’re all set to go.
More and more companies are getting on board with portable moving and storage solutions, but for now there are two major competitors for your business: PODS and U-Box which is owned by U-Haul.
PODS
If PODS didn’t start it all, they’ve certainly been a trail-blazer in the portable moving and storage industry. They got their start in 1998 and have been providing solutions for their customers ever since. They offer three sizes of moving container: 8x7x7, 8x8x12, and 8x8x16 (all measurements in feet) with only the largest and smallest sizes available for moving – the middle size is apparently only for storage. You can have help packing your PODS container for an additional fee as PODS works with packing companies to offer deals to their customers.
The downsides of using PODS are their customer service and inflexibility. In order to receive a quote you are required to give them your email address, and they are not above sending repeated emails in an attempt to contact you. Most of the time you wind up having to call them to finalize arrangement, so this extra step is not necessary.
U-Haul U-Box
In contrast to PODS, U-Box only offers one container size, a 7.5x7x5. They compensate for this by allowing you to reserve as many as you need for your move. In an attempt to help you estimate the number of boxes you need they offer a handy chart on their home page to give you an idea of how much a box will hold.
This is very beneficial because for many people a portable container will be occupying space outside of their home or business and it’s nice to know how much space you will need to free up for the container(s). On average 1 U-Box container takes up the same space as a standard parking space for a car, and then these containers can be stacked one on top of the other when it is time to load them onto a truck, saving time and space with standard sizing.
Conclusion
PODS and U-Box are two very different companies offering similar services but with different options and potential costs. PODS containers are metal storage containers and U-Boxes are essentially large wooden crates. PODS typically cost more, but they also offer various sizes, while U-Boxes are cheaper and only offer a single size. PODS require an email address and usually a few phone calls, while U-Boxes can be ordered entirely online if you so choose.
Whatever your solution turns out to be, please let us know what sort of experience you had! Even if you worked with a company other than PODS or U-Box we’d love to hear from you!