Relocating or Moving? Compare Moving Pods to Moving Rental Trucks

If you can find anyone who enjoys moving (besides the moving companies of course!) please let us know. Moving is considered one of the most stressful life events any of us will have to deal with. Think how difficult it can be to move a family of four and all their belongings, whether moving one way across town or across the country? It's not easy, no matter what approach you take.

Fortunately it doesn't need to be that way, because the moving industry is actually getting quite creative. These days, we generally have three options to choose from for moving. We can hire a moving company. We can rent a moving truck. Or, we can use what is becoming an increasingly popular option, one that combines the freedom of letting someone else do the transporting, with the cost-savings of renting a moving truck: we can rent moving pods. Yes, all of these require some effort on your part, but that level of effort varies dramatically from one to the next.

When it actually comes time to move though, there are some very big differences between these three options. We're not going to go into much detail about hiring a moving company, but you should know this: the freedom of having someone else move for you comes at an expense. Hiring a moving company is not cheap. Furthermore, search the web and you'll uncover plenty of horrific experiences with moving companies. If you are going to use a moving company, check the companies reliability before you do anything.

Consider these pointers when you want to compare a moving rental truck with moving pods, the differences are many. Let's take a closer look at each:

Rental Moving Trucks:

• Big trucks are hard to drive! If you are at all uneasy about driving big rigs, than renting a moving truck is not going to be a fun experience. Smaller trucks are much easier to drive, but they also limit the amount of things you can pack and move. Even small moving trucks can be intimidating and almost all are quite difficult to see out of.
• Gas! Sure gas prices have subsided...for now. Still, most of these rental moving trucks get very poor mileage. Depending on the size, you're looking at anywhere from 8 – 12 miles per gallon. If you're driving long distances those costs are really going to ad up! And don't forget about refilling your tank. You would think this wouldn't be an issue. Basically all you need to do is put back in what you used. Not so! Although you may know exactly how many miles you drove and how much to put back in, if you fail to fill the tank up exactly as it was, you're going to be shocked by the moving feeds & penalties the moving truck rental company is going to charge you.
• Lots of moving trucks are in pretty bad condition. This is good and bad. Good, because you probably don't need to worry about getting it dirty or scratching the interior or exterior. Bad, because now you have to worry about just getting to your destination. There is nothing worse than spending hours, days, even weeks packing a moving truck, only to break down somewhere and have to do it again with a new truck!
• Do You Enjoy Lifting Big Heavy Items? – Me neither. Unlike moving and storage pods, or even a self-storage unit, just about all moving trucks require you to either lift, drag or push household items up to a higher surface. Sure they provide ramps to walk up, but as we all know, these can be tricky, especially when it's raining!
• Watch Out For Those Fees – Time limits, mileage restrictions, gas fees...if you're renting a moving truck, read the fine print because you will uncover numerous little add-on fees and unexpected surprises that can really drive up the cost of a moving truck
• Time is of the Essence! You know the saying, “Time is Money”. Well, it couldn't be more true in this case. If you miss you're drop-off time, be prepared to pay for it. 
• Pick Up & Drop Off – All other issues aside, it's important to understand that no one is delivering this moving truck to your front door. You need to go pick it up and drop it off. Even in cities, where there may be a half dozen discount moving truck rental options, it's very likely you'll have to hop in your own vehicle and drive many miles to go find it. And picking it up may be the easy part. With penalties for late returns, you then have to drive back to this location for return. 

There are some reasons to consider renting a move truck though. Compared to all the options, this is typically the least expensive...or it was. Remember, time is money.       Furthermore, you may be surprised to hear that moving and storage pods are, in     many cases, more affordable.

What are some of the benefits of moving and storage pods?

Easier to Load and Unload – moving and storage pods sit only a couple inches off the ground, making loading and unloading them very easy. No need to risk your life walking up a ramp, or straining your back trying to lift that 42” plasma TV.
Less Hurry! - most moving pods companies offer a lot more flexibility when it comes to dropping off their portable storage units and the amount of time you have to pack them. Matter of fact, some may give you up a to a MONTH to pack your belongings, at no additional cost to you!
Flexible Storage Options – have you ever found yourself actually trying to fill a storage unit or moving truck, only because you paid for it and you want to get your moneys worth? Here again, moving pods offer a huge, money-saving benefit. Most moving pods companies will only charge you for what you use! Reserved two pods but only used one? You get a refund. Plain and smple.
Time Is Money! - When it's all said and done, your time is worth a lot. Moving pods offer a very good alternative to rental moving trucks as they will save you lots of time, and in the end, even some money.